Blade Helicopter 230 S Smart Transmitters Metal

This heli is just amazing. I just came from a trip and I can't even describe the level of abuse this model has endured and still flying! Granted, I had to spend a few hours fixing everything when i got home but taking into consideration that the tail boom was bended, the landing skid broken, the main gear was bearly able to grip the main motor and even the body was basically in two peaces hanging together by some McGiver like invention... it is amazing that i could even fly it upside down and pull some awesome maneuvers. An absolute pleasure to fly and the go to heli for CP training!

Coming from a first generation 230S that had finally become un-flyable after 6.5 years and many hundreds of flights (that 230S was like my favorite pair of old jeans), I had much to learn when getting this 230S Smart. I did not realize that Horizon did not offer a downloadable setup for a Spektrum DX8G2, and that I would have to manual program my transmitter. It sure would be mighty nice of Horizon to offer a downloadable setup - hint, hint. I had to learn about Smart batteries and the very clever marketing that ends up forcing you to buy everything Smart. Very clever. Kinda, but it does tend to turn away people who recognize it. I felt the need to completely void my warranty, when I replaced the factory unique connector that forces you to buy a unique charger with an XT30. Crossing my fingers that nothing else fails during the warranty period. I miss my 230S V1. It was loose and worn out, but kept on chugging along in a very predictable manner. The 230S Smart flies pretty nicely for me, with a few issues. It sometimes gets the "shimmies", where the entire helicopter oscillates as a gust of wind hits it, as if it needs some adjustment to the gyro gain (of which I am clueless). Much more to learn. It has a much different sound than the 230S V1, and it is louder. So loud that I can barely hear my transmitter audible features (timer, telemetry, etc.) over it when I am close to it. Because there are no published instructions anywhere for setting up and using the telemetry feature, I had a very difficult time trying to figure that out myself and get satisfactory results. I was unable to find a way to get the results I would want, so I ended up not using telemetry at all while flying. Essentially, it does nothing for me, a casual user who does not fly 3D. I fly mine in a more scale-like fashion. Overall, I am fairly pleased with it, but I wish Horizon had kept a good thing going and still sold the 230S V1, as I would definitely buy that instead of this. There isn't much at all about the 230S Smart that does anything better for me, personally. However, I do like the "soft start" on the main rotor, and when it isn't shimmying, it flies pretty smoothly. Your mileage may vary.