26/7/10: The Flasher 450 Pro continues to work out very well and is now my favourite garden hovering machine! I am either getting old or the 450 Pro’s cute looks hold a sub-conscious attraction, as I genuinely enjoy pottering around in the garden with this model. Dropping to a 12 tooth pinion has released another 40-60 seconds of flight time and adding flybar weights (as supplied with the 450 Sport) has made the model even more stable. I also took out the Hyperion digital cyclic servos and replaced them with the latest version of the Phoenixtech DS401 M digital servos. I refused to use the earlier DS401 M servos as I found them to be over-damped and they did not centre properly, which gave them a sticky feel in the air. In comparison, the handling of these latest version is like chalk and cheese! These DS 401M servos are fast, have great holding power, stop instantly and centre superbly.
I am torn between the Flasher 500 ESP and TT360 for my current favoured 3-D model helicopter. The power to weight ratio of the TT360 is superb on a 5S 1800 Mah lipo and it can handle a stiff breeze, but the 500 ESP handles any wind condition I can throw it at! The Phoenixtech 500 Class 3026-1900KV motor is continuing to surprise me as it provides a genuine 1400 Watts in static full negative pitch tests. The best bit is that this motor weighs significantly less than any other 500 motor I have handled and only shows any sign of heat when you abuse it consistently throughout the whole flight. A genuine low-cost, low-weight upgrade for anyone looking towards a new 500 Class motor.
Curiosity got the better of me with the Flasher 600 Sport and I gave up waiting for the ‘very special servos’ to arrive. I decided to opt for what could be deemed a low cost set-up using standard Spektrum digital servos. I also tested the very low cost GT 500 gyro, which did not match up to the GT 90 gyro, but did provide very good results. The Flasher 600 Sport features almost every metal up-grade possible and fly’s superbly. It is suitable for sport, aerobatic, 3-D or Scale applications. The big Phoenixtech outrunner motor run’s almost cold and the 100 Amp Speed Controller features a reliable BEC and a ‘Governor Mode’ that actually works. Check out the review for full details.
My next project is the ever popular Flasher 450 Sport followed by the TT360 model helicopter. Sometime after that we are planning to look at the latest Flasher 600 ESP model helicopter featuring an efficient 12S power set-up. Other projects in the pipeline are a stretched 8S (2 x 4S) 2200-2500 Mah powered Flasher 500 ESP, specific Data-Logged motor tests and a whole host of new ideas that we keep dreaming up.
Best Regards,
Russ Deakin
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