Yup,

My review starts about the middle of this page...

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3576785/tm.htm

I like it, very stout, the added weight helps in stability of flight. No real issues with installation. Great upgrade for the $$$. (I do believe it was an upgrade)

If you have any other questions after reading my review....feel free to ask. I'll help or tell.....

Futura, I have been looking at that upgrade for a few days and cannot see the diffrence between the $12.00 and the $20.00. Do you know what the diffrence is? (size, thickness, grade of plastic?). I see both R 45 Grams in wieght and have same number of pieces.

Corey

Just an update on my 4-1, Talked to another LHS and they called Horizon to see if I could just send in 4-1. Horizon said they would just send new 4-1 so I would not have to pay for S&H to return BCP. After all the trouble with my LHS after 10+ years of buisness made me look at whom I buy from. After seeing how the new hobby shop (RC Plus) took care of me and how Horizon fixed my BCP I think I will buy two more for X-mas presents (don't tell my boys ). Thanks!! again Horizon and RC Plus. Nice to see a buisness stand by there product and a Hobby shop take care of a customer.

Corey

Functionally, I don't see much difference either. The molds for the large lg/frame pieces, the ones that screw into the orig. BCP frame.....these are a bit different between the two kits. Other than that, the kit looks to be the same other than the fact that the cheaper set already has the mounting holes drilled, the $20 white set needs to be drilled out. I don't have both so I can only go by the pictures myself.

total noob.just got my cp tonight.can i charge the battery for an hour at lunch then come home and finish the charge.how long does it take to charge the stock battery?

Does anyone know what to do with the head dampening shims, or what they are supposed to do for that matter?

I bought a pack of them (online) not really knowing what they were for and assuming they would come with instructions on how to use them, well no instructions came with them.

I guess they are supposed to go somewhere on the spindle, but where at and what for?

The go between the o-ring and the step washer that goes against the blade grip. You must put an equal amount on each side. So if you put 2 on one side of the spindle you have to put 2 on the other side. I've had issues if I put to many the heli starts to "wobble". Start with 1. if it works then try 2. and so on to find your heli's sweet spot.

Joe,
I just installed the new gear from HeliDirect and it is great! My total weight is 13.4oz now I have an esc, Power Zone board and brushless motor. The inrereasting thing was that I also installed the Eflite aluminum swash and experenced collective popping. When this happened I had some hard landing to say the least and if I would have had the old CF legs they would have broken. I also like the battery holder. I use the standard rubber bands that came with the Blade.
You do have to drill for the screws and do some slight trimming to get the bracket to fit in the front where it meets the part where the 4 in 1 sits. It will be very obvious when you get it.

I should have mentioned I fixed the collective popping which was caused by the servo connectors where it met the swash ball. I pinched them with pliers while on the balls. I also trimmed and set the pitch with a pitch gage while setting the TX in idol up. That is unplug both motors from the 4 in 1 and setting the pitch at up +10, 0 middle throttle and -10 low throttle.

skymortar, average is 2.5 HRS. for NI-MH with stock charger. You need to check battery often and unplug when battery feels hot (caused from resistance in batt.). If you use adjustable charger you can charge at 750 MA for 45 minutes on a 650 MA stock battery.
always remember heat kills battery's, let them cool before charge or recharging.

Corey

Are the HoneyBee and Blade CP the same helicopter?

Howdy Fellas,
I just picked up the Complete CNC head for the Blade (http://www.helihobby.com/html/blade_helicopter.html) and installed it today, and man it is sweet, the collective is soooo smooth. My Blade came with the 3 BB grips and they worked pretty good but there is no comparison as to how smooth this is, The touch downs are so much smoother and so much less jumpiness in altitude change. It is probaly not as fast as the Bell Hiller head out there but is definitely smooth as silk. I was able to dial my blade in tonight almost to the point where I can take my hands of the remote in a hover for quick second. The whole assembly really brings down the amount of corrective maneuvers you have to do on these things to hold it steady in a hover, makes it fly more like a Raptor .30 but a lot more agile if need be. The only issue I have had is the threading for one of the set screws to hod the fly bar was off, so I am not using that set screw hole, so I may actually go exchange it tommorrow; because when I spend money like that on a head it better be perfect!!!. but other than that, Its sweet!!! and it better be for the price

has anyone looked at the cnc frame and boom on heli hobby's site? Looks like it would be super strong. Just don't know about the servo pushrod geometery.

I'm waiting for my CNC head. Can't wait to get it. Sounds to me like it's working good for you. Can you post any pics of it on your Blade? Thanks!

Similar, but minor differences. Both fly about the same though, and and the Blade seems to be more available and has great customer support.

I'm trying to get some opinions on this myself. I cracked my frame and wonder is I should go ahead and get the cnc aluminum instead of a stock replacement. Anyone care to comment?

Try it !

Question for anybody??

I fly nitro planes, but I was looking the eflite CP. Is this a good trainer heli? I wanted to fly this heli in my neighborhood. I did not think the CX wood be good after a little bit of time. I think I might get bored of it after a while.

The Blade cp was not designed for a beginner but I think many have learned with this little heli. I recommend it, along with the training gear and I think a simulator is very helpful in learning what the Tx sticks do. Although for anyone with a lot of fixed wing time knows the sticks and as long as you keep the tail pointed towards you in a hover it doesn't get too confusing. I have about 12 yrs of fixed wing time ,so forward flight came easy for me since it's pretty much like flying a plane in that regard , gotta use that rudder though. I fly my Blade cp in my neighborhood, haven't had any problems. I too, think that the CX would become a little boring for someone who is pretty savvy in R/C flying. maybe spend an hour with the CX at a hobby shop and you'll be ready to move up to the CP. I think the CX would be great fun for flying in the house, so stable and all. So there you go. Have fun with whatever you get.

What is the best helicopter to use in RealFlight G3 to train for a Blade CP and/or T-REX

I think you should be fine just get the training gear and you'll be fine I never flew helis before exept for the simulator and a piccol fixed pich I had but the only thing I did with the piccolo was hoveing on my house,, when I got the blade man that thing was a lot easier than the piccolo to fly 2nd day I was flying outside and doing 8 with no problem,,, a week later I have benn doing loops and rolls with no problem,, it's really not that hard,,, and for my first heli I like it a lot,, I just ordered some CF blades to try I noticed the wooden one they flex a lot.

I'd like to share my Blade video with you guys hope you enjoy it!!! there is no trick or anything I'm still newbie heli pilot!!!! but finnaly I can say I also fly helis!!!!

http://www.whiteknuckleairlines.com/images/video/Heli%20Charrua%20arround%20Dhouse!!!.wmv

A mini-review, comment and a question-

I recently bought a Blade CP on impulse while browsing my LHS. About three years ago I spent a summer learning how to fly helis on a Venture CP, and even though I haven't flown in over three years I figured that I wouldn't have much trouble re-learning to fly on the Blade.

That indeed turned out to be the case, at least for hovering and basic tail-in maneuvering. The blade seems less stable overall, probably due to its diminutive size and lack of rotational inertia when compared to a .30 sized nitro heli. I'm also not quite sold on the separate tail rotor motor - I know that an extra servo, gears and a belt would add weight and cost, but I feel it would be more responsive and accurate in the yaw axis. Just MHO. It's still fun to practice with - I'll start messing around with nose-in flight again in another few flights, and then start flying some patterns.

But now for I have a general performance comment and a question. I am slightly disappointed with the collective response on my blade. Except with a brand new battery with lots of surface charge, the "stock" pitch setup causes the rotor to bog slightly at full throttle & collective. Since the throttle-collective mixing is fixed, I tried to adjust this by shortening the collective links by the minimum increment (a half-turn) and this definitely helped the RPMs, but the climb performance actually got worse.

Any suggestions? I'm not really ready for the 3D upgrade kit and I'm not sure I am ready to make the financial commitment to LIPOs, but would a motor upgrade work with the stock NiMH? If so any suggestions?

Thanks for any comments!

Dubro 505, was that the one with the engine on top of the rotor?

I don't go back quite that far. I had a Graupner Bell 47, HB25 engine. I also had a Dubro Shark, started out with the O&R engine but quickly installed the .60 conversion. Flew both of those a lot -- both were fixed pitch, however. No computer radios, no gyros. I have not flown any copters since then, but will be getting a Blade CP for Christmas.

Hi, all. i am a begginer to heli flying. can hover and forward flight, just started figure 8 no nose in yet only briefly on fly by's. Was just wondering is this thing hard to determine heli orientation from a distance because of it's size or are my eye's that bad. I will be flying and get confused on which way the heli is and all of a sudden, nose dive, happened bout 4 times already. not cheap lol .
Anyone else have this problem?

I am getting one for christmas i hope. it will be my first heli for me. I cannot obviously read through all these pages to see what is bad about them or good. I have seen them flown and they went good. So i have a few questions.

1. anything wrong i should change
2.any upgrades i could buy?
3. good beginer heli?
4. any bad points overall that i should look at?