450 new to heli's, first build

[scott17818]

So I've been doing a lot of research online, and decided that after my long wait I could finally afford to get into helicopters after viewing a couple "budget builds" on youtube and seeing the prices for the HK 450's here's what I ordered

HK450GTPRO HK-450GT Pro 3D Belt-Drive Helicopter Kit (A
*JIT-Item (this item takes 3-5 days to dispatch) 1
HK-1193-2 325mm Carbon Fiber Main Blade (1pair) 2 (spares)
HXT900 HXT900 9g / 1.6kg / .12sec Micro Servo 6 (2 spares)
TR_P40A TURNIGY Plush 40amp Speed Controller 1
ECO-4PORT HobbyKing ECO 4 x 6S Lithium Polymer Multi Charger 1
N2200.3S.35 Turnigy nano-tech 2200mah 3S 35~70C Lipo Pac 3
TY2215-3550 Turnigy Typhoon 450H 2215H Heli Motor 3550kv 1 (from what I've read it's actually a 4000kv)
HK401B Hobby King 401B AVCS Digital Head Lock Gyro 1 (supposedly performs like a F401 futuba, we'll see)
Trex450-029 Fiberglass Canopy for Trex-450 1
E2.3-0.5-10T Pinion Gear 2.3mm/0.5M 10T (1pc) 1 (could only get 10t, going to find 11 and 12t pinions)
606A-606B Nylon T-Connectors 10 Pairs (20pc) 1
TR_PC TURNIGY BESC Programming Card 1
GT450pro-139 GT450PRO Main Gear only (2pc) 1 (spares, from what I heard the main gears are not of the best quality/warped)

ordered that all from Hobbycity/ HobbyKing R/C Hobby Store : for $335 shipped

I also ordered a decent radio from amainhobbies.com

the DX6i with 6200 reciever Spektrum DX6i 6 Channel Full Range DSMX Radio System w/AR6200 Receiver (No Servos) [SPM6610] | Radios & Accessories - A Main Hobbies

I am a quick learner, and have done the fixed pitch blades, but was disappointed in the performance... I figured this one would be a great starter into the 450 realm. let me know what you think.

 

[scott17818]

I was torn between the Pro belt drive, and the Torque tube setup, but decided the belt drive should be good, and will cut down on vibration.

 

[Tony]

The belt was the way to go and you should like that heli. The ESC I'm a little worried about, but if I was to suggest any of them from HK, that would be the one. The gyro you got will drift, so get ready for it. I had two, one was bad and I think I could have done better without a gyro because the other one drifted so bad. Hope yours is better. Don't worry about the 10t, it will just lower your head speed a hair, no big deal.

But the list looks good to me. Let us know when you get it, and what help you need to get it in the air.

 

[scott17818]

from what I've been reading are the 2200mah lipos big enough? I was worried about weight, but was unsure of the lifting capabilities of the 450 class.. did'nt want to get such a big pack that it won't lift off the ground.. yeah the ESC may be my first upgrade as well as the gyro, but at about $40 for both i could'nt beat the price.

 

[Tony]

The 2200mah is perfect, and going with a C rating like you did will be even better. It won't starve the motor for power, and your battery should stay cooler. I have seen people run a 2650 on the 450 class, but a 2200 will give you about 7 minutes of run time.

 

[Lee]

Nice set up Scott.
The Pinion won't fit that motor. Pinion 2.3mm Motor shaft 3.17mm
You want this one HobbyKing R/C Hobby Store : Pinion Gear 3.17mm/0.5M 11T (1pc)
I have the same motor in my 450 and its def not 3550KV
You can do the hot glue mod to the gyro and it should be good. I have 4 of them all hot glued and all work perfectly on my Tricopter.
Battery is the ideal size for 450s.
Good luck and keep us up to date.

 

[Tony]

The kit should come with a 3.17 pinion. Not sure on the count though. I didnt' even look at the ID of that thing. Nice catch.

 

[Lee]

Yep just checked. There is a Pinion in the kit, i think it might be a 13T. Bit much for the 4000KV motor. Mine has the 11T and it fairly whips up the air on that

 

[murankar]

My $.02 is to invest in good thread locker. I got this stuff called Z-42 by zap. shake very well before using. Also maybe have fingernail polish remover on standby in case you need to remove any old thread locker. anyhow good luck and have fun.

 

[scott17818]

I use a "threadlocker stick" looks a lot like a glue stick.. stuff works great. lot easier to apply than the watery stuff in a tube. Yeah hope the kit has a pinion as the only ones I've found on USA websites are 3.5MM not 3.17... hhmmmm... maybe my local hobby shop has a few assorted tooth pitches.. going there tomorrow morning as I need to get a few tools, and prep items for the build. Radio # reciever are on their way.. going to start the programming of the trans.. will be here Thursday.

 

[murankar]

I have the EXI 450 Pro, mine came with a 13T pinion not sure if it is a 3.17 bore though. I did how ever get an align 14T 3.17 mm bore Pinion from hobbies4life.com. It was a pair for about 5 or 6 dollars. I know HK has them also just need to really look at the bore size before ordering. Also check hobbypartz and readyheli also.

 

[scott17818]

well.. my radio is almost here.. should be here thursday... the bulk of the parts from HK are being packed/shipped.. just got the e-mail that it had been picked, and sent to their front end packing warehouse for packing/shipping. hopefully it won't take long to ship...

 

[scott17818]

radio is here... immediately pulled it out and played with it.. got the name programmed in, and familiar with the settings menus, and controls. the receiver is TINY!!! the 6210 with satellite receiver

 

[zenmetsu]

murankar, how is that EXI 450 treating ya? I love my EXI 250 and I am looking to get a 450 sized bird in the near future.

 

[murankar]

I need to redo the tail linkage rod, I have a ton of right trim on it. The bird it's self is not to bad now that I have had the head apart a few times. When I first got it the bearings in the rotor assembly were not so smooth but are now working fine. My radio is set to Tony's settings and I think I may have to reduce the expo a bit lower than 30. I have had a couple of test hovers and realized last weekend that I still need trim adjustments, also I had a bad tail strike which caused a boom strike and in the end I ended up with a bent tail rotor shaft. Once again I am waiting on parts to get here. One problem I have is that in Korea hobby shops like the e-sky brand so parts are not as readily available.

EXI's tools came in handy but are made from a soft metal that causes the 1.5 mm to round off easily. I have spent many hours with my gerber filing down the rounded off ends so i can use them. All the other tools in the 15 pieces set are good enough as a field repair kit set. The ball link pliers will bend easily so take care in how hard you are on them. Again the price is attractive considering that only three of the 15 pieces could have been better made.

The EXI replacement parts are not all that great and require some lovin' to get them to work. I would strongly suggest when getting the replacements use Align or try out HK. My main shafts that I ordered for spares all have issues from when they were welded. The tail boom on the two replacements I got were incorrectly drilled on the tail box end and had to file some material off to get it to seat correctly.

Despite these issues I feel the heli is not all that bad considering the cost. I have been looking at another model as my real flier an X-cell furion 450. This thing is a complete ground up build. It is a true winter project. Some of the key points I like are that it is 100% manufactured in the states and has a very good reputation for quality. One thing that turns me off is the cf blade grips and parts availability and the cost, in the videos they appear to hold up quite well. You will have to pay for this one since a bare heli is around $300. I wont buy the heli till after I leave Korea which is in about 5 months, but I will start to acquire the electronics now for it.

 

[scott17818]

so finally Hobbyking says my package has shipped. tracking isn't working yet.. but it's on its way to me.. re-boxed the radio, and reciever until I get the rest of my boxes.. this is going to be a learning experience!! but I believe I have the required OCD..

 

[scott17818]

took your advice tony, ordered another ESC

Scorpion Commander V3 45 amp ESC w/SBEC 45A-V3-ESC

I also ordered a SLEW of replacement parts...

1 x HS1191 Flybar Paddle $3.59
1 x H45047 Stainless Steel Linkage Rod $3.59
1 x H45045 Ball Link $3.59
1 x K10175A Motor Heatsink $3.59
1 x Rhino Gear Ultra Hardened Steel Pinions 0.5M 11T T-REX 450 HR105 $2.50
1 x H45046 Ball Link A/B $3.59
1 x H45035 Tail Blade $4.49
1 x H45022A Main Shaft $8.99
1 x H45027A Metal Main Shaft Bearing Block $12.59
1 x HSP41003 H45057TA-DS4 Servo Horn $3.59
1 x H45021A Feathering Shaft $6.29
1 x Castle Bullet Connector 4MM CCBUL4 $3.99
1 x Scorpion Commander V3 45 amp ESC w/SBEC 45A-V3-ESC $79.99
1 x HS1264 Flybar Rod/220mm $4.49

 

[scott17818]

well my HK 450 is on the airline!! coming from hong kong.. the parts above are in transit from experiencerc.com USPS sorting center.

 

[scott17818]

got a suprise today!! Experiencerc.com was pretty fast.. I think I ordered on saturday.. got here today... nicely packed. into a tiny box!!

<a href="http://s217.photobucket.com/albums/cc80/killahxft/?action=view&amp;current=helicopter001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc80/killahxft/helicopter001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[Tony]

Wow, a metal case for the ESC? Hate to ask what that costs lmao.