Thunder Tiger Mini Titan E325 V2 Combo Kit
Jacob Ramsey
A compact demigod of a helicopter with thunderous agility
Overview
My first helicopter was an inexpensive receiver-ready model from Heli-Max called the "Axe 400." My dad and I set it up exactly as directed using a simple six-channel radio, and I was quickly learning intermediate skills with a collective-pitch helicopter. As I pushed into more aggressive maneuvers, the plastic frame and mechanics began to wear out, so it was time for an upgrade.
Looking to Great Planes Model Distributors for my next machine, I discovered Thunder Tiger's revised Mini Titan E325 V2. Version 2 takes the best from the original Mini Titan Pro edition and adds popular refinements that position the machine alongside designs that cost considerably more. With Great Planes as the exclusive U.S. distributor, the V2 is available and attractively priced.
Key features
- Refreshed, all-metal mechanics with a larger carbon/composite frame and oversized canopy
- Hard-core eCCPM mechanics and a low-CG layout aimed at 3-D pilots
- Massive head block and blade grips with three bearings in each main grip
- Single-stack carbon-fiber frame with three metal-bearing blocks supporting the main shaft
- Motor and battery mounted on center with the tailboom to improve roll-axis rotation and reduce pitch-mixing
- Kit format with bearings pre-seated in housing blocks and a clear instruction manual
Build and mechanics
The finish of the metal parts is striking and smooth. Setup can be tuned for different pilot skill levels by selecting ball-link connection locations on the Bell-Hiller mixer. New pilots can snap linkages into a forgiving set of holes; more aggressive settings are available by moving the links inward.
The V2 head block and blade grips are robust, and their dimensions extend the blades outward, increasing disk area and helping the machine feel lighter on the sticks. The single-stack frame is simple and strong; three metal-bearing blocks supporting the main shaft reduce the chance of twisting. The frame sides are thick and 100% carbon fiber.
Balance remains a clear focus: Thunder Tiger mounted the motor and battery on center with the tailboom, achieving a smooth rotation on the roll axis with less pitch-mixing required.
Assembly and kit contents
The V2 is offered as a full kit. Packaging is well organized: three boxes separate numbered parts bags from longer components (tailboom) and delicate items (factory-painted fiberglass canopy). Each assembly step calls out the parts bag required, so you can mark a step complete when the parts are used.
Be careful during assembly—several pieces can be installed two ways (right way and wrong way). Double-check drawings for each attachment to avoid headaches.
Included helpful tools:
- Linkage gauge: a time-saving plastic tool for testing pushrod/ball link length, avoiding guesswork with a hard-to-read metric ruler. Great for those without a dial caliper.
- Swashplate leveler: a plastic disk that fits between the swashplate and top bearing block to show alignment faults clearly.
Because these tools were included, my Mini Titan V2 hovered perfectly straight off the bench.
Note: During my build, Futaba S3156 metal-gear digital mini servos (and similar units) required 1 mm shims under the mounting tabs to allow servo arms to properly clear the main frame. Other than shimming, I do not recommend cutting away carbon frame material as that weakens crash support. Editor's note: this has been corrected on all new E325 V2s, which now include side frames that allow a broader selection of servos to fit.
The supplied ball links fit accurately and required no sizing, but stock links are an uncommon inside diameter (3.8 mm), so pick up a spare pack. Also consider an extremely thin shim for the 3 mm tail-rotor output shaft between the support bearings to eliminate play and improve gyro efficiency.
Use the thicker servo arms provided with micro servos to prevent unwanted flexing. Socket-head cap and button-head screws appear harder than the countersunk JIS screws; be cautious when using threadlock on softer hardware to avoid stripping. I used the red thread-lock compound supplied with the kit but can't recommend it—some hardware is too soft to be removable after aggressive threadlock. Stick with blue threadlock or only the tiniest trace of the supplied compound.
Electronics and setup
My chosen components and setup:
- Radio: Futaba 10C FASST
- Receiver: R6106H FASST
- Tail gyro: Futaba GY520
- Tail servo: Futaba S9257 mini (mounted on left side, opposite the manual, for better crash protection)
- Servos: Futaba S3156 metal-gear digital mini servos (required 1 mm shims under mounting tabs)
- Motor: supplied 3,500 kV outrunner (3,000 rpm head speed in my setup); Thunder Tiger offers a 3,700 kV motor for higher head speeds
- Blades: included 325 mm carbon-fiber blades
- Battery tested: ElectriFly 2200 mAh 25C 3S Li-Poly (T-Rex chemistry pack designed for 450-class demands)
A direct-link servo arrangement supports the eCCPM swashplate well. Thunder Tiger arranged the servos following the “rule of 90” for ideal geometry. Nearly the only oddity I noticed during setup was that a positive pitch command pulled the swashplate down instead of up, which is opposite of many other eCCPM machines—be aware when programming your radio.
Maximum blade pitch was initially set to 13° for aerobatic agility; you can go to 15° later for more aggressive flying. The Futaba 10C doesn't have an "e-ring" program, so be cautious: stick inputs in the far corners could overload mechanics without endpoint management.
The Futaba GY520 gyro was extremely simple to set up. With normal and heading-lock settings at 50%, the tail showed no sign of bounce or blowing out and felt very solid.
Flying impressions
Since first liftoff, the Mini Titan V2 has been smooth and solid. The included 325 mm blades tracked perfectly and needed only a small amount of tape to balance. The oversized canopy gives the appearance of a much larger helicopter in flight, and the solid mechanics deliver a "big helicopter" control feel.
I set three flight modes:
- Normal — smooth throttle, lower head speed for longer battery life and practice hover orientations; simulates how a larger helicopter feels.
- Idle-up mode 1 (70% power) — good for sport and forward-flight aerobatics; the Thunder Tiger ESC governor maintains constant head speed well.
- Idle-up mode 2 (100% throttle) — maximum power for crisp cyclic and collective response.
With modest mechanical settings, control feel is extremely smooth and not overly aggressive, which helped when learning inverted and backward flight. Once these attitudes become more instinctive, I plan to move the Bell-Hiller mixer links inward for more authority and increase exponential on one rate to tame sensitivity.
Expect approximately six minutes of mixed flight (hovering and scale aerobatics) from a good 2200 mAh 25C 3S Li-Poly pack. Good batteries designed for 450-class demands are worth the investment to experience the Mini Titan V2's full potential.
Maintenance and costs
- Expect the first average crash repair to cost about $70–$90, including new carbon-fiber blades.
- Replacement parts are sold in bundles of two or three, which makes subsequent repairs more economical than on a larger 50-class machine.
An investment in Thunder Tiger is a good one, especially with Great Planes backing dealers with product and parts support.
Jacob Ramsey [email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Thunder Tiger / Great Planes Model Distributors Box 9021 Champaign, IL 61826 (217) 398-8970 www.ttamerica.com
Sources:
- Futaba — www.futaba-rc.com
- ElectriFly — www.electrifly.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
