Question for debate...

What headspeed is safe/appropriate for a 450 class heli? I fly an EXIse. It is equiped with a alum rotor head, washout base, and swash but the blade grips and mixing levers are all plastic similar to the trex 450sa. The tail is also mostly plastic. I currently run the align 325 pro woodies. By my calculations I get to around 2900 rpm.

What headspeed do you run with various setups? I currently so mostly sport flying but am just getting into some minor 3D with aspirations to advance to more demanding 3D. At that point I will be looking to upgrade to full alum head and tail.

Have a good day.

Uri

My opinion is not more than 2500 with plastic blade grips. I have had plastic blade grips break in flight and it is not a pretty sight.
I would say the same about wooden blades but then I would be a hypocrit because I am running about 2900 myself and since I broke my CF blades I am running woodies right now until I can get a new set.

I don't see the issue with plastic blade grips... Thunder Tiger uses plastic blade grips in their .50 nitros. Sure metal ones are better but unless you're going extreme I think the plastic ones are not an issue.

With all due respect we are not talking about a Thunder Tiger .50
The plastic blade grips on that model are much beefier and the headspeed is half that of the 450 class heli.
I have seen first hand plastic blade grips fail on a T-Rex. Align also warns about headspeed on plastic heads in its manual.
I don't know exactly what that rated speed is and I really don't want to look it up right now but it is no where near 2900rpm.

I would be more concerned about a wooden blade beparting the helicopter than a blade grip failing. Having said that, I consider about 2400 the cutoff between wood and carbon blades.

Rafael

I agree with Rafael, and I to would be concerned with running those woodies at that head speed your running. I would lose them and go with a set of CF blades. You won't even look back on the woodies. I've never been much of a fan of em' anyhow...

And yeah.... The headspeed of a 450 is considerably more in general than a .50 size nitro heli.... I would just take the precaution and preventative maintenance and replace the plastic grips while your at it. A couple guys at the club could tell ya of some bad ***** that happened with there's.... Think safety....


Harley

Thanks for the info everyone.

I have since dialed down my throt curve to put me right around 24-2500. Flying a bit on the high side as far as the stick is concerned but I'm cool with that until I can get a full metal head and some CF blades.

For any of you 3D flyers out there what HS are you running in idle up?

Uri

The issue isn't the head speed itself per se, it's the forces that you see on the blade grips. Smaller blades at high speeds have the same forces as larger blades at slower speeds, it's simple physics.

I agree on the carbon blades being required on higher head speeds and I'm not saying that plastic blade grips are indestructable but without knowing the speeds (forces) on the heads when they failed you can't make a blanket statement.

All of that said, I never actually said anything about the headspeed the OP is running. I would not suggest either plastic blade grips or wood blades at anything over 2700rpm.