The Blade CX2 is notoriously poor in outdoor flight environments. This does not come as a result of a design flaw, but rather, a design point: the heli must be small enough to fly inside. But for those of us who have mastered indoor flight, outdoor flight provides a new level of fun for pilots. Some simple (and sometimes free) modifications may be neccessary in order to provide a much more fun outdoor experience.

Please note that even if you apply these mods, your CX2 will not perform as well outside as a single-rotor model (Coyote64). Find an instructor or a simulator if you feel the need to move up, or you can fly out of the box if you feel comfortable doing so.
<ul>[*]Buy a tailboom kit. Any one will do, really. This is because the stock tail has a much larger area for wind to push against, but is extremely light, making it easier for the helicopter to be blown away. A boom has a greatly reduced surface area, while maintaning gross weight and proper balance. (~USD 20.00 for a M3 Boom Kit)
[Soloboss] has mentioned that the boom kits can cause weathervaning (your heli will spin left/right in a crosswind). You might be able to counteract this by replacing parts of the canopy with an aluminum mesh, which, according to [wildpig], whose heli I saw this on, is available from crafts stores.[*]Move the swashplate link arms out a hole (or two) on the servo arms. Start with the pitch (forward/backward roll) servo, then, if you use it a lot, move the link arm on the roll(left/right roll) servo. You will need to (carefully) widen the holes on the servo arms.This will give you the control authority to fight wind and will allow you to use the wide open spaces you now have. Do not move the link arm past the third hole, or apply stick movements too harshly, as this will cause blade clack. (FREE)[*]Lighten the flybar. Do this after you have become accustomed to flight with the servo arm moved. This will not only give you greater control authority, it will reduce blade clack occurences and will lengthen the amount of time before the mechanical gyroscopic effect takes over and counteracts your control movement, giving you a smoother flight. Start by removing the weights from the flybar, then, once you feel comfortable doing so, the rubber caps. You will have to adjust the mixer trimmer pot, as the upper blade will spin faster. There are also prefab lightened flybars available (FREE)[*]Buy a set of flex, aluminum, or carbon fiber tube skids. If you have to do a hard landing because of strikes against obstacles, loss of control, or clack, you will likely fall from a much greater height, and the stock skids break like brittle twigs. (~USD 7.00 for a pair of flex skids)[*]Buy the Xtreme motor set and silver brushes. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">WARNING:</span> Installing the silver brushes requires soldering skill. (~USD 13.00 per motor - be sure to buy one of each type - and USD 2.70 for a pair of silver brushes.) soloboss[*]Buy an upgraded battery pack, for increased flight times and power. (~USD 17.00) soloboss[/list]GOSLOWLY! Only apply the control mods one at a time, otherwise you'll be overwhelmed by the sudden increase in control response. Please post your own suggestions and I will add them to the original post (with your name attached, of course). Tell me if I've got anything wrong.

darkslategrey,
I'm going to reply to this because I've found things over the past years that goes against what most everyone says. I'm not getting in your dirt at all - this is just stuff that I've found to work for me. And I've always been the oddball in this forum
FIRST - the tail boom. Igot a tailboom for my CX and I flew a lot better outdoors with the stock body. I thing that's true because the tail is Aerodynamically balanced with the canopy. In a crosswind, the air pushes agains the canopy trying to spin the helicopter. IF you use a boom, you need to balance the Weight fore and aft. We all know that. But if you fly with a crosswind, you need to balance the side surface of the bodywork ahead of the drive shafts with the side surface aft of the drive shafts. If you hand the helicopter by a string tied to the upper rotor and place the heli in a gentle breeze it HAS to be fully neutral to the air flow. If it weathervanes at all it's gonna be tough to fly in a crosswind. And when you've done as I suggest, the CX is still gonna be a handful to fly in any breeze at all.
NEXT - Move the links outward. I never did that. I make all of my adjustments with the flybar. Blade clack is not an issue because the flybar has little fight at my lightest weight bar assembly.
LAST - invest in more durable landing skids. Oh yeah - you betcha buddy. Take the money you usually spend on replacement skids and broken battery trays and get the upgraded skids that don't break.
LAST +1 - Get more power. The ball bearing motors don't do much unless you get the silver brush kit to go with the upgrade motors. Ball bearing motors an silver brushes ANDAGOODBREAKIN for the brushes will put a bunch more amperage into the motors and amperage is power. And while you are shopping for better skids, make room for more battery. Bigger power is good, more amperage to the motors is good. More weight down low is good.
I have flown my CX in 7 MPH breezes. Iflew it around the outside of the house in the eddy currents surrounding the house. Ilanded on the roof and took off from the roof - in the wind. I did that using Xtreme battery, stock blades, full body, very light flybar, stock motors. I'm a lousy pilot but Iam honestly better outdoors with the full body. Others tell me I'm nuts and Iwon't argue that one. But I did what I say I did while most say it can't be done. I have far better luck flying indoors with a boom type tail, but outside I use the full body. And yes, Iget tired of buying replacement bodies but we pick our poison, don't we?

So there ya go - another point of view. I've never been one to tell someone that they are wrong because we are all different. I will only tell you what works for me.
All the best and Blue Skies,
Soloboss

Mark has a point there and should be listened to as on this forum he is highly respected. He has tried and tested every theory out there and then some.

My personal preference is that if you feel the need to fly outside, which will happen i think its wiser to move onto fp or cp helis with much more control, yes you can get the cx2 to fly outside but id pick a bird that was designed to in the first place myself.

Coyote - I have to agree with you about flying more capable birds outdoors. I agree because you're right. But for me, it wasn't about being able to fly well outdoors, it was about being able to fly a CX outdoors.
You've no doubt heard the old adage that "It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow." And that works in this case.

Soloboss