Swashplate: E-flite Blade 400 3D RTF
Andy Panoncillo
"BIGGER IS BETTER" is the rule of thumb for most things out there. But I found that the E-flite Blade 400 3D RTF mini electric-powered helicopter can fly and do things similarly to its bigger counterparts.
When I dropped off my last article for a project at the AMA office, Michael Ramsey, MA's editor, asked me if I would be interested in evaluating the Blade 400. I had seen it before, but I had never paid much attention to the model; it was summertime, and I don't normally fly this size or class of helicopter until early fall or wintertime, when indoor flying season starts.
The quickest route to the inverted position is with a forward or backward flip. With some adjustment, the roll control can be increased to harmonized cyclic authority.
But at a quick glance, the Blade 400 RTF seemed like an interesting machine. I thought I might as well accept the offer; I'm glad I did.
Horizon Hobby advertises the E-flite Blade 400 3D as a "ready to fly" (RTF) mini helicopter, and, unlike other manufacturers that use the term "RTF," Horizon Hobby means every letter of it. The model arrived fully assembled in a box, with the brushless motor, ESC, digital servos, heading-lock gyro, blades, charger, transmitter, and even the AA batteries.
Since the Blade is test-flown at the factory before it is shipped, you literally strap the battery on the helicopter after charging it, install the batteries on the transmitter, and you're ready to go.
The transmitter is a full-range Spektrum DX6i. Our freedom to fly our models under the 2.4 GHz band provides great peace of mind. The Blade's digital spread-spectrum radio is a great advantage; you don't have to worry about interference or even waiting for a frequency at the field.
Another of the DX6i's bonuses is a 10-model memory. You can use the system to fly your other models, regardless of size, since it is full range and compatible with all Spektrum DSM and DSM2 receivers.
The DX6i transmitter is almost specifically designed for the helicopter pilot; by default, its throttle (collective) stick has a smooth detent. All the programming is complete, and the switch assignments are conventional to the helicopter pilot. The flight-mode switch is on the left, and the throttle-hold switch is on the right. (Some airplane radios have the opposite setup.)
Dual rates are programmed. The included manuals are extensive and easy to digest. The supplied charger is simple, safe, and good for compatible two- and three-cell Li-Poly packs.
Great Features
- Frame: The Blade’s frame is constructed using a strong plastic (which E-flite calls "composite") that looks thick enough to withstand anything ranging from hard landings to crashes.
- Head assembly: Primarily plastic. Surprisingly, when I checked on it there was a minimal amount of slop, which is intended to make the helicopter more precise during flight and give it more control authority.
- Tail assembly: The tail uses the same philosophy—plastic case, pitch slider, and tail grips are made to minimize slop. The tail is belt driven, so maintenance is fairly easy and overall costs are low.
- Powertrain: The brushless 420H outrunner motor is rated at 3800 Kv and is combined with a 25-amp ESC.
- Servos and gyro: The factory-mounted servos are Spektrum’s DS75 digital micros; they should help with more precise flying. E-flite’s G110 Micro Heading Lock Gyro is soft-mounted with double-stick, self-adhesive foam tape.
- Wiring: All the wiring is bound neatly to the frame.
Inspections: I thoroughly inspected every nut and bolt, making sure that none of them would give me problems. I’m happy to say that I was impressed; they were all tight and well secured. In the spirit of safe flying, we need to treat our machines with care and good maintenance by doing regular inspections—especially on those screws. Just because everything on this model is done for you before you take it out of the box, don’t slack off and let a good helicopter suffer from lazy treatment.
Part of my inspection is the machine’s initial setup. This is another area where I was impressed; E-flite adhered to the rule of 90° geometry, and no major adjustment was needed.
Flight Characteristics
Don’t let the Blade 400 RTF’s size deceive you. It is capable of flying and performing maneuvers that most of the bigger helicopters on the market can do. It also handles windy conditions fairly well.
This model is very stable during hover, and that allows beginners and intermediate pilots to gain immediate confidence in their flying. The soft dampening on the head helps the flier keep the helicopter in place during a hover, which helps if you’re flying in a small area.
This machine tracks straight in forward flight, and I didn’t notice the traditional pitchiness you get with a smaller helicopter. When I was turning it around, I did notice its tendency to lose more altitude than I’m used to seeing. The gyro did a good job of keeping the tail where it needed to be.
I was able to do some of the aerobatic maneuvers with the Blade 400 that I enjoy doing with my bigger machines. The only major difference was the power distribution. This is surely a good machine for those who want to introduce themselves to 3-D flying. I especially like the way it did inverted backward flight, funnels, tic-tocs, pirouetting flips, etc.
The gyro struggled to keep up during some of those maneuvers, but I was fairly satisfied for the most part. One of the servos on the swashplate gave me problems when I went to fly the model during our photo shoot. I’m glad we were able to land it immediately, with no damage.
The Blade 400 3D RTF is not only a good introductory machine, but it is also capable of doing 3-D maneuvers at a cost that many pilots wouldn’t mind paying. It might be a good idea to buy a stronger servo package or even a stronger gyro system when you’re ready to do some serious aerobatic maneuvers.
Pilots of all skill levels can enjoy this model. I like the overall package, and the availability of Horizon Hobby’s “hop-up” parts gives you the potential to get even more fun out of it.
Andy Panoncillo [email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor
E-flite/Horizon Hobby, Inc. 4105 Fieldstone Rd. Champaign IL 61822 (217) 352-1913 www.e-fliterc.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
