RE: Programming Futaba 6EX for an Axe 400
Bob,
Additional flybar weight is the easiest way to tame a heli.
Additional blade weight tames it down further but requires new, heavier blades or carbons. Flybar weights are the least costly and easiest.
Leave all throws on the recommended low rate/exponential then begin reducing the expo as you become more comfortable or if you feel the heli is sluggush in cyclic response. Next step is to increase the % of the low rate.
Basically get the heli to feel the way you want it without loosing control authority.
The eflite/esky CCP helis are squirrily because of the light weight and some of the 400 size helis exhibit similar characteristics. Add 4-6 ozs to the airframe makes them more stable, but at the expense of shorter flight time (a couple of minutes at most).
On my AXE 400 RxR, I carry a standard Futaba 4.8 battery pack and mini switch to power just the receiverand servos. This adds 3-4 oz of weight strapped under the frame directly below the main shaft.
Most of the ARF electric heli setups are for geeky 3D pilots and too wild for beginners, sport and mild aerobatic flying. Personally I think the setup out of the box needs to be geared towards that level as the 3D geeks will hop them up right away as nothing is hot enough for them. The E-flite Blade 400 sales suffered greatly (at least locally) shortly after introduction as it is way too hot out of the box. Horizon now has a video out on taming the bugger down for sport and aerobatic flying. It is a good little heli and parts sales at the LHS were great for a while which drove a number of beginners out of the hobby altogether. The LHS heli guru is a 3D geek so thinks that is the only way to fly helis.
I think you will like the AXE 400. It is a good value for the money.