HK 500 GT

[Bravedan]

I have taken the plunge and ordered one of these from Giant Cod. Adverse comments around on t'internet relating to this model all seem to be old ones which relate mostly to extreme 3D use and the common areas of "concern" seem to have been all addressed in mods to build standard on current issue. We'll see!!!

Part of the reason for going to a bigger EP Heli is my travelling gets me near my club sites and with flying time, but transporting starters and fuel is an issue in a car often already loaded up with tools, and while my 450's (inc a HK 450) are great little machines, they ultimately are not that wind worthy.

This bird uses 6S cell size, that is, using my supreme maffematikal powers, it can use two times 3S...........

SO, my 3S 2300 450 size batteries can be used in matching pairs.

With the base Heli kit under £60, initially at least a £10 gyro, etc, will it be cheap and cheerful, or cheap and rubbish..............

Watch this space.................it might save you some money either way!!!

[Bravedan]

Blimey, was that last post here April......................

OK, so it's built. The frame build was painless once started, it all fitted and no cheese screws were discovered.

Gear installation was made a little more awkward as the perfectly fitting Turnigy servos were not available, and Align ones too dear for me, the next nearest Tirnigy were short for the pre-drilled holes, but with one end fitted, the other fitted to the frame hole edge so with washers was secure.

Then the ESC I'd bought was getting far too hot, and resetting when the throttle was closed, forcing a different ESC to be used.

It was completed on Sat and hover tested Sunday afternoon once the wind died back a bit, and proved easy to get trimmed and quite quiet.

So far, so good.

Hopefully tomorrow it might get a proper flight in the wide open spaces of Poling.

[Bravedan]

So I arrive at Poling, and the grass (mostly tall stalky weeds more like) were so long I could not fly, so back up to Fickelshole, which was nice and short.

I have three sets of cells (2 of 2300mAh 3S per set), and I flew all three sets, being conservative as to duration till I know what rate I'm draining the cells at.

It's very enjoyable, nicely stable but at the same time lively.

Just briefly hovered the least used set in the garden with my DPC connected before recharging them, and got the following figures from a stable 1 metre high hover with one power pump.

Time: 0:41
Rate: 3 SPS (Samples per second)
Charge: 153 mAh
Battery Efficiency: 98%

Max Current: 15.44 A
Avg Current: 13.37 A

Max Voltage: 21.74 V
Avg Voltage: 21.22 V
Min Voltage: 20.69 V

Max Power: 327.57 W
Avg Power: 283.39 W

Just gone over it mechanically and so far so good, no issues emerging, nothing loosening.

[Bravedan]

Incidentally, the complete 500 Class Heli inc gyro, servos and ESC/UBEC and motor, in fact ALL bar the Rx and batteries, came to £158.77.

The basic kit came with all the "essential" upgrades/fixes with one exception, the front tail belt drive with metal gear, which I added at purchase and was £3.75.

[Bravedan]

Had a few more flights now. Yesterday was very turbulent, yet it was pretty easy and stable.

Here's what it looks like. This is with the "supplied" plain white flexible plastic canopy with some vinyl I added. I have a flasher detailed scheme fibreglass Canopy (a massive £6).

[Bravedan]

Using two separate 3 cell batteries, there's a slight concern they won't drain equally, so have done a few test flights.

Just as one example, flown only to very first signs of drop in power, one pair of batteries took on recharging separately 2049 and 2050 mAh. Quite well balanced then!!!!

[Bravedan]

Here's a pic with the FG canopy.................



How they do those canopies for the money I'll never know..............apart from the five differing paint colours you see, the whole lot is oversprayed with a thinned out metalflake to make it sparkle.

All for currently £7.77 in UK.

One thing to watch for, the HK FG canopies are thinner and more pointed than the plastic ones, so battery space is tighter.