more stable- less responsive?
 

I was talking with the local hobby store and they were convincing me to buy the axe instead of the cp pro because of stability and price. But i think that the parts are more expensive- right? and it is less responsive than the cp pro? does anyone know enought about the axe cp to explain this!

RE: more stable- less responsive?
 

In idle up mode and executing simple aerobatics like loops, the response is a bit in the slow side, but still workable using the regular stock battery that comes with it. But if you change into Li-pos then there's a significant difference. Stock battery is heavy and a little weak in power thus making it a little hard to do simple aerobatics. Li-po's however are lighter and have more power giving you most of what you need in aerobatic flight. But if you are just starting out, I'd suggest with just the regular stock battery for hovering practice. It has very good response in cases like hovering and /or sport flying. Stability-wise, if this is your first heli and first time flying chances are you'll be "chasing" a hover. Micro-helis are always known for their instability when hovering. You'll have to constantly input throttle/pitch and cyclic corrections to get a good steady hover. If you are a bit experienced in flying helis, then hovering it shouldn't pose as a problem.

The plastic composite parts and OEM replacements for the AXE CP are cheap. However, once you go to the CNC aluminum and CF parts, that's when the costs goes up. Also their wood and CF blades are in the expensive side as well. The wood blades cost (my LHS in my case) is about $21.00 plus tax. The CF blades are about $69.99 - $71.00 plus tax for the pair.

With those prices I could buy a 550mm wooden or CF blades for my Raptor 30; either a little more or less depending on my LHS, but we're talking about a bigger bird here which is a big difference.

If you need more info about the AXE CP, pick up last months RC Heli Magazine. They've reviewed this kit and so far it's getting good reviews as I read through it. Personally I learned flying Helicopters with the AXE CP, but not without incident. Of course I get those occasional crashes which is inevitable and part of the learning process. But as you grow more familiar with it, it's really fun. I've already graduated from it and now flying with the other big boys like my Raptor 50, Trex 450, and Trex 600CF.

Oh and another little advice. Should you lean on getting an AXE CP, be sure to stock up on parts that will most likely break during a crash. Blade grips, see-saw, linkages, tail boom, a pair of blades, main shaft, main shaft gear spur, fly bar, paddles, and tail rotor. In my past experience with this heli, these are the parts that always or often breaks. Some LHS have limited parts and usually have them backordered, so just when you needed it the most, that part is not readily available. If you have stocked up on replacement parts at least you can easily repair it and get back up in the air in no time and practice some more. BTW, when reparing your helicopter back up to working condition you'll need to do several things to set it up right in order to fly right and this does not pertain to the AXE CP alone but all helictopers as well; then again this is a whole new chapter and does not related to your question. So anywayz.....don't let this info discourage you from getting one. AXE CP is a GOOD Heli to start on.

Good luck

RE: more stable- less responsive?
 

Your LHS is describing the right problem to you-- the tradeoff between stability and maneuverability is as old as airplanes and very real. WRT the Axe vs Blade question, I think they're probably telling you right as well.

I'd be very interested if someone else has bought both and could post thoughts on the matter. I have the Blade CPP, so figured I'd weigh in a little in the meantime. You might not expect it since I have the Blade, but if the choice is between the two of them as a starter CP, then I'd recommend trying the Axe first-- but with that caveat, that I haven't gotten one for comparison myself. The main difference I see is that the Axe is a much stronger aircraft, which likely extracts a penalty in responsiveness. This is not a bad thing by itself, only if it conflicts with what you want.

The BCPP has a lot lighter construction than the Axe (parts of the Axe are positively beefy by comparison), and its mass is concentrated around the roll axis, so I expect it is significantly more responsive to the controls than the Axe as a result. I know from my own experience and reading various threads that the BCPP is challenging starting out as a result. You can get spare parts for it everywhere, and they're substantially cheaper than the Axe, but that suggests something about how well they sell, doesn't it? :) When you hit something with the BCPP you almost always break or bend something. The BCPP has a lot of room to grow, though; when you do have to replace something you find you also have a huge aftermarket supply of upgrades and mod parts to choose from in addition to the OEM bits.

Personally? I don't crash it any more except when I'm trying something new, and it's a fun plane to fly when you set it up right. But there's no question that it's the hardest helicopter to fly in my little stable, by a wide margin.

Above are some thoughts, not a conclusion, really-- it really depends on your priorities and skill level. If you are looking for your first heli, by the way, I'd actually say; "neither." Take a look at the Honeybee FP instead. It's a much gentler introduction to micros than either one of these, and it's darn near bulletproof.