HDX 450se V3...advice for the newb please lol

[gaboonviper85]

ok well i guess ill start off with a "hi people ive been lurking around here for awhile but never posted cause well i just got a heli"

i purchased an hdx 450se v3 off a guy at work who didn't have time to really get into it....ive been racing nitro rc 1/8th scale buggies for years now and always wanted to venture into other things....bought one of those eflight POS heli that i learned to crash on very very well.....so anyway this is what i got so far.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...heli/heli1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...heli/head2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...heli/heli2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...heli/heli3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...heli/heli5.jpg

it was missing piece that stops the swash from spinning so i ordered another and an extra screw kit....i put everything i could together but im waiting to loctight it a bit later after im sure everything is cool.

now i noticed that the gear mesh isn't adjustable from the main gear to the tail gear....so im stuck with what i got but too me it looks like there is just a touch too much clearance and id like your opinion...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3.../maingear1.jpg

this is my first "real" heli and from what ive read it has great reviews and i did see some bad things about it before but this is there newest model an i hope most of the quarks where worked out......the build went smooth accept i wasn't too pleased that the predrilled holes in the frame where kinda tight on the screws so you kinda had to thread the screws into every hole....the head feels very very smooth in its function but the swash has the slightest bit of glitching in it...wouldn't say grinding but kinda like when you spin an electric motor with your figures....not quite as hard core as that but you can pick up a slight bit of resistance......im no professional at heli's but ive owned alot of nitro rc and i have a good idea when something feels right.....so far it feels rock solid in the hands! I wasnt the most pleased with some of the aluminum parts being that im a machinist that makes military, medical, and aviation parts i can see that alot of the not so importat aluminum was poorly machined mostly with just saw cuts sanded down and anodized but like i said they arent the head and tail pieces so im sure its fine.

but anyway i noticed you didnt have a forum for this particular heli so i posted it here....i just want to hear your experiences with it....also some electronics suggestions.....here is what i had in mind

1. maybe a futaba GY401 gyro/ or JR G770 3D
2. no clue on tail servo but thinking futaba s9254 digital servo
3. no clue on speed control...motor is sonix-3500KV
4. i want to go with a spectrum radio and reciever but i dont know which one is good enough....I dont need a $400 radio...but i dont want pure crap either

please feel free to change my mind on electronics...infact i encourage it lol

[Danimal]

Hi gaboonviper
Welcome to the forum. I do agree with you that the gear mesh looks to be pretty sloppy. I'm really not vary familiar with the HDX so I'm just taking a long shot hear. I understand that T-Rex parts are interchangeable with your heli and I wonder if an Align main gear might help to tighten up the gap some?
The Futaba 401 and s9254 servo that you are looking at are an awesome combo vary good choice. As for witch ESC to go with I really like the Castle Creations -Phoenix 25 or 35.

dmb5656 just picked up a spectrum 2.4 TX ,RX and 4 servos for $160 . Maybe he could tell you where he got it. That's a pretty good deal for that combo.

[gaboonviper85]

yeah alot of the parts are off a t-rex....guess ill go to the hobby shop and get a new main gear and tail gear....i wanted to get a different gear anyway cause i like the gears that have the fan blades in them...thats gotta help with keeping the motor cool.

i definetly like the idea of getting a radio, receiver, and 4 servos for $160...the cheaper the better....i dont want to go too cheap cause you get what you pay for in most circumstances lol

that castle creations speed controle....can you adjust it to the pole of your motor....my motor is a 6 pole.

oh and is a 3500kv engine enough balls for 450 heli? the motor came with the heli and from nitro experience....if the car comes with a motor its usually cause the motor sucks *cough* ofna force engines *cough* lol.

ps....how do you post pictures on this forum?

[mark smith]

Hi there,I have an hdx 450 as well.Love it!! Little quirks when building but it's
worth it.I run futaba 3107 servos on all positions.GY401 gyro and some obscure 30A speed control I got off EBAY for $20.00.The sonix 3500kv motor has plenty of horsepower,especially with a good battery,18-22c.I also made an adjustment to the two trays in the front.swapped them around and fabricated some supports and angled it like a REX.Worked out well.I probably have at least 25-30 flights on mine and really is a great heli.

Mark Smith