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Model Rectifier Corp . Heli Wholesaler . 3D Heli Depot

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Main Discussion > Best Brand Heli.
 
 
Ralph
Senior Heliman
Location: CT

Hello,
I'm curious to here comments/opinions from anyone that has flown all or some of the major brands- Hirobo,MA,Robbe,TT, &JR. I have have been flying a Shuttle ZXX, Xcell 60 Custom, & building a Xcell Gas Graphite. The Shuttlle is a decent flying helicopter for a 30 size. It went together real easy and is easy to maintain/repair after crash. I really love the way my xcell flys. It is so much more fun to fly than the Shuttle. It was very time consuming to build though! The other thing is many of the components had flaws with their machining. I have seen this even more with the Xcell Gas Graphite I am building. I had to modify/machine multiple components to get them to fit properly. This really ticks me off! We pay allot of money for these heli kits and I feel the quality should match. I just don't understand why MA does not make an attempt to correct these isuess. These two kits have been in production for a long time and should have all the bugs worked out. So between the lenghty assembly and custom fitting required to assemble these kits I have decided to switch brands. I think MA uses good materials and their helicopters fly real nice but I'm looking for a machine that builds/repairs a lot easier! I might have an opportunity to become a field rep. for Robbe. So right now I am leaning towards a Nova of Millenium, but the Freya and Vigor look like real nice helis.


Thanks, Ralph
04-16-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Greg Takacs
Veteran
Location: Fort Worth, TX

Just another Ford vs. Chevy thread......

Having heard "oldies stories" at the field last weekend I think we're just truly spoiled with GY401s, digital servos and awesome collective pitch machines. I'm just glad that in the early 80's I was still in kinderkarten and not having to worry about flying that "fixed-pitch-no-gyro-piece-of-junk" that was an engineering marvel back then, and if you didn't crash it was a good day.....
04-16-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
alvinrc
Veteran
Location: Mobile, AL, USA

>>hell...back then if you could get the damn thing started you'd probably have an orgasm<<

LOL and agreed.

As I remember, it might have been better at least till something better came along.
A few minutes flight with only two or three glitches (lots of rattley metal to metal and AM back then) and down in one piece. Just couldn't get much better.

As to which chopper to get:
Does one pay Robbe to be a rep. or will Robbe cut you a deal on one of their machines.


I would take a free Millie or Nova over the others mentioned.
04-16-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Dyehard
Veteran
Location: Cedar Bluff, Va.

What exactly did you have to machine/modify to get it to fit. I have three X-cells at the present time, a Graphite SE, a Graphite 60 and a custom buist 30 converted to a 46. I have built quite a few other X-cells. With the exception of making sure the gear mechs are done properly, the rest of it is pretty much a bolt it together operation. Even the gear meshs are not very time consuming, maybe twenty minutes altogether. Other helis have area that take time and a little patience to accomplish. I remember a well respected flyer on this forum, Auger, saying it took him two hours to the engine aligned properly in his Viger CS. I dougt you will find any heli that will not take a little fiddling to make sure everything is right.
04-17-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Dr.Ben
Elite Veteran
Location: Richmond, VA, USA

I think we'd all be hard pressed to find a perfectly machined model or one without issues, or at least be able to pay for one. The TSK Blackstars were a work of art. But then the mainshafts alone were (I think) over $50 each.

All brands have had their issues:

Robbe: Go back a year or so in RCM and read what John Benario had to do to the motor mounts on his Nova to get them to bolt down squarely. He had pictures to prove the machining error. The cooling shroud braces are now carbon for a reason, and then there's the landing gear rails that used to crack on the early Mille's and were a little pricey to replace.

JR: Lets see......those poor guys who lost a model in a minute or less due to radio glitches on the first models. Then we all saw what happened to Dave Storey's flybar on his Vigor at the Birmingham FF. Then there was that batch of Ergo blade axles which came apart in flight. The CS's machining is gorgeous; you'll pay for it dearly in a bad crash.

Hirobo: Some instances of maingear issues with the Sceadu. The Tsurugi (predecessor of the Freya) had a rather unfortunate blade flutter issue when it was first released. Go to Jason Chan's web site, and he has a detailed story about how one of the earlier SSR rotor heads has/had a nasty mechanical inteference issue which could produce rather messy crashes.

MA: I had a bad set of Fury frames. I made them work, but Tim Schoonard offered to immediately replace them, too. Early Fury clutch systems had a few problems. I've built so many X-Cells that I've lost count long ago. I've done a little touch up here and there on a few parts, but I could count those instances very easily. Certainly no reason to ever consider switching over based on what I've had to do since my first X-Cell 50 in 1988.

Thundertiger: The R30 clutch issue is now infamous, regardless of which reason for the problem you choose to accept. The V1 R60 was a real thrill for those who had one come apart in flight. Kudos to TT for getting it right on the V2. No if only Ace could get it back in gear far parts support for these owners..........

MAKE NO MISTAKE: This is NOT meant to be brand bashing. I just don't think there's a perfect model out there. Those of us who have been around for a decade or more know how far things have come. Pick your brand; they're all pretty much damn fine machines.

Ben Minor
04-17-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Stet
Elite Veteran
Location: Long Beach CA

For great performance and asthetic beauty I vote for the Robbe Millie. I'm not enamored with the Nova. Seems the millie kits are clean and bug free, it's too bad they could not react in time to the engine mount machining flaw issue, but I have not personally run into that. Seems a really minor issue that should have been addressed very quickly, especially considering the much larger problems experienced by the other manufacturers and how fast they reacted and fixed them. If you don't crash, that is the heli to get. When the new Quarco comes out in June, the millie price might drop further.

For killer performance, low repair cost and no beauty I vote for the XCell Fury. I personally disliked the previous XCell models due to some design issues (servo structure, plastic head block, rocking servo and the buried pitch lever) that were holdovers from the past. But the Fury has clearly eliminated those issues and has built a real 3D market dominating machine with the Fury. I know MA will stand behind their stuff 110%, replacing anything you find suspect in a kit. I would send something back before modifying it. I'm sure they would rather you do so.

Personally, I don't like CCPM so my preference is for the Robbe. But the low cost of the XCell, and the apparently dwindling population of the Robbes I think speaks volumes.

The Hirobo products are really nice and pretty. Nice and expensive to repair, assuming you aren't getting a Freya which is quite capable but fragile.

The JR vigor is perfectly capable, and the CS is a fancy evolution of that machine. Though I thought after building one, that the torque tube had unnecessary complexity and parts count (I'm sure CY might straighten me out on that opinion).

Depends on your priorities. If you will be Mr3D, I think the Fury can't be beat.
04-17-2002 Over year old.
 
 
ed vega
Key Veteran
Location: nyc, queens

the two that stand out the most for me were my tsk's top of the line blackstars, yes they were expensive and I still have them too . and hirobo scale machines . both had their unique mechanics and rotor systems.

04-17-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Rchover
Key Veteran
Location: Helping Customers!

in choosing the "best" heli concider,
1. how well it flys
2. durability/quality
3. cost and crash cost
4. availability

I'm a Robbe rep so i might be alittle biased.

ROBBE Helis:
1. nothing beats the "88control system" for control and feel.

2. most dependable low maintence ships on the market, they just keep flying...Quality, quality, quality

3. simples designs / built to hold up= low crash cost.

4.excellent parts support, excellent rep support and growing .

good luck in your choice.

Jeremy
04-17-2002 Over year old.
 
 
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