I picked up a blade CP + on tuesday, and it's my first heli! I've been flying planes for about 5 years, and i'm starting to get into heli"s. I have FS 1 and flying the CX was to easy, so i decided to skip it and go straight for the CP.
AND I LOVE IT! Helis are so fun, and i'm having a blast. My first flight, i bent the spindle =(. But a quick fix, and i was back in the air. I've had about 6 flights since with no incidents, and its alot of fun. I feel really comfortable flying with it pointing away, and i'm practicing on the sim alot with it faceing toward me.

I'm wondering when does a roter blade become so bad that i need to change the blades. I have a piece of tape on each side because of rips, but they look fine. Also, is it ok to cut of the end ( just a little) to each side?
Another thing i'm wondering is what the difference is beetween the CP Pro And CP +. On more thing. If i used a thunder power 1325 3 cell 11.1V, would that burn the motor out? I notice that my motor is considerably warmer to the touch after using my thunder power VS. the stock, but the owner of my hobby shop, (perry, aeromicro), says its ok. What do you think. Any tips??
Thanks,
Zach

I have used the TP 1320MAH packs for hundreds of flights through my cp so don't worry about that and IMHO it is the best pack for this heli. As for the rotor blades I usually cut the heat shrink off of the tip after the first minor damage. I suppose that it would be acceptable to cut a bit off of the tips of the blade so long as it doesn't interfere with the weights and you re balance them after you do it. I usually replace the blades when they start effecting flight performance and vibration. I'm glad to here from a person who is having success and is willing to put the time into learning to fly this little bird.
Happy Landings

i fly the same bird it actually pretty hard for me only about 5-6 flights never leavin the ground i need much practice. i flown planes all my life and i have a few buggys but that blade cp is a hard lil bird maybe a few tips for me what do ya think about that traing gear i flown it 6x and repaired it 2x 1x major any tips for me guys

the training gear in absolutly neccessary. It will let you get away with things that you should never get away with. .

I wouldn't say absolutely necessary, but very helpful. I did most of my training on the CP without any sort of training gear. I also didn't put training gear on my Trex either. Yeah... I'm stubborn.

training gear, patience, radds (http://www.dream-models.com/eco/flying-index.html) and money - success is the great joy imaginable - my poor cp has been 'through the mill' as they say - grinding the head, stomping the skids, and even a little fire - she's still going - i use plastic blades, aluminum arrow shaft tail boom, superskids, plus disassemble and rebuild the whole head each crash (made it easy to build a trex head), one time i found a torn o-ring inside the head from a fractured hardened spindle shaft, back to stock shafts now (cheaper too), and have found many hidden plastic parts cracked just waiting for me to fly so they could break

edit: you will also have much more money than those who got blade 400's as their first heli - much more expensive parts on that one

I use black electrical tape on the tips of my blades to keep them from splintering, and a paper clip instead of the stock retaining pin to allow the pin to shear - preventing bend main shafts.

Can someone tell me what parts I need to pick up to downgrade my CPP to a Hiller Head?

I think you need CP blade grips and control linkages. On the CP CP+ the control links route to the flybar and then from the flybar to the blade grips. On the CP PRO i think the control links go directly to the blade grips. The CP you are moving the flybar and it then controls the blades. On the CP PRO you control the blades directly. Someone correct me if im wrong but im pretty sure thats right.

Not exactly. You're right about the CP and CP+ where the swash plate goes to the flybar and the flybar goes to the blade grips (Hiller). If the swash is connected directly to the blade grips it's Bell. But the CP Pro (bell-hiller) combines the two. The blade grips are connected to mixing levers which are connected to both the swash and the flybar, then the flybar is also connected to the swash. So the blade grips get a mix of input from the swash directly and from the flybar. That's why it's called "bell-hiller", you get some of both.


But yes, you should be able to install the stock CP/CP+ head assembly to "downgrade" from bell-hiller to hiller.

Is it okay to put on the aluminum blade grips or will this spell disaster for everything else? I just picked up a used blade CP Pro after flying a cx2. It has the head lock gyro, dual tail rotor and brushless already installed. Which blades are really the best for a beginner the plastic ones or the wood ones? Sorry real helo and I have a ton of questions! Took it out for its first flight and alot different from the cx2! after trying to hover and a few bounces later with the rubber blades, broke the blade grips on it. switched them out and put on the wood blades back on but that's all I have time for today. thanks Gene