PLANETGETLOW
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General Gaui or Goblin? That is the Question
- Thread starter PLANETGETLOW
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Smoggie
Well-Known Member
Neither SAB (Goblin) or Gaui make a traditional 300 size heli. The Goblin 380 (380mm blades) is the smallest in their range but in size it is in between a traditional 450 and a 500. The Gaui X3 is the smallest they have but that's also a 'stretched' (360mm blade) 450.
The Goblin 380 is a lot more expensive than the X3 so it's not really a 'like for like' comparison.
The Goblin 380 is a lot more expensive than the X3 so it's not really a 'like for like' comparison.
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PLANETGETLOW
Banned
With that said, do you have a preference?
Smoggie
Well-Known Member
Well I guess money no object it would be the Goblin 380. it's a bigger heli and generally 'higher spec'. (taking nothing away from the X3 which sits at a lower price point).
FWIW SAB have just announced a Goblin 420 which is a stretched version of the 380. That might be worth considering too. Gaui have also announced a 380mm blade version of the X3 called the X3L which further muddies the water!
PS... I was wrong on my previous post Gaui do make a smaller heli than the X3... The X2 takes 255mm blades, but if you are in the goblin 380 market the X2 is unlikely to appeal.
FWIW SAB have just announced a Goblin 420 which is a stretched version of the 380. That might be worth considering too. Gaui have also announced a 380mm blade version of the X3 called the X3L which further muddies the water!
PS... I was wrong on my previous post Gaui do make a smaller heli than the X3... The X2 takes 255mm blades, but if you are in the goblin 380 market the X2 is unlikely to appeal.
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trainrider06
Active Member
I'd like to have either one, but preferably a Goblin.
. Then I seen the price for the Goblin and it's parts and I'm still very pleased with the X3.
murankar
Staff member
I would elect for the Gaui X3 for many reasons.
1) it is a lot easier on pocks than the 380 will be.
2) Build will be a lot more affordable
3) Total cost of ownership will be lower
4) Can be stretched to 380
5) Frame is a bit bigger than a traditional 450
6) All up weight with 4S 35C packs is just under 1000 grams
7) Has a boom cover of you want that look
8) Has a belt conversion
9) Can be flown on 3S or 6S
10) Skids are a weak point.
11) flies well at lower head speeds like between 2600 and 2900. Normal head soeed is around 3000-3200.
12) flight times can reach upto 7 or 8 minutes. Unles all your doing is beginner flying dont expect those times. Once you add loops, rolls and flips your looking at about 5 to 6 minutes.
If I had more time I am sure I could find more positives. Negatives do exsist
1) Limited parts distributors
2) Not a common heli in smaller areas. If you live near a big field that hold larg events you may see others with them but they a few and far between.
3) Boom cover i thought to be a bit pricey for Glass fiber
4) Skids are a weak point.
5) Can be a heavy bird but.........(see positives #11)
6) Costs about $600 USD to build (although it lends itself to budget building really well)
As for the 380 since i dont have any experiences with it I cant say one way or the other. One turn off is the price point to build it. You could be easily looking at $800 (USD) and up. Repair parts are still pricey, might as well just get a Goblin 500. From what I hear the 380 is a pig with a rotor, it needed to be a 420 to begin with. It is also know to kill packs prematurely if you beat the snot out of the kit. Disk loading is high on this kit so it flies better with a bit of smack behind it or box flying.
1) it is a lot easier on pocks than the 380 will be.
2) Build will be a lot more affordable
3) Total cost of ownership will be lower
4) Can be stretched to 380
5) Frame is a bit bigger than a traditional 450
6) All up weight with 4S 35C packs is just under 1000 grams
7) Has a boom cover of you want that look
8) Has a belt conversion
9) Can be flown on 3S or 6S
10) Skids are a weak point.
11) flies well at lower head speeds like between 2600 and 2900. Normal head soeed is around 3000-3200.
12) flight times can reach upto 7 or 8 minutes. Unles all your doing is beginner flying dont expect those times. Once you add loops, rolls and flips your looking at about 5 to 6 minutes.
If I had more time I am sure I could find more positives. Negatives do exsist
1) Limited parts distributors
2) Not a common heli in smaller areas. If you live near a big field that hold larg events you may see others with them but they a few and far between.
3) Boom cover i thought to be a bit pricey for Glass fiber
4) Skids are a weak point.
5) Can be a heavy bird but.........(see positives #11)
6) Costs about $600 USD to build (although it lends itself to budget building really well)
As for the 380 since i dont have any experiences with it I cant say one way or the other. One turn off is the price point to build it. You could be easily looking at $800 (USD) and up. Repair parts are still pricey, might as well just get a Goblin 500. From what I hear the 380 is a pig with a rotor, it needed to be a 420 to begin with. It is also know to kill packs prematurely if you beat the snot out of the kit. Disk loading is high on this kit so it flies better with a bit of smack behind it or box flying.
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Smoggie
Well-Known Member
I agree, the 380 does seem to be a little overweight for a 380 and the 420 is probably the heli it should have been all along... But still, if money was not a consideration i'd take the Goblin 380.
But as i said in the first post, it's really not a fair comparison because money is a consideration for most people.
But as i said in the first post, it's really not a fair comparison because money is a consideration for most people.
murankar
Staff member
In the end its going to boil down to what can be afforded by the owner. I got bit by the fancy rig once already just to be different. Then I had to re kit a Protos Mini and said never again. If the OP can afford a 380 then go for it I wish I could. If the OP still has a high crash ratio then they need to consider something more cost effective. I see a few 380s going up for sale now, probably because of the 420. My guess is that the kit ended up being to expensive to fly. Of all the Helis SAB has made the few that have flopped in my eyes are the 630, Black Thunder (only because of the size. Most people want this in a 700 size) and 380. I will not touch the speed thing since I don't think any of us can afford that.
I am not bashing SAB its just that they do make mistakes and I feel the 380 is one of them.
Whats going to make the 380 be better over an X3? Depends on the person buying it. Does the 380 fit the need in the fleet? Does the prospective owner have the money for maintenance and repairs as needed? Does the prospective owner have a place to fly it? Can the kit be stored when not in use? Does the prospective owner have the space to work on it? Does the prospective owner expect some kind of reliability from the kit?
These are just some of the questions that have to be asked before jumping into a new kit. Sure a 380 would look sweet sitting on the book shelf or hanging out of a backpack as I travel to the field. I cant go with a "If money was no object" solution here in this thread. The OP appears to be looking for an answer as to what kit they should go with. All I can do is provide info and the OP has to make the decision as to what to buy. Hell If money was no object I would go for a Velos 880 with all top of line equipment.
I am not bashing SAB its just that they do make mistakes and I feel the 380 is one of them.
Whats going to make the 380 be better over an X3? Depends on the person buying it. Does the 380 fit the need in the fleet? Does the prospective owner have the money for maintenance and repairs as needed? Does the prospective owner have a place to fly it? Can the kit be stored when not in use? Does the prospective owner have the space to work on it? Does the prospective owner expect some kind of reliability from the kit?
These are just some of the questions that have to be asked before jumping into a new kit. Sure a 380 would look sweet sitting on the book shelf or hanging out of a backpack as I travel to the field. I cant go with a "If money was no object" solution here in this thread. The OP appears to be looking for an answer as to what kit they should go with. All I can do is provide info and the OP has to make the decision as to what to buy. Hell If money was no object I would go for a Velos 880 with all top of line equipment.
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PLANETGETLOW
Banned
All good input i definitely dont have any unlimited budget but if i saw a good deal, my temptation gets the best of me. Somebody on a other forum was saying the Gaui was on a similar level as Align but parts are hard to get
murankar
Staff member
Here is the main distributor for Guai in the US: Empire Hobby | A Hobby Co-Op for Hyperion, Gaui, Hitec, Multiplex, Align and more!
Normally yes they are hard to get. In the end you can get the parts as long as you know where to go. As for quality, I personally feel that Gaui Is better in quality. Then again I never owned an Align.
Another good distributor for Gaui: http://www.anythingheli.com/
Normally yes they are hard to get. In the end you can get the parts as long as you know where to go. As for quality, I personally feel that Gaui Is better in quality. Then again I never owned an Align.
Another good distributor for Gaui: http://www.anythingheli.com/
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leedude1
Member
Even though I got my X5 at a greatly reduced price I was in the same space as you trying to figure what to buy when the time came, and as stated earlier by more than one I had to go with the Gaui on the price point alone, for parts ( which we all know is inevitable) and availability of them here the standard Gaui spares are similar in price to the Align vs the Goblin which are less accessible here and are more expensive overall.
In all honesty at my flight level, with no real 3d, I probably would not be able tell the difference in flight characteristics between the two. So, the only deciding factor was it had to be a better machine than I was flying now which was the 450l, bigger with more capabilities to fly almost whenever I wanted and as affordable as possible when all the others factors had been met... last ship standing was the Gaui . I had considered Goblin, 380 ...Align 550l, Chase 360 and since the size of the 360 and 380 were similar to my 450 I stood aside ...if I was going to step up in size, the options are reduced and the price exponentially shot up.,,,Gaui it is...
Based on my build to date, I like what I see in terms of fit and tolerances..(this machine is tight) I do believe the Manual and instruction of the Goblin are much better than my fugly Gaui ones
but if you've paid for the glossy colored pages you should get em... however if your building a machine this size, its not your first and you should be able to work through them pretty well.
My to cents, if you can afford it you buy what you personally like from every aspect ....aesthetics included. I have not found any complaints from either camp as of yet.
In all honesty at my flight level, with no real 3d, I probably would not be able tell the difference in flight characteristics between the two. So, the only deciding factor was it had to be a better machine than I was flying now which was the 450l, bigger with more capabilities to fly almost whenever I wanted and as affordable as possible when all the others factors had been met... last ship standing was the Gaui . I had considered Goblin, 380 ...Align 550l, Chase 360 and since the size of the 360 and 380 were similar to my 450 I stood aside ...if I was going to step up in size, the options are reduced and the price exponentially shot up.,,,Gaui it is...
Based on my build to date, I like what I see in terms of fit and tolerances..(this machine is tight) I do believe the Manual and instruction of the Goblin are much better than my fugly Gaui ones
but if you've paid for the glossy colored pages you should get em... however if your building a machine this size, its not your first and you should be able to work through them pretty well.My to cents, if you can afford it you buy what you personally like from every aspect ....aesthetics included. I have not found any complaints from either camp as of yet.
murankar
Staff member
Let's go back 4 months. My fleet was my Gaui X3 and that was it. I wanted a second helicopter in the fleet. Personally I think I should have gone with thunder tiger for my 550 class. Instead I went goblin. I have always wanted one. Anyhow if tour going to be adding a second helicopter to the fleet I would consider adding a 550 class frame. This will give you a better platform for learning.
Smoggie
Well-Known Member
Uri, what dont you like about the 630?
I picked up one mainly because it was priced too good to refuse, but I've been nothing but happy with it. As standard they are heavily loaded because they share mechanicals with the 700/770 which makes them very heavy for a 600 class heli. They will still perform well but need high headspeed. The solution is pretty simple, just stick 660mm blades on. I'd certainly not think of the 630 as a 'bad heli' but i guess from a sales perspective most people would go for the 700, so the 630 probably never sold in the same volume as it's bigger bladed siblings.
The 380 to be honest never really appealed to me because I could have a bigger heli for the same price, but built down to a reasonable weight i dont think they are a 'bad heli' either. Having said that they do seem to come up for sale second-hand very regularly so obviously a lot of owners dont hang on to them for long
Smoggie
Well-Known Member
Cant argue with any of that. The 600 class does seem to be in the doldrums lately. Probably most people think that if they are going to go to a 12S power 'big bird' then they might as well go the whole hog and get a 700. If there are only a few $ difference in price I'd do the same.
But.....I got my 630 Comp at an absolute steal of a price, probably my best bargain in helis. It had been built but not flown, 'as-new condition', complete with good spec 'bind and fly' for (converting to $) $600.. It was almost too good to be true but i've had the heli well over a year now and have found no faults other than a couple of assembly errors that I corrected when I got it. A lot of people are reluctant to buy used helis which does mean there are great bargains to be had if you are prepared to take a small chance and have an open mind on just what heli you want.
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