Hausler 450 SE V2 RTF Electric RC Helicopter

The Hausler 450 SE V2 radio controlled helicopter rig is a great value for the money. You get a fully assembled electric 6 channel collective pitch 450 sized heli complete with installed receiver and 6 channel transmitter, a "rate/heading hold" gyro, digital tail servo, servos with metal gears, a quality LI-PO battery, a balance battery charger, a battery charger power supply, and a plastic canopy.My Hausler could not fly when taken out of the box. During my initial pre-flight inspection I discovered that the right servo (aileron servo) was inoperative. I'm handy with a soldering iron so I disassembled the servo and found a wire had come loose from a small circuit board. I soldered the wire and reassembled the servo and it worked. I requested a replacement servo from ALPTECH. They said they sent one, but after three weeks I haven't received it. If I hadn't repaired the servo, my new Hausler 450 would be sitting gathering dust waiting for a part from ALPTECH that after a three week wait still hasn't arrived.Screws were not treated with Loc-tite, a necessary step to prevent in-flight failure and potential safety hazards that result when parts become loose and fly off. Make sure you check each screw that has metal to metal contact and apply blue Loc-tite to prevent problems.This is kind of the story with the Hausler (and possibly all radio controlled helis) - you will have do a lot of tweaking and adjusting just to get it to hover, but rest assured it will fly.Understand that RTF - Ready To Fly - means that all parts necessary to fly the heli are included. You don't have to buy any additional electronics, batteries, chargers, etc. It DOES NOT mean that you can charge the battery and have success getting the bird into the air without instantly crashing. This is a serious toy that can cause serious physical injury, but don't blame the equipment if you as a pilot don't know what you're doing.Ignore claims that "it's ready to fly right out of the box!" It's your $200 dollars that will be wasted if you don't take the time (we're talking at least an hour or two) to go over each part including the transmitter configuration and ensure your bird is ready for safe flight.The included transmitter is basic but does the job. It's the popular T-6A that is included with a lot of Trex copies. This particular transmitter and servos are branded "ZD FLY". I installed the included driver and it works fine with XP PRO. Make sure you select the COM channel, then GET USER to avoid sending garbage info to the transmitter.The power supply for the battery charger died during the first week after only a few charges. Any power supply with a 12v DC / 2A output / "N" sized positive tip will work.I've ordered replacement parts specified for the "Align Trex 450SE V2" and each has fit perfectly. CERMARK also has a full line of Hausler specific replacement parts at great prices available on their website.The original transmitter programming didn't allow easy flying. It had loads of negative pitch - the heli would struggle just to get light on the skids at full throttle. Only after a full heli setup which included centering the servo arms, leveling the swashplate, balancing and tracking the blades and programming a friendly throttle and pitch curve into the transmitter would the heli actually fly.Bottom Line: This is a good deal financially if you are willing to check the heli out fully BEFORE trying to put it into the air and don't mind doing the research necessary to prepare it mechanically for flight. If you just charge the battery and let 'er rip you will certainly crash and burn.If you're a newbie, buy the Hausler then subscribe to forums and watch online videos to learn how to set it up before trying to fly. Then you'll enjoy this little bird. Hausler 450 SE V2 RTF Electric RC Helicopter

First, the helicopter arrived very quickly and was well packaged.The helicopter is a very faithful clone of the AT 450.It flew well with little trim needed, except for the tail rotor which was quite a ways off.This is not a Toy. It is not for beginners. It is not easy to fly. But if you have looked into 450 class helicopters you know this. If you have not please do so before even considering buying this.The biggest down side of this Helicopter is the manual. Previous reviews have called it abysmal, which it is. It is not even the manual that you want. Since this is an RTF model there should be a quickstart manual that gives the essential information. For example: How to bind the model to the radio, The meaning and direction of the switches, The meaning and direction of the Pots. Ideally there should be a guide on helicopter setup and tuning.The next biggest problem of this product is the radio. It requires a PC to change many of the essential setting. The switches are not labeled. The potentiometers are not labeled. The low battery warning is not an audible warning so if you are not checking the power on light continually you will miss the light blinking just before you get your first glitch, which will then precipitate a crash. This happened to me. I was not happy.Conclusion: If I were to rate the helicopter itself I would give it 4 stars. It was well assembled and reasonably adjusted for flight. The metal on metal screws seem to be thread locked properly and I found no loose screws. The wiring was done neatly and secured well. The servos and motors seem good for a clone. The ESC does not have slow start so you will chew up the main gear if you start in IdleUP/3D mode.

PLEASE SEE THE FIRST COMMENT, I UPDATED MY OPINION THERE!This is my first 450 T-Rex clone. I was amazed at how responsive the bird was to my control inputs. This is a big step from the 4 Channel FP (fixed pitch) heli's I am used to flying. However, although I am not the best pilot with the 4 channels, I was able to lift the bad boy off the ground and fully control it from the very first launch. The amount of confidence I've built since this arrived is amazing. I was always scared to step up into the world of 6 Channel under the assumption that as often as I crash my other heli's...I'm not going to spend a bunch of money on a nice 6 channel. Although the price is better for the Hausler 450 V2 than almost all other 6 Channel heli's, that doesn't make it any "cheaper". This heli is built very well and mirrors the T-Rex 450 very similarly.I still agree with most flyers that it is best to start with a smaller heli, indoors (or outdoors with NO wind) in order to develop the controllability so you aren't wrecking it each time you lift off! I would recommend this heli to anyone that has the full intention of sticking with the hobby and learning to fly better as your experience increases. I am still shocked at how easy it was to learn to take off, hover, and do small turn/square patterns with this heli. Easier than many of the 4 Channels I've owned over the years. The 6 Channel CP is very much different than FP but this heli is great for those just looking to step up into that realm. Good luck all and Fly Nice!