This video shows my Blade 230 S V2 R/C helicopter and Spektrum DX6
G3 R/C system. Even after more than 100 flights it is still in excellent condition
and flies perfectly. The helicopter has never had a crack-up and has always been
flown with the training gear, so the even the rotor blades are excellent. Prior
to getting this, my last helicopter was the original Blade
CP, back around 2005. I was able to fly it a bit, but the heli was nowhere near
as stable and easy to fly as the Blade 23S V2.
For the money, it is an excellent investment for a beginner helicopter and high
quality radio. Rumor has it their is a new version of the Blade 230 S
coming out in 2022.
This is what I have into it thus far. Of course the price will likely go up eventually.
Here is a short demo flight of my Blade 230 S V2 R/C helicopter,
with a Spektrum DX6 G3 radio system (apologies for the background noise). I have
been flying it mostly in my basement and back yard since last August (2020). I've
taken it out to a local park a few times to be able to really open 'er up and see
how fast she'll go. I'm not good at estimating speeds, but easily 40-50 mph, and
that's with the draggy training gear attached.
Note: A standard wall-wart style 12 V DC charger supply
is required
for the Tx battery.
This helicopter is definitely a good trainer, and even a good first heli. I owned
and flew two of the early Blade CP helicopters (the
yellow ones with a brushed motor) back in the early 2000s. I had enough success
to be able to honestly claim to be able to fly a helicopter, but nothing to brag
about. This Blade 230 S V2 is extremely stable and seemingly perfectly balanced
from the factory. It will hover in place hands-off for at least 10 seconds with
no wind. Flight times with the 3S 800 mAh LiPo is around 8-1/2 minutes (charged
at 0.5 A). I have not attempted any aerobatics, and fly in the Stability mode
(per the transmitter program downloaded from Blade).
If you're looking for a great entry-level helicopter, I definitely recommend
the Blade 230 S V2. Click on the thumbnails below for details.
Training Gear Construction
The training gear is made from a hollow 1 meter long, 4 mm carbon fiber rod cut
in half and bound in the middle with fishing line. Thin CA glue was soaked into
the line. 1.5" plastic whiffle balls have a hole drilled in one side to clear the
rod, and then a small screw and washer hold it into the rod after it passes through
the ball. Also, I added a thick piece of plastic tubing on the lower rod where the
helicopter skids contact it to bring it up to the same level as the top rod. the
Blade 230 S frame will not tolerate any twisting from uneven rods (it will vibrate
terribly). Twist ties hold the skids to the training gear.
