Blade 400
| Brand: | Blade |
| Manufacturer: | Horizon Hobby |
Overview
A staple choice of the new heli pilot intent on progressing up to collective pitch RC helicopters, the Blade 400 has been at home on the best value for the dollar list. The Blade 400 was originally released under the E-flite brand before the helicopter line was separated out into its own "Blade" brand. For the first time CP pilot the Blade 400 offered an out of the box RTF package for a great price. The RTF version came with the DX6i radio, a great starting platform, the complete helicopter, the battery, and the charger.
Toping it all off for the new pilot, the Blade 400 was widely distributed making replacement parts and helpful advise from other Blade 400 owners very easy to come by. On most forums, the Blade 400 threads are among the most extensive and informational.
The heli itself proved to have a solid airframe making it a stable flyer and easy to set up and repair. The only real drawbacks were in the electronics. The plastic gears in the cyclic servos were a common headache and complaint for the average Blade 400 hobbyist. The gyro was good but tended to drift and the ESC, at 25 amps tended to be undersized, particular as the servos and gyro were upgraded in the aftermarket to full digital variants.
Through the years some pilots elected to upgrade the plastic head and tail parts to metal ones; however, a large contingent of Blade 400 pilots purchased the heli in favor of the plastic and elected to keep the plastic benefiting from inexpensive replacement of parts.
In 2011 the venerable Blade 400 was succeeded by the Blade 450. A testament to the success of the Blade 400 platform, though, the Blade 450 retained much of the intent of the original Blade 400 design.
