First off Let me tell anyone reading this I AM NOT A HELI PRO by any stretch of the imagination. I got this Blade 400 from a guy that wanted me to give it a try since I had been having a terrible time with my T-rex 450se. I threw over a grand in that thing and it still was very hard to fly. It is a full out hard core Alan and Danny SZABO type heli, Way too much for me. I just want to do loops rolls and a few flips or other stuff to scare myself.
I started with a bone stock Blade 400. Stock servos, gyro, and batt. Nothing upgraded at all and that’s the way this one will stay Oh yeah except for the DX7. So I started with reading all I could about this machine here is a link to Run Ryder that has a great post about the Blade and was my starting point. http://runryder.com/helicopter/t3949...blade+400+mods

I read all I could then took the heli out bone stock and gave a turn around the yard. Not Fun the tail was all over the place. I started looking and measuring my 50 heli compared to the blade and found that the geometry for the tail rotor linkage was really short. I tried moving the link in one hole and that helped but not a lot. Gain was still sub70% Bummer the tail would wag around all over. So I need more moment arm to give more travel with less tail input. I made a G10 Glass Tail arm extender to move the ball out 4mm on the Tail. Now the Vertical fin gets in the way no big deal off to ACE and get two 2mm x 20mm bolts and use two micro servo eyelets and that sets the fin off enough to clear. (SEE PHOTOS BELOW) Still on the 3rd hole on the servo arm and out 4mm on the tail I take it out to the street. YEAH BABY it works I turn up the gain to 93% with stock servo in normal mode and the tail is stuck right where I want it. Fast piro one turn and let the stick bang to center no wag just locked and stopped.
This morning I took the 400 to the park to get some light aerobatics in a flight. Man that tail was holding great played with the piro rate and ended at about 80%ATV right 88% left this thing is rockin! Try some flips and darn near hit myself the cyclic is pretty slow for flips Note to self don’t do that again until you speed the cyclic up. I land all giddy that I got the tail to hold really well with stock components. I turn up the cyclic rate to 12degrees in all four directions with +/-10degrees of collective. Better but still scary for flips the loops got much better and the rolls did a bit as well. Still needs more so I fly my batteries dead and head home.
I flip the mixing arms and blade grips set up for +/-10 and 12 on the cyclic go the front yard and give it a shot. The 400 is rockin now the tail is solid the cyclic is hot flips are quick and I have way too much throw will be cutting back to get this thing dialed in. The only last thing I will change is I will try a spectrum DSP75 servo for the tail after I have enough to buy the programmer.
Also I am hoping to fly with a buddy of mine tomorrow and might be able to get some vid of how tight the tail holds now!
I hope this helps someone get into helis that really perform for less than $500. Plug N Play for $280.00.
Horizon really hit one out of the Park on this little heli.
BTW Horizon if you guys are reading this try the extended arm it really makes the gyro come alive even in stock form.

Thanks for this info! After the shootout, I am going to get into helis a little. I have a Raptor but I am thinking I'd like to learn on a heli with cheaper replacement parts and have had my eye on the 400. looks like s steel in the PNP version.

Nick,
I only have about 20 flights on mine now but it is tuning really quick. I have a raptor 50 as well but this thing is getting to fly just as good. Right now i am burning 250mah per min. in flight so 5-6 min flights should be very do-able charging with a cell pro means only have to have 3 packs and i'm good for this little bad boy.
Good luck at the Shootout BTW i hope to get out there but will see.
Take care.

hi

Now Dat Bad Boy looks SWEET!!!

Just got one of these, put about 6 packs through it so far in the stock config, absolutely love the thing for what I want to do with a heli. So far only have stiffened the head and added some carbon blades and fins. Gonna get a little more response outta the cyclic, but for a rtf heli from the box, I'm sooo impressed with this thing.