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Heli-Max Novus 200 FP EP 2.4GHz RTF Helicopter Review
The new fixed pitch Novus 200 has a 45 degree offset flybar setup to give it greater stability than traditional designs. It is the largest helicopter in the Novus line thus far. Find out more about this new offering from Heli-Max
Introduction
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| Rotor Diameter: | 15.3" |
| Length: | 16.5" |
| Weight: | 5.8 oz. |
| Rotor Head: | Fixed pitch, anodized aluminum |
| Main Blades: | Pivoting, made of tough plastic |
| Flybar Setup: | 45 degree offset |
| Transmitter: | TX450 4 channel 2.4 GHz w/dual rates |
| Battery: | 7.4 Volt 1,000mAh LiPo |
| Motor: | 370 size brushed |
| Battery Charger: | 110V AC wall balanced LiPo charger |
| Tail Rotor: | Ball bearing supported shaft driven by motor on main frame |
| Manufacturer: | Heli-Max |
| Available From: | Heli-Max Dealers and Fine Hobby Stores Everywhere |
| Price: | $179.97 |
What first intrigued me about this helicopter was the separate tail rotor motor mounted on the back of the main frame with power transferred to the tail rotor using a drive shaft through the tail boom with a geared connection at the rotor. This allows for the use of a good size motor and large cooling fin as their weight is in close to the center of the helicopter and not out at the end of the tail boom. In operation I found the motor stayed cool and the tail rotor and head holding gyro did a very nice job of controlling the helicopter. The second thing that attracted me to this helicopter was that while still a micro helicopter it is the largest Novus helicopter offered to date with a length of 16 1/2 inches. It arrived Ready to Fly and I was flying her within an hour of getting home the day that it arrived. My first reaction to how accurately I could control her was, "WOW!"
I next flew this helicopter at the local county Science Olympiad during breaks in the competition, and it impressed everyone there. At the Science Olympiad a number of the Delta Valley Modelers, including myself, had been flying very small and quiet helicopters during the morning. When I started up the Novus 200 for the first time I got everyone's attention in the gym when I throttled up. While not loud she had much more of a presence both in sound and appearance over the smaller helicopters that had been flying before her. This greater presence caused everyone in the gym to look and see what was creating that sound and what was happening. What was happening was precise control and a lot of FUN! Still pictures were taken during that first flight of the day and the first video for this review was taken later that morning at the UPO gym. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Here is the review.
Kit Contents
Kit contains
- RTF Novus 200 FP helicopter
- 2.4 GHz radio system
- 7.4V 1,000mAh LiPo battery
- Balanced LiPo 110V AC power converter & charger
- 370 brushed motor for main rotors
- Frame mounted tail rotor motor with gear drive
- Pair of spare main blades
- Allen Wrench
- Instruction manual
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Required items
- 8 AA Alkaline batteries for transmitter
Promoted Features
- 45 degree off set flybar: This setup makes the Novus 200 FP easy for all skill levels to enjoy.
- 4-channel 2.4GHz interference radio system with dual rates.
- Super-stable flying and hovering, thanks to a maneuverable fixed-pitch design.
- Ball bearing supported tail drive shaft.
- Powered by a motor mounted on the main frame.
- Includes anodized CNC aluminum parts.
- Tough plastic pivoting rotor blades.
- 7.4V 1,000mAh LiPo battery delivers extra-long air time.
- A colorful printed canopy.
Assembly
Transmitter Setup
The transmitter can be set to mode 1 or mode 2. Mine came on mode 2 which is the preferred mode of flying in North America. Mode 1 is preferred in parts of Asia and Europe. Mode 2 has the throttle and rudder on the left stick and the elevator (forward/backward flying) and ailerons (side to side flying). To change to mode 1 and switch the controls for throttle and elevator around there is a switch on the back of the transmitter to switch between the two modes. Switching between modes to fly can be very confusing so I always fly on mode 2.
Completion
The Novus 200 FP came fully assembled and ready to fly. I charged the supplied 2-cell 1,000 mAh LiPo battery pack with the supplied converter and charger. While that was taking place I installed 8 AA Alkaline batteries into the transmitter. I have used the style of charger included with my helicopter in the past and it will fully charge the pack and keep the two cells balanced while charging the battery pack. It took a full 90 minutes and a couple times a bit more to recharge a depleted battery pack. I used a separate balanced LiPo charger and while charging at 1 C was only able to recharge the battery slightly more quickly. I recommend getting a second battery pack for more flying time. I haven't timed how long my flights have been but I am getting easily more than 10 minutes flight time according to my flying buddy. Without checking the clock I would have to say that is true but I am having so much fun the time just flies by.
I turned the transmitter on and installed the battery from the back into the battery holder on the underside of the Novus 200 and connected the battery. I found my helicopter and transmitter had come bound to each other and it was ready to fly.
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An empty battery compartment with the door open. The battery pack installs from the back.
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The battery inserted and ready for the door to close.
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The battery fully installed and the door closed.
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The battery compartment is only partially hidden by the Novus 200 FP body.
Flying
Basics
The Novus 200 FP is a fixed pitch helicopter. It can fly in all directions: forward and backward, to the left and right, turn to the left and the right and of course climb and descend. Forward speed can be manipulated by combining movements. Move the right stick forward from a hover and she will fly forward. To do it faster set the dual rate to high and the speed will be greater. For top speed have her climb a bit as you push the right stick all the way forward and she will obtain a more aggressive angle and a higher forward speed. Pull the right stick back to neutral and she will slow down to neutral. Pull the stick back quickly and beyond neutral and she can stop her forward flight very quickly. As a fixed pitch helicopter she can do all of the maneuvers that a normal full size helicopter performs.
Dual Rate
A little more discussion about using dual rates is appropriate. The Novus 200 transmitter has a switch in the top right corner that lets me transition from low rates (switch down) to high rates (switch up). I started flying the Novus 200 as I do all helicopters with dual rates in the low rate setting. The videos below were shot with the Novus 200 flying on low rates. She was extremely smooth and stable in low rates and as they advertise: "allows pilots to start off slow." She is so well behaved on low rates that I accept their claim that: "Even beginners can fly the Novus 200 FP with success!" Beginners can, but I will discuss that more in the Beginners Section below. After success with the Novus 200 on low rates I moved up to high rates and while she remained stable she was now able to move forward, backward and to the sides much faster than before. Due to the increased responsiveness the challenge to keep up with her and in control of her increased as well.
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This switch in the upper right front is the dual rate switch on the transmitter.
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Right and left half circles lit up means the transmitter is in high rate. Switch upper right front is up.
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Only left half circle means the transmitter is on low rate and switch upper right front is down.
Tail Rotor Motor
As stated above the location and size of the tail motor interested me as soon as I saw a picture of them. The motor and cooling fin are larger and heavier then could be easily used at the end of the tail boom. By mounting them on the fuselage they are nearer the center of the helicopter where they can be easily balanced. I found the tail rotor motor to be warm but not hot after flying a full battery pack non-stop. I found the tail rotor to maintain excellent control at all times. The setup on my Novus 200 FP works very well. I have had no problems with the tail rotor at all during this review. There is a very slight and consistent response lag between giving a command and the helicopter responding. This was specifically discussed in the instruction manual: "You will notice the cyclic controls lag behind your inputs." Since it is consistent it was easy to fly with the slight lag in the response time being something I adjusted for and didn't even think about after the first flight. It became as automatic as giving lead time to taking an action sport picture.
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Fuselage mounted tail rotor motor supplies smooth and stead power to the tail rotor.
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The tail motor as seen from behind.
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A nice clear view of the tail rotor gearing.
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The tail motor and the gear drive it powers through a universal joint.
Solid Hover with Steady Head Holding Direction.
A number of items contribute to the excellent hovering ability of the Novus 200 FP. These include the 45 degree off set flybar, the gyro Novus 200 and the coning effect (Lifting up of the tips to make a slight cone) of the hard plastic main rotor blades. The 45 degree fly bar has made some older helicopters more stable than they were originally with a 90 degree flybar. Here on the Novus 200 it certainly contributes to the smooth handling of the Novus 200 as does the coning effect obtained by the rotor blades as can be clearly seen whenever the Novus 200 is in a hover. My Novus 200 had a slight rotation to the left on its first flight. Two clicks of rudder trim and one of elevator on that flight and the Novus 200 has been rock solid in holding a heading. The Novus 200 gyro is in the combination receiver and ESC that comes mounted on the front of the fuselage. The combined working of these parts and others allow for a very stable hover and excellent directional control in flight.
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The combination receiver, ESC and Novus 200 Gyro is mounted on the front of the fuselage.
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The receiver/ESC/Gyro combination as viewed from above.
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The 45 degree offset of the flybar as viewed from above.
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The offset flybar as viewed close up is offset 45 degrees from the main rotor blades.
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In this picture the coning effect (see text above) of the main rotor blades can be seen. This helps create a stable hover.
Taking Off and Landing
First take off from the gym floor was simply powering up smoothly to obtain lift off and climbing to a few feet off of the ground. There was no drifting with a quick lift off and no torque pull in one direction. The Novus 200 FP just went up into a nice hover after as mentioned above with just a few clicks of rudder and elevator adjustment from the very start. It was literally as easy to take off as my little coaxial helicopters. I have had four other friends fly the Novus 200 FP and all were surprised at how nicely she lifted off and climbed into a very stable hover. We could go hands off for a second or so but she will drift and you do have to fly her but the stability and control is excellent. The setup of the flybar at 45 degrees I am sure helps with this stability.
Landings are also very easy to perform by getting her back into a hover over the spot where I want to land and slowly lowering the throttle to a nice landing. With practice, nice landings can be made from forward and side flight with a slight flair and counter to stop the directional movement just at the time of touchdown.
Takeoffs from tall grass at the park are a little bit tricky as the skids can catch a bit of the grass but by being ready to adjust on the right stick as necessary all grass take offs have been successful thus far.
Aerobatics/Special Flight Performance
For me, as an intermediate helicopter pilot, being able to increase the helicopter's speed and maintain very good control even at high rates is what I look for in a fixed pitch helicopter. The Novus 200 delivers that control even on high rates. The instructions caution that because she is a small helicopter she should be limited to flying outdoors when the wind is 5 mph or less. I have flown her on low rates in a breeze gusting to 7 mph and on high rates in a steady breeze of 9 mph with gusts and I have felt to be in very good control of my Novus 200. In calm conditions I have flown her outside as fast as I could get her tilted in a circle on both low and high rates. I do very nice 8s with her at a slightly slower speed. Since first flying her I have driven out of my way to get some stick time on her on rainy days at my church's Fellowship Hall and outside at a local park on days that weren't raining. My confidence level has improved tremendously in the time that I have flown her.
Is This For a Beginner?
This question has been the hardest part of the review. The Novus 200 FP is very stable and easy to fly I can easily recommend it as a second helicopter. Beginners however often loose orientation and have to learning control in mastering the sticks and what direction to move them. Additionally, beginners tend to move the sticks too much and over correct which leads to crashes. I recommend mastering a coaxial four channel (not three channel) helicopter as the controls are set up identically to the Novus and once learned the transition to this bigger and faster helicopter should be easy for the now somewhat experienced pilot.
Flight Video/Photo Gallery
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After testing out the Novus 200 in the calm of the gym I next flew her on low rates in a breeze from 3 to 7 miles per hour. She was able to penetrate even in the 7 mile per hour breeze but she was fighting a backwards drift constantly so I was on forward throttle while facing the wind. The pictures below were taken during the start of that flying session.
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Downloads
Conclusion
The Novus 200 FP is a very impressive little helicopter. It flew very nice right out of the box and only required two clicks of rudder trim and one of elevator to get into a very stable hoover. I do have to fly her as there is a bit of drift in the hoover, as is true with all two bladed helicopters I have flown, but she is extremely stable in a hoover in calm air. The use of quality anodized aluminum parts instead of plastic parts gave a reassuring appearance and control. Control was precise from first flight through the last flight as I conclude this report. She holds a heading and turns on command. Every pilot that has flown her has been very pleased with her appearance and her handling.
The tail motor does get warm by the end of flying a full battery pack but it was not hot. The cooling fins do a good job. Even flying two battery packs almost back to back the tail rotor has remained responsive and in control of the helicopter's direction. I have only good things to say about this electric tail motor and rotor and it was an area I actively watched throughout this review. The brushed main motor has done a good job of smoothly powering the Novus 200.
Should I crash the Novus 200 and break some parts or wear out a motor at some point in the future it is good to know that Heli-Max and Hobbico have a complete line of replacement parts available for her so that she can be repaired and I won't have to throw her away due to lack of parts if I break something. Parts availability is something I look for when considering any helicopter these days.
The 1,000mAh 2-cell battery supplies plenty of power and duration but charging time is 90 plus minutes with the supplied balanced charger for a full charge. At an indoor flying site a 60 minute charge with the supplied charger gives a good lengthy flight time. The Novus 200 FP is so well behaved that she makes flying a fixed pitch helicopter something almost anyone can do starting with small movements on Low rates and progressing to larger movements, faster flight with more movement and speed on High rates. I am delighted with this helicopter and very glad to have her in my Heer Force.
Pluses
- Truly Ready to Fly
- Very stable
- Holds heading very well
- Easy to fly fixed pitch helicopter
Minuses
- Charger is a bit slow
My thanks to Dick Andersen and Tom Bone for their help with the media for this review.
Last edited by Angela H; Mar 27, 2012 at 02:37 PM..Discussion
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Apr 03, 2012, 09:34 PM
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Germantown, WI.
Joined Oct 2007
17,619 Posts
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Never mind.
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Last edited by Balr14; Apr 04, 2012 at 09:22 AM.
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Apr 03, 2012, 11:17 PM
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The Digital Domain
Joined Nov 2008
1,326 Posts
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And speaking of re-branded older Walkera products, whatever happened to Tower Hobby's plan to re-release the V120D01/v120D02 flybarless 120 size helis ?
I was told in several different threads to be patient and "wait" just a little while longer, but it never happened. |
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Apr 04, 2012, 04:25 AM
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Hong Kong
Joined Jan 2010
4,956 Posts
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This is not a Walkera 180D. It looks like a Nine Eagles 228, just look at the transmitter.
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Apr 04, 2012, 06:02 AM
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United Kingdom, England, Milton Keynes
Joined May 2007
587 Posts
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it's a nine eagle rebrand by the look of the tx
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Apr 04, 2012, 09:02 AM
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New Jersey
Joined Sep 2009
1,567 Posts
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Well, in any case from the video it seems that it flies allright (although it would have been interesting to see the tail behavior under sudden throttle pumps) and if reliability is acceptable it is good to have the option of a 200-size beginner's model with local hobby shop support and reasonable price, for those interested in it.
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Apr 04, 2012, 09:19 AM
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Germantown, WI.
Joined Oct 2007
17,619 Posts
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I stand corrected. But, the tail drive system is the same as the CB180D which had lots of friction and drew too many amps. It was usually replaced with a direct drive unit. Why would NE copy something like that?
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Latest blog entry: Lousy weather!!!
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Apr 04, 2012, 09:52 AM
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Stockton, Ca. USA
Joined Apr 2001
8,736 Posts
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I have run four more battery packs through my Novus 200 in the last two days and all flights have been fun with no problems or over heating. I am testing a Genesis 7.4V 850mAh 65C pack in the Novus and using the standard battery in back to back flights as part of a four author Genesis 65C battery test/review that is Coming Soon. So far the only negative is if you land really hard the battery gate will pop open on the bottom of the Novus. I have had no over heating proplems.
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Latest blog entry: New receiver packs and asking Castle for...
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Apr 04, 2012, 12:11 PM
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United States, TX, Odessa
Joined Mar 2010
756 Posts
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Michael, first, I love all of your reviews. You tend to review stuff that I am interested in a lot (especially lately; mqx, dx7s, this heli) and you do a great job. I did notice that in this review's conclusion you decided to use the word hoover, I think, in place of the word hover. I didn't notice this in the mQx review but I could have just missed it. Is there a reason for this? Was it an autocorrect issue? Or, does hoover mean something that I am not aware of? I have met a few people that say hoover instead of hover but I usually just chalked it up to an accent thing which it clearly wasn't now that I think back on it. I looked up the definition of hoover and only found it to be a name (Herbert Clark, J. Edgar...) and a brand of vacuum. It also has a nsfw slang meaning as well.
 Am I missing something? Do certain parts of the country say hoover instead of hover? Does it mean something different altogether? Either way, thanks again for all the great reviews you do. Keep up the good work.PS: I only bring this up because a contractor I am working with says hoover in relation to a full scale DPS heli we have been using to test line of site for a wireless project we are doing. Since then I have wondered why he says hoover when everyone else says hover. 
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Last edited by major.monogram; Apr 04, 2012 at 12:16 PM.
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Apr 04, 2012, 06:42 PM
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Joined May 2007
141 Posts
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I have been flying the novus 200 for three weeks it's a very stable easy to control heli. and a blast to fly. I admit it does look like a copy of the walkera CB180 rather it's a copy or not if your looking for a stable easy to fly fixed pitch heli you can't go wrong with this one. I fly mine after work at a local park just about everyday.
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Apr 05, 2012, 02:28 PM
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New Jersey
Joined Sep 2009
1,567 Posts
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I was thinking that it could be interesting to discuss some details...
- The tail motor seems also brushed, is that correct? How easy does it seem to replace it? - What is the main shaft diameter? Some modder may be interested in placing the 45-degree flybar head on something else..... - Is the tail shaft supported by any bearing? One? Two? The FP Hirobo Quark (which Bal14 and I know quite well, right Balr?) also was originally designed with one bearing supporting the tail shaft, and was later "upgraded" (read: design flaw fixing at the owner's expense...) to a double-bearing shaft to fix some rattling problems of the tail. If the Novus 200 has two bearings that would be a sign of good design in my opinion.... |
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Apr 05, 2012, 03:05 PM
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Arivaca,Arizona
Joined May 2008
7,674 Posts
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I doubt Helimax/Novus gets "improved" Walkera rebrands. Pretty much same ol' ,same ol'. What was wrong with the walkera, will be wrong with this.
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Apr 05, 2012, 03:46 PM
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Stockton, Ca. USA
Joined Apr 2001
8,736 Posts
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Here are some enlarged pictures of the tail motor which is brushed and the tail rotor. Mike H
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Latest blog entry: New receiver packs and asking Castle for...
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Apr 08, 2012, 01:31 PM
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Westchester IL.
Joined Sep 2003
23 Posts
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what do you call a hovercraft made out of a vacuum cleaner??
a hoovercraft I am still thinking about getting this heli but I really want a FP heli for flying outside. Greg |
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Apr 16, 2012, 07:15 AM
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Joined May 2007
141 Posts
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Battery died while heli was about 30 feet in the air, heli dropped out of the sky like a rock. Need parts and what sucks is all the parts I need are not avaible yet Tower hobbies says late April which will probaly change to may, june, july ,august. my past experiences with tower.
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