Trex450 S (CF) Owner Thread

eddiemoth · #1 12-10-2006

It is very interesting that now Align has released a Trex450 SA kind of version of their own. I dropped by at Grandrc last Friday for other reasons, then I found out about this great version for those who want something similar to Trex450 SA. This version comes with everything the Trex450 SA kit offered by Horizon Hobby (Sleepstalker, please correct me if I am wrong as you just bought a Trex450 SA kit). It is called Trex450S CF . It comes with CF frame (top and bottom) instead of the alum frame, 325 CARBON blades, Align outrunner 430L with fan, Align RCE-BL35X with heatsink and it comes with 85% factory assembled. This would save me some time to put them together but still require me to put these assembled pieces together so I know the anatomy of the helicopter. If you are going to buy a Trex450 SA, I strongly recommend that you check this model out and give Ed - Grandrc owner a call to get this Trex450S CF . Grandrc is known for great service and good price. I am going to take some pictures tomorrow.

swatson144 · #2 12-11-2006

Looking forward to the pics Eddie. Congrats on the new heli.

Steve

Sleepstalker · #3 12-11-2006

WOW! nice deal yeah I would snap that up in a heartbeat! Way to go Eddie Enjoy!...

eddiemoth · #4 12-11-2006

Actually, Align has released two versions of this Trex. One with Alum frame - just like Trex450 SA and one with CF frame. All other items are the same and most vendors sell them for the same price. So if you don't like the CF frame, you can buy the Alum frame version. Since I already have alum frame with my MX400, I bought the CF frame version just for a change.

Like Trex450 SA, Trex450 S comes in a card-box instead of the alum box, which is perfectly fine with me. Align might have realized that the alum box is mostly useless after the the heli is assembled and having the kit in a card-box, they would be able to cut down the price more than other version.

I bought the Trex450 S version instead of Trex450 SE because I don't think that all Trex450 stock parts need to be upgraded in order for me to fly at my level. I have not gotten into any crazy flying or anything close to 3D flying yet. So, with Trex450 S, I can choose to upgrade only the critical parts if I have to and save for the next better and bigger helicopters.

Trex450 S (CF)

Trex450 S (CF) items in the box
(1) Two CF Frame bags - both top and bottom in two separate plastic bags - factory assembled
(2) Landing skid bag - two white plastic landing skids, two grey alum skid pipes and four soft skid nuts
(3) Head assembly - factory assembled
(3) Tail assembly bag - 1 tail assembly (half assembled) white plastic vertical and horizontal fins and drive belt
(4) Tail boom bag - 1 alum tail boom, two boom supports, tail servo mount, flybar, flybar paddles and flybar control
(5) maim gear bag - unassembled main gear, 12 T pinion and 13 T pinion
(6) motor mount bag - chrome motor mount, anti rotation bracket
(7) ball link bag - all links and linkage rod sets
(8 ) motor box - Align outrunner 430L brush-less motor, Align RCE-BL35X ESC , connectors, motor owner manual and ESC owner manual
(9) blade holder
(10) while plastic canopy, tinted windshield, and decal
(11) extra screw part bag - it is very nice that Align includes the extra screws for those who always loose screws like me

(12) thread lock bag - R48 (metal tubular adhesive), T43(thread lock), hook & fastening tape
(13) tool bag - 3 hexagon screw drivers and two philips screw drivers
(14) Blade bag - 325 CARBON blades
(15) Owner manual. It is good that the owner manual provides instructions for assembling the kit from scratch - not just from the assembled pieces. That will help when parts of the heli need to be reassembled later for fixing or upgrading.

There is an addendum (drop filed) containing a chart providing recommendations of ESC option selections and power collocation suggestion of motor gear, rotor blade, Pitch current (A), throttle curve and RPM to use with the provided BL430 3550KV.

eddiemoth · #5 12-11-2006

For electronic and power systems I will use the following:

For power, I will use the included Align 430L outrunner for now. I also picked up a Thunder Power eXtreme Series 2070 mAh pack from Grandrc. It is labeled with 25C cont/40 burst(51A cont/82 burst). It seems to be a decent Li Po pack.

For electronic system, I will use the following:
1. The included Align ESC BL35X for now
2. 3 Hitec HS-65HB servos ($24.96). Unlike Hitec HS-56HB, the servo will save me from drilling the hole, as there are three installation holes for two-hole frame or one-hole frame. I can just use the middle hole for Trex450 frame. It fits the Trex450 frame perfectly and it has more speed.
3. GY401 and 1 FUT S9650 for tail servo ($179.95)
4. For receiver, I am pulled between Berge 7($50.99) and Futaba R146iP PCM ($79.99). Does anybody have any thoughts? I want to go with a PCP receiver but I also hear a lot of good things about Berge 7 as well.
Edited: (12/11/2006) I decided to buy Futaba PCM R146ip
5. I am not sure if I need a BEC or not. I don't have a BEC on my MX400 and it seems to be working fine. Does anybody have any suggestion?

I am going to spend the next two or three days putting everything together, so if you have any suggestions on the electronic choices, please feel free to share your thoughts.

eddiemoth · #6 12-11-2006

Since the head assembly, the top frame and bottom frame already assembled, I started to assemble the landing skid. Assembling the skid is very easy. There is no screws to use. It is just a matter of putting the skid pipes in the skids and make adjustment so the skids stand balanced when placed on a flat surface. I used little CA when placing the caps into the skid pipes so that they don't drop off.

Assembled skid

Next, I attached the assembled skid to the bottom frame by using the provided 4 socket self taping screws. The bottom frame was already assembled from the factory.

Factory assembled bottom frame

So what left for me to do is secure all the screws and make sure the frame was assembled correctly. Those socket selft taping screws need to be placed from the bottom of the skid. After making sure the frame is placed on the right position on the skids, I tightened the screws into the frame. Again that is not difficult to do.

Assembled skid and bottom frame

eddiemoth · #7 12-11-2006

Next step is to attach the top frame to the bottom frame. However, this is where I need to take a pause and do things out of order here. By looking at the assembled top frame and my servo size, I don't think that I can install the two front servos without unassembling the top frame. In the owner manual, Align used Hitec HS-55 servos which is a lot smaller than Hitec HS-65 servo so they could install the servos after the frame is assembled. So what I want to do here, is to unassemble the top frame, install the two front servos, assemble it back and then attach it to the bottom frame. Below are the size differences between Hitec HS55, Hitec HS56 and Hitec HS65:

Hitec HS-55
Size : 0.89 x 0.45 x 0.94" (23 x 12 x 24 mm)
Hitec HS-56
Size : 0.9"x 0.5"x 0.9" (23 x 12 x 24 mm)
Hitec HS-65
Size : 0.92x 0.45 x 0.94" (23.6 x 11.6 x 24 mm)

The back servo is installed from the outside of the frame, so I don't have to bother about it right now.

The top frame and two front servos

After I removed a few screws from the front area of the frame, I could install the tow servos into the frame easily.

Note: the servo mount screws and plastic pads are in a different bag.

And here are the front two servos installed into the top frame.

eddiemoth · #8 12-11-2006

Next step is to attach the top frame to the bottom. Since the front part of the top frame needs to be screwed to the bottom frame together with the motor mount, I have to get the motor mount ready frist. Once I got the front part of the top frame screwed to the motor mount, then I started to screw other parts of the frame. I also attached the battery tray and the canopy mount now so I don't worry about loosing them.

Top and bottom frames, landing skid, battery mount, two front servos, motor mount and canopy mount have been installed.

eddiemoth · #9 12-11-2006

Next step is to install the main gear and the head assembly. Both main gear and head assembly were factory assembled. I just went through each screw and part just to make sure that they were assembled correctly. The swash-plate seems to be CA'ed appropriately.

Head assembly

Main gear

Here head assembly and main gear have been installed

eddiemoth · #10 12-12-2006

Next step, I installed the tail boom, drive belt the tail assembly, vertical fin, horizontal fin, tail blades (I did not balance it yet) and boom supports. Then, I went ahead and trim the canopy. Everyday I get now it is dark (I hate it) so there is no day light for taking pictures.

Tail assembly from the top

Tail assembly and boom

Trex450 S (CF) 75% assembled from the tail

Trex450 S (CF) 75% assembled from the head