I'm going to sound like a fool but there's no way around it.

I bought my boyfriend a EXI 450 squadron kit.. it came in the mail today, and for some reason I though it would come with a charger and remote control like those I have seen before. I don't even have the most basic understanding of radio-controlled helipcopters.. I have no idea what I need. Obviously I need a radio controller. Do I need an engine?

What do I have to buy in order to get this thing flying? His birthday's coming up!

Yes with that you do need to purchase :

Transmitter/receiver (no less than a 6 channel)
battery packs/charger
servos
gyro
motor
speed control

I am afraid you are at a minimum $300 but probably closer to $400 away from getting that heli in flying condition.

if budget is an issue there are other options to getting him something "air ready" .... they may not be the "best" ( a relative term ) out there but it will still put a big grin on his face .... has he ever owned a heli before? .... because if he has a programmable radio that would help a bunch or if not there may be a starter heli for him that is much cheaper and would be less than getting the other stuff that is needed to get this in the air - so it could be a two in one present - the EXI as a "next step" present....just some thoughts ...and lastly ... I am trying to get my girlfriend to be more like you

ciao

I'll spend the money, I don't care. Maybe I'll make it for Christmas instead of his b-day.

I should probably get a flight-sim so he doesn't crash it, but he has a Mac and I have a feeling they only make them for PCs.. hope I'm wrong.

Anyone have any links or recommendations about what exactly I need to purchase for the model I have, and where?

I've tried googling but there is just SO MUCH out there, and everyone uses abbreviations and my head starts spinning..

ETA: rc-jj, he bought a couple $20 teeny-tiny remote-controlled helis and was going to give them to his niece and nephew for their birthdays.. but they ended up being really crappy, one could barely stay airborne, the other wasn't much better. But he had such a fun time playing with them, and said he always wanted one when he was a kid, that I though it would be a really great present for him.. of course he's going to have to learn to fly it properly. It's not something he would ever get for himself, he won't spend money on toys. Of course I think they're awesome too, I'll learn to fly it as well!

I am just about finished building my own EXI 450. Started out as a repair job on another heli that turned out to be total junk. All servos , gyro ,motor , battery , TX/RX blah blah blah. have been purchased new.

Looking back at it now , I seriously think that this would have been a better way to get into a single rotor helicopter.

http://www.ka-planes.com/inc/sdetail/1344

Keep the EXI as a spare 2nd project or something. It doesn't appear to be a bad starting point , It's just a lot of work / parts to get going.

My $500 opinion.

There are a TON of choices out there in terms of what you need to buy now.... but here are some popular choices...

Radio:
Spektrum DX6i or Futaba 6EX 2.4ghz (heli edition)

Motor/ESC (electronic speed control):
Any motor in the 3500kv to 4000kv would work. brands like align, skorpian, medusa, hyperion. For esc something 35amp to 40amp that can handle 3S lipo batteries.

Batteries/charger:
Any batteries in the 2000mah to 2200mah (milli amp hours) with a 20C rating or better. The charger must be lipo capable and at least 3S, you probably want something that has an AC/DC converter built in.

Servos:
The standard servos used in this size heli are the hitec hs56hb or hs65hb/hs65mg. If you get the DX6i radio, you can also get it as a full set with servos, those should be the DS285's which will also work well.

Gyro/tail servo:
This can be the most expensive part besides the radio. The minimum I'd suggest is a telebee tlb01 but a good one would be the logictech 2100t. The tail servo I'd recommend is the futaba 9650 or 9257 unless you get the logictech 2100t in which case you can find it in a set with the 3100g servo.

I'd suggest you go to a heli specific website like www.helidirect.com. They have good prices and decent shipping with very good customer service. They may not be the cheapest on everything but you'll get good service. You can also ask a smaller place like www.ka-planes.com or www.ushobbyshop.com.

The EXI is a decent heli and you're right, not too many sims for the mac out there. Putting on all the electronics and getting it set up to fly will be very time consuming. Make sure he completely understands that these are NOTHING like the toys he's had in the past. The blades will spin at 3000rpms which means the tips of the blades are travelling at over 70mph. Imagine it as a blade travelling at the speeds you drive on the highway and you'll understand the danger. Lipo batteries are also quite dangerous if abused. Ensure that he reads about lipo batteries before using them, they cannot be drained completely or they can be damaged and even possibly catch on fire.

In order to learn more about heli's, I'd suggest he join www.helifreak.com and watch the trex 450 videos (the EXI is a copy of the trex 450). This way he'll learn how to set it up correctly. There are also general videos there and even specific ones on gyros.

Once built make sure he uses training gear and goes through a training system like "radds school of rotory flight".

Not to put a damper on his fun but you must also realize that he's probably going to crash the first time he tries to lift off the ground (and I bet he'll try to lift off the ground the first time due to impatience). This can end up costing nothing to completely destroying the helicopter but will probably be somewhere around $20-$100 in damage.

Safety note: NEVER plug in the heli battery inside unless the motor is disconnected, there have been too many people who've done things like reversing the throttle servo or hitting the idle up switch and had the heli ram into the ceiling or into themselves.

Hi;Everyone. Iam new to the Heli world and i would like to get some input on the motor & esc unit i have for the exi450 squadron.
I have a cyclon 0700 motor an thunder bird 36amp esc unit, will this package work together? or do i need a smaller esc. if so will the battery
be same at 11.1V @2200mah. and what cell of battery is good to use with all of this? The gyro & servos are no problem .

Thanks For YOUR HELP Glenn;

i am definatly in agreement.....i have the trex 450
my set up is
the DX6i(raido)
logictech 2100t gyro with hs -81 tail servo....in case you dont know what a gyro it is a divice that corrects the tail for ex..if the tail starts to move jerky to the left of right the gyro will move the servo arm so it dosnt spin out of control.
align 430l motor with 35 amp speed controler
3 hs-65 servos...a servo move the head direction so you can control the heli
zippy 2200mah batteries you can get at hobby city.com

go to your local hobby shop they will help you out aton...aton!!
Your EXI is going to be around 500-600 bucks but it it totally worth it

Thanks for input. It sounds like Iam going to get in it knee deep. I do have one more question. Is a program card for the ESC a must have for everyunit or just some ESC unit's?

Thanks Glenn.

Hello Everyone:[8D] It's me again i would like to make sure that i am on the rite trike,
with my EXI450 squadron. I have a cyclon 0700 motor & a thunder bird 35A. esc unit .
I will be using a DX7 DSM2 Radio that already have for a airplane . The battery will be a Lipo 11.1V@ 2200mah ,
the servos will be of a JR Helli Pk. the receiver is AR6200 specktrum. Does any one see a problem with this set up if so
I would appreciate your input. Thank much. Glenn.
Happy Flying.........

First off, leave that bum and run away with me!, failing that,,look at this site, it will show you what you need and how much it is...make a list of whats needed and also check the bay, there are places looking for beginners to rip off and you fit that category...not being mean it happens to all of us at some time or another...its always good if the guys at the local hobby shop actually play with the toys...helis can be a blast and can be expensive, and you may find a whole package with everything included that can be switched over to the exit heli ,,for less money than purchasing them separately...Rog

http://www.xheli.com/exitsecaedar.html

First of all I would to THANK YOU for Pointing out my mistake!!![sm=crying.gif].
I would like to let you know that my Hobby Shop an I aren't on Good terms at this time so that why -
the questions. It seems that iam good to go Thanks........ Glenn

PS. The Link to XHeli will be a good place to shop when all the parts get to the USA .
They are at lest 6weeks out, or that what the man says.