Originally Posted by ridge_racer

AS...how much did the Tarot 500 cost you shipped??

$185+ about $30 for shipping. they have a free shipping option but I wanted it faster. I also bought some spares and metal upgrades for it so that may have added to the shipping.

Horizontal and vertical stabilizer mount, rudder control rod guides and rudder servo mount, pitch slider and bellcrank and all metal and don't need to be upgraded. I had read that it comes with a metal boom holder as well but I got the plastic one with aluminum bolts with mine. Also the canopy was quite different than the one shown in the pictures, it was also cracked on the bottom, has some chips in the edge of the fiberglass and some discoloration on one side. I send email about this, supposedly Miracle Mart is pretty good about correcting stuff like this. From what I can see the mainshaft bearing blocks have sealed bearings (red rubber rings on them). I didn't use them because I have a Helicoption single piece mainshaft block with thrust bearings (was on sale at Tmkarchobby for $19 and I couldn't resist)

Some pics of the canopy:

Originally Posted by mhills51

The 500e already has what we are calling the frame mod. The first align 500 series (the ones the clones copied) needed it and looked like the frame I pictured before. The 500e looks like this. What it would look like after the frame mod.

Here's the frame on the Tarot 500 kit I got today. The battery tray, receiver tray and anti rotation bracket that came with the kit were plastic. I replaced them with metal ones. The mainshaft blocks and the motor mount have also been upgraded and don't come like that standard (you can't see it but I have a finned motor mount installed)

EDIT: Silver screws are stainless steel ones that I replaced the crappy kit screws with. I didn't have the right length of M2.5 for the bearing block screws so I'm using the ones that came with the Helioption mainshaft block till I can get some more from Trimcraft Aviation RC (they sell aircraft grade stainless steel screws dirt cheap) The finishing washers that came with the kit were silver, the purple ones are just something I had laying around. Bought them a long time ago for my 450 but found out when I got them that by "450 helicopter washers" they meant 450 Pro, at the time I didn't know that the Pro used 2.5mm screws.

I always found the Tarot screws to be the best. I even by screw packs form AC-RC for spares. Looks like they changed the frame. About time, for they have been selling the new frame for a while, They must of been getting rid of the old frames in the kits.

at long last! I just got the motor installed and did a short nose in hoover in the back yard. This bird is stable! It's raining out so I'll have to wait to take it to the park.
The battery tray mod you guys have mentioned...Are you talking about cutting the frame down with a dremal then drilling new holes for the battery screws?

Originally Posted by biker dude

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The battery tray mod you guys have mentioned...Are you talking about cutting the frame down with a dremal then drilling new holes for the battery screws?

Correct, it only takes a few minutes but be careful not to allow any carbon dust to enter the motor.

Originally Posted by mhills51

I always found the Tarot screws to be the best. I even by screw packs form AC-RC for spares. Looks like they changed the frame. About time, for they have been selling the new frame for a while, They must of been getting rid of the old frames in the kits.

Funny you should mention that. One of the screws in the tail hub snapped off just from normal tightening. Thankfully I had a spare hub, stupidly I tried screwing the other screw into it first and it broke off as I was screwing it in there was enough of the screw sticking out to be able to remove it though and I just used a couple stainless steel screws instead.

Never seen anything like this, it's like those screws were made out of butter. The heads on a lot of the M2.5 button heads were also quite shallow and easy to strip. Overall the screws in this kit are much worse than the ones that came the 450 I got from Tarot earlier this year. I'll be replacing everything with stainless steel cap head screws from trimcraft aviation rc (about a buck or so for a pack of 25 screws)

It seems like the specialty screws like the collar screws are fine, it's the generic ones that are bad. Maybe someone at Tarot got "a really great deal" on some screws. I emailed the guy at Trimcraft a while ago asking about collar screws and what he told me is that those screws are custom and if he were to carry them he'd have to have them made. So that might explain the quality difference. The M3 screws that came with the kit all seem fine.

Other than the abysmal quality of the screws I've had no problems other than the usual minor stuff like the boom slipping. I fixed that by puting a little glue on the end of the boom where the boom holder holds it and let it dry to give it a rough surface for the boom holder to grip.

Originally Posted by biker dude

at long last! I just got the motor installed and did a short nose in hoover in the back yard. This bird is stable! It's raining out so I'll have to wait to take it to the park.

Speaking of parks, I've had people just stroll out onto the field where I was flying with their kids and start throwing a ball around or whatever directly under a flying lawnmower. How the hell do these people manage to walk down the street without getting hit by a car?

OK bear with me cause this may be a dumb question, I can build em and tune em but I missed out on a few things.
Will a 14 tooth pinion draw more power from a battery than a 13 tooth? I was thinking it might since it causes an increase in head speed.
I ran my heli just now for 4mins with the 14 tooth and the cells read at 3.79 afterwards. Also what is the cut off point, is it like 3.75?

Originally Posted by Atomic Skull

Speaking of parks, I've had people just stroll out onto the field where I was flying with their kids and start throwing a ball around or whatever directly under a flying lawnmower. How the hell do these people manage to walk down the street without getting hit by a car?

I recently had a lady start throwing her dogs ball right in my flight path. Honestly, I think she wanted something to happen.

Originally Posted by biker dude

I recently had a lady start throwing her dogs ball right in my flight path. Honestly, I think she wanted something to happen.

I had some guy telling his son to beready to go catch my 500 if it falls.
that sent hem out there chasing it all over the place with his dad laughing his a$$ off at hem.
My brother started yelling at the guy to make hem stop his kid.

The VWinRC FBL head I have didn't come with a feathering shaft sleeve, only dampers. Does it need the sleeve or should I just leave it with only the dampers?

I have had a questionable battery finally give up "the question" today. I always leave about 30% on my packs. My timer went off I started to land and the speed control went into safety and cut power. Landed with a little bounce. The battery read 3%

delete

Originally Posted by Atomic Skull

The VWinRC FBL head I have didn't come with a feathering shaft sleeve, only dampers. Does it need the sleeve or should I just leave it with only the dampers?

No sleeve in my 450 either. I'm sure it will be fine without..............Bikerdude: 3.75 -3.80 is wher i stop Flying...Not good to go under that 3.75 mark. Its hard on the batteries And brings on the puff.

Just finished the make-over on my Tarot/align 450 v2..:cool About the only thing left and i cant seem to find are neon yellow ball links.. Do they excist ? Anybody have a link ?