Blade 230s

[Bravedan 106]

 

Now this is an interesting Blade Heli!

 

It shares some components with the 200 SRX, which in itself is pretty unusual, being a fixed pitch Heli with a head and blade arrangement somewhat nearer to a CP design.

 

The 230s, however, is collective pitch and capable of a full 3D Aero flight envelope.

 

What currently makes it very unusual if not unique though is that Blade have incorporated their "Safe" technology, so theoretically when you recognise that that "Chaos" or inverted move is going horribly wrong, a press of a Tx button makes the Heli recover to level upright attitude, though you do have to ensure you take off any negative pitch/throttle before it flattens itself into the ground!

 

It' has a direct drive tail motor rather than shaft/belt driven tail, and before you experienced Heli flyers groan, that's no bad thing on what is billed as an easy to fly easy to repair intermediate machine with 3D capability. Yes, possibly the most extreme 3D moves will blow out the tail and it'll lose hold, but if you are capable of and wanting to do these moves, what on earth would you have one of these for?

 

Can't as yet say what it flies like.....................laters....................

 

[Bravedan 106]

 

Now have flown it Indoors and Out. It is set up exactly as manual.

 

Indoors its a pussycat, very stable but with good feel.

 

Outdoors today it was flown on high rates, briefly a few circuits and eights in Normal first, then in Idle Up 2 (100% throttle flat line).

 

After a test loop I straight away on the very next cct into wind did five consecutive loops. This was in 5-8mph. That’s the confidence it gave. In feel and stability its miles better that a TRex style 250.

 

I demo’d it to Mark Fry later on when the breeze had stiffened a little to 8-10 with the odd higher gust (BH records 12-13mph for the time). Flew it around in ccts and 8's while left in Normal to experience minimal bumping (good for no powered negative available and lower headspeed), I then went into IU2 again and did a huge forward oval loop holding inverted then half loop straight into a flared landing.

 

Didn’t touch any setting or trim. Tail hold is perfectly adequate, stability is good. Cyclic gyro action is good but not restricting.

 

No, didn’t try “Panic†while inverted, but the other day in the garden I did try it while near rotor vertical and it worked!!

 

One point with the as set throttle hold, it cuts the tail motor as well as the main rotor, so no steering while in auto and in fact it unsurprisingly goes into a slow piro on cutting throttle while in flight. I will be looking at stopping this as I do not like it!

 

I ran it on the supplied five charges old Blade 800mAh 3S and 5 mins forward flight left 44%...............and then on a tired and swollen Tipple 800mAh 3S. No noticeable power difference, the tired one didn’t sag in the 5 mins set, suggeting the current draw is low.

 

I’m quite impressed, def seems a good intermediate pilot buy. Maybe the big money spend IS worth it in this case. Still early days but (unlike the BO-105 130x) I think they have spawned a good one here.

 

Only drawback current is the paucity of spares in the country and the totally carp canopy colour which does try to hide it against sky, grass and trees. Glad I stuck flouro orange vinyl on the underside. BAD job, Blade!!

 

[Bravedan 106]

 

With the carp weather has come a fair bit more Indoor flying than Out, and the Blade 230s has not disappointed.

 

I have changed the canopy for one that shows better in orientation...................... and that is it so far.

 

HOWEVER, on a DX9, the "Panic" trigger is the "I" Button, also used as the bind button. This is in completely the wrong place for use in a hurry!

 

If you need the Panic Button, the last thing you need is an over lengthy stretch from normal flying hand positions round other switches like Idle Up.

 

Flying thumbs and Mode 2 I have to almost come off the Throttle/Yaw stick, certainly off enough to have lost control over them.

 

I have not done it yet, but am about to add another button probably on the rear case paralleled to the "I" Button, probably on the case rear in permanent range of a rear case holding finger while retaining full access to the throttle/yaw stick. The alternative would be swappjng a switch and the button to locate it outboard more.

 

I could then (and only then) push the 230s though beyond my current skill level in the knowledge that I WILL be able to hit "Panic" easily in a hurry and so get out of a faux pas.