hey guys well it think its time for me to make my final decision. I have waited a whole year to get a cp heli and now i think i am finally ready. I have had the blade MSR for a year or so now and i have been flying it with the advanced swashplate settings for probably 8months. I also have RealFlight G5 flight sim and i practise with the Heli-max AXE CP and Heli-max AXE 400. I am not a big fan of the flight sim because it seems to skip a bit,and i find it easier to fly in person.
The helis im looking at are the Blade SR or the Blade 400 with tamed down settings.

I like that the blade 400 has a belt and it has a better transitter, but how much more maintence is the 400 over the SR?
what would be the best heli for me! I was waiting for a Blade MCP or something similar to come out, but with this nice weather, i think it is time to get a new heli now .
I want something i can fly outside in more wind than i can with the MSR. I will not be doing crazy 3d at all just fun flying in a school yard or hovering in my backyard. Since i am still a student i cant spend as much time or money that i would want to on a heli, so which one would have the least maintenance?

Also my LHS stocks parts for both of these helis. i want to be able to get my parts at my LHS and not offline so thats why i dont like clones!

My LHS also has an align 250 but when adding the transmitter and reciever it is around the same price as the 400. Would that be a better buy?

This heli will be used for just having fun and enjoying this hobby outdoors

The MOST money i can and will spend is 500 and thats how much the Blade 400 is. I wish i could get a trex450 but its just not in my budget.

Please help me!!! Thanks a bunch!

Also i was looking at the price for parts and the Blade 400 and SR have around the same priced parts. Some of the 400 parts like the blades are actually cheaper than the SR ones.
Do you think i am ready for a 400 or should i just get the SR since im mostly just using it to have fun?

Kyle,

Your the one that knows if your ready or not. I'm not one to recommend what heli to get, there are so many out there. However, you did mention the Blade 400 and have 500 bucks to spend. Here's a site that has the Blade 400 RTF , with the DX6i and all, for $349. It's a realiable place, I've ordered from them before. Oh, that doesn't include shipping, I don't know how much that would be. You'll have to click on "Buy It" to see the price. Which ever direction you go, take 'er slow and be patient.

http://www.ultimatehobbies.com/istar...&numperpage=16

Dave

Hey...I,m no expert either..but I went from an MCX...to a B400...to a MSR to an SR...then a sim..........now I love both the 400 and the SR....sorry...won't pick one over the other........

I took this path: 
 - CX2 - MCX - CP Pro 2 - RealFlight Sim - HK450 - MSR.
If I had to do it again, after having struggled with the CP Pro 2 to do basic stuff, I would have gone as follows:
 - CX2 - MSR - Simulator - HK450.

I probably would have skipped the CP Pro 2 (SR ish), but I still have fun with it when I don't have much space to fly.

In your situation, I would go with the 400. You will get a good transmitter you can use for other helis, but be prepared to have some money for spare parts whether it is a SR or 400.

I went the 450 route because I wanted to build my own from parts, and I'm glad I did. I have built 3 x HK450 and and just received a Trex 450 Sport Super Combo. Next, I might go for a 500 or 600, but as soon as you change size, parts are no longer compatible, including batteries.</p>

Just my two cents worth... I started with a Blade 400 after only having flown on a simulator for 6 months. Sure I had a few crashes and I spent heaps on upgrades too... but the other consideration I think is that if you go for a Blade 400 you will at least become familiar with how a true CCPM heli works complete with a belt!!

I don't think that the belt poses too much of a problem, providing you follow correct inspection and maintenance practices (tension etc).

I know of guys who have flown all sorts of helis (electric) of varying sizes and still bought a Blade SR, but it was a fun thing. I consider the SR as more of a toy than the B400. The bonus is the DX6i with the B400 kit although I'm not sure what comes with the SR.

Like choppers says - it's your call but parts for the Blade 400 - if you keep it stock - are quite cheap. I'm also not a fan of motor driven tails and I believe the tail motor on the SR is troublesome.

That is generally the case but my size up heli is a Gaui 550 which uses 2 x 11.v 3S1P batteries which is what I use in the Blade. Flight times are limited onthe 2200mAh batteries I have however... and 20C are not quite up to the task... you would want at least 30C or higher.

Essentially what I am saying is that I use my 6 x 2200mA Zippys that I use in my Blade 400 to fly my Gaui 550 for 3 flights.

Just a point to consider.

Good point on batteries, and glad to know that 30C is what is required for the 550 size. I currently have 20C and 25C. I find the 25C get hotter than the 20C on my 450. I have 9 of those right now, but they are cheap at Hobby King.

And your point about motordriven tail is well taken. I'm on my4th tail motor on my CP Pro 2.

As Jon mentioned on the batteries, a 30C is about the minimum you want to go on a 500 or 600 size heli. I have a Trex 500 & 600 and use 6S batteriers. 3,000 mAh on the 500 and 5,000 mAh on the 600. All are 30C. Some use 40C. Only thing going to a 6S battery is that you may need to upgrade to another charger. LOL, I think everyone buys batteries at Hobby King.

Kyle,

Let us know what you decide.
Dave

Thank you guys for all your help. i will let you know next time i go to my LHS because the next time i go, i will be coming home with a new bird. I dont like the tail motor because i heard they can have blowouts and you have to replace them alot. but my question is, how much more maintenance is the belt vs a motor ? if it is not much than i think i will get the 400 since it is bigger, better radio, belt driven, can be tamed down, and also the parts are the same or cheaper than the SR. so it seems like a better buy even though it is a bit more money upfront.

also for the blade 400 do you need to do more work to prepare it for flight than the SR? like balancing and tracking? i know it sounds stupid but im not sure and i want to best buy i can get (for a rookie) thanks

if you could spare a lil more money, you would prolly thank yourself in the long run to grab an align 450 sport and a dx7. i also started with a blade 400, it was fine to learn on, but i love my trex's soooo much more. if i would have had the start up money to go that route, i woulda saved alot in the long run. the blade 400 was my cheapest best way to get in the door lol, which may be what your dealing with too. just fruit for thought. if you do go with the 400, its a descent learner and cheap to fix. good luck and taker slow.

thanks, thats what i wanted to do is get a trex450, but the one at my lhs is about 540.00 and then you have to buy the transmitter and reciever and alos a battery. if i could spend the extra i would, the only thing is 500 is the max i will spend. The only reason for that is because im just finishing grade 12 and then i have two more years of college. I wont be flying as much as i want so its going to be more of a when i have time/leisure hobby. Im just using it to have fun and get outside. Thats why i was thinking nothing better than the sr or 400 because the parts are cheaper and its still a decent machine to fly and "play" around with!.

I'm finishing my build of the Trex 450 Super Sport Combo I got from Heli Direct (they price patch - got it cheaper). Duties (Taxes) to Canada were around $25. I use a DX7 transmitter. But, overall, this combination would cost you much more than the Blade 400. Note that if you have a few $$ to spare, you might want to invest in a Simulator. I have RealFlight 4.5. It will save you money on parts in the long run and you can enjoy flying between exams </p>

yea i got the realflight G5 for christmas and im not bad at hovering and forward flight. and i can goof around and do some 3d flying aswell

okay last thing.
i made up my mind for now and i believe the blade 400 is the best over the SR.
I understand that it is RTF, but what else should i get when i buy it? training gear, pitch gauge, extra blade?
should i get the pitch gauge right away or can i wait? also for training gear, are there any that will fit the blade 400?

Kyle,

We all understand about limite budgets that's for sure.

Here's a site for a Blade 400 for $350. Not sure how much shipping would be. http://www.ultimatehobbies.com/istar...&numperpage=16
I've purchased from them before and are good to deal with. The following sites are to just give you an idea of what they may cost. You could shop around and look for better deals. Just a starting point for you.

Pitch gauge: http://www.helidirect.com/eflite-mic...=pitch%20gauge

Training gear: http://www.helidirect.com/training-g...ers-p-7195.hdx

Blades: http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_...rce=google_ext

What T-Rex does everyone recommend? I'm kinda in the same boat as Kyle but I have the extra cash upfront to keep from spending more down the line. As I don't want to spend more time modifying &amp; maintenance than enjoying my heli. I've grown bored with my blade and looking for something bigger that can be flown outside and a sim wouldn't hurt either.

pretty sure the 450 is the comparable model. bit more money than the blade, but in the same realm. any step up to a larger t-rex brings the price to a whole new ballgame from what I researched today.

Does it come RTF?

I dont think so, not that I found, it comes in a combo, but still leaves you to aquire TX/RX and battery/charger. I get the understanding there is some level of moderate assembly to be done as well(it comes as a full on kit which has no electronics at all and I think is almost entirely in peices in the bos). unsure how "moderate" it is for the combo, it may be full on kit too, not sure lol.

I love building things though, and it will pay off when it comes to repairing it if you know how it went together. My experience with RTFs is that the instructions include nothing more than an exploded view, and if you disassemble, youd better be savy to know the order to disassemble, and/or how to put it back together.

edit: I found 1 site or another that put together their own "rtf" package. DX6 or DX7, a comp RX, and a triton charger. But this was just a 3rd party "combo". they put it all into 1 box to make your life easier, I dont think the rx was installed in the bird or anything. you could add the DX6 or DX7 and rx to your cart at any website and get the same result.

For transmitter and receiver, think long term. I like my Spektrum DX7, and should have decided to stop buying RTF helis long before. I have MCX, CX2 and CP Pro 2 transmitters sitting on a shelf doing nothing.

I'm not sorry I went with HK 450 clones with I first started. Easy to assemble, crash and rebuild. Bought 4 kits (29.97) so I could have spare parts, and ended up only using 1 for spare parts.

I just bought a Trex 450 Sport Super Combo and another AR6100 transmitter and am building right now. More assembly required (head especially) than the HK 450 which came pre-assembled (but plastic).

Yes, but they are a tad pricey, don't know what your budget is. There's a couple here, start about 1/2 down the page. You can order it with a DX6i or DX7.

http://www.helihobby.com/html/trex_helicopter.html

Dave

Thanks chopper I saw that site the other night and those are all kits, with one with the option of being built for you @ $1146+shipping. That's not RTF that's a rear-ending with no lube! I prefer my rear end unviolated. So on to another bird or sit down and start building my helis.

My Bad,,, My Bad.. Didn't read the fine print. LMAO... I hear ya on lube job.

Oh, BTW. I've got a Trex 600 ESP for sale for 700 bucks, minus TX and RX.

Check out my ad, over at RCGroups: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1254374

build it!

thats half the fun, as as said before, if you know how it went together, you will know how to take it apart. and that will help you for repairs, plus the knowledge every screw is threadlocked ect.