Clone Rex450

Dumb Thumbs · Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:50 am Post subject: Finely arrived.

Well it finely got here today, only took like a month and a half to get here (-the servos I had ordered for it) Rolling Eyes

I started the build tonight and right away I find that all the heads on the socket head screws are poorly machined, they ain't metric and they ain't SAE.

Crashagain · Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:11 am Post subject:

I hope you get it figured out.
Have you tried some screws from your trex to see if they fit better?

Dumb Thumbs · Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 1:12 pm Post subject:

Most of the screws I replaced with Align screws. I checked everything over for LockTite & grease. For the most part everything was OK. Got everything together and have leveled the swash. Next week I'll have the $ together to get the servos and gyro at the LHS. Thinking about getting a Spartan Quark gyro. I'll put it on my SEv2 and use the Logictech 2100 from it on the HK450
Some things I didn't like I've swaped out,
motor mount, tail output gear, tail rotor shaft, battery tray (all were plastic) and changed the links in the head to AlignSEv3 solid links.

pjdog · Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:48 am Post subject:

So far would you say the ‘HK450 alum & CF bare bones kit ‘ was worth it or should you have bought a real thing?

Jack

Dumb Thumbs · Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 5:53 am Post subject:

Well,,,
worth it for me because I already had a motor, Rx & ESC on hand for it and I know how to build a Rex450 right. For someone who has never built a heli from the ground up, getting a HK450MT would be a mistake. You get no instructions with it at all and a lot of the stock parts just won't hold up.

pjdog · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:03 am Post subject:

Dumb Thumbs:

Thanks for the response. I'll scratch that one off my list. I'm looking to get a 450 something. I'll need everything so. Everything I've gotten so far has been the RTF type. So I'm thinking that one would be a problem for me.

Jack

Dumb Thumbs · Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:10 am Post subject: More upgrades

Made some more upgrades today, metal tail control arm and Rex450 Sport counter balanced tail blade grips. The 450SEv2 got the new grips and I used the grips off it (had done the "Chinese Weight mod to them long ago) on the HK450.

Dumb Thumbs · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:23 am Post subject: Going Scale

Well, decided on getting a scale fuse for the HK450. I got in a couple test hovers in today and I've got to do some serious work to get rid of vibrations.

Crashagain · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:41 am Post subject:

WOW!!! That's beautiful...
Keep us updated on your progress..
I am thinking about ordering one of the HK 600's. For $139.00 I don't think I can go wrong.

Dumb Thumbs · Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 8:11 am Post subject:

Well I tore it down to track down the vibration issue. Turned out that two of the five cross members of the plywood subframe broke loose Shocked

Also some of the self tapping screws that attach skids to subframe to mainframe came out and are lost.
I'm going to reinforce all the joints in the plywood subframe and scrap the self tapping screws and use cap screws & locknuts when I get around to rebuilding it.
Another problem is three of the bolt holes in the HK450 tail case now have the threads striped out, so I need to throw another $45 into the "cheap" HK450 to get an Align Rex450 tail case. This bargin HK450 was a mistake, I now wish I just went for a Rex450 Sport.

solentlife · Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 5:11 am Post subject:

You can buy Upforce 450 of ebay .... the HK 450's .... they are all clones of the Trex either the SE V2 or the Pro ...

My Upforce 450 RTF at 150 quid is nothing short of very good and ALL Align SE V2 parts fit .. so repairs / upgrades are fully compatible.

I also bought a 450 SE V2 barebones metal head / CF frame job ... same good quality.

Only area that I would advise is to replace all screws with the 12.9 screws available on Ebay as full Trex 450 sets. They are excellent and do not round out in the hex key heads like the soft shiny jobs as supplied.

See my intro as a new joinee of the forum - you'll see my 450's there ...

ferretmaster · Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 11:55 am Post subject:

I am finding the quality issue about the HK 450 to be quite interesting. I ordered a HK 450 Pro a couple weeks back, received it in good time, about 10 days to WA state. Still in the build stage BUT.....
The quality of the phillips screws and socket head cap screws is just fine IMO. I have NOT rounded out a single one and I disassembled the entire frame, head and tail rotors to check for locktite and to sand all the rough enges on the CF frame. The rough edges are the only issue I have found save for two (out of how many?) SHCS's that needed blue locktite.
All the metal parts seem to be of at least an acceptable grade aluminum, all shafts were straight and true. CNC machine work is quite good. No slop, but as I said, not airborn yet. Taking my time and happen to be building a TT Mini Titan at the same time as a AH1W scale effort. I have to call the quality of parts equal to the Thunder Tiger.......so far!

Gentle landings to all and to all a Happy New Year!!!