Swashplate: Heli-Max Axe CX Micro RTF
Mark Fadely
TWO WONDERFUL THINGS happened to me recently. The first, and most important, is that my 12-year-old son suddenly decided that he was interested in trying RC helicopters. Second, soon thereafter I received an Axe CX Micro to review. What fantastic timing!
I have flown RC during my son Jack's entire lifetime. I never pushed the hobby on him, and he never seemed too interested in it. It was exciting to hear him express an interest in flying, so it seemed natural to solicit his help on the review. After all, the Axe CX Micro is designed to be a "no experience necessary" helicopter.
When I asked Jack to help with the review, he was thrilled. He had flown a few airplanes and helicopters on my simulator, but he had tried only a couple other coaxial helicopters.
Our beloved UPS driver delivered the box, and Jack and I opened it together (a special moment for sure). That sensation of opening the new helicopter's box never loses its luster. I finally had someone with which to share the sound of squeaking Styrofoam packaging. The box's design was well thought out, with no signs of damage from shipping.
When the box was open, the first thing that struck both of us was the helicopter's size. This thing is tiny; the rotor spans only 10 inches! I wondered how well it would fly because of the small size. Typically, the smaller the aircraft, the less stable it will be.
Besides the helicopter, the package included a Li-Poly battery/charger, transmitter, and instruction manual. Since everything was assembled, we plugged in the charger and waited for the flight-pack battery to be ready to fly. We did need to put eight AA batteries in the transmitter.
The helicopter was test-flown at the factory, so I was curious to see how well it would be trimmed on its initial flight. Dad had to be the first one to give it a go.
When the charge indicator turned from red to green, we knew it was ready. It takes approximately an hour to charge the flight battery, so picking up a spare would be a good idea.
I showed Jack how to slip the battery into the compartment on the underside of the machine. I set it down on our family room floor, turned on the transmitter, and then plugged in the flight-pack battery onboard the helicopter.
I gently raised the throttle stick, and the rotor blades started turning. The little purple helicopter lifted off at roughly midstick on the throttle. Once airborne, it stayed stationary, hovering in one spot. Wow, I guess the factory-flight-tested claim was right.
Jack had been watching my checkout procedure.
"Okay, now let me try it," he said.
I handed him the transmitter and he lifted off and hovered the Axe, tail-in, with no problem. To my surprise, he then turned it around for some nose-in hovering.
When I think back about how long it took me to learn nose-in hovering, it was a shock to see my son simply turn the model around the way he did. He is part of the Xbox generation, you know.
Then I told Jack to fly the helicopter around a bit. He pushed the cyclic stick forward and started a medium-speed forward circuit. He even gained the altitude necessary to just miss Mom's new lamp! That was close.
After a couple more minutes of nicely controlled flight, Jack set the Axe CX Micro down and said, "Wow, that is my favorite helicopter."
He took off once more and confidently finished the battery power, for a total of nine minutes of flight time. I think he caught the RC bug, because since then he has been asking to go with me to all the indoor events.
When Jack had flown the Axe several more times, I asked him to describe its flight characteristics in his own words. He said:
"This heli just turns better and is more responsive than the others I have tried. It is pretty fast compared to other small helis too. You can fly it around more. It doesn't have to stay in one spot the whole time. The tail control was better. It can stop right where you want it to even when it is spinning fast. It is easy to land, and you can fly it in really small rooms."
Thanks for helping out on the review, Jack.
Specifications
- Rotor span: 10.6 inches
- Height: 5.9 inches
- Length: 10.8 inches
- Width: 2.5 inches
- Weight: 2.6 ounces
- Servos: Two micro (installed)
- Transmitter: 72 MHz, four channels
- Receiver: Integrated receiver, gyro, speed control
- Motor: Two brushed motors — one for each rotor
- Battery: 7.4-volt, two-cell, 500 mAh Li-Poly pack
- Color: Lexan canopy is available in six colors (different frequencies for each)
- Price as tested: $99.99
This new model comes neatly packaged in its custom-formed box. It can serve as a carrying case or for storage. Everything you need is in there; put AA batteries in the transmitter and you are ready to go.
Pluses and Minuses
- Solid control and convenient small size.
- Better forward-flight characteristics than some other micro helicopters.
- Tail drifted slightly even with the trim lever fully deflected.
Tips for Successful Flights
- Keep the Axe low (less than a foot in altitude) for the first flights.
- Keep its tail pointed toward you.
- If you feel like you are losing control, gently lower the throttle stick.
- Do not fly close to furniture.
- Make sure there is a level landing zone under the helicopter at all times.
- Do not chase pets. Ha! Ha! An aggressive house cat can ruin a great Axe CX Micro day!
Rating: On our scale, 1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest.
- Ease of use: 10
- Flight performance: 9
- Flight duration: 9
- Instructions: 9
- Durability: 8
- Parts support: 10
I like the fact that the Axe CX Micro RTF is test-flown and adjusted at the factory. New pilots need something that they can take out of the box and be successful with right away. Having to make adjustments and/or tweak a lot of components is not user-friendly for the novice.
Hobbico scored a bull’s-eye when it targeted this model at the raw beginner pilot. However, its easy handling and superb flight characteristics make this little helicopter fun for pilots of any skill level.
Mark Fadely [email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor
Heli-Max/Great Planes Box 9021 Champaign, IL 61826 (800) 637-7660 www.helimax-rc.com
Other Published Reviews
- Hobby Merchandiser: February 2009
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
