Trex 450X - First Flight and First Crash - Like the Titanic

[mpvg1]

Oh yeah, my crasched many times! "T-Rex 450 XL vliegen_9-2-2008_hd " see my channel.

Nice flight, dude! and building again,,,,,,,

[aqinthe]

Would this be a good 1st heli? Or is it too advanced to learn on.

[DavidSunshine867]

@aqinthe

This Heli is old. But align helis are the best to learn on.

Try a trex 450 pro, if ur serious that Heli is the best to learn on. It's stable and easy to set up and work on. Parts are cheap so it's affordable to fly.

Any everyone crashes, don't let a few crashes stop you either, even veterans crash, and hard when they do!

[JOCKATEO]

just need some super glue

[DavidSunshine867]

Hey,

Sounds like you got no Positive pitch.

I got a Video showing how to set up the head properly, called 120 ccpm setup or something, take a look and I may help.

All you need is positive pitch and headspeed and it'll take right off!!

Regardless of proper tracking, although bad tracking will destroy it fast.

Gl

[bastion87]

allright i had the same crash, i fixed it i bought new parts new blades everything i needed to fix that. but when i want to fly up it doesnt rise:/ shit whats wrong wit it?

[MrJasoncarter0000]

you should gget the se model

[nave4pres2]

Rule 1:

Don't speak with pilot .D

[DavidSunshine867]

@nave4pres2

Haha, ya, talking can be distracting in anything you do.

The HONKING was what messed me up the most, not so much the talking.

This was one of my first flights, so I was pretty noob.  This was the first flight of my Trex, my only heli before this was the Raptor and it can be considered a 2D heli, maybe 3D if you really push it.

Fly safe!

Cheers.

[DavidSunshine867]

@nave4pres2

yup, got the se v2 now, thinking of getting the pro tho, that'd be sweet!!

[yeogav]

bin bag job

[fernando13e]

"We live for danger" lol, funny

[mjtracy]

"We live for danger" -- Classic!

[Resequin]

i had this on mute and was listening to some really sad music that made the moment he picked up the hurt heli REALLY epic and sad. who needs drama movies when you are bonded with a fragile agile machine!?!?!?!?!?!?

[DavidSunshine867]

Hhaha that's awesome man. We could make a sad drama soap opera out of rc heli stuff.. Na that'd just be too much.

Ya you're right, we are bonded with these amazing machines which are fragile as ever, but hey, the same can be said about girls.

You treat them right, they'll treat you right. Put on the thread-lock and you'll be alright! Unless you make the wrong move with your stick.

[Danny7930]

how much would this cost to make?

[DavidSunshine867]

You can get a similar setup from hobbycity dt com or ehirobo.

You can spend anywhere from $400-$1000.

[Afrocanook]

I prefer the landing at 0:53 seconds.

[DavidSunshine867]

Haha, thanks for the wonderful observation.

You and me both man, you and me both...

[justinRkeaton]

if your running flat 100 in idle up and not getting the head speed you want you need to go up on the pinion gear. i ran a 15 on my stock motor when i flew a 450. 100% thro,

[DavidSunshine867]

Ya, a 15 pinion gear would increase headspeed.

The problem I had was the battery, it was the cheap Align 20C, the align batteries are better now though.

I upgraded to a Scorpion 2221-6V2 and Rhino 2250 25C's, that system gives A LOT of power.

Just upgrading to the Rhino batteries will increase headspeed on any 450 with a 430XL motor. The 13T pinion with a 430XL and Rhino is used in Flyerbug's videos, check em out and u'll agree.

[UKrocketeer]

wasn't a bad crash?!?!?

[DavidSunshine867]

Haha. Pretty bad, but in comparison to other crashes, it's not so bad in terms of cost. I would consider a bad crash, something that costs over $100. This crash here only broke some $12 blades, and bent a few shafts. Canopy was fine, just a small dent. Skids were wrapped and glued. Boom was only about $4.

If you puncture an EVO25, that's $80 right there.

I luckily didn't strip any servos, those HS65HB's stand up to a lot of punishment, get em if you plan to fly a lot.

[cat123456789101]

whats a evo25

[DavidSunshine867]

Lithium polymer pack - Flightpower Evo25 V-Power packs, 3S1P 2170mAh 25C.

[Rodz10x]

I just bought an old 450X HDE like this as my first R/C Heli. I've flown planes for years, and am really looking forward to the challenge of heli flying. It was this video that showed me that cheap crash repair is possible. That's why I chose the X. After I get good and don't crash so much I'll upgrade it to a higher spec heli.

[DavidSunshine867]

Hey, great to hear. Ya, the plastic heli got me through the learning process. Small crashes are cheap, but unfortunately, if you have a huge crash which breaks the main hub and tail parts, it'll cost well over $100. When that happened, I purchased the CopterX 450SE V2, and that's like the 450X but stronger since it's all metal. That makes huge crashes much cheaper, good for going 3D and doing crazy stuff. Just make sure you hit throttle hold before it hits, it'll save a lot of parts. gl!

[fosterbt]

yah canadians eh

[skl1cent]

haha i c i c, i got my blade 400 with a airwolf but i didnt set up the retracts b/c idk how to lol but yea its cool :) looks nice too. but you know for 1 year and you made that 450 kit thas pretty impressive to me. I never tried putting together an entire heli yet haha. One thing i want to do tho is take another traxxas slash n make it into a truck lol 6 wheels. 4wd in the back lol. imagine lol. 2 motors lol. i may decide to make something with that 12t titan motor n esc it came with haha.

[DavidSunshine867]

Haha, building a heli's easy with instructions, without the manual I bet it would never get off the ground. The kits are super easy nowadays.

That's cool, sounds like quite the modding, but it would look sweet, and go fast!

[skl1cent]

hm whell im thinking of jus pulling it from my blade 400 haha. oh yea, where is the bind button located on the TX? i have to take a look at it when i get home lol. my gf saw he 600 today she looked at me as if i was nuts lol

[DavidSunshine867]

Hahhaa, ya, the 600 is nuts, pretty big compared to the 450. It's no longer a toy, I'd consider it a full size heli that's remote controlled! It can be deadly all the same.

I've never taken a good look at the dx6i, but the DX7 has the bind plug on the back. You should download the DX6i manual and look it over, you'll learn all the functions. Do you use throttle hold on it? I heard it's tricky to set up.

[skl1cent]

LOL wow!!! lmao thas so dam simpleeeee lol that made me laff so bad lol. i thought it was so dam complicated to do probably LOL hahhhahahahaha, heli tech is awesome these days lol. hey have you ever tried scale flying?

[DavidSunshine867]

Haha ya, it's so simple, it'd take a fool to mess that up. Well, you could forget the bind plug in there and screw things up, but the model just won't fly in that case, so u can't crash anything.

Nope, I've only been into this hobby for a year, it's something I'd like to get into tho, for sure.

I started with heli's, and like those better than planes, so I'll probably get a body for that, set up some servos for retractable landing gear, that'd be awesome!

[skl1cent]

yup haha, my walkera only cost me 80 bucks back in the day lol then now i have like lama v4, 2 blade cp pro, 2 blade 400's n the trex its alot of cash in there lol. not to mention i got my first off road car like a month ago tooo lol got a traxxas slash, installed the vxl, that thing rips lol

[DavidSunshine867]

Haha, ya, that's something we all have in common, we've got a lot of money in this hobby!

The DX7 is the best investment though, it's solid, and has never let me down, the screen is awesome for programming. I think a LIPO battery for it would be nice, but the NiMH pack it comes with is fine. The DX6i is supposed to be the DX7 minus a channel and a few other things, so you might be able to save money there. And best thing is, you can always upgrade to the DX7 and use all the DSM2/DSM1 RX.

[skl1cent]

hmm thas cool i wonder how it binds like. you use that little plug n then when u press up it will record onto that specific channel? for example if i put the bind plug in the throttle n then move throttle up n down, that should bind it? also I was thinking of getting a JR radio but then I saw the price LMAO. b/c my trex has the JR 9303 9ch rx in it lol.

[DavidSunshine867]

Not sure about the specifics of binding, but I think the RX and TX recognize each other's serials, the TX saves the RX ID under a specific program, so that you MUST use that program in order to connect to the RX ("model match"). Everytime you turn them on, they find 2 channels(in the 2.4ghz band) that are interference free, and use them until you power off.

[DavidSunshine867]

Binding is super easy, you put the bind plug in the batt channel, power up, then hold the bind button on the TX and power up, let go when the RX light goes off. The RX will read the default TX stick positions, then binding will complete.

The manual might be a little different than that, but it's a pretty forgiving process, it either works or it doesn't, you can't really screw it up.

[skl1cent]

thanks. haha explosive sticks LMAO hahaha. hey you know, do you mind helping me a little. should I then now buy a AR7000, also would I have to bind it? or will it work rightaway? just like simple channel crystals in the control n such? idk about this much lol. im sorta noobie to it. even tho I been in the hobby over 6 years. but yea I never attempted to rebuild lol. I havent crashed my helis. except for 1 lol. walkera df4 LMAO. that was my learner. i have never used training gear.

[DavidSunshine867]

Haha ya, they're not that explosive, but they throw flames and can burn down your house/car, probably cause some 3rd degree burns too!

You should look at getting the AR6200, it's 6 channels. The AR7000 would bind fine, but you're paying for 7 channels and only using 6. Unless you plan to get the DX7, you should stick to the AR6200.

You need to bind it so that it'll work. There are no crystals, they each have serials and just bind with each other like that, sorta like IDs on cell phones.

[DavidSunshine867]

6 years, you're well seasoned! But ya, this new technology is great, always changing, and hard to keep up with. It's awesome tho, definitely worth it. Channels and lockouts being a part of the past! That's the way we like it. Haha, the walkera 36 was my learner. A lot of people start with the walkeras, we thought it was a cheap hobby, now we know better.

[skl1cent]

yup yup, take care of yourself nex time man. :)

I just got my trex 600 hehe, hey do you think its ok to use a dx6i from a blade 400 for it? Its gonna be scale flying i dont do 3d haha. Its a trex 600 jet ranger :) the nice thing is, i got it all equiped with futaba all around cyclic, got a JR gyro and tail servo. thas worth probably 700 plus and the battery is worth 300. 6S 5k mah. and the fuse is worth 319 i think. i got it all for 600 on ebay.

[DavidSunshine867]

Ya, I'm much more safe around Lipos now, I treat them like the sticks of explosives they can be.

That's an awesome setup you've got. With that type of money invested into it, you'll want to make sure it NEVER crashes. I wouldn't use the DX6i with the AR6100, I'd put in an AR7000 or the AR6200, something with dual-link, the second recievor. Some people have lost connection with the AR6100, so be careful with that. The dx6i is said to be full range, so equal to the DX7. No problem there.

[skl1cent]

battery still plugged n touching it after crash thas not a good idea, throttle stick could go up by mistake OUCHY

[DavidSunshine867]

Thanks for the comment.

You're right, after a crash, you should unplug the battery to avoid getting cut by the blades, helicopters are dangerous, and should be respected.

Many have been hurt by accidental start-ups. I use soft-start, but that shouldn't be considered a safety device.

But throttle hold on the other hand, should be used whenever the heli is not to be spun up, make sure throttle hold is on, idle up is off, and stick is down, that way you've got multiple safety measures.

[o0dekker0o]

Hi David

1) What gyro and servos are you using ?

2) Did you get the crash because the blade grips snapped in mid air or you did too many crazy stunts ?

3) What engine and pinion do you use ?

[DavidSunshine867]

Hi,

I'm using the GY401/9254 DS, HS65HBs.

I had 430XL 100% 13T and woodies 315 pros.

I crashed because this was my first flight with the 450X, and it was so insane that I just went nuts trying different 3D tricks that I had practiced on the SIM. This was probably my first attempt at it in real life. After this crash, I learned my lesson and practiced much more in the SIM before taking it to the sky.

There's a little more detail in the info section of this video as well.

Cheers.

[o0dekker0o]

cool, do you have a plastic or metal head ?

[DavidSunshine867]

It's the plastic heli/plastic head. Very few metal parts.

I crashed it about 4 times, the last crash was deadly, the hub broke, breaking the mixing arms, and the tail was toast. Since it'd be over $100 to fix, I purchased the CopterX 450SE V2 for $230. It's a strong heli, takes the crashes like a tank, much cheaper to crash! Go plastic if you don't plan on crashing.

[o0dekker0o]

double that in the UK, everything is so cheap in the rest of the world. Model shops are theiving basts!!

[DavidSunshine867]

That sucks, besthobbysite on e`bay sells for prety cheap, the copterx 450se v2 kit is only $196US shipped, the spare parts also ship free and they're cheap, so you can avoid the hobby shops robbing you if you're ok with waiting for shipping. That's what I do, and it's good enough for me.

[Overdosedd1225]

though the simulators help being able to do something on the simulator doesnt nessicerally mean you can do ing in real life due to the fact you have to constently look up look left look right and that disorentates you. but if yor going to crash a $%) thats the way to do it happy flying

[DavidSunshine867]

Great point you've got there! Never looked at it like that, but ya, cranking your neck back and losing a little balance while looking up really does add a challenge. When the car alarm started going off, I was looking way up and almost lost orientation. I noticed that in the sim, you should practice flying in front of you, then in real life, you can do something similar, that helps you bring what you practice into real life. Another HUGE factor is the heli setup, has to be the same as thesim

[iamluvinit2]

my copx isnt finished yet, but the ufo videos you see operates just like a fixed pitch heli. same controls. ofcourse on the stock ufo the gyro only balances the 4 rotors doesnt hold heading or anything. i wish i can fly like you, but in time.

[DavidSunshine867]

oh cool man, so the UFO is pretty similar.

Do you have a sim to learn how to fly a 3D heli? The 3D tricks I was doing can be learned quickly in a simulator. Once you can do it in the sim, you can do it in real life. This was the first time I tried so much 3D with a real RC heli after my sim practicing. I flipped and hovered with a Raptor G2 for a flight or 2 before this, but it was not very fast, not like the Trex.

Best sim is Realflight G3.5 or the new G4.

Which one do you use?

[iamluvinit2]

yea i love the sim, i wish it was as easy as that because i do 3d easy. i have real flight g3.5 and easyfly and fms somewhere. i also fly foamy 3d planes, but you were flying pretty well.

[DavidSunshine867]

It's almost the same as the sim, your CopterX can fly very well, given the right electronics and setup, it's ALL in the setup, once you've got it tuned, you can do everything in the SIM with the CopterX. Practice with some wind, there's always wind in real life. Unless you're really lucky.

[prescotbulimia69]

U total wanker yank cunt!!!!!!

[ClodAholic]

huh?

[DavidSunshine867]

He's probably having a bad day, we all have em at some point, such is life.

[DavidSunshine867]

A guy from the UK calls me a wanker yank cunt? Thanks for calling me a Yankee, that's a good compliment, America is a great place, you should visit sometime.

I am actually Canadian, but that doesn't matter, we're all the same, show some respect.

Cheers.

[iamluvinit2]

Great video.(sad aftermath) NEXT time have a camera guy who isn't a jabberjaw.

[DavidSunshine867]

Hahha, thanks, glad u liked it. That 450X was awesome. But now it has had it's last crash, the aluminum hubs were designed to fail, and so it did. I lost control and crashed at 100% throttle, so everything in the plastic head broke. I've gone to the CopterX 450SEV2, it's a great heli!

[iamluvinit2]

yea i have a copterx as well. nice that i been able to use some t-rex parts on it

[DavidSunshine867]

Awesome, you should put up some of your copterX videos. You've got some cool UFO ones. I bet that's easy to fly. How does the rudder control work? Just like a heli? If you're nose in, does the cyclic follow like a heli?

[pza366]

you suck, learn to fly. nice crash bocephus

[DavidSunshine867]

Thanks, I know I suck!

Isn't that what everyone shoots for??

[Nicolasr1]

u suck lol

[DavidSunshine867]

Thanks man!!

Don't worry, one day you'll be just as bad as me ;o)

[Nicolasr1]

no lol i was joking u r realy good kick my ass any day

[DavidSunshine867]

Haha. No way, you're a young whipper snapper, you'll pick it up fast and become a 3D ninja!

[Nicolasr1]

ya mabe i hope so

[SCCreations]

Nice job planting that sucker. Special thanks for the damage reporting. Very cool-testing servo's, etc.

[DavidSunshine867]

Haha, thanks man, glad you appreciated that. Most people only show up to the crash, then cut it off, the best part is checkin out the aftermath!! Ya, those HS-65HB's surviving was AMAZING! I've crashed a few more times with throttle at 100%, and they've survived every hit. Even crashed my CopterX 450SE V2 at full throttle, and they survived. They are TOUGH!

The 450X in this video lost a tail blade in flight, and I dug it in, it's toast, and won't fly again. Didn't have that one on film.

[dubspins]

lol ur skids are installed backwards just FYI

[DavidSunshine867]

Haha, ya it was a 2nd hand heli, the other guy built it like that, after I rebuilt it I put them on the right way.

[prttimeninja]

ha...i had a worse crash....ever see a 450 going about 55mph+ boom first into the ground? not a very lovely sight. ~Friendly tip~ next time u crash a electric heli/plane unplug the battery. et that be the VERY first thing you do.

[DavidSunshine867]

That's good advice to remove the battery, something bad could happen with it plugged in.

I like to check the servos after a crash, it's always a pleasant surprise to see these Karbonites HS65HB's stand up to all these crashes. They've been through 5 crashes so far, no stripped gears yet, and some pretty bad crashes, like this crash, full speed into the ground!

[simkimon]

That motor is so strong. How does it compare to the 430L?

[DavidSunshine867]

Ya it's really good. Probably not that much better, it's rated 3700kv, the 430L is rated 3500kv. I've never compared them so I don't know. But the 430XL is almost the best thing you can get. It's important to have a good battery. The Align 20C batteries aren't that good. I got some Air Thunders 2200mAh 25C now and they make it WAYYYYYY more powerful!

I was using an Align here, but they only run this good for 10 flights.

[simkimon]

yea I know, the battery is equally important. I have an Align and an Cheap Mystery from ebay. With the cheap one (15C ithink) it loses like 20-30% of its climbing power.

Do u know how this works with the 12C, 25C etc...? U need to have a good eSC i suppose too.

[DavidSunshine867]

I have an ebay Mystery ESC 30A with Mystery 1700kV helicopter motor, connected to a 12x6 prop, and I tested it with my 12C, 20C, and 25C, and it definitely has WAY more power with the 25C Air Thunder vs. the 12C/20C.

I don't have a mystery battery, just a 3E 12C, and Align 20C, but I think the Mystery 15C is between that. Do you have the cheap 30A ESC too? I think it's fine, almost the same as align's, you just need a good battery for more power.

[DavidSunshine867]

The 12C just means it's 12 x "Capacity", so 12*2.2A = 26.4A output, so at 11.1V*26.4A=293 Watts.

Increasing to 25C*2.2A = 55A, 11.1V*55A=610 Watts.

That's the output power of the battery, so you can see that a 25C battery can provide you with way more power.

Don't go with the cheap batteries, that's something you don't want to cheap out on, they'll lie and say 25C, but it's really 25C peak for 15s, not 25C continuous. And the lifecycles are much less as well. Spend more, it'll be worth it.

[simkimon]

Thanks, I really got it now! Yes I figured it out, batteries is the last thing you want to go cheap on. And when you say ESC 30A means that it can give up to 30A? so the Max would be a 15C that you could use.(15*2.2=33)

[DavidSunshine867]

There's some sizing for battery/ESC, using a HUGE battery with a small ESC will max out the ESC, that's about it. If you have a good battery I guess you should use a better ESC which has a true continuous rating of 30A or 35A. Gotta watch the continuous/peak ratings.

[gunfreaksaredead]

no wonder u crashed your not supposed to force it immediately to go up but slowly, i also hav one, i have been flying it for one year and had only 1 crash at my 4th flight, but good performing heli though.

[smoothb10]

rookie you dont even know what your talking about.

[smokin3000gt]

wow thanks for your pilot resume! almost as if the first sentence was thrown in there so you could transition to telling us about how good you are

[DavidSunshine867]

Hey, that's cool, I saw a red 3000GT this morning, looks FAST!

[aclaehsen]

that is your first flight because you did good

[DavidSunshine867]

Thanks.

I was pushing it hard, and flew above my abilities. But I stimulated a lot before I tried all that, that's why I could hover inverted and do loops.

If you practice enough to do it all in the sim, you can do it in real life no problem.

As long as your heli's set up properly, my heli's cyclic rates were too high, that's why I wasn't ready for the turn, and then crashed.

[kiminicooper1]

Are these guys from Canada, or near there, lol? Sorry, accents are cool. Seriously, when I can fly... and crash like that, that'll be awesome.

[DavidSunshine867]

Haha, ya we're both Canadian. I'm sure you'll learn to fly like that soon, doesn't take much, it takes a lot to not crash tho. haha, that's the tricky part. Just so you know, the align batteries suck, after 15 cycles they're PUFFING and losing power and capacity. I just baught 2 new Air Thunders, they don't puff and are low voltage tolerant, with 50% discount on crash replaceents! I flew them and they're awesome! If you want some, order from ww gothelirc dot com. More POWER! It's awesome.

[edamps2002]

thanks dude!! ill kip in touch

[edamps2002]

thanks a lot dude! im new to heli although i have revo monster truck for a year now. i bought a trex 3 450 v2 4 days ago they will be available on friday. ill try to assemble that myself so i can learn i dont know if i can do that but i will consult the store hobby shop where i get it. tnx man. and ill be buying the sim too.

[DavidSunshine867]

That's great to hear! You're lucky! If you wanta learn everything, and put it together on your own, your local hobby shop will be able to help you for sure, but the majority of the learning will probably be from forums, and online. Here's a bunch of Bob White's videos on building a 450: Have fun!

[DavidSunshine867]

To find the videos, google for:

As you all know Bob White's instructional videos are very informative and helpful, take your time to let him know

[edamps2002]

hi.. did you use a flight stimulator to learn those stunts? thanks a lot!!

[DavidSunshine867]

Yup, all skills, or lack thereof, were learned in the simulator. Once you can fly exactly like that, and crash exactly like that in the simulator, you will do exactly the same thing in real life. The best sim is Realflight G3.5.

It's almost exact, so whatever you're like in the sim, expect that to happen in real life as well. (Assuming the trex is set up correctly, which is not always the case)

[coheed2179]

wow, only 23.50! not to bad.

[DavidSunshine867]

ya the parts are cheap. blades are 12.50, and a pack of 3 main shafts is about 7 to 9 bucks, so they're only 3 dollars each, if ur lucky that's all u really break in a crash. The thing to know about the trex is that when it crashes, that's about all that breaks, maybe the main gear too? But that's another 3 bucks, the gas it takes to get to the field is almost about that much, even more if you drive an F150!

[coheed2179]

very true, gas prices are ridiculous. parts for my copter were a little more when I crashed though.

[DavidSunshine867]

You got a Trex450? What'd u end up breaking?

If I break the skids or canopy a bit, I usually don't replace the thing. If you replace cosmetic things, it'll drive the price up. But some people want things minty! Haha flyerbug.

[petejohnston]

no way this was ur first flight

[DavidSunshine867]

Oh ya, sorry.

I mean it's the first flight of my new Trex 450, I just set the thing up and went NUTS on the thing, and burried it into the ground. HAHHAA, it was fun tho. VERY cheap to repair, I like that part.

But ya, I've gotten comfortable flying with the Raptor G2 SE. I got about 10 flights out of the thing before I upgraded to this Trex. I learned a lot on the Raptor tho.

[pelayostyle]

Did you keep the Raptor fins on in memory of your old G2?

[DavidSunshine867]

Nope, those fins are the yellow trex 450XL's. I have a 450X, but they don't have parts for that anymore so I just order XL parts, they're mostly compatible. Few things aren't tho.

I've actually got both my Trex and Raptor still. I prefer flying the Trex tho.

[DavidSunshine867]

Haha no worries, crashing the Trex isn't so bad, most of the parts are very tough. Just replace the blades, main/feather shafts and you're pretty much good to go! But ya, that was a fast dive into the ground and surprisingly very little broke.

[yohoneybee]

OUCH!!! Sorry

[DavidSunshine867]

Ya it was wayyyyyyy faster than the Raptor. Worth the extra cash. The crashes are much less expensive, as you noticed, not much broke. Main shafts come in packs of 3, feathering shafts in 4, tail booms in 2. Shipping from rcflightstore takes 1 day if he ships on the day of the crash. It doesn't get much better than this.

[realbigdady]

Real nice flight much faster then the rapter and parts are local