Align T-Rex 450SE V2

From RC Helicopter Wiki

Align T-Rex 450SE V2

Manufacturer	Align
Class	450 size electric
Build	Kit
Blade size	325mm included in kit; 315 to 335mm available
Level	Beginner to Advanced
Frame
Material	Carbon fiber
Type	Stacked
Servo to swash linkage	Direct
Servo size	Micro
Rotor head
Grips	Metal
Head block	Metal
Links	Ball
Swash	Metal
Control	120° CCPM
Tail
Drive system	Belt drive
Auto driven	Yes
Tail pitch slider	Single
Tail blade grips	Metal
Tail case	Metal
Boom strut material	Carbon Fiber
Gearing
Main rotor to pinion ratio	150-P(11,12,13,14,15)
Main rotor to tail ratio
Weight
Fully loaded (including battery and fuel)	730 - 760g
Dimensions
Height	9.05 in. (230mm)
Canopy width	3.26 in. (83mm)
Landing gear	4.64 in. (118mm)
Paddle to paddle diameter	8.66 in. (220mm)
Main rotor diameter	27.55 in. (700mm)
Tail rotor diameter	5.9 in. (150mm)
Length	25.98 in. (660mm)

The Align T-Rex 450SE V2 is Align's current 450 size helicopter. The culmination of all the updates available for the T-Rex 450SE, this helicopter is completely upgraded. The 450SE V2 boasts such features as a full carbon fiber frame (available in either black or silver), full aluminum head and tail, easily swappable one-way bearing, and 325mm Align CF main blades. The entire kit ships in a very nice aluminum case, though the case itself is not large enough to hold the helicopter once it's built. There are cases suitable for this purpose too, but they are sold separately. Also included are the Align 430XL 3700 KV brushless motor and 35A ESC. Align provides a 3S 2200mAH lithium polymer battery pack with each V2 kit, but this battery is of questionable quality. Finally, Align includes a very nicely painted fiberglass canopy in the V2 kit.

Like the T-Rex 450SE before it, the V2 uses a 120 degree eCCPM flight control system, in which the swash is directly driven from the cyclic servos, and as a result there are fewer moving parts. This also equates to less things to break in a crash and less complex rebuilds, though direct-driven servos do tend to strip more often in crashes.

Another nice feature of the V2 is the tail boom mounting block. Recognizing that the gyro mounted on top of the block is less than ideal (as a gyro mounted there is susceptible to damage from the flybar in a crash) Align "flipped" the boom block so that the flat mounting surface is now underneath the boom, allowing the builder to mount the gyro out of harm's way.

The T-Rex 450SE V2 is a very stable helicopter and flies extremely well, even in the hands of novice pilots. Though sharing a bit of the "twitchiness" of all 450-class helis, the V2 exhibits less bad tendencies than others. The T-Rex 450SE V2 is a very popular heli and parts availability is very good, though there have been component changes between the SE and V2 that cause some parts to be "V2 specific" such as the feathering spindle (which is thicker in the V2) and the main shaft.

[edit] Known issues

The idler pulley in the tail box has been blamed for causing the tail belt to derail, causing loss of tail rotor effectiveness. Removing the idler pulley can help stop this happening.

Some of the slop in the tail pitch control can be eliminated by placing a small piece of silicone fuel tubing over the pin between the tail pitch slider and the control arm.

The included Align 3s 2200mAH LiPo battery pack has shown to be of poor quality, often puffing after only a few flights. Align will replace the packs under certain circumstances, but the replacement packs are no better.