CenturyUK's GL450SE - Pilot : Ian Contessa

[paulkazjack]

Whats your opinion of the 'Mini pred' cent heli? minee just a bloody handful.

[Centuryheli]

Hey. The Mini Pred is a nice little heli, it's not in the same performance bracket as the GL450 but it flies well. Unfortunately like all helis it will only fly as good as it is setup & this might be where your problems are stemming from. I have messed around with a friends Mini Pred & it's actually flying quite nicely now. In what way is yours a handful? Ian

[paulkazjack]

@Centuryheli Its just all over the place.Hovering is just such hard work with constant inputs to check her drifting.The cofg is spot on the blades are balanced the paddles are balanced.ive tweaked the giro but still the nose drifts.What else is there to adjust??

[stualoo]

Hi Ian! I don't know if you remember me posting asking you questions quite a while back - probably well over a year ago now! :-) I still have my GL-450, but about to sell her I think. Got a few videos on my youtube account of some of my basic flying now :-) Been doing a bit of 3D recently but no videos and nothing like yours! Saw your name in Rotorworld the other month and thought I'd say hi again :-)

[Centuryheli]

Hello Matey, Yeah I remember you, it's good to hear from you buddy. I'm glad to hear your GL has served you well and been honing your flying skills. Mine has gone on to another newbie and it to has been used to learn with and now progress onto a larger model.

Yes, my old friend and fellow CenturyUK sponsored pilot John Parker used a picture of one of my Predators. What you thinking of getting next? Ian

[stualoo]

Well, its funny you should ask that! I currently own a T-rex 450SE V2, 600E and 600NSP. I've been thinking about buying myself a T-rex 500 ESP, but not sure if to go for it or not. If I did, I'm trying to decide if to get the Align 750 gyro and 520 or go trusty 401/9257. What do you reckon? Is the 500 worth it... only thing I'm thinking about is the flight times. Are they pretty short? Have you still got your 500? What batteries are worth getting? :-)

[slalomflex28]

Hi everyone. I have a question regarding my GL450. When I give it some real throttle the tail end kicks out loads like really bad torque rotation. Could this be caused by the headspeed being too low. I notice yours sounds much faster than mine. If not can anyone tell me what else it could be, and how to fix it.

Any help GREATLY appreciated.

John:)

[Centuryheli]

Hi John, As your aware putting in a load of collective pitch will load up the main rotors which in turn will slwo down the tail rotor, making it less powerful. So as the gyro tries to counteract the torque change the tail rotor just runs out of power as it slows down. Also, if your still using the stock tail servo it isn't the most powerful & so you may also be reaching the limits of it's holding power, which then shows up with the tail swinging. There could also be too much + pitch.......

[Centuryheli]

this has the same effect by slowing the main rotors down too much, which in turn impacts the tail rotor speed & control.

Throttle curves could also be to low, you maybe aware already but you need to run a constant 80% or more on the ESC at all times to avoid over heating of the ESC. That is probably where my model sounds faster than yours as most of the time I am in idleup 2 for the aerobatics............

[Centuryheli]

A short answer is yes, the head speed could be too low also which gives the problems mentioned above. But mine was stock, just wound up to give me the power which you can do and I just added a better tail servo which was more powerful to move the tail as required. Hope this helps? Let me know what you try and what you find. Ian

[slalomflex28]

Hi, Thanks for the advice. I increased the head speed and things are much better now. It is still a little bit out but I am sure that it is just a case of fine tuning now.

Thanks, John

[Centuryheli]

Hey John, Ah cool this is what we want to hear. These little models do like a high head speed, they sound intimidating but they also lock in better with the rest of the controls. Your very welcome buddy, have fun and keep me informed of how you get on. Ian

[thechoice33]

how r u, my trex 500 is running fine, happy new year :)

[Centuryheli]

Hey Matey. Happy New Year to you as well dude. I am doing well here thanks, 700N now up and running. Have got myself a Trex250 which is great and just treated myself to a JRDSX12 (12X) so now I've switched to 2.4ghz. Awesome set if a little pricy but fun. Other models flying as good as ever, 600NSP and 500CF, still loving my Aligns thats for sure. Ian

[thechoice33]

yeah, 2.4ghz is the way to go, the rave 3D is out, it expensive but looks good, I can't afford it, JR are verry good, they look the same as the spektrum transmitter, i'm glad you got all your helis running, thanks.

[Centuryheli]

Hey Dude. Yeah, it is all 2.4 now although I wasn't originally going to move over to it with every model. But JR are not going to offer a plugin 2.4ghz module for the 12X like they do in the US I think and so in order to get any benefit over my old 10X I had to go the 2.4 route. I lvoe it anyway, gorgeous set and you feel so much more connected to the model in flight so I am happy. Not seen a Rave close up yet but will do at some stage and try to have a fly for reference maybe. Ian

[thechoice33]

yeah, 2.4ghz gives me that extra feel and security that I'm properly connected and no one can interfere at all, I have the spektrum dx6i, it's cheap, but very good value, for some reason, I never like futaba transmitters at all, I just can't stand them, anyway, that's my opinion to say the least, I'm glad you will get to see the rave 3d soon, i'm interested about it, not buying of course, recession is too bad, thanks.

[thechoice33]

good news, my helicopter is still running fine, but there is a new trex 500 out with torque tube standard, looks good. also i have posted some vids of trex 500 flying, not mine though, thanks.

[Centuryheli]

Hey Dude, Ah good news then that your still enjoying yours. Yes, the Trex500ESP I think it is which is the Super PRO version with all the upgrades and so on. I am awaitng the new Trex250 ;-) cant have one yet as all the ones so far are for pre-orders, but may have one within the next 3 weeks... cant wait! I have my Trex700N PRO now as well, just awaiting an exhaust for it to test fly. Ian

[thechoice33]

Thats awesome your getting a trex 250 and you already have a 700, the new rave 3d is out, looks nice but don't see how it could be better than the trex 450, in other news, i just got the new blade mcx,, only £52, i just binded my dx6i with it and off it goes, great little heli, also have you seen a new heli called the fusion 3d, its 450 sized, looks good, thanks, also make sure to check out those vids i posted :)

[Centuryheli]

Hello Matey. Yes, I'm on the list for a 250 and itching to fly my 700. The Rave does look good but is not priced like other machines & so will be interesting to see how dominant it gets. The Xcell Furion is the same, lovely looking model with some good ideas but pricy. I've had a go with Midlands MCx & it was a lot of fun, they fitted the glow'y blades and turned out the lights which was cool. Ian

[thechoice33]

hi, the rave is £320 and is on sale now at fastladperformance . com , the fusion looks good as u said, i hope u get to fly the 700 as soon as possible, also what do you think of the new blade mcx, please reply, thanks. and by the way, just type in fast lad performance on google and it will show the online store where the rave 3d is.

[thechoice33]

there is a trex 600e out, check it out, and please reply to say what u think, thanks.

[Centuryheli]

Hey. Yeah the Trex600e has been around some time now, there is a 600e Super PRO on the way which like it's Nitro brother will have all the upgrades as standard. I like electric, however I have steered clear of the 600e as to do the flying I like it needs 8~10S LiPo power which are still very expensive. At the moment I am loving my 600N and the electric Trex500CF which I got to replace my GL450SE. Ok, cant fly the 500 indoors but I'll soon have a Trex250 for that ;-) Ian

[thechoice33]

I know what u mean, some batteries cost £200, thats as much as a high quality gyro or a 16GB ipod touch or something like that, I have heard also the trex 500 is just as stable as the 600, I love my trex 500, great little machine, well not really little but its very good, the trex 250 looks very good to, indoors for those winter or windy days, I have a blade cx2 when I can't fly my 500 great little heli, do u know how much the trex 250 is going to be?, please reply thanks.

[thechoice33]

Have u seen that new heli from curtis young-blood, it's called the rave 3d, same size as trex 450 and has torque tube, comes with radix blades and scorpion motor stock!!!, looks very good, let me know if u have seen it.

[Centuryheli]

Hello Dude. Yes, I have seen the new Rave. Certaionly looks good in pictures, have not seen one fly as yet though. Only thing that jumped to mind first is the complexity of the head area and the look of it being a little fiddly, which in a crash may result in more bent bits. Time will tell, I am yet to poke my nose in the Rave forums to read whats being said. Have you been in any for a read? Ian

[thechoice33]

Yes i know what u mean, the head is very complicated, and yes, I have also looked in the forums, it looks very high quality and comes with scorpion motor but I'm wondering, is it gonna be better than the trex 450, it's hard to tell, the thing I like about align heli's is that there very popular so many other companies are making upgrades or parts for them, but is the rave 3d gonna be popular, it's probably a very good model but are people gonna really want one, or will they go for the trex 450.

[Centuryheli]

Hey. Yeah, it looks a great little model although I have not seen any parts prices yet. But being a model designed by Curtis it will no doubt sell well. I'll certainly try to have a go of one just to be nosey as to how it flies.

For me I was going to buy and Align anyway just on parts prices alone, of course I then got offered a good sponsorhip deal and so that made it even better for me. You cant deny Align do have the heli market in the bag when it comes to models, new trex250 looks good to

[thechoice33]

he he, thats for sure, the trex is a good heli, the trex 250 looks very good, I have seen some pics and looks very nice, and will be great for u to fly indoors, it is sure a small heli, a good parkflyer if there is no wind, there is a video of it of jason krause flying it indoors on youtube I think, which is nice, I wonder how much cheaper it will be, do u know, if so, please tell me if thats alright, and for the rave 3d, I'm sure it will fly great, I hope u get to fly it, thanks.

[Jangatayo]

Really nice smoooth flying there. : )

[Centuryheli]

Hello Mate. Thanks for the compliment on the flying. Ian

[thechoice33]

hey, as i get more confident flying my gl450se, i'm trying newer things, one of them is hovering upside down, when i hover my heli in the upright position, its fine, but upside down, it goes backwards, i have never noticed because i have never hovered upside down, i have only been upside down for short periods, like loops or twists, please help, thanks.

[tamiyanutts]

superb flying have just bought one but cant get it to fly can you help as you seem to be extreamly knowledgable when on full throttle it seems to push into the carpet and can you tell me if the dill switches on the transmitter should be all down thanks

[Centuryheli]

Hello. Thanks for the compliment on the flying matey. You problems sounds to be with the pitch going to wrong way, as your opening the throttle to take off instead of it adding positive pitch to produce lift it's adding negative pitch pushing it to the floor. Unfortunately I dont have the stock transmitter to tell you where the dim switches need to be set to. I'd suggest nipping back to the model shop you brought the model from or calling CenturyUK to confirm where they should be.......

[Centuryheli]

Keep me informed of how you get on. Ian

[thechoice33]

hey, i see your problem, this may help, on the stock transmitter, there are very small switches at the bottom right, the one that says pitch, switch that the other way, hope that helps, when i had the stock transmitter, ail, ele, rudder and pitch were reversed. c ya

[irishrover63]

Fantastic flying mate. I was thinking on moving up to a Belt CP or Twister 3D Storm until I seen this GL450SE fly at a local club. Do you think it would be a good package for a relative new comer to the hobby?

[Centuryheli]

Hey Matey. Thanks for the compliment on the flying. Yeah I think you will find the GL a very nice model to move onto. The good thing with the GL over the other 2 you mentioned is that straight from the box it will not require any modifications a little later on to make it stronger & fly better. Also liek the other 2 spares are cheap to which allows you to learn new things with it without any fear. When you get one come back & tell us. Cheers. Ian

[pilotgj]

Hi, I'm back again now the summer's here!

Fitted new servo to the GL450SE, as you advised, everything is working fine. Took out for first time today, managed to fly it 9inches off the ground but I cannot stop it spinning to the left. Can you advise please. Thank you very much for your help.

Regards, Gary

[Centuryheli]

Hey Gary. Yes indeed, summers finally arriving which means lots of flying ;-) From what you are saying I'd say your either not in heading hold mode, as if you are then the tail will not move off line unless you tell it to. Is it a slow spin to the left or a fast one? If it's a slow turn to the left then it's not in headinh hold mode and the tail trim is not set right. Ideally you set this in rate mode, then flick the gain switch into heading hold mode.Adjust the tail pushrod until the spin stops

[Centuryheli]

If it's going left, then you need to adjust the tail pushrod to give more right trim to the tail. To check if you are in heading hold or not, power up the model and swing the tail one way. The tail servo should hold opposite command in until you swing the tail back the other way. In rate mode the tail will make an adjustment then return to neutral on it's own. Ian

[startazz]

cheers mate,thanks for the advice and i will take it on board,no pun intended lol.

[Centuryheli]

No worries, your welcome buddy. I am always around if you have any questions just ask me and I will help the best I can. Have fun and chat soon. Soon I will upload some more videos which will give you some thing to look forward to doing yourself soon. Ian

[startazz]

that is some sweet flying mate,nice one how long did it take you to get to that standard?im just starting out and got a mini pred 3d,want to upgrade to the metal parts in the summer when i can get some flying time in lol.

[Centuryheli]

Hey mate. Thanks for the compliment on the flying. I've been flying for some time now, 20+ years but using flight simulators makes learning quicker. I use one as much as I can, learning new manouvers before I try them out on the real thing. The sim is a good tool for you to learn with, but actual flying time is by far the best way to. The Mini Pred does tighten up more with the metal parts and so will be a worthwhile upgrade, but for learning leave it stock and upgrade later on. Ian

[slippyr4]

Ian, you're a tart.

[Centuryheli]

LOL. Yes I am I like the blingy, tarty things! ;-)

[RCAddictBaz]

You are a PHENOMENAL PILOT! Crikey!

I am surprised you manage that with the stock gyro, I don't know why but when it was hovering high up, the gyro lost its hold and the tail spun doing a pirouette and I ended up crashing having lost track of which way it was facing.

Does your main drive gear/cog have any autorotation sleeve? I found mine seems to be stuck such that if I have a motor failure I'd be screwed.

Re: build quality I had a tail pitch slider pin fall out on me- wasn't to happy!

[Centuryheli]

Hello Mate. WOW, thanks for the compliment. With 3D I am getting better & better the more I do. The stock gyro is surprising me to, I now have a Futaba S9257 & it's even better. Holding fast sideways flight without letting go, you can hear the motor loading now! I do have an autorotation unit yes, I have heard of one failure so far but thats it. If you model is not very old ask to replce your existing one with a new one. Ideally you need this working, they dont auto well but you can try atleast.

[Centuryheli]

I'm sorry you had a tail pin fall out, mines been fine but then again it's easy for loctite to have been missed out on the odd kit at critical points. Definetly see about getting your gear/auto unit swapped as it shouldn't lock up. Chat soon buddy. Ian

[nikbluesbeer]

Hi there mate is it you who supplies these heli's?? I want one but i can only fly mode 1. Do they come in mode 1 as well? please let me know if poss 07973 519 845 Nik

[Centuryheli]

Hi Nik. I dont supply the models now, I am only sponsored by CenturyUK. Any local mdoel shop to you who is a Century stockist will be able to order you one no problem, failing that a call to CenturyUK direct (01795 437056) will allow you to order one. CenturyUK also advertise on Ebay incase that helps? Ian

[nikbluesbeer]

Thanks for the advice Ian! How do you rate the Century heli against the Blade 400 and if you were me what would you be looking out for i.e stock items to change etc from new, if any. Many thanks in advance Nik.

[Centuryheli]

Hey Nik. Your welcome for the advice. The Blade while very good is not up to the same standard as the GL450, the only good thing about it over the GL is the supplied radio, the 2.5ghz DX6i set. But the GL450 is a much better model which will not require any upgrades as it is all metal as standard. Only modification I can recommend as your flying improves is a better tail servo and the Futaba S9257 is what I have found to be the best.

[Centuryheli]

Personally I'd say get the GL450, learn to fly it as it is then later on upgrade the transmitter & receiver to a 2.4ghz one or a decent 35mhz computer radio. The model needs no upgrades, but as your flying skill will increase you will benefit from a better transmitter to get the best from the model. I've just come home from a heli flyin this weekend and have seen the Blade400 perform, but it's a plastic framed machine. The GL450 with it's ali/carbon construction is much better. Ian

[nikbluesbeer]

Many thanks for your advice matey!! Are there meetings in the Midlands i.e indoors, does anyone know of any?

[Centuryheli]

Hey. Glad to help buddy. Erm, indoor meetings take place all over really it's just a case of finding one near you. Midland Helicopters (who can sell you a GL as well) organise one in the Coventry area, see their web site for more details. Although most indoor events are held during the winter months normally, so there will be less this time of year. Ian

[thechoice33]

hello, just updating you how me and my friend are getting on, my friend is getting a lot better and has taken his training skids off and doing some light loops and i'm flying mine fine, i might be putting on a futaba s3153 tail servo.

[Centuryheli]

Hey. This is good news, thanks for keeping me updated as I love to hear how people are getting on. With summer coming you guys should be able to get lots more flying time in and keep developing your flying skills. As to the servo if you can stretch to the Futaba S9257 do it as its much better. I now use one after replacing the S3153 & it holds so much better still with the stock gyro. You can actually hear to tail slwoing the rotors down in fast sideways flight, it's just more expensive. Ian

[stualoo]

Hi Ian! I'm back again! :) I've finally got my GY401 and S3153 on my GL and it is flying very nice indeed! I have held back on buying a new radio for the time being till the 2.4Ghz market settles a bit. I am currently borrowing an old Futaba 9C, which works very nicely :) I've been on a big learning curve (quite literally with pitch/throttle curves!) but understand things pretty clear now :) I hope to be in the air again indoors on Monday and fine tune it a bit more. Very addictive hobby... ;)

[Centuryheli]

Hello Dude. Yeah we haven't heard from you in a little while, but your back now. You got your little GL450 flying nicely now yeah, cool. I'm with you on the 2.4ghz side, I to am waiting to see what happens. Although I am waiting patiently as I quite fancy the new JR12X when it comes out to replace my 10X & 9XII, I'm saving up for it. Once you start to understand throttle & pitch curves your ok, I find a lot of people stumble on the eCCPM setup as well. Very, very addictive! Ian

[stualoo]

Hi again Ian, glad to see you are doing good with Align! My GL450 is still going, although it suffered a crash last week, i think due to the autorotation gear sticking (2nd one that has done it). Think I will try and work out what Align part gearset I can fit instead. I got myself a T-rex 600 electric a few months back which is just beautiful to fly. Plan to throw the GL about a bit and go from there :-) Hope all is well! Stu

[Centuryheli]

Hey Stu. Good to hear from you matey. Yes, the Aligns are going very well some quick videos will be up soon. I never had any auto problems with my GL, one other has to my knowledge though. I wonder if it just needs a little of the right lubricant to stop it seizing? I find these smaller models are great for trying new things as their cheap before trying them on the bigger models. Of course their smaller which makes them harder to see but thats ok.......

[Centuryheli]

I'm going to replace my GL with a Trex250 when it comes out, as it's marginalyl smaller it will be even better suited to the indoor halls with winter on the way. A 700N is next and I am trying to get my way with a 700N Turbine as well ;-) now that will be good to have going in the UK. Ian

[thechoice33]

hey centuryheli, as i said my friend got his gl450se today, he's loving it, no way as good as you but is hovering and doing some very light 3d maneuvers like a loop, me and my friend flew together today with our gl450se, there was no interference because i have my spektrum dx6 from my blade 400, my friend is using the stock radio, the stock radio is actually quite good. GO GL450SE :-)

[Centuryheli]

Hello mate. Ah cool, you buddy did get one as well in the end. You guys may not be up to my level of flying yet but with time & practice you soon will be ;-) The DX6i your using is a good set for small electrics, but as you say the stock GL450 transmitter is very good also. Lets put it this way I was surprised at it's quality thats for sure. Post up some videos soon and let me know. Ian

[thechoice33]

i would post a video but the problem is i don't have a video camera and i'm trying to find a cheap one for my birthday which is in may, but in may, my wife is getting me one and i should be able to do a video then, but you're right, the quality of the transmitter is very good.

[Centuryheli]

Hey. It's only recently I got a video camera hence why I've only got a few videos up so far. More will come as the weather slowly improves. Ian

[thechoice33]

hey everybody, if you dont want to waste time making a trex 450, get the gl450, the gl450 is just as good with a full metal frame and also this is alot better value than the blade 400, the blade 400 is good but the gl450 is the real deal and great value also come fully built, GO GL450SE

[Centuryheli]

Hey. Well said matey and I agree totally. While the Trex has been king of the hill for sometime in this catagory the GL450 from CenturyUK is higher up that same hill! You've hit the nail on the head with the Blade, great radio but not so good model. Gl450 for king! ;-) Ian

[thechoice33]

the problem with the blade 400 is the frame is all plastic and feels cheap and the problem with the trex 450 is you have to spend time making it, its so good there is a helicopter that is equal to the trex 450 that is already made, i have told my friend to get the gl450 with training skids and he is going to get it on monday, GL450se rules.

[Centuryheli]

Oh yes, you're spot on with your findings in comparing the 2 models and the fact the Trex needs to be built which adds time and allows for errors. Let me know how your freind gets on with his. Ian

[thechoice33]

sure thing mate, iv'e told my friend to get it with training skids, he has flown the blade cp pro and he was alright with it, hopefully he want crash the gl450se.

[vanepico]

i was considering this but i got a belt cp for cheaper repairs

[Centuryheli]

Hey. Taking into account price & performance, I dont think you'd have been paying much extra in the long run. In a crash the ali parts would survive better than an all plastic heli saving money. Then as your skill increases with the GL you wont need to buy any upgrades for the mechanics as you have all the metal parts ready to go. Ian

[vanepico]

the guy in hobbystores who had just bought a trex was gutted to see something like this, rtf with everything and full aluminium and carbon :) maybe after my belt cp i may be able to get on of these

[Centuryheli]

Hey. Yeah I sure he would be to as its equally as good yet cheaper. As you progress into the hobby the GL will certainly be a nice upgrade, unless you fancy going to an IC machine perhaps? As the GL is still fairly small & electric it can be used in a sports hall indoors or outside in not ideal weather to. Keep us posted what you do. Ian

[teamrevoloution]

just wondering if this is as big as the t-rex

[Centuryheli]

Hey. Yes it is the very same size, infact its pretty much a Trex450 V1 with a few changes. It swings 315~330mm main blades like the Trex. Ian

[thechoice33]

sorry to bother you again and again, but how far would the heli go with the standard transmitter and reciever, please reply, thanks

[Centuryheli]

Radio of the moment is the 2.4ghz stuff, but use a JR 9XII & SPCM receiver on my model with no problems. Synthesised to so I can switch channels if there are others on my frequency. To be honest I dont know too much about the stock Transmitter as I have only seen one once, but I think it will take you to basic aerobatics no problems. Of course it is still a basic set, a mid-range computer radio will be more than enough for even advanced 3D.

[Centuryheli]

If you are serious about the hobby buy the best radio you can afford, as it will stay with you for a very long time and fly any model you could possibly buy. I fly JR radio gear, I have a 10X and the next model down the 9XII which is a fantastic radio capable of flying heli's or planes. IT all depends on your wallet & how involved you want to get in the hobby. Ian

[vanepico]

also, it may be beneficial to get one with a futaba one with a removable module so in future you can get a 2.4ghz module

[Centuryheli]

Hey. JR radios have a removeable module also so the range of radio options open to you increases. Again it's all personal preference but the programming menus in a JR set are simpler to navigate around and use. Ian

[vanepico]

my dad uses an xp652 and i use a modular jr x347, unfortunately i think th elugs have become unreliable, and also i fel that futaba fasst is good but i wont be able to get a futaba fasst module to fit in the jr, unless i use spektrum or that other company i cant remember the name of

[Centuryheli]

Hey. The X347 should take the Spektrum modules from memroy as I used to have one. As for Futaba's FASST system, it is coming for the JR range of radio's. Futaba exhibited a lineup of plug-in FASST modules to suit JR sets at the recent Nurnberg Toy Show apparently. Did you hear of Futabas blunder with their 2.4ghz sets? Namely a batch went out coded to the same serial number, meaning interference issues with other like coded sets. Ian

[vanepico]

ah!!! that brilliant!!! will keep the 2.4ghz price down, will it support 7 channels? yeah i heard about the ZGUID incident, however, i still believe this is better than spektrum cause lots of people are having lockouts, i would rather have a ZGUID transmitter while flying that a lockout, not saying that spektrum are rubbish, i would just rather use futaba, hopefully eventually all 2.4ghz radio sets will work together as they did with crystals.

[thechoice33]

im thinking of changing the servos on the gl450se, what are the best servos you would recomend, please reply, thanks also the transmitter that comes with heli is good, but where i fly there are other planes and heli's sometimes, please recommend ALL the servos, thaanks, i will subscribe to century heli channel

[Centuryheli]

Hey. The best servos to date for the smaller models have to be the HiTec HS65HB (Karbonite gears) or HiTec HS65MG (metal gears). These are what I will fit in time to my own model when I feel the stock ones are getting worn. Proven, powerful, reliable & nicely priced to. For tail servo, got to be Futaba's S9257. I have recetnly fitted one & it's an awesome servo, works well with stock gyro to. Ian

[thechoice33]

i have made a modifacation to my gl450, i have put my spektrum dx6i on it from the blade 400.

[Centuryheli]

Hey. The addition of 2.4ghz on any electric model of this size is a safe guard against any possible interference. The new DX6i is a well spec'd transmitter and does not break the bank either. Although the stock 35mhz unit also works very well which is good to know. Ian

[ajharris99]

whats better, this gl450 or the blade 400, plz reply, thanks

[Centuryheli]

Hi. While the Blade is an ok machine it is nowhere near as good in spec or performance as the GL450 SE. With the Blade the only good thing about it is the transmitter and this has been said by people who have brought it. It's a plastic machine blinged up with a decent radio. The GL450 is all metal, no upgrades needed and the spares are still just as cheap. Sponsored or not, if I had a choice I'd go for the GL450SE all the time! You get a better model with the GL. Ian

[thechoice33]

Hey i do have a blade 400 and now i have the gl450se, i got it 2 days ago and you are right, the gl450 is 10x better.

[Centuryheli]

Hey. I have seen a Blade copy yesterday and while it is a nice model it is no way as good as the GL out the box. Price wise the GL wins hands down for spec & then performance. Thanks for giving your opinion from someone who has both. Ian

[Syfaphonetic]

Hiya - I just bought one from you guys - its a work of art!!!! Im too scared to fly it!!! where can i get tips to progress from normal flight to 3d?

[Centuryheli]

Hey Mate. Ah cool, you've picked yourself up one of the little GL's. They are an awesome bit of kit, the quality is superb and the price is right! I will more than gladly give you tips, I also run a flight school alongside my day job which my interest you in time. Email me so we can chat easier. Ian

[leitens2709]

Thank's bro'...! I will just buy one of this in e-bay... I hope that comes soon! Next time, mae be, I put a video of my heli! So long!!! Bye!!!

[Centuryheli]

No worries, your welcome. Have fun when you get your model and post a video to. Ian

[leitens2709]

Hi! Me again! (remember, my english it's very bad) Your Heli it's 6 or 9 channels? I'm just thinking in buy one of this, but I'm not and expert. "The Century GL 450SE is compatible with Align Parts" This says in the box of the heli... That's true? Thank's for your time and coments. See you! Leonardo.

[Centuryheli]

Hey Mate. Your English is great dont worry. It's actually 5 channels in reality, throttle/collective, rudder, aileron & elevator. As it comes out the box it will suit you well, I have flown one with the supplied transmitter and its great. I'm not sure about 100% Trex compatable, but close enough so you wont have any problems. GL spares are just as cheap though. Ian

[leitens2709]

Nice fly Ian! I hope to do that some day... (I'm not speak english, sorry!)Saludos!!!

[Centuryheli]

Hey. Thank you for the compliment mate. With time and practice you will soon be flying as I am above, all it takes is practice. I know I am still practicing to ;-). Ian

[stualoo]

Hi, very nice flying :) I'm a bit of a novice but got a stock GL 450SE with standard TX/gyro etc. I was just wondering what gyro you are using there? I'm looking to change the gyro and tail servo and in the future TX/RX and any recommendations welcome! Superb flying and great display of this models potential!

[Centuryheli]

Hi Mate. Thank you for the compliment. The gyro is the stock one that comes with the GL, I have just upgraded the tail servo. It's a very reasonable gyro, I can get it to let go in fast backwards flight but otherwise it's great. As a future upgrade you wouldn't go wrong with a Futaba GY401, but there are many others that will work well to. For a Tx/Rx upgrade I fly JR radio gear, a JR 9XII with my GL, with an SPCM receiver. If you have any questions email me any time. Ian

[stualoo]

Thanks for the quick reply Ian! I might try changing the tail servo to the same as your futaba one and get myself a GY401 (a few other fliers said the same about not going wrong with it!). The stock servo needs to go 1st for sure I think lol. Thanks for the tips, much appreciated! Stu

[Centuryheli]

Hi Stu. Your welcome for the reply mate. The tail servo is the first port of call, the S3153 I have works well. I'd like to go better still to the Futaba S9257 but it's quite expensive. Gyro's, I found the CSM SL630 good in my previous Dragonus, but have not tried it in the GL yet. You can email me anytime mate for help. Ian

[stualoo]

Thanks Ian! I've got a GY401 now and also a S3153 on order! The S9257 looked bigger overall in size. The S3154 looks similar as well (guess it's a newer version) so I ordered one of those too :-) haha! Good to have some spares! For now, back to the simulator... Thanks! :-)

[Centuryheli]

Hi Stu. Ah cool, the GY401 will be a nice upgrade. I've not seen one close up, but as you say the 9257 is a little bigger I think. The 3154, while has a good spec I didn't suggest it as they have been failing quite quickly especially in DS mode. Originally I was going to run the 3154 as it's quite quick, but got told of the failures. Try a search to read some stories. Let us know how you get on. Ian

[stualoo]

Thanks Ian! I have just had a read and see what you mean. Seems the S3154 is a bit voltage sensitive and dies a lot at 6V and also sometimes a problem with a 401 in DS mode. A lot of people seem to recommend the S9650 for the tail on Trex's. Will have to look how that compares to the S9257 :-) I might stick with the S3153, seems less trouble.

[Centuryheli]

Hey Stu. Yeah, it is mainly at 6volts but I didn't want to risk it myself. The 9650 is a favourite, but again it's slightly larger and a bit slower. The 9257 seems the ideal one, but not cheap. My 3153 is performing well and this is the second model it'e been fitted to, worked with a CSM SL630 before as well. Ian

[enginetorque]

Great little heli and a bit of a bargain really - don't dismiss the standard supplied radio either, the TX is very clever and will do all you need until you get to Curtiss Youngblood standard and even then it won't disgrace itself

[Centuryheli]

Hey. I have only had a quick fly of a GL450 with the stock transmitter and it was setup well from the box and flew very well. I didn't try anything with it as it wasn't my model but a new beginners machine, but it was certainly a good setup. CenturyUK have an excellent machine here, proven by the fact they dont stay in stock long! Ian

[fxdealer55]

I am impressed with the quality of this kit, looks good too. I have only changed the radio gear to make things a little easier from having multple models, one radio to cover all.

Radio is far more capable than myself at present though. Anybody out there that has similar setup??? Any advise greatly appreciated.

[fxdealer55]

Hi! Ian. Have already got this heli. Have changed radio gear to Spektrum DX7 so that I have one rig for my other models. No problems with fitting. I am still learning with GL450 having moved on from Blade CX2. Can you give any advise for settings for a "newbie" so that I can keep it calm

Best wishes for the new year.

Regards Terry C.

[Centuryheli]

Hi Terry. The Gl450 is great little heli and one you will learn a lot more on from the blade. It's a little bigger, more powerful and more capable. It's difficult to write a lot here (I cant post me email address either) so message me and I will email you so we can chat easier about setup help. Ian

[Centuryheli]

Hi Terry. The Gl450 is great little heli and one you will learn a lot more on from the blade. It's a little bigger, more powerful and more capable. It's difficult to write a lot here (I cant post me email address either) so message me and I will email you so we can chat easier about setup help. Ian

[StonyRC]

Very impressive - can't wait to see you wring it out once you get outside. Please post updates (I've just bought one of these but my flying is WAY behind you).

[Centuryheli]

Hey. Thanks for the compliment on my flying mate. Outside I really give it some stick as there is more room to play with. My trusty cameraman has seen it in action already and is not looking forward at trying to follow it ;-) How do you find yours, ok? With practice you will soon get to where I am, I'm still learning new stuff myself.

[StonyRC]

Still finding mine somewhat intimidating - but I'll tame it! Are you a club member somewhere?

[arjxh56]

I was told the T-Rex and this one were both compatible with parts... Is this true?

It would be nice to be able to mix and match the bits.

[Centuryheli]

Yes, to my knowledge and from what I have seen they are almost 100% interchangable. I'm sure not all parts can be used but I am unsure what they are. This is good news if you do have an accident and are desperate for spares, you can use whats at hand to get you flying again.

[arjxh56]

How does this compare to the T-Rex? or the Mini Titan?

Thanks

[Centuryheli]

Hey. Personally I feel it's as good if not better. Being honest it's practically a Trex in disguise, but with a few changes. The mini Titan, out of the box this model is better spec'd with carbon style main frames, all metal head & tail etc. Bottom line is it flies very well, is cheap to buy/repair which is a major factor to consider and looks good. I was surprised with the quality of the radio gear, eg. servos out the box. You wont have any regrets buying one.

[AztekK1d]

Bloody excellent, i was thinking of getting one of these and you made me want it even more lol. Quality bit of flying

[Centuryheli]

Hey. Thanks for the compliment mate on my flying. I am hoping to video a more aggresive flight outside soon when the weather allows. You will really enjoy this model, from beginner to expert it will do everything you ask of it with the right setup. Ian