Originally Posted by torsten01

I read through this thread and I am more confused than before... Even though I know there is NO simple answer, here my question. I want to buy a heli such as the MiniPC and a slightly larger one for a little bit more outdoorsy stuff such as the V120D02S. But they are Walkeras... What other, better, helis are there in this size that are reliable and do not require these extensive mods? I do not intend 3D flying by the way, just realistic flying around... Have a lot of experience on v911 and sim. But not an unlimited budget.... but if repairs and upgrades cost just as much and one should rather invest in a better product, which one is there? By the way, I am in Australia and have to envy you people over in the states for the cheap shipping from WOW etc. To even mail a MiniCP from WOW to OZ costs over 60 US in freight!

No matter what i say about Walkera, i am just trying to bring light to the darkness. The truth is the V120D02S is the best heli in the size range from your 911 to something like the Blade 130X. It only requires some small mods and if your only trying to learn it will work out great for a little while. When you need to advance for 3D you can drop in a $50 motor and get a performance boost that is worth while. The heli will last you for a good term of your learning experience. However you will need to pick a slipper clutch, buy and install it to keep your heli repairs cheaper. You will also like using a copper wire sheer pin so you don't keep grinding main gears. With my current setup even hard crashes only result in having to replace the main gear's mounting/sheer pin. It really is the only Walkera heli i don't have much bad to say about.

However, if you want something smaller then a V120D02 i would recommend the Nano CPX by Blade. This is my next planned micro purchase. It's the same size as your WL toys but it's a CP, 3D capable heli.

That being said. I strongly recommend you put a thousand or so hours in on a simulator like Phoenix 4 and then buy yourself a 250 size or bigger heli for your 2nd heli. I would not recommend any other Walkera myself, at this point. I don't know how much space you will have to fly with open grass/dirt. But the micro 120 will take a crash and get back up in that. A 250 size will always need to go on your bench and get some, possibly expensive repairs done. But if you learn how to fly in a simulator well. You shouldn't be crashing too much. Especially if your trying not to crash by not doing crazy 3D. The Master CP sounds pretty good and it's cheap! So it's a 250 size you can beat up. But i would honestly learn everything you can about heli setup and then build your 2nd heli. Either an Align or Align clone. Maybe the more expensive Gaui X2. But what ever you decide for a second helicopter. I think you should get heli setup experience some where first. After that there are plenty of people on line that can answer your unknown questions. But you must learn the basics to maintain a bigger heli. If you go the Nano CPX route and plan on moving into BIG helicopters, big as or bigger than 450 i would go ahead and get the Spektrum DX6i at the very least. That way when your ready you can buy a blade 300X, 450X, 500X or any other kit built helicopter you like because they will all be, for the most part, compatible with your Spektrum TX. If you go the Walkera route. Your Walkera TX/RX MAY or MAY NOT be compatible with your new gyro or heli. It's hard to say. Most people don't have a problem when it comes to using the basic receivers on bigger helicopters. But these are things to consider when your starting out. The Spektrum DX8 is my favorite radio, it's over kill for you. But i would splurge on the DX6 and nano, then move on from there. That is my advise. If your POSITIVE that one day you will fly a 450 or bigger helicopter i would go ahead and splurge on the DX8 too. Because it is a MUCH better radio than the DX6 or DX7 or my Walkera 2801-pro. It's very nice and it will have every feature you will ever need for big helicopters and then some. Buying such a TX now for $400 might prevent you from buying two fairly poor to medium quality/features TX for about the same price or more, over time! My heli experience to date has been that i would have saved more money in the long run had i spent MORE on the initial purchases. This holds ESPECIALLY true when i moved to the 450 and above class. The kits might be expensive up front, but the long run expense and repair cost is usually much less. When you buy the cheaper heli because it's cheap. Especially with RTF type heli. Your looking at a fairly long run of issues, problems, and expensive repairs when you consider how often they come in comparison. If i had it to do over i would have just done most of my learning in a sim then bought a really good expensive and highly reviewed and regarded heli. But i knew very early on that i wanted to fly big helis and do as much 3D as i can manage.

Originally Posted by zadaw

The weight of the Master CP is 420g vs 340g for the V200D03. This explains why the Master CP behaves like a flying elephant at times. It drops very fast when you flip it over and is often difficult to stabilize into a hovering position. However, it is very stable once it is in over. The skids are so thick that they are almost impossible to break. I have had a few hard crashes with it. The V450D03 seems to be only a bit heavier than the V450D01. So this suggests that another type of plastic may be used altogether as Tony at Xheli claimed. Tony has tested the Master CP as well and so he should know whether the same plastic was used.

Another thing about the Master CP is that there seems to be a complete absence of mechanical problems. If the servos prove to be just below average, then replacing the receiver will still give you good value.

Yeah but Tony also tried to tell us that the V120D05 was a good heli. When everyone had problems with it. Even while saying how good the heli is and trying to shoot a sales video for it. Even he had to make adjustments and crashed it trying to ONLY do inverted. It was quite wobbly for him and through the whole thing he just keeps trying to make it sound better than it is. Time will tell on the V450D03. The master CP appears to be holding out for people though, i suppose. Even if it might not be the best performer, they are pretty cheap. Personally the only micro i'm excited to try is the nano because it's exactly the same size as the WL v911 and it's a CP. So far they seem durable and fly pretty solid for a brush motor tail drive heli. I'm excited to have a 3d heli can actually fly indoors without worry of injury or property damage.

Originally Posted by IntegrityHndywrk

Yeah but Tony also tried to tell us that the V120D05 was a good heli. When everyone had problems with it. Even while saying how good the heli is and trying to shoot a sales video for it. Even he had to make adjustments and crashed it trying to ONLY do inverted. It was quite wobbly for him and through the whole thing he just keeps trying to make it sound better than it is. Time will tell on the V450D03. The master CP appears to be holding out for people though, i suppose. Even if it might not be the best performer, they are pretty cheap. Personally the only micro i'm excited to try is the nano because it's exactly the same size as the WL v911 and it's a CP. So far they seem durable and fly pretty solid for a brush motor tail drive heli. I'm excited to have a 3d heli can actually fly indoors without worry of injury or property damage.

I have watched many of Tony's videos. The ones that he makes specifically for Xheli were basically whitewashes, He never says anything bad about the product in those videos. Whereas those videos under his personal youtube account are quite truthful. Also his posts on RCG are quite truthful as well, especially regarding products not sold by Xheli.

My friend who flew the V450D03 for Helpal was an ex F3C competition pilot and a full-time professional. He is an avowed Mikado snob and a Walkera hater. Even he said that the V450D03 flew very well and recommended that I buy one. Of course, a filming session that lasted a few hours is not going to reveal everything about this heli.

Originally Posted by zadaw

I have watched many of Tony's videos. The ones that he makes specifically for Xheli were basically whitewashes, He never says anything bad about the product in those videos. Whereas those videos under his personal youtube account are quite truthful. Also his posts on RCG are quite truthful as well, especially regarding products not sold by Xheli.

My friend who flew the V450D03 for Helpal was an ex F3C competition pilot and a full-time professional. He is an avowed Mikado snob and a Walkera hater. Even he said that the V450D03 flew very well and recommended that I buy one. Of course, a filming session that lasted a few hours is not going to reveal everything about this heli.

Yeah, i can't say i have checked out his personal youtube. I have no doubt that watching the video of the v450d03 that it will perform 3D in the hands of a skilled user and I'm sure it will be fairly stable. The devil is in the details as they say. I can tell you right now just by watching the video on the Walkera site that no matter what you see it doing. There are indicators in the video, just like the ones for the Master CP, that there is something struggling slightly. Weather it's weight or gyro related, it's hard to say. But the Master CP was more obvious the V450D03 looks a lot smoother in transitions then the Master CP. The servos are a concern i have for all of these bigger heli. But otherwise, if it stays UNDER $200 for this heli, then add shipping or whatever. It might be a nice heli to learn a few moves on then toss in the trash after you crash it bad enough, probably when the servos burn out.

I'm waiting for Walkera to release an honest "pro 3d" style heli. Something where they literally spare no expense and target intermediate to professional pilots. Alternatively, if Align developed a 120/130 size heli, i'm sure it would sell like hot cakes. Based just on brand loyalty, known respectability and quality and lack of serious issues alone. Everyone would buy them out in the first week. Even die hard Walkera or Blade fans would probably shelf their current model to go get one. Could you imagine the market penetration Walkera COULD have? If they would stop beating around the bush and taking advantage of the uneducated, unsuspecting new comers, leaving them scorned to move on to other brands for their helicopter needs? Hell, most brands struggle to maintain brand loyalty, recognizing how important it is for the future of their sales. Most people, as we can see OBVIOUSLY, even with Walkera, are loyal to their first experience NO MATTER WHAT. First car brand, first girlfriend, first ANYTHING. There is a automatic proclivity to return to that thing as your example for everything else. Walkera seems to think they can take advantage of that forever without the house of cards tumbling down around them as they piss off more and more people with each of their actions in business. It's no secret there are more Walkera haters out there then ANY OTHER BRAND HAS. There is no shortage of people who will willingly put there name on the "I HATE WALKERA" list. Where as finding people that absolutely hate Align, Gaui, Mikado, or even Blade are much less. Although I'm sure Blade comes in a close second. BUT Blade manages to maintain their brand loyalty, at least in the US, by warrantying and offering support for their products. A company that tries is obviously better then a company that turns their back after they have their money, in the eyes of any consumer. There are too many indicators out there for Walkera to not start taking the hint by now. No other heli manufacturer as large as they are does business like they do and continues to release subpar materials at top dollar pricing. If i don't crash my Gaui X5 for another month it's already the same as i paid for my V450 and initial first 2 months repairs because of the HELICOPTER'S issues. New ESCs, a few sets of new servos, another new ESC. I mean, anyone with experience already knows. There is nothing cheap about owning a Walkera helicopter in the long run. If your getting a bigger sized helicoper. You simply can't afford NOT to spend more money upfront on a "good" kit heli if your goal is saving money over the long haul. If my experience was isolated to only me and a string of bad luck. Well, I just don't think the line of people to sign up to the "I hate Walkera" fan club would be quite as long as it is, if that were the case.

The v450D03 can only hope to be as reliable as the V450d01 used to be. That is saying NOTHING to anyone that lives in a hot climate in the middle of the summer and previously owned a V450D01.

Every day that passes i find another story that tell me personally that NO ONE should be buying these products. Someone's brand new devo 10 recently fried on them!! This was even a new one for me! Lucky for him he got it repaired or replaced or something through his distributor. But seriously, we can't be having this common place type of self destructive random quality. When i heard this, nothing made me happier than looking at the receipt for my Spektrum DX8.

Originally Posted by IntegrityHndywrk

I'm waiting for Walkera to release an honest "pro 3d" style heli. Something where they literally spare no expense and target intermediate to professional pilots. Alternatively, if Align developed a 120/130 size heli, i'm sure it would sell like hot cakes. Based just on brand loyalty, known respectability and quality and lack of serious issues alone. Everyone would buy them out in the first week. Even die hard Walkera or Blade fans would probably shelf their current model to go get one. Could you imagine the market penetration Walkera COULD have? If they would stop beating around the bush and taking advantage of the uneducated, unsuspecting new comers, leaving them scorned to move on to other brands for their helicopter needs? Hell, most brands struggle to maintain brand loyalty, recognizing how important it is for the future of their sales. Most people, as we can see OBVIOUSLY, even with Walkera, are loyal to their first experience NO MATTER WHAT. First car brand, first girlfriend, first ANYTHING. There is a automatic proclivity to return to that thing as your example for everything else. Walkera seems to think they can take advantage of that forever without the house of cards tumbling down around them as they piss off more and more people with each of their actions in business. It's no secret there are more Walkera haters out there then ANY OTHER BRAND HAS. There is no shortage of people who will willingly put there name on the "I HATE WALKERA" list. Where as finding people that absolutely hate Align, Gaui, Mikado, or even Blade are much less. Although I'm sure Blade comes in a close second. BUT Blade manages to maintain their brand loyalty, at least in the US, by warrantying and offering support for their products. A company that tries is obviously better then a company that turns their back after they have their money, in the eyes of any consumer. There are too many indicators out there for Walkera to not start taking the hint by now. No other heli manufacturer as large as they are does business like they do and continues to release subpar materials at top dollar pricing. If i don't crash my Gaui X5 for another month it's already the same as i paid for my V450 and initial first 2 months repairs because of the HELICOPTER'S issues. New ESCs, a few sets of new servos, another new ESC. I mean, anyone with experience already knows. There is nothing cheap about owning a Walkera helicopter in the long run. If your getting a bigger sized helicoper. You simply can't afford NOT to spend more money upfront on a "good" kit heli if your goal is saving money over the long haul. If my experience was isolated to only me and a string of bad luck. Well, I just don't think the line of people to sign up to the "I hate Walkera" fan club would be quite as long as it is, if that were the case.

Align actually makes a 100 sized FP called the Trex 100 and has proved to be absolute disaster. It is universally condemned as among the worse submicro heli ever made. It was plagued with quality problems right from the start. This is why you don't hear anything about it on RCG. Just on the history of the Trex 100 alone, most modelers would avoid an Align submicro CP. It has basically been seen off by both Walkera and Blade. Eventually a clone of the Trex 100 arrived on the scene that actually flew better and had fewer problems. That is the WL Toys V911 which is now dominating this sector.

The Trex 100 debacle proved so bad that Align shelved the idea of a 100 sized CP. It just proves that it does not necessarily mean that a respected brand can successfully make a submicro CP and compete effectively. The technology and the design is completely different and probably much more complicated. This is a rendering of the Align Trex 100 3G announced in April 2011. The whole project has since been abandoned. Even if Align resurrects it now, it will find that its competitors have moved on.

Originally Posted by IntegrityHndywrk

No matter what i say about Walkera, i am just trying to bring light to the darkness. The truth is the V120D02S is the best heli in the size range from your 911 to something like the Blade 130X. It only requires some small mods and if your only trying to learn it will work out great for a little while.

You do realize what you're saying right? Every post advocating Walkera products reads like this: "It's great but you have to fix it first"

What is up with that?

Oh, that's too true. My v120d02s is working great, but I did actually have to fix it first.

I have bought four V120D02S and all flew perfectly out of box. With the last two, I don't even bother to check anything before the maiden flight which I flew 3D straightaway. Not only that, the heli from the first batch did not fly that different from helis from subsequent batches. I have now had more than 1000 flights with it and it is so reliable that I don't even bother to do pre-flight checks. I don't think anybody with a 130X can have as little maintenance as a V120D02S. Whereas my M120D01 was my worse Walkera of all time, although many others have had great success with it. I also had lots of trouble with the 4G6 and 4G6s. But you must remember that they were the only submicro CPs at that time. If they were not available, the chances are that something like the mCPX would have been seen at a much later date.

The truth is that most of the problematic helis are no longer produced. With any low price brand, you are bound to have some good products and some bad ones at the same time. You cannot condemn entire line as bad and or say that an entire line is good.
The current line up since the Genius CP is pretty solid. They also hired more than 100 highly qualified engineers and technicians through Hong Kong last year. It was also reported that they poached staff from other well known companies as well. So basically it is quite a different company from a few years back.

Originally Posted by zadaw

Align actually makes a 100 sized FP called the Trex 100 and has proved to be absolute disaster. It is universally condemned as among the worse submicro heli ever made. It was plagued with quality problems right from the start. This is why you don't hear anything about it on RCG. Just on the history of the Trex 100 alone, most modelers would avoid an Align submicro CP. It has basically been seen off by both Walkera and Blade. Eventually a clone of the Trex 100 arrived on the scene that actually flew better and had fewer problems. That is the WL Toys V911 which is now dominating this sector.

The Trex 100 debacle proved so bad that Align shelved the idea of a 100 sized CP. It just proves that it does not necessarily mean that a respected brand can successfully make a submicro CP and compete effectively. The technology and the design is completely different and probably much more complicated. This is a rendering of the Align Trex 100 3G announced in April 2011. The whole project has since been abandoned. Even if Align resurrects it now, it will find that its competitors have moved on.

Interesting. I have never seen anyone talk good or bad about it honestly. I had always assumed that the 100X was at least as good as the WL Toys model. Especially since i've owned the WL Toys model and it was indestructible. Almost quite literally. I figured the double+ cost of the 100X was the reason. Even WL toys warned not to expect the same qaulity as the 100X. I still think if they took the time!! The money and the effort to engineer and test the product properly. They could come up with something viable. But it would come with a high price. So, they choose the path of least resistance. Since they already have a market for their bigger helicopters. Doing micros is basically a whole new venture since most people flying 700 helicopters could actually care less if micros existed. They probably own a few just because they do exist, but they wouldn't be worried if they suddenly all stopped production of micros. They would be okay because they still have their Align or whatever. Meanwhile the micro market, as we all know here. Is a very different market, being mostly dominated by Walkera and Blade. Their approach to the business is VERY different. The amount of support you are able to receive from either company is limited by where you actually live internationally. I just think that Align would rather not get tossed up in this market. Because no matter what a heli so small is going to have some issues that come and go as you fly and crash the thing. Realizing the thing is basically a toy, they probably took for granted that only people in malls would buy it for their kids or something like that. Align probably just didn't put the time in to make it solid and thought it was fine like that because it was "just a toy." In any case, i'm sure Align realized after their first endeavor that this market is much more fickle and expect more from these "toy" sized helicopters then they want to invest to produce a standard in quality necessary to also keep their bigger heli fliers happy. Maybe in the future. But something tells me if they had a flop like that, they will take their time and do it right next time. Again, not like Walkera at all.

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

You do realize what you're saying right? Every post advocating Walkera products reads like this: "It's great but you have to fix it first"

What is up with that?

Every helicopter from micro to 800 size to true scale helicopters have problems. True fact. They are all different, with different issues. Most require maintenance regularly.

There is NO DOUBT that owning a Walkera model is usually a double edged knife, so to speak. The v120 comes stock as a fairly solid heli, IF you already know how to fly and don't have fall leaves flowing all around the heli. Because one leaf though the tail rotor or a slight tap on the concrete and your going to strip those tail drive gears in the TT. It gets very costly and very annoying. A simple 3rd party modification of the tail will eliminate that problem. Again a slight 3rd party modification using a sheer pin on the main gear will eliminate you from replacing any gears most of the time. This makes the V120 one of the most durable and best learner helicopters i can think of.

All other competitors in this size are, well problematic also. Like i said all have issues. Now the 130X flies excellently but it has all kinds of vibrational and tail resonance issues. Which are addressable as well. The difference here is will you, living in the US, have Horizon keep fixing and replacing your heli? Having it down for weeks at a time is no way to learn thats for sure. So you end up buying the parts and maintaining the heli yourself anyway, just like a Walkera. But the v120 requires less maintenance and has no flight issues, vibes or tail resonance, most of the time.

So honestly...

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

You do realize what you're saying right? Every post advocating Walkera products reads like this: "It's great but you have to fix it first"

What is up with that?

I think you answer your own question here. If everyone says the same thing, it must be one of two things. 1. It's true. Or 2. Everyone believes the lie.

Yep, if your going to do 3D and want to continuously flip the heli it will also require an upgraded motor and maybe other parts like blades. But the stock motor is not horrible. If you know how to fly and are not going to crash and get your tail in a mess, you don't even "need" the slipper clutch and sheer pin. But they will save you money in the long run.


The truth is i drive a Honda because they are reliable and 10 years later it still drives. It only had a 3 year warranty. My uncle bought a Kia 12 years a go and it came with a 10 year warranty. In the 10 years he's had to miss work multiple times, rent a car, and basically cost himself more money in the long run. Because the car was not reliable, the warranty was. Meanwhile after my warranty was up, at my own fault most likely, i damaged my transmission. Honda had a longer drive train warranty or some such thing and they gave me a new transmission at 1/3 the cost. I was in the shop once for a "break down" in 10 years. Meanwhile my uncle's kia was there every other year for something. Even if it was just a leaking door seal or something stupid. This is how i see Blade helicopters in some ways. They have a great warranty but their helicopters proove just as problematic if not MORE problematic than other brands. But still, in most places of the world. It's better than the zero support and replacement that Walkera has in most places. Okay so maybe they will replace a TX or RX or something, but thats about it. Otherwise it's your very kind Walkera Distributor eating the costs because he realizes your return business is worth more then the single replacement. IF you happen to be lucky enough to get such a distributor. In many cases Wowhobbies has done right by me with some item replacements. However i have spent lots of money with them also. So i'm sure it's important for them to keep my business. So far they have. I can't say too much bad about them at this point. But Walkera on the other hand.. Different approach all together.

Blade helicopters were not imported into Hong Kong until last year. HH itself only established an office in China last year. Even then, it was only the mCPX which did quite well for a while. But sales dropped completely when the Genius and MIni CP appeared. So that by the time the mCPX v2 appeared, only one shop was selling it and that was intermittently. That shop actually provided excellent service for the mCPX. The owner could replace blown fets for straightaway for $13 each. Still, it is nothing compared to the service that HH gives in the US. Also, he had to get stock directly from the US which makes warranty repairs very difficult to handle. My experience with the mCPX was not a good one. One of the reasons was that I had a DX4e which was an extremely poorly made transmitter and was not programmable. Eventually I got it to work but found that the parts were very expensive compared to Walkera's.

Now that JR is determined to snuff out the Spektrum standard in Asia, things will probably get more difficult for HH products over here. Obviously, there are people with DSM2 receivers left who will want to buy a new transmitter. But the Spektrum brand is regarded as a rather inferior brand compared to JR. To compete effectively with Walkera, Blade helis need to be sold at a considerably lesser price than MAP in lieu of servicing. For a start, HH should help prospective vendors by allowing them to order directly from China, so that there is a saving in shipping cost. But honestly, without the type of support that HH gives in the US, Blade is just another low quality brand. Certainly, it is not regarded as anything better than Walkera here.

Originally Posted by IntegrityHndywrk

Interesting. I have never seen anyone talk good or bad about it honestly. I had always assumed that the 100X was at least as good as the WL Toys model. Especially since i've owned the WL Toys model and it was indestructible. Almost quite literally. I figured the double+ cost of the 100X was the reason. Even WL toys warned not to expect the same qaulity as the 100X. I still think if they took the time!! The money and the effort to engineer and test the product properly. They could come up with something viable. But it would come with a high price. So, they choose the path of least resistance. Since they already have a market for their bigger helicopters. Doing micros is basically a whole new venture since most people flying 700 helicopters could actually care less if micros existed. They probably own a few just because they do exist, but they wouldn't be worried if they suddenly all stopped production of micros. They would be okay because they still have their Align or whatever. Meanwhile the micro market, as we all know here. Is a very different market, being mostly dominated by Walkera and Blade. Their approach to the business is VERY different. The amount of support you are able to receive from either company is limited by where you actually live internationally. I just think that Align would rather not get tossed up in this market. Because no matter what a heli so small is going to have some issues that come and go as you fly and crash the thing. Realizing the thing is basically a toy, they probably took for granted that only people in malls would buy it for their kids or something like that. Align probably just didn't put the time in to make it solid and thought it was fine like that because it was "just a toy." In any case, i'm sure Align realized after their first endeavor that this market is much more fickle and expect more from these "toy" sized helicopters then they want to invest to produce a standard in quality necessary to also keep their bigger heli fliers happy. Maybe in the future. But something tells me if they had a flop like that, they will take their time and do it right next time. Again, not like Walkera at all.

I suspect that the V911 is not an actual clone of the Trex 100 but rather that both are made by the same factory. The original Trex 100 design looked exactly identical to that of the V911. Then suddenly Align changed it just a few weeks before release. It seems Align just didn't bother to develop the Trex 100 by themselves. The transmitter used is completely identical and uses the flysky / turnigy 9 protocol.

Originally Posted by zadaw

Blade helicopters were not imported into Hong Kong until last year. HH itself only established an office in China last year. Even then, it was only the mCPX which did quite well for a while. But sales dropped completely when the Genius and MIni CP appeared. So that by the time the mCPX v2 appeared, only one shop was selling it and that was intermittently. That shop actually provided excellent service for the mCPX. The owner could replace blown fets for straightaway for $13 each. Still, it is nothing compared to the service that HH gives in the US. Also, he had to get stock directly from the US which makes warranty repairs very difficult to handle. My experience with the mCPX was not a good one. One of the reasons was that I had a DX4e which was an extremely poorly made transmitter and was not programmable. Eventually I got it to work but found that the parts were very expensive compared to Walkera's.

Now that JR is determined to snuff out the Spektrum standard in Asia, things will probably get more difficult for HH products over here. Obviously, there are people with DSM2 receivers left who will want to buy a new transmitter. But the Spektrum brand is regarded as a rather inferior brand compared to JR. To compete effectively with Walkera, Blade helis need to be sold at a considerably lesser price than MAP in lieu of servicing. For a start, HH should help prospective vendors by allowing them to order directly from China, so that there is a saving in shipping cost. But honestly, without the type of support that HH gives in the US, Blade is just another low quality brand. Certainly, it is not regarded as anything better than Walkera here.

I would have to agree. Without support, Blade is just another plastic thing. At least the 300X and those come with the beastX gyros. Isn't JR more expensive than spektrum though? Are they able to push spektrum out? I was under the impression that JR will operate the AR7200BX Blade heli because it's DSM2? I'm not sure. But it's interesting info.

Originally Posted by zadaw

I suspect that the V911 is not an actual clone of the Trex 100 but rather that both are made by the same factory. The original Trex 100 design looked exactly identical to that of the V911. Then suddenly Align changed it just a few weeks before release. It seems Align just didn't bother to develop the Trex 100 by themselves. The transmitter used is completely identical and uses the flysky / turnigy 9 protocol.

Yeah, i noticed the TX was the same. I assumed the heli was too. The WL v911 i could smash into a wall at full speed and it would still fly. It was the only FP or flybar heli i ever owned. It's only problem with yaw requiring trim which changed as the pack died.

Originally Posted by IntegrityHndywrk

I would have to agree. Without support, Blade is just another plastic thing. At least the 300X and those come with the beastX gyros. Isn't JR more expensive than spektrum though? Are they able to push spektrum out? I was under the impression that JR will operate the AR7200BX Blade heli because it's DSM2? I'm not sure. But it's interesting info.


Yeah, i noticed the TX was the same. I assumed the heli was too. The WL v911 i could smash into a wall at full speed and it would still fly. It was the only FP or flybar heli i ever owned. It's only problem with yaw requiring trim which changed as the pack died.

There seems to some sort of agreement with HH that JR cannot sell its lower priced transmitters that are 8 channels or less in the US. At the same time, it seems that Spektrum brand trasmitters are prevented from selling its lower end transmitters in many countries overseas. Therefore we got cheaper 6 and 7 channel JR transmitters over there that were never sold in the US.

JR has now dropped all Spektrum compatible protocols completely. That means something like the AR7200BX cannot be used. Obviously there are people with lots of DSM2 receivers around so there is definitely still a market for Spektrum transmitters. But they really need to make their BNF products much more popular over here.

Although 300X and 450X looks quite good, I don't think they are sold over here at the moment for exactly the same reasons as larger Walkera helis. For one, labour costs are still not that expensive over here and many prefer to ask their LHS to build and set up their helis from them. I had my 250 and 450 built this way.

It seems that WL Toys is going to released a 100 FBL CP. There is a lot of anticipation on whether it will do as much damage to competitors as it did with the V911 and V929

Originally Posted by IntegrityHndywrk

I would have to agree. Without support, Blade is just another plastic thing.

Good point.

The original blade helis like the blade cp pro and mcx are still being supported. Walkeras over 2 or 3 years old... not so much.

Originally Posted by IntegrityHndywrk

I would have to agree. Without support, Blade is just another plastic thing. At least the 300X and those come with the beastX gyros. Isn't JR more expensive than spektrum though? Are they able to push spektrum out? I was under the impression that JR will operate the AR7200BX Blade heli because it's DSM2? I'm not sure. But it's interesting info.

I fly my 300X with a JR9503, so yeah I can confirm that it works fine. ALL DSMX receivers can listen to a DSM2 signal. Eventually we may see one that doesn't, but it hasn't happened yet. JR is more expensive, but it has more features too. Spektrum didn't make a 9-channel radio when I bought the JR. I'm also using the JR radio with the micro stuff like the 130X, and it all works great.

Originally Posted by zadaw

There seems to some sort of agreement with HH that JR cannot sell its lower priced transmitters that are 8 channels or less in the US. At the same time, it seems that Spektrum brand trasmitters are prevented from selling its lower end transmitters in many countries overseas. Therefore we got cheaper 6 and 7 channel JR transmitters over there that were never sold in the US.

JR has now dropped all Spektrum compatible protocols completely. That means something like the AR7200BX cannot be used. Obviously there are people with lots of DSM2 receivers around so there is definitely still a market for Spektrum transmitters. But they really need to make their BNF products much more popular over here.

Although 300X and 450X looks quite good, I don't think they are sold over here at the moment for exactly the same reasons as larger Walkera helis. For one, labour costs are still not that expensive over here and many prefer to ask their LHS to build and set up their helis from them. I had my 250 and 450 built this way.

It seems that WL Toys is going to released a 100 FBL CP. There is a lot of anticipation on whether it will do as much damage to competitors as it did with the V911 and V929

I can tell you right now, if they make a "nano" sized CP. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to buy one. I'm sure it will be half the cost of anything else on the market and just as, or more durable. Thats looking pretty good for them so far.

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

I fly my 300X with a JR9503, so yeah I can confirm that it works fine. ALL DSMX receivers can listen to a DSM2 signal. Eventually we may see one that doesn't, but it hasn't happened yet. JR is more expensive, but it has more features too. Spektrum didn't make a 9-channel radio when I bought the JR. I'm also using the JR radio with the micro stuff like the 130X, and it all works great.

Yeah, i hear the 300X is pretty good for a $75-80 helicopter. Which is about all it's worth once you remove the Spektrum AR7200BX. I don't know if you can build one from parts for that cheap though. If you can, it's SO worth it. But i bet the parts are marked up a little higher. I've been thinking instead of buying my next AR7200BX i will just get a 300X and crash it, then put the BX on my V450D01. Maybe later upgrade the 300X to CNC parts or something. It would give me the opportunity to review the heli first hand at the least. But over all these new blade heli seem like excellent crashers! Meaning, cheap to fix and still flies great because of the excellent gyros they have. If you live in the US, i have no doubt, just because of the LHS support you can get and parts locally, etc. That as far as big helicopers go, i would rather go buy a 300X/450X then a v450D03, even if they cost 3X as much. I would still feel this way. But i've been badly scorned by Walkera on multiple occasions. So it's only natural to avoid them i think. It makes me wonder how these helicopters would do in sales if they were sold over seas in hong kong and other places. If Horizon established a home base over there and a warehouse i'm sure they could do quite well. If they would offer support and warranty from their local warehouse.