Heli Review - E-Flite Blade CP Pro
Small electric helicopters are extremely popular for their convenience, price and the small areas required to fly them. The Blade Series of Helicopter from E-FLite comes in several flavors including the new belt drive model that eliminates the extra motor on the tailboom.
This article will focus on the CP Pro which comes out of the box ready for 3D aerobatics. Upon opening the box, the completely assembled and tested chopper only needs to have it’s batteries charged to be ready for flight.A six channel radio with CCPM mixing is included and is setup with throttle hold function and mixing for normal flight, or aerobatics. The 370 inrunner, brushed motor can be easily replaced with a Park 370 Brushless motor for extra power and longevity.
After charging and checking the CG, simply fire it up and go fly. Only minor trimming was required for a decent hover and the micro-servos seem to have enough punch for this little mite.A 3-in-1 receiver is included and has a tail-boom gyro installed as well as a gain control for the yaw axis. This can also be upgraded to a more sophisticated model from E-Flite.
Construction of the heli is simple and contains many carbon fiber parts. Many hop-up parts are available for the popular Blade CP and enhance the flight characteristics and longevity.
Flying the CP Pro - The CP Pro is setup for 3D flight, so it is not for beginners. Hovering requires only minimal, rapid inputs because of it’s size and mass and forward flight is exciting and brisk due also to it’s light weight.
Since the CP Pro is so small, aerobatics must be done closer to the ground unless you have exceptional vision. 3D tricks and inverted flight are demanding, but satisfying and the Blade CP Pro will fly many advanced maneuvers with snappy charm and performance.
While we are talking about the size and weight of the chopper, the CP series are very crash resistant because of good construction and light weight. After bouncing off the hood of a truck and hitting the pavement, the CP Pro was ready for flight only a few minutes later. The main weak point seems to be the attachment points of the LG skid to the main body, but a crash kit only costs about$18 and includes the LG skid and a set of blades.
If you are looking for a great value right out of the box, the Blade CP Pro could be a good choice for you. See the videos at http://E-Fliterc.com.
