RunRyder - Belt CP or Blade 400

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e-E-Sky Honey Bee- Lama- Belt CP- E-Smart > Belt CP or Blade 400

jacalom63
Heliman
Location: Ray, MI USA

Hi All,
Just a quick question from a newb. I've been flying coaxials for a few months now and I think I want to take the next step to a CP. Keeping in mind a few deciding factors, I'm looking at the 400 size electrics. Would you all recommend the Belt CP or the Blade 400.
Thanks, Joe.

01-30-2008 06:40 PM

TJinGuy
Elite Veteran
Location: Socorro, NM - USA

I understand that they both fly pretty well. They are both well designed and fly well stock. Here are the two things you need to decide

1) Do you want local parts? If so, the Blade is the better route but it will cost more. If you can handle ordering parts, then the Belt is cheaper to maintain and repair.

2) Do you want a mostly upgraded heli out of the box? If so the Blade is a better choice. It comes with a nice radio but costs $500. If you want a basic heli that flies and want to upgrade your it as time goes on, the Belt is the better choice. It comes with a lame radio but it does fly and once you want more, you can buy what you want.

I chose the E-Sky route because I was afraid of the $500 upfront cost of the Blade. Looking back I am not sure if I would do things differently. I do not live near a hobby shop, so ordering parts is no problem. I have spent more than $500 on my heli but I have all the parts I want. I have the radio I want, the gyro I want, the motor I want and so on.

I hope this helps.

- Chris

Variety+spice+life+supporting_paper_towel_industry=
King2+Rex450+Protos+Concept30

01-30-2008 07:16 PM

DougsRC
Elite Veteran
Location: MA

jacalom63, I don't have a Belt CP but there are quite a few out there and if you check back you should get several replies. As far as the Blade 400, check out the Eflite forum. There are a lot of post's on it and some issues here and there. Its a pretty new heli on the market so the reviews are still coming in on it.

01-30-2008 08:53 PM

Sgt Heli
Veteran
Location: Remlap, Al USA

Your looking for a Belt CP vs. Blade 400 comparison. I cannot give you that but my local HS (35 miles away) carries the Blade 400. It looks like a pretty good heli to me, but like everything at the LHS seems to cost just little bit more than comparible online offerings. The Honey Bee King which I fly is a little smaller than the Blade but prices on stuff at the LHS seemed high IMHO. Main rotor blades: online for the King $8+ at Jags, at the LHS for the Blade 400 $13, Main skid set for the King $6 and for the Blade $9 and so on. Not trying to sell you on the King or Belt CP, just giving you my impression of whats out there.

I would suggest you go to helidirect.com or similar and look at the Belt CP there and see what stuff costs for that heli and compare that to the Blade 400. Then you'll have an idea of continued spending on either heli.

Whatever you get, choose one with a brushless motor if you can. I do know that the Esky brushed motor in my heli was just about worthless.

01-30-2008 09:07 PM

billcoltharp
Heliman
Location: Austin,TX

I don't know about the Blade 400 but I have been flying a Belt CP for a month or so now.

It flys fine, out-of-the-box. I'm not sure what a better radio would do for me, but the stock one seems fine. The AC is smooth and stable and a lot of fun to fly.

It was under $200 delivered and already has a brushless motor. I don't think anything else (except spare blades) is necessary at my skill level (flying around the front yard).

So far no crashes except for the occasional blade contact with the ground. No adjustments necessary, nothing has broken or come loose.

Much more fun that the Honeybee CP which, in turn, was much better than my Blade CP.

My LHS is poor, so there is little lost in ordering cheap parts on the internet.

01-30-2008 09:13 PM

tryan02
rrProfessor
Location: Canton, Missouri

I would suggest doing your homework on both and making your own decision. All the while listening to comments from both groups and taking all with a grain of salt. Heres tonights homework assignment go to the link below E-sky's official website and read the manual and watch the video.

http://www.twf-sz.com/english/downl...Code=Helicopter

Canton MO backyard flying club
Club President
Team No funds left.

01-30-2008 10:14 PM

HOMEPAGE

jacalom63
Heliman
Location: Ray, MI USA

Thanks everyone. You gave me some good stuff to consider. I'll post some pics and a review once I decide and get the new heli.
Joe.

If I saw an amputee getting hung I'd probably start calling out letters.

01-30-2008 11:37 PM

Griffin
Senior Heliman
Location: On your Screen

The belt cp is a great heli. The esky electronics are hit or miss. If I could go back and make my purchase again I would have bought a bare bones kit and outfitted it with some decent electronics. Maybe alittle more cost upfront, but in the long run it will probably save you some cash. The problem I see with the rtf kits for the true beginner is the lack of understanding you will have for the mechanical aspect of helicopters. If you buy a barebones kit and install all the electronics yourself you'll have a good idea about how things work. Which in turn should give you alittle more confidence when it comes to fixing problems. This is the same problem I see with over use of sims. Sure you can get the flying part down on a sim that emulates a perfectly setup heli. In the real world no heli is perfect from the box and needs lots of care, and tweaking to fly like those birds in the sims. This can leave one very fustrated. I know it was part of my demise the first time I got into helis.

01-31-2008 04:32 AM

tutelar-rc
Key Veteran
Location: Nobleton, Ontario - Canada

Scroll to the bottom of my gallery [http://runryder.com/helicopter/gall...?script=Belt_Cp] to see my $ comparison between the models.

Based on my research, I purchased the Belt CP. I purchased it RTF (just to get an inexpensive radio for other reasons), installed a DX7 and AR6100 receiver. No problems with the servos, BL motor or ESC (yet?).

Some setup info in my gallery to help you get it totally "tuned in" (if you choose the Belt CP).

I love it!

01-31-2008 04:40 AM

TJinGuy
Elite Veteran
Location: Socorro, NM - USA

Wow tutelar nice writeup and nice pics.

- Chris

Variety+spice+life+supporting_paper_towel_industry=
King2+Rex450+Protos+Concept30

01-31-2008 05:55 AM

jacalom63
Heliman
Location: Ray, MI USA

Great job tutelar-rc!!!!
You did all the work for me with your comparison chart. All the info that I needed on the three models that I was looking at.
Thanks again for all the help from everyone!!
Joe.

If I saw an amputee getting hung I'd probably start calling out letters.

01-31-2008 02:24 PM

Sgt Heli
Veteran
Location: Remlap, Al USA

Somebody just listed a blade 400 in the elec. classifieds.

02-01-2008 09:13 PM

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e-E-Sky Honey Bee- Lama- Belt CP- E-Smart > Belt CP or Blade 400

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