Customer Reviews

E-Flite Blade CX2 RTF Electric Coaxial Micro Helicopter

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As the other reviewers have said, this is an excellent way to get started in RC helicopters. Until you have actually tried it, you have no idea how difficult it is to fly a heli. Totally different than flying a plane. But a lot of fun.

These two rotor helis are easier, not easy, easier, to learn to hover because of the way the rotors are engineered to constantly seek stability. The bad news - they are don't like to go forward, backward, etc., because the rotors are fighting being out of a stable condition. So you have to learn to trick them into it. But as soon as they figure out you tricked them they will pull up and go back into a hover.

However, the alternative - going direct to a single rotor - forget it - the want-adds are full of used helis from guys who bought them and could never learn to fly them.

Be prepared to crash... a lot. For the first few outings you will be flying your heli into walls, trees, yourself (almost did that twice myself). It just takes awhile for your brain to get it. You will get good at replacing broken rotors.

This is not a cheap hobby. You will be spending more money on replacement rotors, shafts, extra batteries, and all the other things you break. To start, buy two or three bags of top and bottom rotors, and an extra battery. You only get 10 or so minutes from a battery. Good news..CX2 parts are relatively cheap.

One good thing about the CX2 is it is 2.4 ghz radio system. These 2.4 systems "bind" to each other so you don't have to worry about other flyers or random electrical interference. Great deal.

I'm transitioning from the CX2 to a CP+ which is a single rotor heli. It is just as difficult to move up to single rotor as it was to learn the CX2 initially.

I strongly recommend that if you are serious about getting into this hobby that you buy a computer simulator. There's several on the market. You can spend hours practicing at home and they are pretty realistic. I have Real Flight and it works with Vista.

If you want to "step up" from the R/C "flying saucers" and the very simple "Air Hogs Helicopter", then this is the perfect R/c Helicopter!

The Eflite Blade CX2 will actually go where you want it to (with practice), unlike the above mentioned alternatives.

Everything needed to fly the CX2 is included in the box.
After reading the instructions and charging the included battery, I was flying the CX2 right away.

With the included 2.4 ghz transmitter, you can make the CX2 go forward, backward, sideways in either direction, pirouette, ascend and descend, (oh yeah - AND crash).

What I like about the 2.4 ghz frequency is the little stubby antenna on the transmitter instead of the "3 foot" long antenna found on other R/C transmitters which in needed because of the lower "27 mhz" or "72 mhz" frequencies.

I highly recommend flying in a large room, or a gymnasium to avoid hitting obstacles. Flying outdoors is very challanging and not recommended unless there is absolutely no wind - a slight breeze may carry your cx2 to another land;)

In addition, it is a good idea to buy replacement blades (upper and lower) - because crashing is inevitable. A spare battery is a good accessory too.
Your local hobby shop should have replacement parts.

Eflite is one of the most popular R/C companies, so parts support is very good with most hobby shops. There are also many upgrades you can do on the cx2 such as the "police body canopy", or a "carbon tailboom" mod.

Of course with any flying toy, remember to use caution when flying near people and animals. Be sure to read all safety information in the instruction booklet.

Caution: this hobby is very addictive, and you may soon find yourself looking at more complicated, expensive, and harder to fly r/c helicopters.

LJ

The Blade CX2 is perhaps the best RC indoor, electric, coaxial helicopter on the market. The new 2.4Ghz transmitter and receiver are excellent and glitch free. The built in gyro produces little to no nose wandering and when properly trimmed the helicopter can hover hands off.

As others have said this is not really a toy but an RC helicopter designed to teach you how to fly RC helis. It is a great learning tool and will remain a fun, indoor flyer even if you move on to more advanced RC helis. It is very precise and you can easily land and take off from an area the size of a CD case once you get good. The Blade CX2 can be flown outdoors but does not handle wind at all.

The only bad thing I can say is that the Blade (CX and CX2) is prone to blade strikes if you do abrupt maneuvers. Of course these helis are not really designed for this sort of flying so it is not really the fault of the unit. In way this also helps to teach you smooth control inputs.

The E-Flite products are well supported at most hobby shops that carry RC gear. You will probably want at least one or two extra batteries and a package of upper and lower blades when you start. Charge times for the battery is 1-2 hours and you will get 10-15 mins of flight time.

If you are new to RC helicopters this is the best place to start.

This model is simply amazing. I also own a Blade CP heli, and struggle with just getting into a stable hover. I was able to hover this heli right away, and was landing on 3-foot diameter coffee tables by the third battery pack. Its really is that stable and easy to fly. It has cyclic and rudder controls, with collective provided by the throttle input. It's too slow to fly outdoors, but is perfect for any semi-large indoor area. The design is inspired in its simplicity, the construction is rugged, and spare parts are readily available. This would be a great gift for *anyone* interested in R/C rotary-wing flight, especially for young pilots. I would not hesitate giving this helicopter to a careful 12-year old, with supervision.

If this is your first heli, just buy it. You can sell it on eBay if you outgrow it. But I'm keeping mine.

I love helicopters having flown in them many times and many places. I piloted one introductory flight when I was considering getting a license. After figuring out the time and money involved I shelved that idea. Now I am having a lot of fun with the CX2 for a couple of hundred.

It is not that easy for me to control because I don't have RC experience and I am not a video gamer. But young folks brought up with computer games will have this down in no time. The manual says start slow and low to learn how to trim and hover - -take that advice seriously. Also get the spare parts all the reviewers are recommending. Now here's a surprise; be careful. I made the mistake of trying to pickup the CX2 in one hand while holding the armed controller in the other. A slip of the hand and it started powering up and bruised me significantly with the blades. But, the manual warns about this. Do not handle the heli while it is armed except when you are setting it down to fly and double check that the throttle is off.

I have flown it inside my two-car garage and that is tricky. I have done it outside also, in no wind. Any wind and it drifts away.

Go slow on the learning curve and you will have fun...master the hover at low altitude (takes active controlling) and then fly forward and back. Just like a real heli, when you start to maneuver you need to adjust throttle. Cool....

I just bought the Blade CX2. This is the first time I have owned or even attempted to fly an R/C helicopter. The first thing you notice when you open the box is a helicopter that looks like a complete little helicopter. Everything you need is included*. I plugged in the battery charger, read the instructions and watched the video cd (included). In no time the battery was charged and I was ready to fly (less than an hour after I opened the box). The instruction manual was the best, most complete, easy to understand instruction manual that I have read (for anything) in a LONG, LONG time. As for the customer service, the kit was so complete and the instructions so good I had no need to speak with them. I was told, however, that they actually speak English and they are very helpful. In a little over an hour I was actually flying the Blade! Not well, but I was flying. If you are a first time heli pilot I highly recommend the training gear. It will WAY more than pay for itself. I would also recommend having a room that is at least 20' x 20' and if you can get into a gymnasium do it. The only thing the heli doesn't have included (that you may need) is extra rotor blades. I had several crashes and collisions before finally damaging the rotor blades beyond use (I hit the steel rungs of a chair). This thing is very durable. I love it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anybody who has an even remote intrest in this hobby. Great product, I love it. Can't wait until I'm experienced enough to move up to the Blade CP Pro.

*buy the training gear and a few extra rotor blades if you are a first time pilot. It will minimize your down time.

As most of the other reviewers have said this is a real fun little helicopter to fly. It is quite stable and easy to fly but just a word of caution. Don't try and fly it to high. First my wife and then myself have climbed it to see how high it would fly but if it get to high the motors just stop as if you have turned it of. This results in the inevitable long vertical descent and crash with substantial amounts of damage.

I'll start by saying that you may want to have 4 rechargeable AA batteries to use with this RC. The controller reads 6.0v as expected for the 4 batteries, and it is recommended to change the batteries when they fall below 4.5v.

If you're planning to spend a great deal of time in the air (more than 10 mins), then get another battery for the heli because each charge is good for roughly 10 min if you're doing simple hovering.

If you're expecting this thing to be solidly built, think again. That frame is made of a very, thin, flexible plastic. I'd recommend holding the heli by the vertical shaft when carrying it. However, its rather light that you can also hold it by the tail. Don't go flying outside if its windy. Its quite suitable for indoor flying once you have the controls down and don't push for more than the heli can give.

If this is your first time with a heli (just like me), this is a great place to start. Knowing a little about aviation controls helps, but even if you don't know you'll catch on quite quickly. The manual explains everything you need to know to get off the ground, plus there's also an instructional DVD. ALWAYS make the necessary flight checks before taking off. They do it in real life, and its no different here.

DO NOT give your heli too much throttle for extended periods of time. Things start to heat up rather quickly and my cause damage. The optional heatsink may help in this case. There is also a green light that is visible through the front on the heli. When given too much throttle, this light turns to red. Of course, figuring this out is easier said that done because adding throttle means your heli will lift off out of sight.

If this is your first heli, take it to a large, unobstructed indoor area, or outside if there are no winds. Practice hovering slightly off the ground before taking to the air. Do not get carried away by how quickly you can learn to hover. The training gear should also help. I ordered one, but got impatient when my heli got here almost a week early, so I started without it. If you are going to crash, immediately cut the throttle. Controlling a heli is much more difficult than controlling an RC car since you're moving from a 2D landscape to a 3D landscape.

Being impatient, I did all the wrong things when I got mine. I didn't have the training gear, started flying it in an confined, indoor space. Started flying high after a few minutes. lol. The perfect recipe for disaster, which is exactly what happened. The first day I managed to get off the ground and did a low hover. That only took 10 minutes, and soon enough the battery went low and the heli couldn't lift off the ground. The second day I got bold and was already flying close to the ceiling and over objects, until I lost it and crashed with the blade hitting my vertical space heater at full speed. Of course, this broke one of the upper and lower blades. The rest of the heli came away unscathed, and surprisingly enough, I could still fly the heli, although I had to give it extra throttle and the vibrations became intense due to the blades not longer being balanced.

The good thing about this heli is that its cheap, i.e., in comparison to the better helis out there like the T-Rex and Raptor. This also means that the parts are cheap. I also ordered some replacement blades from Horizon Hobby (4 pair upper and 4 pair lower + S&H) for roughly $20. I figured that I'd get more than I need should this ever happen again... and it most likely will. lol. I decided to cut the current blades with a scissors to even them out, but unfortunately at that length I can't get any lift. Since the blades are also black, I went to work at coloring a part of it with a silver sharpie to give it a metallic look. :)

Would I recommend this heli to others? Definitely. Just realize what you're getting yourself into.

I recently bought this heli at a local hobby shop after reading the reviews listed on here. The pacakging was amazingly complete with everything needed to fly including the AA batteries for the transmitter. The heli came completely assembled and ready to fly as soon as the battery was charged.

After charging the battery, learning to fly the Blade CX2 was relatively easy, though the learning curve was still rather steep due to the way a helicopter flies. Spending the time to propperly trim in the Blade will do wonders for learning how to fly.

I currently have about 40 minutes flying time total with this heli and I can hover it in a 2' circle or less as well as fly basic flight patterns and circuts. I personally am not a 3D flyer so my flying style is closer to realistic flight.

If you purchase this heli, it is NOT a toy in any sense of the word and is capable of causing injury, thankfully I have not been near enough to the spinning blades to see how much damage they will do. This is a hobby level RC product and does require practice and patience. I reccomend buying at least one pack of upper and lower blades if not 2 packs of upper blades and one pack of lower blades, as you WILL crash while learning. A spare battery is also a good investment to keep downtime to a minimum.

Due to a crash on battery pack #3, I had to replace the lower rotor drive pins (the black plastic portion on the lower shaft) after they sheared off during a blade strike. The parts were replaced with the aluminum upgrade parts which ran in the $20 range. Also added was an aluminum swash plate upgrade.

I fly the heli in a wind sheltered area outside and land quickly when wind picks up, though I dont reccomend this unless you have no other place to fly. For best results and ease of learning I reccomend flying in a large sheltered area such as a gym or indoor running track.

FUN! a little stressful at first but with minimal effort both my self and my son were able to get it to hover 5 feet off the ground and control it.

Educational? well... yes it is. The eye-hand coordination of my son (age 12) is a challenge. So for that it has been therapeutic. He has also taken an interest in what makes things fly and has been reading motivated by the RC chopper. Then he is learning about the chopper itself, mechanical, electronics etc...

Durability was an issue out of the box. Go visit your local hobby store and buy some upgrades like the aluminum counter balance for the rotor tops. We spent an extra $75 in parts after flying it a few days. Buy extra rotor blades as well. The alternate brand blades we bought seem to hold up much better than the originals, more flexible.

Overall, great purchase would do it again.