Can't decide on new heli!

[konatsu]

I went from CP Pro to t-rex 450 to blade CX (for indoor fun) and finally to ECO-8.. and I'm now officially in the market for a .50 size heli or above.

I really really REALLY like the idea of getting a t-rex 600. When I see the darn things at the LHS, they seem huge.. like twice the size of my eco (not really, but they impress me! hehe). I very nearly bought one the other day, and then the dude stumped me: "Do you want the nitro or electric version?"

Oh my god.. I didn't realize they could be either! Electric is what I know and love, but with nitro I could just refill the tank and keep flying..

So I stuttered like an idiot, and left the store 30 minutes later, having no new heli. I know all the pros and cons of each, I just can't decide.

My main decision breaker is this: I don't have any nitro aircraft (only cars), so my knowledge is somewhat limited, whereas I know electronics like a second language (I'm an electrical engineer). Is it worth learning to run and maintain a nitro heli just to have a "refill and go" like ease? I have batteries already, so battery cost isn't that important to me.. I even have enough to fly one while charging another, having about 3 sets in rotation.

[Trex Pilot]

I went from CP Pro to t-rex 450 to blade CX (for indoor fun) and finally to ECO-8.. and I'm now officially in the market for a .50 size heli or above.

I really really REALLY like the idea of getting a t-rex 600. When I see the darn things at the LHS, they seem huge.. like twice the size of my eco (not really, but they impress me! hehe). I very nearly bought one the other day, and then the dude stumped me: "Do you want the nitro or electric version?"

Oh my god.. I didn't realize they could be either! Electric is what I know and love, but with nitro I could just refill the tank and keep flying..

So I stuttered like an idiot, and left the store 30 minutes later, having no new heli. I know all the pros and cons of each, I just can't decide.

My main decision breaker is this: I don't have any nitro aircraft (only cars), so my knowledge is somewhat limited, whereas I know electronics like a second language (I'm an electrical engineer). Is it worth learning to run and maintain a nitro heli just to have a "refill and go" like ease? I have batteries already, so battery cost isn't that important to me.. I even have enough to fly one while charging another, having about 3 sets in rotation.

Nitro is really messy and with the eletric just swao batterys and your done. with a nitro you have to have starters and plugs and fuel is just exspensive and when i had mine hard to find it was all sold out, they are really greasy feeling nasty dirty :nothappy: and well anyway eletric you just need a battery charger and a battery :clap: much easyer and so clean and hardly any maintanece to take care of no cleaning engines and all that.But it is really up to you what you want to get IMO i would do for the Trex 600E ELECTRIC0:)

[John 3D]

I bought the 600 Nitro simply because each battery for the 600 electric costs half the price of the heli. I'm a pretty big electric guy but when you get into the large electric stuff, the prices get 2X as high. I'd get the T-Rex 500 because it can be powered by 2, 3 cell 2100mah packs. Its a little smaller but its still bigger and better than the 450.

[Gmoney]

Go NITRO I have been able to fly thirteen flights in one day with one bird. R30 and now R50 fuel and go and the Nitro shortage is over.. Fuel it, Fly it and repeat until your ready to be done..

Good Luck

[Trex Pilot]

I bought the 600 Nitro simply because each battery for the 600 electric costs half the price of the heli. I'm a pretty big electric guy but when you get into the large electric stuff, the prices get 2X as high. I'd get the T-Rex 500 because it can be powered by 2, 3 cell 2100mah packs. Its a little smaller but its still bigger and better than the 450.
true the batterys are not cheap BUT after you buy all the nitro tools to start it you could buy a battery.

[John 3D]

Not really because all you need is a starter motor, starter shaft, glow plug igniter, and fuel pump. And that only counts if you have never used glow before. I have a fleet of about 15 aircraft so it only cost me the price of the heli and nothing more.

[Straub]

The guys that fly 600 size heli's (they are monsters) at my field use 12s a123 packs and charge them at 10amps. They are getting around 5 minutes of 3d per pack and are able to charge the packs in 20 minutes. I say electric all the way! I love how they sound and they are just super convenient. No fuss no mess. Batteries can be really expensive but when you make your own a123 packs it can be done real cheap.

Cheers!

[konatsu]

Thanks for all the input, guys.. if battery cost is the only real downside to electric (especially since lipo is just getting faster and faster to charge), I guess I'll go with electric.. I've got a ton of batteries, including a bunch of 3s 5400's that I could just wire in series. I'm gonna go buy it today! =D It feels like Christmas.

Thanks!

[Trex Pilot]

Thanks for all the input, guys.. if battery cost is the only real downside to electric (especially since lipo is just getting faster and faster to charge), I guess I'll go with electric.. I've got a ton of batteries, including a bunch of 3s 5400's that I could just wire in series. I'm gonna go buy it today! =D It feels like Christmas.

Thanks!
when you buy mine make sure you get me 2 batterys :) thanks

[CSpaced]

true the batterys are not cheap BUT after you buy all the nitro tools to start it you could buy a battery.

Are you buying gold plated starting tools? :D

Not really because all you need is a starter motor, starter shaft, glow plug igniter, and fuel pump. And that only counts if you have never used glow before. I have a fleet of about 15 aircraft so it only cost me the price of the heli and nothing more.

What he said :clap:

[Trex Pilot]

Are you buying gold plated starting tools? :D



What he said :clap:
the strarting tools i have seen like are not cheap for the first go around, you could buy used but why, you dont know how long they last.he said he had never had a Nitro heli before so i am sure he will be spending alot on his first nitro, you still have to buy a engine to put in the new heli and they are not cheap ether.

[konatsu]

There is a thin line between nitro/electric advice and nitro/electric war, hehe. I'd hate to be responsible for that..

Suffice to say, since I already have tons of lipo batteries of varying series and capacity (plus my own chargers, radios, servos, etc), the $450 t-rex 600 combo (with speed controller, motor, bec + bec lipo) plus a $200 gyro+servo will cost me WAY less than what it would cost me to get a nitro setup of the same heli, especially since next to none of my already lacking nitro car experience will be able to help me.

Thanks again.. I've just started putting the kit together. The motor is quite a bit more hefty than I thought it would be!

[Trex Pilot]

There is a thin line between nitro/electric advice and nitro/electric war, hehe. I'd hate to be responsible for that..

Suffice to say, since I already have tons of lipo batteries of varying series and capacity (plus my own chargers, radios, servos, etc), the $450 t-rex 600 combo (with speed controller, motor, bec + bec lipo) plus a $200 gyro+servo will cost me WAY less than what it would cost me to get a nitro setup of the same heli, especially since next to none of my already lacking nitro car experience will be able to help me.

Thanks again.. I've just started putting the kit together. The motor is quite a bit more hefty than I thought it would be!
So it was cheaper i thought it might be, let us know how she flys ;)

[CSpaced]

the strarting tools i have seen like are not cheap for the first go around, you could buy used but why, you dont know how long they last.he said he had never had a Nitro heli before so i am sure he will be spending alot on his first nitro, you still have to buy a engine to put in the new heli and they are not cheap ether.

You can get a starter, wand, glow igniter and manual pump for around $50-$60 from Tower. As far as how long they last - just as long as anything else. I've been using the same starter, wand, and glow igniter for the past four years. Lipo's don't last forever... :D

But! Being as konatsu already has a ton of electric gear already it would make sense to go that route. Of course like a lot of these sorts of questions the bottom line is what ever you want to do, go for it and sort the details out later :D

[CSpaced]

There is a thin line between nitro/electric advice and nitro/electric war, hehe. I'd hate to be responsible for that..

Suffice to say, since I already have tons of lipo batteries of varying series and capacity (plus my own chargers, radios, servos, etc), the $450 t-rex 600 combo (with speed controller, motor, bec + bec lipo) plus a $200 gyro+servo will cost me WAY less than what it would cost me to get a nitro setup of the same heli, especially since next to none of my already lacking nitro car experience will be able to help me.

Thanks again.. I've just started putting the kit together. The motor is quite a bit more hefty than I thought it would be!

Sounds like you figured out your answer :) Post some pics of that bad boy so we can check it out.

[Gmoney]

I would go 100% electric but everytime I go flying there are E guys that flat out envy my flying times. I went up the same time as one of my E only buddies yesterday and we both cruised around I saw him out of the corner of my eye land and walk back. I hit the switch and l flew the piss out of her six minutes later he is standng next to me asking how much fuel I have left? Ah I wasnt even in the header tank.. So I over doubled his flight time. So I land and we start talking. about his new Nitro powered bird. I asked him about his battery life and how many cycles he is getting from his bateries. He said he isnt getting any where near the so called 1000 cycles out of his battereis. He commented he gets about half that before the batts start to sag. I think I have a slim convert..Yeah its clean, Yeah its cool. But when you just want to fly until you cant stand anymore it I.C. all the way.

[konatsu]

I would go 100% electric but everytime I go flying there are E guys that flat out envy my flying times.

Are you setup for 3D flying?

The guys at the hobby shop were telling me that similarly set up nitro birds will get very close to the same runtime as electric ones. I could have the t-rex set up to where it could fly for 15 minutes, but the extra battery weight would limit its aerobatic ability due to excess weight.

My ECO 8, for example, I fly on a 3s lipo batt with 5400mAh capacity, and just farting around in forward flight with maybe some minor loops and rolls will give me 15 to 20 minutes before the ESC starts to warn me that the battery is low (which it does way too early.. darn Align ESCs).

Hrm.. of course, the ECO 8 is so light, it could probably be flown with a cox .049, LOL

[CSpaced]

Holy flashback, I remember flying my Eco8 on nicads lol......those were the days :D

[broggyr]

Hrm.. of course, the ECO 8 is so light, it could probably be flown with a cox .049, LOL

Gotta love those spring-starts :)

[Gmoney]

Are you setup for 3D flying?

The guys at the hobby shop were telling me that similarly set up nitro birds will get very close to the same runtime as electric ones. I could have the t-rex set up to where it could fly for 15 minutes, but the extra battery weight would limit its aerobatic ability due to excess weight.

My ECO 8, for example, I fly on a 3s lipo batt with 5400mAh capacity, and just farting around in forward flight with maybe some minor loops and rolls will give me 15 to 20 minutes before the ESC starts to warn me that the battery is low (which it does way too early.. darn Align ESCs).

Hrm.. of course, the ECO 8 is so light, it could probably be flown with a cox .049, LOL

Yes she is set up full BANG! I cant do it full BANG but it does get flown very very hard by some local talent. I have been hearing the same BS about E getting the same flight times as Nitro. I have yet to actually see it.. countless 400's,450's 500's, 550's, 600e's, and even the 620. Nothing even comes close to the flight times I see in Nitro. You throw HARD 3D at an Electric bird and watch the flight times dwindle to 5 maybe six minutes.. They will get better and eventually surpas Nitro but for now NITRO BABY!

Side note: straight flight time I can fly 44 minutes mild aerobatics with my Predator..Thats one tank of pump gas..

[Trex Pilot]

You can get a starter, wand, glow igniter and manual pump for around $50-$60 from Tower. As far as how long they last - just as long as anything else. I've been using the same starter, wand, and glow igniter for the past four years. Lipo's don't last forever... :D

But! Being as konatsu already has a ton of electric gear already it would make sense to go that route. Of course like a lot of these sorts of questions the bottom line is what ever you want to do, go for it and sort the details out later :D
yea your right CS i beleive that i spent all that money on my nitro becuase it was my first one and did not know what i was doing.

[konatsu]

All this talk of nitro and electric is making me wish I had more nitro stuff.. despite how deep I am with the electrics, there is something satisfying how hearing my nitro cars roar to life :)

[lowflyier]

IMO Electrics are great if you want to fly at a none approved sites as they are fairly quite and wont disturb the locals,I would go for a trex500 as its a bit bigger and more stable,(I have a 450 wish it was a 500)Nitros are great nothing beats the smell and noise but you need lots of space to fly not in suburbia so you can let loose and wont have noise complaints,Saftey is an issue with both helis but an electric doesnt seem to attract as many people as the noise of a nitro,hope this helps,but if you realy get into this hobby you will proberly end up having a couple of both electric and nitro helis

[konatsu]

Eh, I was hoping to skip the "500" size, since I already have a 500 size heli. I haven't been able to work on my 600 because I had to go see my family and help them put up hurricane shutters (bring it on, hurricanes!).. but I'm taking my time and doing a real nit-picky job, proper thread locking and oiling of screws and bearings.. the whole shebang. Can't wait to get it in the air :)

[CSpaced]

but I'm taking my time and doing a real nit-picky job, proper thread locking and oiling of screws and bearings.. the whole shebang. Can't wait to get it in the air :)

Thats the best way to do it :clap: