Aerobatics Experience with the BLADE 130X

In the 3D scene, it’s THE helicopter for casual flying and for packing in your vacation luggage. Its popularity is confirmed by videos and reviews online. Naturally, this made me curious to see if the helicopter is also suitable for aerobatic pilots or even beginners. The design of the BLADE 130X is fascinating and gives the impression of being well thought out. The plastic chassis consists of two parts. The main rotor shaft, with its two bearings, and the tail boom are integrated. Three open linear servos transmit the pilot’s control commands to the main rotor head. The blade holders and swashplate are made of plastic. The truly small brushless in-runner motor is mounted in front of the main rotor shaft. The gearbox is a single-stage design. As with the “big ones,” the tail rotor is rigidly driven via bevel gears. The complete on-board electronics—consisting of AS3X flybarless electronics, the brushless ESC, and a SPEKTRUM receiver—are neatly installed on a small circuit board inside the chassis.

The practical (travel) kit includes the complete Blade, a LiPo battery, 3D blades, some tools, and the appropriate 230-volt charger. It also includes a detailed German-language manual with easy-to-understand programming examples.

For the Spektrum DX6i, DX7, and DX8 transmitters. This brings us to the biggest drawback: the Blade only works with Spektrum controls. However, the DX6i is easy to program, and with the specified settings, you can venture out on your first flights.

Finally, it’s time to fly. The motor spools up very quietly. The mechanical noises are barely noticeable. After the first few hovering sessions, the control travel was reduced again to make the Blade less twitchy. With these settings, the helicopter pilots in attendance were able to take the Blade for a spin during Sunday’s indoor flying session. But woe betide anyone who lets the controls get a little too loose—it picks up speed incredibly fast, and the hall wall comes into view in no time—but everything went well. The BLADE 130X requires an experienced pilot. This was also evident in the open air—rollers, loops, inverted flight—it can handle it all. The helicopter shoots through the air at an incredibly high speed, and before you know it, you’ve reached the visual limit again. A dynamic flying style suits the small brushless motor best. The AS3X flybarless system operates smoothly, and the default settings are well chosen. The small helicopter flies pleasantly stable with the flybarless system.

The BLADE 130X is a lot of fun to fly, and thanks to its compact size, it always fits right in among your vacation luggage. ■

Hans Schmuki

Instructions and
more information at:

www.bladehelis.com

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