Raging Rotors: Heli news with attitude!
Hey guys, HobbyTown Kevin (aka Ragu, or whatever nickname ends up sticking) here with the first installment of a feature focusing on helicopters, flying, new products, products I like to make mention, and some mini reviews as I continue to recklessly purchase, fly, and frequently crash! Check out my first few product highlights from Align and more below!
Align has been famously known as one of the few large scale helicopter kits (450 size and up) out on the market and now they’ve decided to expand their horizons, by shrinking! Starting to ship now is the new Align 150 size Direct Flight Control (or DFC) head collective pitch (stunt) helicopter. Armed with a brushless main and tail motor, the 4 gram micro servos take 3D flight for small scale helis to a new level. This super combo kit is set up as a ‘Bind to Fly’ model, where the main board can be set up to be compatible with Futaba S-FHSS, Spektrum, and JR 2.4Ghz. Price is set for around $259.99, and they’re starting to trickle into local hobby shops now!
Not to be left in the dust, Align also joined the small quadcopter market. Shipping now is the M424 Ready to Fly Quadcopter. Similar in size to the Blade 180QX and Ares Ethos QX130, the M424 utilizes a white body with decaled, bright blades to assist in orientation. LED lights are installed on all four motor booms to also assist. The price is set for around $110, and also shipping to hobby shops now.
As I train myself to crash in any helicopter orientation, I would like to highlight the bright blades of KBDD. I have been flying crashing my Nano CPx from Blade for almost 18 months, and KBDD main and tail blades make it even easier to see where my heli is and to get a relative orientation as well. I had the privilege of meeting Dick Cook, the President of KBDD at iHobby this year, and his passion and knowledge of the hobby and his products is refreshing. Ask for KBDD at your local hobby shop or stop by to see me at HobbyTown Orland Park to see what we have. Check out KBDD’s website to see their whole line, which includes their new Carbon Fiber neon blades for 450 and larger size helicopters!
I was almost done with this post when an email attracted my attention…one more quad is on its way onto the market! Hubsan has developed a micro First Person Video (FPV) quadcopter. It transmits camera footage to the included controller, and flys for around 7 minutes. Like its brother the X4 and cousin the Traxxas QR-1 it is a lot of power in a small package. Preorders are available online for around $200, and I’m watching my credit card bill get bigger…
Next time I will reflect on my new collection of quadcopters, as well as tips in quadcopter troubleshooting and maintenance. Until then, Stay Shiny and Keep Flyin’!
