I bought one of these for blade balancing.
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...dProduct=11451
Quality is good. I am happy with it!

I'd swap the blades if I was you, best not to take any chances. Blade balancing is best done with 1 of these. Not very expensive either but mine need a little glob of superglue on one side to get it to balance correctly.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Helicopter...item19b1596218

Managed to get another 'flight' in today. I flew a couple of my pylon racers at about 120mph+, but flying a heli has me shaking like a leaf. The only thing I'm not happy with is how quick the rudder is during a flight. It seems fine when hovering, but slow in flight. I don't think I've reduced travel so I guess it might be 1 of those things. My co-ordition is slack with the heli, it seems to confuse me sometimes with where it's pointing. Guess I'll get better the more I fly. It's still in 1 piece so that's all that matters.....

I know someone who started learning on a 450 size and his biggest problem was that, losing perspective on where the heli was pointing. I just think its what someone said earlier, the repetition of practice will make your mInd aware of orientation eventually, even if your eyes can't.

I got in another flight today too. I don't get it, with the mcpx I fly it around yards and rooms like it was a car, the direction it faces never phases me anymore, I just steer it, but with the b450 I can't get myself to turn it around, it's nose out always. I know I can do it, but I'm too intimidated.

Also, I notice sometimes it drops and doesn't power up enough and hits the ground hard. The training gear saves it and springs it back into the air. It isn't even descending fast at all, just not enough bite in the pitch? I haven't even looked at the settings, I'm using the spectrum intermediate. At least I managed to trim it out enough to almost self hover.

Yep I'm sure it's a brain training thing, just weird how nervous it makes me. Let's be honest, if I do deck it, it'll be cheaper to replace the heli than any of my planes.

Mine's setup as per the instruction manual, with no stunt mode enabled (I don't trust myself, I'll knock a switch and......)

Sounds like you do need more pitch though, I can drop my throttle and let the heli sink, give it some throttle and it'll rise.

I have about 15 or so flights on mine, I have'nt flown a powerfull CP heli for a year or two, I have put this thing through a few paces and it's holding up pretty good. I'm just using a Futaba 6 chan 6EX TX for it, nothing fancy. A couple of things I noticed:

To get it to rip around like the video on HH, you have to have the pitch and throttle jacked up, and it will fly hard, problem is it eats packs like this, 45C TP 2250's, and the motor were getting pretty hot, but is was impressive to watch pitch pumps, and hear those blades bark (I'm no heavy duty 3D flyer, but I can toss this thing around in funnels, flips, and a variety of other sport aero OK)

Turn down the pitch/throttle and it becomes a very nice sport flyer, and nothing gets hot after 7-8 min, but you loose the balistic punch outs

I do get that high speed wag at spool up, for a half second it looks like it is going to self destruct, but it has'nt yet?

The gyro is good, but I've had the tail blow out slightly a few times, be ready for that.

All in all, I'd say it flew as good, or better than my 450 SE T Rex's, the heli seems to have a lighter disc loading ,and is bigger and easier to see.

If you're new to CP heli's I can see why this thing is a little intimidating, that head spools up pretty fast, I like it

I flew mine outside for the first time today. Been hovering only inside for 15 packs. Still only hovered with some tail in side to side moving but got up to about 10' or so for a while too. It's a different perspective at that height. There was a slight wind so I had to compensate for that but it went just fine. Next time I will try some slow forward flight and turns maybe.

I did some nose in with it for the first time, man the old eyeballs sure pop open when it ducks down and starts flying towards you and your thumbs get a case of amnesia. Thank you flight sim!

Originally Posted by Kawi

one more thing. How much is too much in terms of prop damage? I don't recall a prop strike but on one end of one blade, the paper covering is missing, a good quarter inch wide, the wood is exposed, it obviously scraped somewhere. I know how to balance an airplane prop but no idea about a single blade off a heli.

The covering on the stock wood blades is of somewhat poor quality anyway, and loosens/peels without much of a strike. That being said, if the actual wood is still in good shape, you are probably just fine to continue to hover and learn....just make sure the wood is ok. If not, get some EXI FRP blades (335's, which are actually 325 blades - same length as stock, but they measure them differently for some reason).

Balancing...you balance both blades at the same. You can improvise and use a small bolt with two nuts and put the whole thing on the edges of some identical drinking glasses; use fine line tape or the package of 5-colored electrical tape from Home Depot for balancing. Take your time and this method works very well.

How do the fiberglass blades compare to the stock wooden ones?

Thanks skidpad.

I have to say, I've got a new-found respect for the mcp-x after getting the 450. Even though I've been flying it for several months, I never realized it's true value as a learning tool. I've gone back to flying it to practice stuff I'm too nervous to try on the 450.

Originally Posted by Kawi

I have to say, I've got a new-found respect for the mcp-x after getting the 450. Even though I've been flying it for several months, I never realized it's true value as a learning tool. I've gone back to flying it to practice stuff I'm too nervous to try on the 450.

The 450 is my learning tool for a 500 size electric, I'm gonna fly the 450 like I stole it

i bought one, my first blade 450 3 d. later bought exi 500 and blade 400. i have a real flight sim for about a year now. the 450 is hard to fly it does not hoover stable. i up graded everything everything and it still bounces around in a hover. my other helis go up and sit there, stable. after lots of thought the only difference i see and the other two helis have is adjustable linage from the fly-bar cage to the wash out. maybe that fine adjustment will help it to hover. i think in parts ive bought this heli twice... at last.

Originally Posted by Kawi

I have to say, I've got a new-found respect for the mcp-x after getting the 450. Even though I've been flying it for several months, I never realized it's true value as a learning tool. I've gone back to flying it to practice stuff I'm too nervous to try on the 450.

I must agree - find the mcpx great for learning and inspiring confidence, and if you lose it lightly while practising nose in etc, not much damage done. Usually pop on the main gear correctly back on the main shaft, or clip on a blade linkage, and off you go again. What is also nice are the slower speeds of the smaller heli, as when the 450 picks up speed, takes quite a lot of stopping (and that's sometimes when brain and thumbs seizes up)

The 450's can be intimidating, but wait until you fly a 600 - suddenly the 450 seems small About to maiden a 450x this afternoon - wish me luck. Expos set at 30% and 60% DR should tame this beast (I hope).

Any ideas on why the 450 3D tail wants to self correct? Gain setting too low? (set at recommended 73.5%). Self correcting (about 45 degr back) is fine for hovering, but I find this difficult doing figure 8's - the tail wants to keep on going back, so I wiggle while turning, and when I exit the turn releasing the rudder, it ends up in a yaw. Have a kds 450 which is much more stable through turns (similar setup).

edit - 450x maiden was fantastic, what a machine. No wonder the price is a little expensive, Blade knows the value even though there is little bling on this machine, with lots of plastic. But good solid engineering and a fantastic fly. Similar to flying mcpx but obviously the behavior of a bigger machine. Issue with 450 3d tail holding in turns seems to be improved by increasing gain, better at 74.5%, will increase slightly next flight again