User:The RedBurn/T-Rex (RC helicopter)

The T-Rex is a series of radio-controlled helicopter models produced by the Taiwan-based Align Corporation. The T-Rex is arguably the best selling series of flying model helicopters and is recognized for its design. So much so that its models are widely copied by makers of so-called "T-rex clones" of varying qualities. However, genuine Align T-rex helicopters are regarded as benchmarks for quality in manufacturing and materials. Many RC forums on the Internet devote lengthy sections to sharing technical information and discussions of the models produced by Align. The T-rex 450 line in particular has done much to popularize the RC helicopter hobby/sport, though Align's other model sizes now compete with the 450's popularity. Align Corp. sponsors expert RC pilots to showcase the helicopters' aerobatic capabilities in demonstrations world-wide. Since the initial release of the T-Rex 450, the product range has been expanded to include the T-Rex 100 and 250 micro electric helicopter, 500, 550, and 600 models up, to the .90 in³ size nitro T-Rex 700 helicopter and 700e electric powered helicopter.



T-Rex 100
The smallest helicopter by Align, a micro helicopter indeed. Released in late 2010, the T-Rex 100 is very different from its larger siblings, as it employs fixed-pitch main blades and a separate motor for the fixed-pitch tail rotor. In addition, the radio is already bundled with the T-100 and there is no possibility of installing an aftermarket receiver like the other models.

T-Rex 250
The T-Rex 250 was once the smallest helicopter produced by Align. Released in October 2008, it comes in three kit forms: The helicopter measures 430 mm in length and 187 mm in height and its approximate all-up flying weight is 330 .. 400 grams. This helicopter has a belt-driven tail and a cyclic/collective pitch mixing(CCPM) rotor head making it capable of 3D maneuvers such as inverted flight.
 * Super combo with a GP750 gyro, 3x DS410 servos and a DS420 servo.
 * Combo version with no gyro nor DS420 servo, and a
 * Normal kit with only the motor and speed controller.

Summer 2009 a new version, the 250SE was released, changes include BL250SP motor, 205D carbon blades come with kits, and head parts are silver and mixing arms are thicker with larger bearings.

The T-rex 250 DFC Pro was released in June 2012, being the latest edition in the T-rex 250 series. The new release included a more powerful 250MX motor, DS415M & DS425M Digital servos and the 3GX flybarless unit. It was released in two kit forms:
 * Super Combo version - included 3GX, Motor, Servos and ESC.
 * Combo version - Included Motor, Servo and ESC.

[NOTE: The older version (i.e., prior to the SE) has screws with heads designed for a 0.9 mm hex head driver. The majority of screws for the SE have heads designed for a 1.3 mm hex head driver; however, there are still a few that are 0.9 mm. When purchasing replacement parts, it is important to verify the version of helicopter and size of hex head screw desired. Although the complimentary mini hex-head drivers that come with the combo package can be useful, they are not true replacements for high quality hardened steel hex head drivers—the standard in the helicopter community include name brands such as Thorp MIP and Hudy.]

T-Rex 450
The T-rex 450 series is a "park sized" helicopter that is suitable for flying in baseball fields, soccer, field and other parks. It uses 660, 700 or 710 mm rotor diameter and fairly inexpensive 3S 2100 battery packs, with a flying weight of 700 .. 800 gram.

Models


A couple of Chinese manufacturers (like CopterX, Tarot or Hobbyking) have adopted the construction of the 450 models and offer kits with parts widely interchangeable with Align products. Also various combinations of S / SE / V2 / Sport / Pro components are offered.

Development
The stock 450 series uses 325 mm main rotor blades. The first incarnation of the T-Rex 450 was the 450X (2002), which was made mainly of plastic and was available with an "HDE" (mechanically mixed) rotor head. The T-Rex 450X was upgraded to a version 2 (V2) which was largely identical to the original model but included some additional bearings and repackaging. Align released a series of blue anodized aluminum upgrade parts for the V2 and these were the basis for the later (and evolved) SE model—see below.

The 450XL model is nearly identical to the 450X mechanically, was equipped with a longer tail boom which would eventually become the standard for future T-Rex 450 models. It also came in two versions, one with HDE (with mechanical mixing) and one with CDE (CCPM-mixing) rotor head, released July 2004. Another difference with the XL models was an apparent change in the plastics used for the frame and mechanical parts—the mixing levers and flybar mechanism. These were now released in a black plastic (rather than the grey plastic used in the initial models) and were apparently more robust and (possibly) more precisely constructed, resulting in better crash resilience and less 'slop' in the control structures. 'Slop' is a term used to describe freedom of play in the levers and control systems of a model helicopter which result in it being difficult or unpredictable to fly.

Align later released their flagship model, the 450SE. Based on the T-Rex XL, the SE was equipped with a carbon fiber frame, along with many blue-anodized aluminum upgrade parts. It also featured direct servo-to-swash CCPM-mixing, eliminating much of the play (slop) from the bellcranks in the older versions. The "kit" comes about 80% assembled. During the life of the SE there were several incremental changes that lead to problems as some people (including dealers) were calling the upgraded kits V2, then Align came out with an official V2. So the updated SE kits were called V1.5 kits. Some of the changes over the SE lifespan included the tail hub, tail pitch pushrod, washout block, seesaw, main and tail drive gears. Later kits came with the 430L (3550 Kv) motor and the 35G, 35 ampere electronic speed control. Earlier models came with the 420L and a 25 ampere electronic speed control.

Align followed with the 450SA model, an ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) version; this model was a cheaper version using the same layout with as the SE, but with aluminum frames and the most of the CNC aluminum parts are replaced by plastic. This model was only sold in North America and is distributed by Horizon Hobby.

Align eventually produced the T-Rex 450S, which is a kit (semi assembled like the SE) based on the SA that was available worldwide. The S was available with an aluminum or carbon fiber frame.

Align made an official V2 (Version 2) of the SE featuring several notable improvements. The new frame mounts the gyro underneath the tail boom for added protection, and includes a new, more powerful motor (430XL) and an improved electronic speed control. Additionally, the V2 features several updated parts including the rotor head, tail assembly, and servo mount. They added thrust bearings to the main grips and increased the spindle shaft to 4 mm thick. The anodizing is a deeper blue, and the frames are modified. Also came with the 430XL (3700 Kv) higher output motor and the 35X, 35 ampere ESC that supplies 6 volts to the electronics.

The final iteration of the 450 S series is the 450S GF version, which is an S with fiberglass frames instead of carbon fiber or aluminum.

The electronics included with the T-Rex kits have also evolved alongside the mechanical characteristics of the model. The initial 400S (short can) and 400L motors have been replaced by increasingly powerful and more efficient motors including the 420L series (XL and early SE), the 430L series (SE models), and the 430 XL (SE V2). Electronic speed controllers (ESCs)—the electronic throttle for an electric motor—were also introduced and have evolved through models that were rated at 25 amperes and 35 amperes. Additional functionality such as governor functionality were added to later ESCs.

Align started to offer marketing bundles including motors and ESCs with later T-Rex models.

In the spring of 2009, Align announced a complete redesign of the 450 based on input from their team pilots, notably Jason Krause. Named the Align T-Rex 450 Pro, almost every aspect of the helicopter has been redesigned. Most notably, the helicopter now uses a Torque Tube to power the rear rotor instead of the belt-driven design of the previous 450 series; this facilitates the use of a tail servo fixed in the frame, which has also become larger. The main rotor head has also been redesigned, the rotor diameter enlarged by 10 mm to 710 mm and most parts are not interchangeable with the SE V2 series.

For V2 owners who wish to approximate the Pro, Align has released a "450 sport" model in 2010 with enforced elements, new components but based on the V2 concept. The tail pitch control mechanism has been enhanced with metal parts and the pro's tail rotor holders installed.

T-Rex 500
Released December 2007. The stock T-Rex 500 uses 425 mm blades. Designed and tested by renowned RC pilots, Alan Szabo Jr. and Jason Krause. It can be powered by two 3S (6S1P) LIPO batteries in series. There are four different T-Rex 500 battery setup configurations that are recommended for use. 4S 3200 mah, 5S 3200 mah, 6S 2200 or 2500 mah. The most common battery configuration is 6S LIPO. The T-Rex 500 can run on many different voltages with the ESC (electronic speed controller) system that is included in all of the kits listed below. The T-Rex 500 is also capable of running a wide range of blade sizes ranging from 425 mm to 430 mm long.

There are reports of crashes caused by static buildup and discharge. Having a belt-driven tail, the T-Rex 500 is susceptible to static generation from the belt and pulleys in the tail system the T-Rex 500 is not unique in this regard. The static can discharge into the frame and result in malfunction of the onboard electronics. Grounding the tail boom to the frame puts these components at the same electrical potential and eliminates the high voltage discharge.

Models
Released models of T-Rex 500. There is also a fiberglass version which comes with carbon blades.

A nitro conversion kit has been released that uses an OS37 engine. It requires very little frame modification and bolts to existing parts.

T-Rex 550
The 550 is a new design compared to the T-Rex 500, released in 2010. The intent is to use 6S batteries for these, making it cheaper than the next bigger model, T-Rex 600 on batteries which requires a more expensive 12S setup. This model also comes in bundles with a new, improved flybarless unit, the Align 3GX.

T-Rex 600e
The T-Rex 600e is a large electric helicopter released in May 2006, equivalent in size to .50-class nitro powered helicopters. It uses 600 mm blades and was offered with either an aluminum, fiberglass, or carbon fiber frame. It came with the 600L (early models) or later 600XL motor and 70 ampere speed controller. The T-Rex 600 has some plastic head and tail components like the T-Rex 450XL and SA, but Align makes aluminum replacements for most of them, available in different colors (such as blue, black, red and dark green). The T-Rex 600 uses eCCPM mixing, but the servos are mounted forward and connect to the swash using bellcranks. This is similar to the 450XL CDE version. It is powered by a single 6s 5000 mAh lipo battery.

T-Rex 600 ESP
The T-Rex 600 ESP is an updated version of the original T-Rex 600e. Many of the parts from the original T-Rex 600e are interchangeable with the ESP. The main differences are newly designed body frames, aluminum blade grips and head assembly, a reduction from 3 to 2 main bearing blocks, the use of a torque tube instead of a belt drive for the tail rotor, and an all metal tail assembly. The ESP was also designed to use a single 6s 5000 mAh lipo battery.

T-Rex 600e Pro
The T-Rex 600e Pro is very different from the 2 previous T-Rex 600 versions. The majority of parts are not interchangeable with the 600e or ESP. The 600e Pro has a top-mounted motor, while the 600e and ESP both had bottom-mounted motors. The 600e Pro is designed to be powered using a 12s lipo setup, rather than 6s.

T-Rex 600 Nitro
• Bump resistance fiberglass painted canopy. Canopy also features a rigid easy clip on/off design for fast installation and removal. • Simple and light weight design provides awesome flight performance nearly equal to larger helicopters while still maintaining very stable hovering and flight. • +-14° collective pitch is possible for extreme 3D performance. • Clutch, Fan and Bell assembly provide a very smooth operation even at high RPM. • Forward mounted tail servo helps to keep exhaust oil from entering servo also improves the CG. • Pitch and All servos moved forward for CG. • Battery tray designed for easy and clean radio gear installation. • Fuel Tank Capacity 440cc for about 10 minutes 3D flying. • Main Gear Radio 8.5:1, 1500-2200 Rotor RPM. • Heavy duty tail with thrust bearings. • 95mm Tail Blades. • Highly efficient shaft driven tail design. • Rigid frame design that can also handle hard crashes without damage. • Carbon Fiber frames, fins and boom supports. • Super engine cooling system features large diameter fan and very efficient airflow to provide unequaled cooling and horsepower. • Clutch/Start shaft feature a 10mm ID one way bearing to eliminate any bearing problems during starting and flight. • Ready to fly weight (no fuel) is an incredible 3.20kg (7 lbs). • Fuel Tank designed so that no additional header tank is required. • New main gear with one-way bearing design for high torque. • New flybar paddles feature light weight and sports. • New flybar control set design. • New tail boom supports.

This described Kit Includes:

• T-REX 600 Nitro kits setX1 set • 600D Carbon fiber bladeX1 • DS610 Digital servoX1 • GP780/DS620 Head lock gyro comboX1 • 2 In 1 voltage regulator comboX1 • RCE-G600 GovernorXa Specifications:

• Length: 1160mm • Height: 410mm • Main Blade Length: 600mm • Main Rotor Diameter: 1350mm • Tail Rotor Diameter: 240mm • Engine Pinion Gear: 20T • Autorotation Tail Drive Gear: 180T • Drive Gear Ratio: 8.1:1:4.5(E:M:T) • Flying Weight: Approx. 3200g

Acrobatic RC helicopter as described like the Trex 600 electric, except w/ a nitro fuel source and re-chargeable flight pack for its on board electronics.

T-Rex 700 Nitro
Align's latest nitro model, the T-Rex "700N" encapsulates all of Align's latest technology into a competition 0.90 in3 helicopter. Released June 2008. Align released an even newer version in 2009 the T-Rex 700 Nitro Limited Edition (KX018005) which you can buy with an Align 91H/91HP Engine. And the latest version released in 2010, the (KX018008) is the flybarless LE version with the Align 3G fbl-unit.

T-Rex 700E (Electric)
In 2010 Align released the T-Rex 700 Electric. Fly bar less 3D Spectrum receiver required

Setup
T-Rex helicopters are equipped with brushless motors for better runtime and power. The 450 models are usually powered by 3 cell (11.1 V) lithium polymer batteries, while the 500 and 600 sized models use larger 6 cell (22.2 V) LiPo battery packs. Yaw control is usually assisted by a gyroscope, which augments the pilot's yaw controls in response to changing forces, such as torque, on the aircraft. CCPM capability is required for those models equipped with 120° swashplates. Most compatible radio systems have at least six channels; the fifth (for futaba controllers) is typically used to control remote gyro sensitivity.