500 Goblin 500 or Trex 500

[RoofusHeli]

I'm planning to add to my collection soon and have been looking at 500 size Heli's ether the Trex or Goblin? So to help me make my decision I would very much appreciate some feedback on the pro's & con's for each model.

Thanks in advance

 

[stokke]

Goblin. It's capable of handling extreme power, both in terms of motor and servos. The belt driven tail is also a definite plus.

T-Rex. Cheaper parts.

If you crash a lot, and have a thin wallet (like most of us) you can get the T-Rex.
If your crashing days are over for the most part, you should go for the Goblin.

I'd go for the Gobby

 

[murankar]

I would agree with stokke. Although I have not owned or flown either. Just do your research. There are many great 500 sized Helis on the market.

Miniature aircraft
Kds
Protos (had to throw that in there)
Gaui
Synergy
Thunder tiger

Just to name a few. Just do your home work and make sure you get one you can afford over the long haul. If you can't afford the crash kit, no sense in buying it.

 

[pvolcko]

Haven't owned a TRex 500, but I do have the Goblin 500. It is a very nimble beast, especially with HV servos in it. Highly sensitive to collective movements. It can get going very fast, but it is very controllable and can fly slow and smooth in the right hands. I would not recommend it to a beginner, both because of crash repair costs and because of how sensitive it is. This should be a second or third model in your fleet.

Even when I did my maiden flights with this Gob 500, Ikon FBL, BK high voltage servos... Beginner flight mode setting in the Ikon; it was still far more sensitive to stick movements than anything I flew before, except maybe a nCPX or mCPX. This includes the Blade 300X, 550X, and Align TRex 700E. The beginner mode is *soft* on the Ikon, and it was still feeling like there was a direct connection between the sticks and the heli. No filter, no delay, nothing in the way. Sort of like what I imagine a flybar heli feels like, but perhaps even more nimble due to the flybarless head and low rotor loading of the Goblin.

It is a great machine. Fit and finish is excellent. Quality is top notch. And it flies fantastically. But it is not what I would have wanted to start out on.

The Blade 550X was my first big heli and I think it was the best one for me. A good balance of size, weight, agility, cost, and repair/maintenance costs. It was also a kit that had to be put together which was important to me, unlike other Blade offerings at the time. Also had local hobby shop support for it if needed.

So I'd recommend the TRex 500 if it is your first "big" heli purchase. If you are past the beginner stage, can do at least simple aerobatics, and can "control" your risk of crashing by flying comfortable maneuvers... if you know how to bailout and recover from a botched attempted maneuver, then go ahead on the goblin 500. You will not be disappointed.

 

[Tony]

One thing to note here, the Goblin 500 is a TRUE 500 swinging 500mm main blades. The Align 500 is NOT a true 500 as it only spins 425mm main blades. Something to think about.

 

[pj1969]

Team GOBLIN all the way, put it this way, what would you rather drive a FORD or a LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR??

 

[Derek]

Hi there, Roofus!

I guess it really depends on how fat your checkbook is. Both helicopters are great helicopters. I own a Trex 500 FB and I love it. Yes, the Goblins are awesome looking and as Tony pointed out, the Goblin will be spinning actual 500mm blades, unlike the Trex 500 with the 425mm blades. If this were my decision, I'd go with another Trex 500 for this simple fact...If I were to crash the Goblin....the fiberglass canopy and tail cover would probably need replaced. Those, alone, are not cheap. I can get a cheap and simple Trex 500 canopy from Hobby King for less than $15 and it would still look great. With a Goblin 500, it needs the specific Goblin fiberglass canopy and tail cover.

However, if you can afford it, go for the Goblin. It's an amazing machine. I'd love to get one and do the build myself....but....I'm very much afraid of the crash cost.

Good luck in your decision! You should have a lot of fun, either way!!!

 

[Slobberdog]

Team GOBLIN all the way, put it this way, what would you rather drive a FORD or a LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR??

As you put it I would love to drive the lambo but could not afford the insurance,

But in all seriousness as many have said before me it's all about how deep your pockets are, and if you crash much.

 

[pj1969]

Your right Kev, although no body likes to crash, with the Rex it's a simple eBay search and only a few quid, the gobby you can only put cheap blades on, everything else is ££££££'s it's ok you can borrow my lambo anytime, I'll put u on the insurance lol

 

[Tony]

....the fiberglass canopy and tail cover

Just so you know Derek, the tail that comes on the Goblin is actually carbon fiber, and it's not just a cover, it's the actual tail. There is a fiberglass tail you can get though, but ti's an aftermarket piece.

 

[Derek]

Just so you know Derek, the tail that comes on the Goblin is actually carbon fiber, and it's not just a cover, it's the actual tail. There is a fiberglass tail you can get though, but ti's an aftermarket piece.

Cool! I didn't know that!

 

[pvolcko]

Yeah, the tail boom is light and strong, all CF, nicely painted. It would probably have to be a pretty substantial crash to actually break it. The tail is mounted to the frame by three contact points. Lower sides of the boom have a dimple on each side which rest inside a matched cutout in the frame. The hole on either side has a grommet in it which grips the dimples on the boom. The third point is on the top of the boom. There is a slot in the boom which is fitted to the bottom plate of the transmission assembly and sandwiched to the assembly via a bracket and two nylon bolts. The section of the boom which is fitted to this point is extra thick (probably upwards of 8mm) to stand up to crash forces and allow the nylon bolts to break before the boom does.