CSpaced
02-11-2009, 10:50 PM
With the advent of the so called “400” sized heli, and the ensuing flood of available models , deciding which one to purchase can be a daunting task. Some of the questions that spring to mind are “Can it 3D?”, “Which motor and esc will work best?”, “Which servos should I use?”, and of course “Am I getting value for my money?”.
Well Heli-Max’s recently released Axe 400 certainly seems to fit the bill. The guys and gals at Heli-Max have put a lot of thought into the setup, and what you pull out of the box is a RTF 400 sized heli that is fully 3D capable, and comes with a 2.4GHz digital computer radio to guide it. Just add batteries and go.
Whats in the Box?
The Axe comes fully assembled and factory tested, as does the transmitter which is already programmed and ready to go. The Axe itself features 120 degree eCCPM, an easy access battery tray, a two piece frame, tail boom mounted rudder servo, a full set of bearings, 325mm wood blades, and a black anodized aluminum boom.
It has an impressive array of electronics. Starting with the receiver, the included Futaba R606FS FAAST is a lightweight 6 channel 2.4GHz receiver. The transmitter is the Futaba 6EX, a computer radio that can be used on up to six different models, including airplanes. It has all of the standard features you would expect from Futaba, including five point throttle and pitch curves for each flight mode, and swash adjustable function rate. The first thing I noticed when handling the transmitter was that it had a very familiar feel to it, and then I realized that the transmitter included with RealFlight G4 uses the same casing. Moving onto the servos, it comes with four Futaba S3114 high torque micro servos. The servos have 20.8 oz-in of torque and are perfect for this size heli. I have to say I was a little curious as to how well they were going to hold their center, but I was happy to see that they worked perfect. The included 425 outrunner motor has tons of power, and the electronic speed controller comes with the popular Deans Ultra connector already attached. The motor also features a built in fan to keep it cool. Mounted up on the back of the frame is the HM4000 heading lock gyro. The gyro features dual remote gain and mechanical gain adjustments.
First Impressions
Out of the box the Axe frame feels very rigid. The head, swash, and associated links appeared to have no slop at all and the pre printed canopy design is very eye catching. I was eager to fly the Axe right away, but first took the time to read through the instruction manual. And what an instruction manual it is! It contains instructions on what each of the controls does, how to track the blades, and basic controls of the transmitter. It also has one of the most comprehensive parts guide I have seen in a heli manual. As well as the usual exploded view diagrams, it also contains diagrams of each individual part with their associated part number and description. Also included are the measurements for each of the pushrods. All of this adds up to a very painless experience when having to identify parts when the inevitable “unplanned landing” occurs! There are also good descriptions of basic and advanced 3D maneuvers. One very interesting feature I found was that the transmitter comes with the idle up switch disabled. This means no worrying about accidentally hitting the idle up switch when you are starting out. Once you’ve mastered the basics you can then activate the idle up switch and unleash the Axe’s 3D potential. One of the things I like to do is go over all the links and pushrods and make sure everything is good and tight, and I add just a little thin c/a to the ball links where they are glued on the carbon tail rotor pushrod.
Flying
Flying the Axe is a lot of fun! It is very stable in a hover, and there are no pitching tendencies in fast forward flight. The 425 brushless motor provides a ton of power, and I was flip flopping it around in no time. Out of the box it was set up pretty good, and only required slight modification to fit my personal preferences. I used the recommended Electrifly 2200mah power series lipo, and could easily fly 5 minutes in idle up with some to spare. I wanted to see how the Axe performed on both ends of the spectrum, so I flew it around in normal mode to begin with. It performed well, and I had no problems flying figure eights, slow pirouettes etc. Flipping into idle up I was able to fly tic toc’s, rolls, pirouetting flips, and basic backward flying with ease. The tail held real well when I flipped to inverted and scooted along in a straight line tail first. Inverted hovering was also a no brainer as the Axe performed just as well whether right side up or inverted. The white main and tail blades, as well as the white fins, provided excellent visibility, and did I mention that the canopy was pretty sharp looking?
I was very impressed with the quality, and flyability (I just made up a new word!:D) of the new Axe. Heli-Max have put together a great little package that will take a beginner all the way to 3D without having to change anything except fresh battery packs. The Axe is also available as a receiver ready version, for those who don’t need another transmitter.
More information can be found at Heli-Max’s website: www.helimax-rc.com (http://www.helimax-rc.com)
Well Heli-Max’s recently released Axe 400 certainly seems to fit the bill. The guys and gals at Heli-Max have put a lot of thought into the setup, and what you pull out of the box is a RTF 400 sized heli that is fully 3D capable, and comes with a 2.4GHz digital computer radio to guide it. Just add batteries and go.
Whats in the Box?
The Axe comes fully assembled and factory tested, as does the transmitter which is already programmed and ready to go. The Axe itself features 120 degree eCCPM, an easy access battery tray, a two piece frame, tail boom mounted rudder servo, a full set of bearings, 325mm wood blades, and a black anodized aluminum boom.
It has an impressive array of electronics. Starting with the receiver, the included Futaba R606FS FAAST is a lightweight 6 channel 2.4GHz receiver. The transmitter is the Futaba 6EX, a computer radio that can be used on up to six different models, including airplanes. It has all of the standard features you would expect from Futaba, including five point throttle and pitch curves for each flight mode, and swash adjustable function rate. The first thing I noticed when handling the transmitter was that it had a very familiar feel to it, and then I realized that the transmitter included with RealFlight G4 uses the same casing. Moving onto the servos, it comes with four Futaba S3114 high torque micro servos. The servos have 20.8 oz-in of torque and are perfect for this size heli. I have to say I was a little curious as to how well they were going to hold their center, but I was happy to see that they worked perfect. The included 425 outrunner motor has tons of power, and the electronic speed controller comes with the popular Deans Ultra connector already attached. The motor also features a built in fan to keep it cool. Mounted up on the back of the frame is the HM4000 heading lock gyro. The gyro features dual remote gain and mechanical gain adjustments.
First Impressions
Out of the box the Axe frame feels very rigid. The head, swash, and associated links appeared to have no slop at all and the pre printed canopy design is very eye catching. I was eager to fly the Axe right away, but first took the time to read through the instruction manual. And what an instruction manual it is! It contains instructions on what each of the controls does, how to track the blades, and basic controls of the transmitter. It also has one of the most comprehensive parts guide I have seen in a heli manual. As well as the usual exploded view diagrams, it also contains diagrams of each individual part with their associated part number and description. Also included are the measurements for each of the pushrods. All of this adds up to a very painless experience when having to identify parts when the inevitable “unplanned landing” occurs! There are also good descriptions of basic and advanced 3D maneuvers. One very interesting feature I found was that the transmitter comes with the idle up switch disabled. This means no worrying about accidentally hitting the idle up switch when you are starting out. Once you’ve mastered the basics you can then activate the idle up switch and unleash the Axe’s 3D potential. One of the things I like to do is go over all the links and pushrods and make sure everything is good and tight, and I add just a little thin c/a to the ball links where they are glued on the carbon tail rotor pushrod.
Flying
Flying the Axe is a lot of fun! It is very stable in a hover, and there are no pitching tendencies in fast forward flight. The 425 brushless motor provides a ton of power, and I was flip flopping it around in no time. Out of the box it was set up pretty good, and only required slight modification to fit my personal preferences. I used the recommended Electrifly 2200mah power series lipo, and could easily fly 5 minutes in idle up with some to spare. I wanted to see how the Axe performed on both ends of the spectrum, so I flew it around in normal mode to begin with. It performed well, and I had no problems flying figure eights, slow pirouettes etc. Flipping into idle up I was able to fly tic toc’s, rolls, pirouetting flips, and basic backward flying with ease. The tail held real well when I flipped to inverted and scooted along in a straight line tail first. Inverted hovering was also a no brainer as the Axe performed just as well whether right side up or inverted. The white main and tail blades, as well as the white fins, provided excellent visibility, and did I mention that the canopy was pretty sharp looking?
I was very impressed with the quality, and flyability (I just made up a new word!:D) of the new Axe. Heli-Max have put together a great little package that will take a beginner all the way to 3D without having to change anything except fresh battery packs. The Axe is also available as a receiver ready version, for those who don’t need another transmitter.
More information can be found at Heli-Max’s website: www.helimax-rc.com (http://www.helimax-rc.com)