rob.rice

problem solved
get an air frame
this way all your up grades can be used on a new air frame and not go to waste
be sure to watch the build videos so you will know how set it up

IMHO
I think the best deal would be the one I linked to

ATVAlliance

I can understand that. I was just like that, in the way of thinking. I bought the 450 first because I had other planes that used the same 2200 mah batteries...ie f27c stryker and a mini ultra stick.

I run my 500 on single 4000mah 5s 30c Blue Lipo packs. They average around 40 bucks a piece and I have 5 of them, because like my 2200's I have a couple of planes that will use them too.

After doing it this way...using the same packs for multiple applications has came to be a wash really though. And what I mean by that is I fly my planes and helis a lot. And by using the same packs on several models just makes the packs reach their EOL(End OfLife) more quickly. So, I have found that it really isnt that much of a savings in the long run.

I only suggested the 500 over the 450 because it just flies so much nicer (probably because Im still new and i like the feeling of it being a little more slow and bigger and just more enjoyable to fly all the way around. However, the only drawback is I dont fly it in my backyard. But neither do I fly my 450 in the back yard either. I save the backyard for my mcpx and now fleet of 250's I have, which yet take another pack! lol

jester_s1

For me, the park I fly small stuff at is about a 5 minute drive, while the club field is about 25 minutes. I find myself in an airplane mood some days and a heli mood other days. Like I said I have the 600 to really work on skills and enjoy a stable and obedient bird, so the little 450 fits in nicely for a park flyer.

rob.rice

flying the 450 a lot will make one LESS likely to crash the 600
and
the 450 is a lot cheaper to fix than the 600

Solman

I can definitely vouch for the 450 being cheaper to fix than the 600, $500 later.

rotor09

True, the 450 is less costly to repair then the 550 or 600. But I find I crash my 450 at least 4 times more often from getting disoriented because of its small size then I do the 550 or 600. So even if my 550 cost 2 or 3 times more to repair, the cost over a year of flying is less, and I seem to learn faster on them, as I can see them at any distance better then I can the 450's.

I also find that my 550's & 600's or so much more predictable in any winds of consequence that this also contributes to more flying and more confidence while doing so.

ATVAlliance

Dont have a 550 and dont really know what one consists of. Is it a 600 with shorter blades/boom. Or is it a 500 with longer blades/boom?

I have a 450 and a 500 and have crashed both. Other than main blades...crash cost is only slightly more on the 500 than the 450. If you go FBL, its even less as there are less parts to break in the head.

So, IMO...the 500 is the happy medium. Larger heli with a relatively low crash cost.

Solman

A 550 is a slightly shorter version of the 600. In fact some of the parts are interchangable.

ATVAlliance

Thanks for the info on that.

So, based on that. A 500 would be cheaper to crash than a 550.

jester_s1

I learned pretty quickly in flying planks that if you think about crashing you tend to do it more, especially if you choose components and build with crashing in mind. I crashed my 450 a lot too early on, but exactly because I was flying a junky 450 that I figured I wasn't losing much if I broke it. Then it became a sub-project to mess with it until I got it to fly right.

ATVAlliance

Thats funny.  I seem to have the opposite luck.  All of my planes that I consider "junk" or I just dont care about much...I seem to never crash.  And I push their envelope pretty hard.  But I find it really easy to knock the landing gear out of my treasure planes that I try to be careful with and handle with kids gloves!  lol