In May of 2015, I announced that I was switching from my Spektrum DX8 transmitter to a Futaba 14SG. Well....here we are in May of 2016, and I am making another transmitter switch. I had been toying with the Idea for several months, and I just could not fight the temptation any longer. 

Last weekend, I purchased a Jeti DS16 Carbon Series transmitter. The main reason for the switch is the amazing telemetry options that Jeti transmitters bring to the table. The ability to track and count mAh used from the battery instead of having to use a flight timer is just awesome to me. Not to mention the logging capabilities, and the endless programming and settings possibilities including voice announcements. So there is no need to look down at the screen.

Which is another really cool feature. Instead of putting the screen on the bottom of the transmitter, Jeti put their screen on the top of the transmitter...and it is angled so you can see it. BIG plus there, if you decide not to use the voice prompts.

I should have all of my helicopters on it by next weekend.... I hope. The receivers I ordered have not arrived yet, so I can`t set anything up at the moment. I will post more about it as I fly it and get to know it more. :)

After much thought and consideration, I pulled the trigger on a Gaui NX7. I have been wanting to get into a large Nitro for a while, and I just couldn`t resist the call any longer.

I picked up my kit from Empire Hobby, who got it packaged up and shipped in record time. I got the kit on a Monday, and started the build on the following Wednesday.  In typical Gaui form, the fit and finish of the parts are outstanding. There are a few things on the NX7 that are really cool, and I`ll get into those a little later. Even the box that the kit is packed in is nice.

The NX7 is a pretty fast build for a helicopter of this size, but I took my time and spread the build out over a few days to make sure I had everything just right. Out of the box, the frame sides felt like they are were pre-sanded, because there were no sharp edges on them at all. Which I really liked, because I hate sanding carbon fiber.  The first part of the build was much like the X7, in that the bearing blacks, tail boom clamps and torque tube support bearings, and some of the frame spacers  are installed.

Moving on... 

The first thing that I really like about the NX7, is the way the fuel tank is mounted in the frames. Unlike typical nitro tank mounting which use rubber edge molding to wedge the tank into place, the NX7 uses carbon fiber cross braces. These cross braces have three 5mm, equally spaced grommets which fit into indents on the sides of the tank. When installed, they suspend the tank in the mounting area...well away from contact with the frames.

But Gaqui did not stop there...

Not only is the tank suspended away from the frames, it is also perfectly centered under the main shaft of the helicopter. What that means is the CG of the helicopter remains unchanged throughout the entire flight. 

I really do like the way the engine mount is designed on this helicopter. The engine is mounted into a cage like mount and then the whole assembly is slipped into place and bolted in. This design allows the engine, with the pipe still attached, to be removed by removing just a few screws.

The rest of the build was pretty much like the X7, so I decided to skip over that rather than repeat what was written in the X7 build thread.
One more thing that I feel is worth a mention is the flying weight of the NX7. Mine weighs in at 11 pounds with the receiver pack and a full tank of fuel. Which I think is pretty light for a 700 size helicopter as massive as the NX7.  The fuel tank, BTW holds 660cc (22oz) of fuel.

Here is a list  my personal component choices for this build:

Cyclic Servos: BK DS7001HV

Tail Servo: BK DS7005HV

Throttle Servo: BK DS7001HV

FBL Controller: Bavarian Demon 3X

Governor: Align G600 with back plate sensor

BEC: Gryphon 45V 15A Hyper BEC with flag pin switch

Backup Power: Scorpion Backup Guard

Onboard Glow Igniter: SwitchGlo Pro

Receiver: Futaba R7008SB HV Telemetry Receiver

Receiver Pack: Turnigy Nanotech 1800mAh 4s

Main Rotor Blades: Zeal Energy 710mm

Tail Blades: Zeal 105mm CF

Engine: OS 91HZ for now. It will be replaced by a YS96 Tareq as soon as the matching pipe is released.

Pipe: Hatori 90FS-3D

Fuel: VP Powermaster 30% Helicopter Fuel.

Thank you all for taking the time to visit my website and for reading my blogs. I wish each and everyone of you safe and happy flying. Have a wonderful day . :)

After a long time of using Castle ESCs on my helicopters, I decided to give the new Hobby Wing 160 Platinum HV V4 ESC a try. I have been eyeing this ESC for a while, and finally bit the bullet and picked one up from Charity RC.

This ESC has a lot of really great features, but the selling point for me, was the governor. It is supposed to be one of the best governors available, and I just had to see for myself. 

The built in BEC is a nice feature too, and will eliminate the need for the Castle BEC Pro which is on my helicopter now. The Hobby Wing`s BEC is 10 amp continuous and 25 amp peak, which should be more than enough for my style of flying. The BEC is also adjustable from 5 volts to 8 volts. The Hobby Wing 160A also has data logging and and comes with a large cooling fan.

The Hobby Wing 160A is also capable of running on 14s, but I`m pretty sure I`ll stick with 12s. I will have it installed and running by the weekend, and I will start posting my opinion of the Hobby Wing 160 very soon. 

It has been a few weeks since my Gaui X7 Formula build, and I have put ten or so flights on it so far. I`m still not 100% used to it yet, but we are fast becoming best friends. It has a very nice presence in the air, and keeping up with orientation is not a problem with this machine.

The cyclic and collective response on the X7 is crisp and fast, yet it feels completely locked in and predictable. Which is giving me the confidence to try new maneuvers that I have only had the nerve to do on the simulator until now.

I would love to have a little more room for electronics up front under the canopy though, and maybe a level place for the FBL unit. Other than that, I have no complaints. The X7 is an amazing helicopter, and I am really enjoying it. I can`t wait to get the rest of my Gaui fleet in order in the very near future.

I`m building another helicopter for a friend, and this time it is a Protos Max V2. Which will be an 800 class machine when it`s all said and done.

The first thing I noticed about this kit, was the way it was packaged. All of the small parts and screws were packaged in nice sealed bags which were labeled for easy access. The swash, blade grips and other major parts were packaged in nice boxes in foam cutouts with a nice shrink wrap over the entire box.

The kit has a very low parts count, and went together in just a few hours. My friend also sent an MSH power bus along with the kit, to simplify the wiring. The power bus looks nice, and does make the wiring easy.....but I`m am not 100% sure I like it. It`s a printed circuit board, and the possibility of it failing concerns me.

One thing I do not like about the V2 max, is the landing skids. They are one piece ( which is not an issue) but they are very flimsy, and flexible and seem too weak to be going on an 800 size helicopter in my opinion. But we`ll see how they hold up after a few flights.

The molded plastic lower frame is a really good idea, and will make repairs pretty easy after a crash. The canopy is a little smaller than I expected for a helicopter of this size, but it looks really good when it`s on the helicopter. 

I`ll post more of my thoughts of the Ptotos V2 Max after I get it set up and flying possibly by next weekend.

Here is the list of components that my friend chose to go into it:

Motor: MSH 4530-500kv

ESC Hobby Wing 160A

Cyclic Servos: Xpert R1

Tail Servo Xpert R1T

FBL: Bavarian Demon 3SX

The helicopter will be controlled by a Jeti DS16.