Okay, I will be the first to admit that the Axe is not a raging 3d machine, but it never fails to amuse me how people get on to a site dedicated to a particular heli for the specific intention of talking people OUT of said heli.

I have also flown nitros for awhile, and tho no expert, can put it up and down without too much stress. I just bought an Axe CP about a month ago and have been having a blast with it. It is no Trex and I knew that when I bought it, in fact that's why I chose the Axe. About 1/5th the investment and tons of fun in the back yard. I already have a nitro for the field, I just want something I can have some fun with at the park. To answer your first question, if you're looking for a 3d monster, keep looking and be prepared to pay proportionately. If you're looking for a cp heli you can have fun with it's a good little machine. As for upgrades, there are plenty of upgrades for this machine, but I'm not sure how much more performace you will squeeze out of it. It's not really meant for all out performance. Shadow99 can probably steer you in the direction of extreme upgrade to this machine...I think his Axe will outperform my Raptor 50 by now