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I'm researching [8D] the market for all-metal 450 birds, and I just stumbled across this new line of birds this week, and thought I'd post what I found, and give owners a place to talk about it, and researchers a place to find info on it.

What it is: A 450 heli kit (85% assembled) with metal head and tail for reasonable money (currently in the $170-$180 price range with $10 delivery).

Here is the manufacturer's website: http://www.china-rc-model.com/en/Air...?Mid=16&Cid=11

The guy in the US (North Carolina) that is selling it is named Steve, and he's a good guy, we've spoken and emailed a few times. Here is his website: http://www.classicflyingmachines.com/index.html

Classic Flying Machines is planning on carrying three of the six versions: HF-002 (fiberglass frame), HF-003 (aluminum frame) and HF-005 (aluminum frame with a different servo layout altogether). The HF-003 frame is very similar to the CopterX, but it and the other Hones have two good advantages that I've seen:

1: All Hones use hex screws, versus the CopterX's Phillips head screws.

2: All Hones have designed-in some sort of gyro protection. The HF-003 has a gyro mounting plate on the BOTTOM of the boom block. Some of the frames (like the HF-002) have a gyro mounting plate on top, but it is not out on top of the boom block, where it would be directly exposed to getting whacked by the flybar; rather, they are tucked in nice and tight behind the auto-rotation bracket for better protection.

The PDF manual is available, and it is a really nice 26 page manual, in perfect English. I was amazed. I tried attaching the PDF manual that Steve sent to me, but we can't upload PDF's to the forum. Oh well, maybe Steve will have it up on his website before long...

Check these helis out if you're interested in this type of bird, it might be a good product for us in this price segment of the market (looks good from here). Appears to be great airframe for the money, and should compete well against the HDX 450SE V3, CopterX 450SE/AE V2 and Black Hawk 450SE.

The T-rex 450SE V2 and the RC-Tek 450 Diablo / Sky Shark I would put in the premium segment above this one, so I'm not even going there (down, clone-haters, I'm not comparing it to your favorite lady).

Pictures are attached, red canopy is the HF-002, White canopy is the HF-003, and yellow canopy is the HF-005.

Note that I am just sharing information that I've found, and pointing out things that seem attractive. I hope to have a Hone soon, and I'll share how it goes, and others will hopefully share their experiences on here as well.

L8R

Kaelan

nice find!!

Demo Up

Thanks, Kaelan. Congrats on making the front page recently with your fancy Black Hawk! I just about bought me one of those one time...

smokinxtreme

My Feedback: (1)

nice find and why are the two on the site different price is it the color..............

Demo Up

From those pics, you can't see the differences, other than color. The best way to see the difference is to go to the mfg. website and look at the detailed pics of the two.

The HF-005 has a different frame, especially the servo layout, it doesn't have the T-rex style stacked servos. It uses a servo layout seen on something like Rc-Tek's RCT-450 Diablo / Sky Shark.

The HF-003 is layed out exactly like the T-rex 450, CopterX, etc. The lower price is that it carries is probably due to its aluminum frame (the other Hones use a fiberglass). The '03 is the one that I've ordered, it should be here next week, around Feb. 27. I spoke to Steve earlier today, and he said he has five of the '03 in stock (well, four after he ships mine)...

cactus hopper

I searched the net for hone helicopter with every engine I could find and came up with nothing. I don't think I'd want to buy a heli that one dealer in the world.

Yaquisports

Did you get your Hone 003 copter yet? Let us know if the parts are trex compatible.

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Not yet, I was thinking it would be here yesterday, but it wasn't, so it should be here today. My Shark 450 is supposed to be here by Monday as well. I plan on first comparing the Shark and the Hone part for part, because I know that Rusty at castlerockhobbies will stock Shark parts, so that may be a good source. I've asked Steve Harbin (emailed him today) to give me the status of the Hone parts, and I will report his answer. As much as I can figure T-rex compatibility, I'll share it, but I don't currently have a T-rex, so that may be a slow process.

I'll take it to my LHS (www.atlantahobby.com) once it gets in, and let Cliff look it over and help me determine if he thinks his T-rex parts will work on it...

Kaelan

thanks.. I was shocked that one of my pics made it to the front page here.. ya should have gotten a Black Hawk.. I'm loving mine let me know how the Hone works for ya.. might have to look into one at some point down the road...although I REALLY want a Hurricane 550 next

Demo Up

Aw, heck, Kaelan, we're only 68 miles apart (I'm in north Alpharetta)! What are the odds? We gotta get together!

The Hone came today, I've gotta get some loc-tite tomorrow so I can start on it.

So you like the BH, eh? I thought about getting the Black Hawk 450SE as well, but I got the Shark 450 instead, it was the same exact price as the BH450SE, but about $20 less delivered, and I liked the looks of the Shark as well. My Shark should be here Saturday or Monday, maybe we can hook up and compare the birds some time.

Demo Up

Well, boys, all I can say is that the Hone 450 is very nice! I don't have any metric hex drivers or loctite (newbie alert), so I can't progress with the build tonight. I'll post some pics as I go along. I'm not opening the individual bags until I'm ready, so I don't lose anything.

Initial observations:

Individual bags of parts. But they aren't labeled, so I'm trying to figure out what goes where. One bag appears to be just a lot of extras, and if that's so, then this will be no problem, because the rest don't have much in them.

One bag appears to have a motor pinion in it. Interesting...

Fully assembled head (just insert flybar), fully assembled tail, fully assembled frame (minus the canopy mounting shafts, for some reason). Just have to assemble the major sub-assemblies.

White fiberglass canopy comes in a velvet (move over, Elvis) drawstring bag, very effective.

Landing gear struts are traditional springy stuff, so that'll have to be replaced (don't want any bungee action during hard landings).

Not really that much to do (once you have the right tools), not as intimidating now as it was when I first opened the box.

krossk

My Feedback: (27)

Lemme See, Lemme See!![sm=tongue_smile.gif][sm=tongue_smile.gif]
Pics?!?!

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Coming maybe later tonite, if I can get this STUPID anti-rotation bracket mounted...

choppersrule

Very interesting, let us see some pics.

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Just finished, here she is, the Hone HF-003 450:

Yaquisports

How is the quality compared to your other helicopters?

Demo Up

Well, my Shark 450 isn't here yet (hopefully Monday), so I can't compare it yet. I don't consider my Blade CP a helicopter, more of a frustration generator assembled out of helicopter parts.

Like I said, I plan on taking it by my LHS that sells Align stuff, and let them look it over.

I can't see quality being much better, though, from my novice opinion. The tail is sticky at full throw, gotta work on that. Don't know about head tightness right now. Canopy is painted fiberglass, which is nice. Fiberglass blades. Sturdy frame. Hex screws. All screws that I worked with went in their holes with no hints of cross-threading, so that's a good sign to me. Fiberglass or carbon horizontal and vertical stabilizers. Bottom-mounted gyro plate. CNC metal parts couldn't be nicer, in my opinion. Very smooth, no burrs from machining are visible, red color is awesome.

LOL, I ordered a red canopy for this thing before it even got here, I was so sure I wasn't going to like the white as much. If I had that to do over again, I wouldn't. The white and black canopy is extremely sharp looking. That's $15 I could have saved right there.

dknovick

Looks like a great bird!

choppersrule

Demo up,

Nice heli, great pictures. Your right about the Blade Cp being a frustration generator.

Concerning your tail rotor sticking, Check and make sure that the screw that holds the tail rotor control arm isn't to tight. Make sure the push rods move freely on the balls of the tail rotor blade clamp. Also that the push rods move freely on the control arm. I had to back the screws out about 1/8 turn to free things up on my HBK2.

Dave / Choppersrule
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RaceCraftRC

Hmmmmmmmmmmm ugle frame wow, but really really nice head I like all the weight loseing touches ( blade grips ) very sharp but the frame seams odd needs some stream lineing lots of estra unused space outdated servo placement nothing at all like the dragonus . more like Hmm I don't know doesn't even look like it can have proper geometry love to see a top of complete build pic. AX

cactus hopper

It looks exactly like the EXI frame.

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It also looks exactly like the T-rex 450SA and T-rex 450S frame, as well as the CopterX 450AE V2. I think these are all the same frame design. That's the point of this heli for me, it looked like a good version of this tried and true frame design, with good metal head and tail for a good price. As far as the frame finish, it is shiny, instead of black or dark like some. I prefer the darker ones.

AvoidingExpert, let me know if you want to see a different angle (you just looking for a top view?) By the way, my Dragonus reference was to the Hone HF-005, not this heli. That heli uses a different servo placement (vertical) that might be what you are talking about being more modern, same as on the RC-Tek RCT-450 Diablo / Sky Shark and I think the Dragonus (I see that you have one, look at the HF-005 pics and see if they are similar).

RaceCraftRC

Yeap my bad the Dragonus is close to the 005 but not that close, but still it is a direct linkage ccpm thats generally a huge plus in preformance , another great looking head there cnc guys earn there keep.

Demo Up

Well, I've heard that some other people are buying these, and not just me. So I thought I'd share one useful source for build info that I'm using. It's the pdf manual for the T-rex 450 SA ARF. It has a lot of good info related to servos and equipment mounting that appears to apply directly to the Hone.

You can download it from Horizon Hobby's website, here's the address:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...rodID=AGNH1100

Yaquisports

Have you gotten a chance to fly it yet?