RE: Eflite Edge 540 BP 3D ARF - Comments??
I've had my Edge 540BP since just after they came out. Aside from the crappy gear, I love it. I originally flew it with a brushless inrunner on a GWS-type gearbox from a now discontinued UltraRC Yak profile of similar size. The Yak was built MUCH lighter (and MUCH less strong....and come to think of it, MUCH warped!), and while this motor flew the Edge OK, it was no barn burner.
So when I broke the prop shaft on the gearbox, instead of fixing it, I took a chance on a BP Hobbies outrunner (the 2217/9) which claims 188W on a 10x7 APC electric prop (I had been using the GWS 10x4.7 slow fly prop prior to this).
The Edge has had a number of run-ins with the ground since it was built, with the motor mount stick usually taking the worst of the abuse (it's been repaired at least 4 times so far!). Well, I finally got around to mounting the BP Hobbies motor yesterday, and WOW, what a difference! First of all, the C/G moved forward a bit (maybe 1/4"), which changed her from twitchy all the time on low or high rates to a much more stable performer (as you would expect with a more forward C/G). On high rates, it's still quicker than my brain can react sometimes, but that has it's advantages too!
I'm no 3-D expert, so I claim no ability to hover in the real world (in Realflight I'm a champ though...as long as the difficulty is set to beginner or intermediate!). However, this thing has unlimited vertical now, and the acceleration from slow flight to full-throttle in level flight is just wicked! All in all, it's a blast to fly, and that's how I always get into trouble! My stunts get lower and lower until......WHAM!....dirt nap. Thankfully, with a little patience (and even more epoxy) she keeps coming back for more. I may have to retire her though, as soon as my two-for-one deal from PAU comes through (two Yak profiles for $49.99....shipped!).
I got my Edge 540BP when they were more like $90, but now that they're up to $120 or so, I'm not sure I'll buy another. However, if you have one of these and haven't chosen a motor yet, I HIGHLY recommend the BP Hobbies 2217/9 for less than $21, along with the APC 10x7E prop....dynamite combination!