James Vaello
Senior Heliman
Location: San Antonio
| | Quote |
| parts will be like an infestation.
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True, because people are going to fly it like they stole it. Well, because they practically did at the price the kits will end up at. The spare parts will be readily and evenly distributed. With pilots recently freed from the average high cost to repair a 90 size crash, they might in return be more adventurous pilots than ever before. Possibly driving part and component sales to a level never seen in the 90 Nitro class. Reasoning? Relative affordability... relatively speaking. Align, IMHO, has done a lot to advance technology and introduce fresh blood into our chosen discipline of this fine hobby.
Ok, before I get bloodied, I must admit that Align was NOT the first small Heli. We had Coronas, Shoguns, and those multitudes of pathetic stick and tissue(plastic) helis. Align came to market in force with affordability and parts availability. Align invigorating our sector of the hobby with a continuing stream of reasonably priced products.
Take the Trex450, it was a familiar Raptor-like design. Cheap to buy, cheap to fix, with just enough technical awe to attract a recently inducted flock of new R/C'ers. You got it, the dreaded park flyer folks. New heli pilots no longer needed a typical model field to safely and cheaply explore the realm of heli flight. A cul-de-sac or school yard worked fine. Budding pilots were freed from the usual discouraging planker mentality. A mindset which seems to choose not understand or tolerate heli's. But soon the mockery constituents found their numbers sharply declining due to attrition. For the first time in the hobby, Heli's became somewhat affordable and convenient to fly.
Align was by no means a refined design out the gates. Flaws were found, acknowledged and discussed online. A massive fan base contributed huge amounts of feedback. For a while, the aftermarket companies went crazy. People were paying insane prices to upgrade their heli's accepted flaws. Conversations were overheard such as: "That pretty CNC X (insert applicable: tailbox, mixing arms, etc) costs how much? That is the best thing ever, I must have it! Only a first born child? Ok, will blood work for a downpayment? It will?! Great! We have a deal!"
We had gone heli insane. Align listened and took note.
They quietly and carefully released a set of their own upgrade parts. First in an affordable form factor, updated plastic parts. Shortly after the plastic updates, we had affordable blue aluminum parts as well. Now you could add bling and crashabilty to this little adventure.
Ingenious!
Soon started the seething remarks about all this new heli activity. I think it was fear given birth from an influx of new pilots which ruffled the seasoned ranks feathers. I know some were terrified, as droves of pilots new to the hobby felt uncommonly natural with a controller in hand.
Admittedly, I am a MA fan. An Xcell was the first model helicopter I had ever seen truly flown hard. Thank you Curtis for coming to that fun fly in Mission Texas! That backwards take off was not expected by anyone. It was a tremendous leap in my eyes from the gnat-flit like quality similar to an insect crassly clawing at the air (Think GMP Cricket). I knew the high-maintenance reality of MA early on. Solid in design, but requiring expertise in construction and setup. It appealed to me. Heck, MA released my inner geek.
Align hit a home run, selling record numbers of helis. They had created a market that I am not sure they ever expected to. Good job initiating a new era. I bought in firmly not noticing that this little chopper was going to eventually cost close what my Raptor did to setup. You got me as well as droves of others excited and opening our pocket books. A crash no longer meant hundreds but tens of dollars.
Do you think that record setting pilot entries at events might wane soon? Doubtful. There are too many of us hooked with more still on the way.
Get us started on the gateway models. Then up the dose with a bigger electric heli. Then a hugely successful next gen 50 design. Now an affordable 90? Me head, she is a spinning. Congrats!
Align wins...IMHO. Not everyone will notice any difference or care about unobtanium uber birds, will they?
Nothing better than the smell of Camper Fuel in the morning. |
