Well, it is finally here: the E-flite Blade 400. This model alone has probably generated the most excitement by heli fanatics for any ready-to-fly package that has been released, and with good reason, too. The Blade 400 is probably one of the best, if not the best, equipped RTF mini helicopters on the market today. A brushless motor, LiPo battery and Spektrum radio are all included and make this an appealing package for anyone. This platform is the perfect step up from coaxial, fixed pitch, or some of the less expensive smaller micro electric helicopters.
Everything needed to fly is included, from the batteries for the transmitter to a LiPo balance charger. It really is a matter of just charging the battery and flying. I suppose reading the manual first would be a good idea (my LiPo battery was at about half its capacity, so that gave me about 30 minutes to read it). The manual covers some key points that are important to a newer pilot, especially those not used to flying a collective pitch helicopter. Luckily, the Blade 400 is flown at the factory so it should be in good flying condition when you open the package. Probably one of the most enticing aspects of this package is the included transmitter. It is a full-range Spektrum system the DX6i. This helicopter will last beginners through all their learning stages, from hovering to 3D maneuvers, and even advanced pilots will find this a very tempting bird.
General Flight Performance
STABILITY The Blade 400 felt a little touchy when I took off the first time so I landed to examine the expo settings in the transmitter. There was no expo programmed so I went ahead and found that 15 percent was a good starting point to get used to this aircraft. After that, under normal mode the helicopter exhibited very stable hovering characteristics. It became even steadier in idle-up mode.
FORWARD FLIGHT The 400 enters forward flight effortlessly and the gyro does its job keeping the tail straight during moderate-speed runs.
AEROBATICS The 400 is capable if intermediate 3D aerobatics right out of the box. During quick pitch changes the gyro “kicks” the tail out slightly, but takes a lot to do so. The Blade has no nasty tendencies when performing loops and rolls. An easy upgrade to help the tail hold well during 3D maneuvers is to replace the stock tail servo with one capable of accepting the gyros digital signals. A drop-in replacement is the Spektrum DSP75 microservo. It is only $20 for anyone looking to take advantage of the gyro’s capability. I find the Blade 400 a very capable helicopter, probably one of the best RTF packages ready for moderate 3D flight.
Specifications
MODEL Blade 400 3D RTF
MANUFACTURER E-flite
DISTRIBUTOR Horizon Hobby
MAIN ROTOR DIAMETER 28.2 in.
WEIGHT 23.5 oz.
MOTOR INCL’D 420H brushless outrunner, 3800kv
RADIO REQ’D 6-channel w/CCPM mixing
BLADES INCL’D Spektrum DX6I
