E-Flite Blade 400 Review
There are two schools of thought regarding what is the best approach to getting started with RC helicopters. Firstly buy an inexpensive fixed pitch heli to learn on and when you master it then move on and purchase a more advanced helicopter. You risk less money if it is badly damaged and you decide that helicopters are not your thing.Secondly get a good helicopter with selective pitch and learn and grow with it. You risk more money but you will have a better flying experience.
I personally advocate the second option and believe you won’t outgrow a quality collective pitch helicopter over a few months so saving money on upgrading. You can buy a high performance helicopter and adjust it or set it up for learning as you get started. Once you have mastered the basics you can change your set up for extra performance.
You are bound to have more enjoyment and fun with a good quality collective pitch helicopter and that is the real benefit. Most people do not realize that a collective pitch heli is actually harder to fly than a fixed pitch one. Do not be distracted by flashy looking fixed pitch helicopters, read this website and go for a quality collective pitch helicopter such as the E-Flite Blade 400.
One thing I want to mention from the start, avoid a helicopter with collective pitch and an electric tail rotor, these are hard to learn on. You need a belt driven or shaft driven tail rotor with variable pitch to react quickly enough to correct for the ever changing reactive torque loads from the main rotor. An electric tail rotor cannot react fast enough to keep the tail steady, and this becomes twitchy at best.
I am excited about a few of the 400 size electric helicopters because they offer outstanding performance and features at affordable prices. It is very easy to understand why they are so popular.
If I was just starting out in the RC helicopter hobby with a limited budget and was looking for the best RC helicopter, getting a 400 class electric, which have around 700mm main rotor diameter, is the way I would go.
The Blade 400 RC helicopter is one of the best value helicopters on the market for people who are just starting out in this fun hobby or perhaps just getting back into RC helicopters after many years away and have not kept up to date with the latest technology. It is a good quality electric helicopter that you can grow with and will provide months, if not years of flying fun. Remember value is not the lowest up front cost, but the long term costs with operating and maintaining the model over the months.
The crown jewel of the Blade 400 kit is the Spektrum DX6i spread spectrum computerized radio. If you are getting into single rotor RC helicopters with collective pitch, especially if they have eCCPM swash mixing, a computerized radio is more necessity than need. Computerized radios allow you to properly setup and level your CCPM swash, a very necessary task.
Being able to tame down your throttle and pitch curves, dual rates, exponential rates, and of course ATV (adjustable travel volume) values of all channels is so important to single rotor, collective pitch helicopter success, especially when you are starting out. Also programming gyro output ATV values for remote gyro gain, pretty much the only gyro option these days even with basic inexpensive RC helicopter gyros. The Spektrum DX6i allows all these important functions and more.
The E-Flite Blade 400’s larger size offers improved visibility and added stability, especially when flying outdoors in breezy conditions that might ground other micro-class helicopters. It also allows for incredible power and performance not typically found in micro-class or even other mini-class models.
The E-Flite Blade 400 is primarily intended for outdoor flying, however, it can also be flown by experienced pilots in large indoor facilities, such as school halls and gyms, when the areas are free of people and obstructions. However the Blade 400 comes into its own in a good open outdoor area such as a sports field or public park.
The Blade 400 is capable of everything from smooth hovering to 3D aerobatic flying right out of the box. This makes it a great choice for intermediate pilots looking for their first 3D aerobatic platform and mini-helicopter model, especially those who have already mastered flying other mini helis. With the Spektrum DX6i you can adjust the settings if you are new to flying and change the settings as you become more experienced.
The E-Flite Bade 400 really is an excellent choice for all users, new to experience and the controls can be set up to match your experience. It is versatile and will be your flying companion for months or even years of fun and enjoyment. For more information read our E-Flite Blade 400 FAQ page.
