Align 3G Update 26Jun11
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The new T-Rex 600E Pro ships with the all new Align 3GX flybarless system but for owners of the previous 3G unit Align recently released version 3.0 of the firmware. You will need the USB updater to apply it. You can download the new firmware along with instructions and a setup video from Align’s site. We have not had a chance to load it ourselves yet so cannot comment directly on any changes but it supposedly allows for finer adjustments, saving and sharing of settings, and improved pirouette.
Well the not so mysterious disappearance of the T-Rex 550 flybarless kit is solved. Align released a new 550 v2 3GX kit. This is the same 550E kit as before repackaged with the new 3GX unit and the new Align flybarless head. If you are getting, or have, a 550 don’t forget to check out KDE’s 550 upgrades. They have a number of nice choices. We especially like the metal Tail Servo Mount.
[Updated: 27JUL11]
Align T-Rex 600E Pro — Coming Soon! 13May11
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Certainly the big news this month is the official announcement of Align’s newest version of the T-Rex 600E. The all new 600E Pro is a completely new design including a top mount motor, under slung 10-12S power, and more. Also announced is the next generation of the Align 3G flybarless unit the new 3GX.
The T-Rex 600E Pro will ship in both flybar and flybarless combo sets that include motor and servos and even a Castle ESC.
Here is a video of the heli in action.
We suspect we will see some new packaging of the other T-Rex helis with the new 3GX unit as well as Align’s new flybarless head design.
Specifications (T-REX 600E PRO):
- Height: 353mm
- Width: 210mm
- Main Blade Length: 600mm
- Main Rotor Diameter: 1347mm (53.03 in)
- Tail Rotor Diameter: 260mm
- Motor Drive Gear:13T
- Main Drive Gear:112T
- Autorotation Tail Drive Gear: 131T
- Tail Drive Gear: 34T
- Drive Gear Ratio: 1:8.61:3.85
- Weight(With Motor): 2350g (5.18 lbs)
SmackTalk RC 23Jan11
Posted by tanker in Advanced, Beginner, General Heli, News, Reviews, TRex.add a comment
If you have not checked out SmackTalk RC yet you should. Bert and Bobby have been producing some very useful and entertaining shows. They are only a few dollars a pop and they provide multiple resolutions and formats so you can watch them on your device of choice.
If you are wondering where to start we found their Learning 3D episodes very useful as well as Episode #10 – Going Flybarless! but you can’t really go wrong with any of them.
RealFlight G5.5 28Nov10
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We finally got around to picking up RealFlight G5.5. It is a nice improvement on the last versions of RealFlight. The flight dynamics seem better than in G4/4.5 and the new depth of field feature is nice (when turned down to medium). For heli pilots it includes a number of scale helis. Expansion Pack 7 includes the Curtiss Youngblood Rave 450 model (but not the new ENV). Still no new Align helis (especially the 550, 600 or 700) but the T-Rex 500 is in Expansion Pack 5.
There is an upgrade version available for previous owners and we got it running on 64bit Windows 7 with a minimum of fuss. We did have a couple of startup dll errors where we had to reset to defaults to get it to load but then all was well.
T-Rex 700E — Review 19Aug10
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T-Rex 700E 3G Combo
The T-Rex 700E is Align’s long awaited 700-class electric helicopter. Currently you can buy the heli in two forms. First is the traditional 700E flybar version that also includes the 700M motor and 105mm carbon fiber tail blades. The other option is the 700E 3G combo kit that includes not just the 700M motor and 105mm carbon fiber tail blades but also 690mm carbon fiber main blades, 3xDS610 servos, 1xDS650 tail servo, flybarless head and the Align 3G flybarless system. Both kits include both an aluminum tail boom and a carbon fiber tail boom. There are reports of a new 3G package that includes a Castle Creations ICE 120 ESC as well as the new 700MX motor and CNC main gear. (more…)
T-Rex 700e Upgrade Parts 22Jun10
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Align has announced a handful of T-Rex 700e upgrade parts including aluminum servo mounts and a vertical stabilizer mount. Scorpion released an aluminum mount for their 4035 series motors. KDE Direct has a whole pile of upgrade parts including an interesting Receiver Mount Upgrade that allows for positioning the batteries further forward for better center of gravity and an Universal Motor Mount that allows adjustment of gear mesh.
More upgrade parts are sure to follow.
Align T-Rex 700E — Now Available 26Apr10
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T-Rex 700E
Align now has the T-Rex 700E available for ordering. They have two packages: One with a flybar and one with their new 3G flybarless setup. The 3G Combo package comes with motor, CF main and tail blades, the Align 3G flybarless unit, flybarless head, and four servos. The traditional flybared package only has the motor and tail blades. Neither package ships with an ESC or any batteries. [Note: We reported previously that the packages included a Castle Creations ESC. That is incorrect.]
Flybarless fliers will want to get the Align 3G USB Programmer. No word yet on upgrade options from the flybar to flybarless versions.
See our T-Rex 700E review.
Specifications:
- Length: 1328mm (52.28 in)
- Height: 415mm
- Main Blade Length: 690mm
- Main Rotor Diameter: 1562mm
- Tail Rotor Diameter: 281mm
- Motor Drive Gear:12T
- Main Drive Gear:115T
- Tail Drive Gear: 24T
- Drive Gear Ratio: 1:9.58:4.33
- Weight(With Motor): 2980g (6.57 lbs)
- Flying Weight: Approx. 4800g (10.58 lbs)
[Updated: 23AUG10]
Heli News — March 2010 14Mar10
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Rave ENV Motor Mount
March is turning out to be a busy month for heli news. First we have the new Curtis Youngblood Rave ENV and Total-G flybarless system set to release at the end of this month or early April. You can watch Curtis himself putting the Rave ENV electric through the wringer at the recent Rotor Live event in Germany
Logo 600 SE
Mikado made a big splash by announcing not only the Logo 600 SE but also a version 4.0 VStabi update to the V-Bar and, at last, a Logo 700. If that was not enough they also announced an upcoming carbon fiber chassis for the Logo 500/600. Interestingly the 600 SE will ship with the same composite chassis it has always had and the carbon version will be a separate upgrade option. The main change to the SE is a 6cm longer tailboom so it can run with 690mm blades and a few very minor updates. Mikado recommends a 10S 5000mAh setup for the 600 SE. It is otherwise mostly unchanged and still has a belt driven tail. Flying weight is 8.5 pounds. The 600 SE should ship in a couple months. No details have been provided for the Logo 700 but most folks agree it will have a torque tube and many think it will come with a carbon fiber chassis. The Logo 700 will ship late this year or maybe even early 2011.
Logo 500-600 CF Chassis
Align made some news when it finally announced the existence of the T-Rex 700 electric. This was actually a somewhat underwhelming announcement as photos of the prototype show it is not much different than many of the 700 electric conversion kits out there. The motor will probably be top mounted in front of the main shaft. But it will be nice to finally have this as a kit and the total cost will certainly be lower than with a conversion.
Perhaps the most surprising news was the T-Rex 550. Details are slim but the name suggests a new heli in between the T-Rex 500 and 600. This would seem to be a very odd thing to do unless Align planned on dropping the T-Rex 500 or 600 helis from production. It would make for a sweet spot of a heli and it along with the 700 would be a great pair to have. This will be interesting to watch.
All in all a good month for the heli faithful.
Align T-Rex 450 Sport — First Look 03Feb10
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450 Sport
Align recently released its newest heli, the T-Rex 450 Sport. The heli came as a bit of surprise after the fairly new 450 Pro and Super Pro. What is surprising are the amount of changes the Sport introduces. The Sport is aimed at new fliers. It is not simply a 450 Pro with some plastic parts but a new design of its own with lots of metal. The Sport certainly builds on much of what the Pro introduced but it has a number of significant changes geared towards the new flier and the possible crashes those at that stage of their flying may have:
- A new frame design that returns to the split frames similar to the T-Rex 450 SE V2.
- The new frames feature a new layout that makes the servos easier to install and replace.
- The relatively fragile Torque Tube and gears have been replaced with a traditional belt.
- A beefier tail case to help it survive damage.
- Thicker main blade grips and tail blade grips.
- A handful of smaller changes.
450 Sport Frames
All in all the changes add up to a heli that is a blend of the SE V2 and the Pro. It is somewhat lower in cost but is also more durable. It does have slightly less performance than the Pro, but for its target market of beginning and intermediate heli pilots the 450 Sport has performance to spare. If you are new to heli flying and looking for a quality 450 class heli that is more durable and bit more timid than the 450 Pro then this may be a good place to start.
There is also the Super Sport combo package that comes with Align servos, gyro, motor and esc.
Specifications:
Accessories:
KDE Direct Electronic Pinion Support Upgrade 15Nov09
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KDE Direct Pinion Support
KDE Direct have a new add-on to their T-Rex 700 electric conversion kit. They have now produced an Electronic Pinion Support Upgrade. This is a rather ingenious little device that bolts above the motor and provides a full bearing support to the top of the pinion. The idea is to eliminate lateral flexing of the pinion and reduce wear and possible stripping of the main gear.
Because the Support mounts to the motor mount only and not to the frame it is hard to say how much flex it will actually eliminate but it will certainly help to some degree. As always, KDE provides clear installation instructions.
