- Feb 14, 2004
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Been awhile since I posted anything R/C-related, so I thought I'd post about a chopper for those of you who want to take the next step into R/C flight. The Blade CX3 ($199, due out later this month) is a super awesome battery-powered R/C chopper that completely blows away those $20 micro helis, yet is easy enough to fly that it could be your first R/C heli. It comes complete as an RTF (ready-to-fly) model and is test-flown at the factory, so all you have to do is unbox it, charge up the battery, slap it together and fly! There's nothing to build and nothing extra to buy - everything you need is in the box. Check out the homepage and watch a couple videos here:
Product Homepage
Promo Video (click 'Watch in High Quality')
CX3 Preview Podcast (click 'Watch in High Quality')
Unlike other larger helis, this doesn't require a Master's degree in aeronautics to start flying. It's also battery-powered, which means it's quiet to fly and doesn't need gas like other larger R/C helicopters. Note that this isn't an aerobatic heli due to the twin-blade design, but if you can do stunts like flying upside down then you're probably not in the market for something like this, lol. I've flown the Blade CX2 on numerous occasions and it is hands-down the best electric heli I have ever flown. It's extremely stable, it's easy to fly, and it's just a lot of fun! The CX3 has a few key features that makes it stand above the crowd:
Key Feature: This chopper has a twin-blade design, just like the previous CX2 model, which gives it ultra-stable flight. Seriously, it makes it easy enough for just about anyone to master quickly. If you've flown micro helis with both single and dual-rotors, you'll know what I'm talking about. This is far better than a dual-rotor micro foam heli though - just watch the videos above to see what I'm talking about!
Key Feature: The CX3 heli comes with a Spektrum radio, which is a special interference-free transmitter/receiver system. If you're not into R/C, then this won't mean much to you, but if you are then you'll understand just how great it is - you'll never, ever, ever get signals crossed with another R/C unit! Plus it has a nice, short rubber antenna instead of a long metal extensions antenna on the radio, which is a nice convenience feature.
Key Feature: This heli has a Heading Lock Gryo, which automatically keeps the tail straight. If you've flown other small choppers before, you know that you have to constantly fight the tail to keep it in the position you want - not anymore! So not only do you get the super-stable twin-blade design, but you also get the heading lock gyro system for keeping the tail in place. This is getting too easy
As far as accessories go, it has a transmitter-activated Navigation Lights package (sold separately), which allows you to fly in the dark thanks to numerous LEDs place around the heli, which has pre-drilled holes so you can install them easily (p/n EFLH2009). There is also a bind-and-fly version of the heli kit, which allows you to use a separate Spektrum radio and use it with the CX3 (nice if you want a higher-end computer radio for controllering other R/C aircraft). It comes stock with a scale-licensed MD 520N Police chopper body, but it is completely backwards-compatible with the Blade CX and CX2 bodies via an adapter kit. You can get all kinds of bodies, including a Seahawk, Marine, and Jet Ranger. It is also compatible with a lot of CX2 upgrades and has its own line of metal hop-up parts. So there's plenty of room for upgrades if you enjoy modding your R/C toys!
If you enjoy R/C helis, then consider this "the" electric chopper to get. At $200, it's very reasonably priced for a complete, ready-to-fly kit and has some serious hardware inside, as well as lots of upgrade options from metal parts to aftermarket bodies to navigational lights. I know I'm looking forward to picking one up
Product Homepage
Promo Video (click 'Watch in High Quality')
CX3 Preview Podcast (click 'Watch in High Quality')
Unlike other larger helis, this doesn't require a Master's degree in aeronautics to start flying. It's also battery-powered, which means it's quiet to fly and doesn't need gas like other larger R/C helicopters. Note that this isn't an aerobatic heli due to the twin-blade design, but if you can do stunts like flying upside down then you're probably not in the market for something like this, lol. I've flown the Blade CX2 on numerous occasions and it is hands-down the best electric heli I have ever flown. It's extremely stable, it's easy to fly, and it's just a lot of fun! The CX3 has a few key features that makes it stand above the crowd:
Key Feature: This chopper has a twin-blade design, just like the previous CX2 model, which gives it ultra-stable flight. Seriously, it makes it easy enough for just about anyone to master quickly. If you've flown micro helis with both single and dual-rotors, you'll know what I'm talking about. This is far better than a dual-rotor micro foam heli though - just watch the videos above to see what I'm talking about!
Key Feature: The CX3 heli comes with a Spektrum radio, which is a special interference-free transmitter/receiver system. If you're not into R/C, then this won't mean much to you, but if you are then you'll understand just how great it is - you'll never, ever, ever get signals crossed with another R/C unit! Plus it has a nice, short rubber antenna instead of a long metal extensions antenna on the radio, which is a nice convenience feature.
Key Feature: This heli has a Heading Lock Gryo, which automatically keeps the tail straight. If you've flown other small choppers before, you know that you have to constantly fight the tail to keep it in the position you want - not anymore! So not only do you get the super-stable twin-blade design, but you also get the heading lock gyro system for keeping the tail in place. This is getting too easy
As far as accessories go, it has a transmitter-activated Navigation Lights package (sold separately), which allows you to fly in the dark thanks to numerous LEDs place around the heli, which has pre-drilled holes so you can install them easily (p/n EFLH2009). There is also a bind-and-fly version of the heli kit, which allows you to use a separate Spektrum radio and use it with the CX3 (nice if you want a higher-end computer radio for controllering other R/C aircraft). It comes stock with a scale-licensed MD 520N Police chopper body, but it is completely backwards-compatible with the Blade CX and CX2 bodies via an adapter kit. You can get all kinds of bodies, including a Seahawk, Marine, and Jet Ranger. It is also compatible with a lot of CX2 upgrades and has its own line of metal hop-up parts. So there's plenty of room for upgrades if you enjoy modding your R/C toys!
If you enjoy R/C helis, then consider this "the" electric chopper to get. At $200, it's very reasonably priced for a complete, ready-to-fly kit and has some serious hardware inside, as well as lots of upgrade options from metal parts to aftermarket bodies to navigational lights. I know I'm looking forward to picking one up
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