Align Trex 600efl Heli Project

About 2.5 years ago I accidentally bought a Trex 600efl Super Combo without the electronics for about 1/3 of the Super Combo price. At the time I didn't know that stripping the electronics out to sell separately was a thing on eBay, but shortly after I bought it I read the rather clear print indicating that it was sold that way. It took another year or so before I bought all the electronics at once because I could. That was over 2 yrs ago. I picked up the Spektrum AR7200bx Flybarless BeastX with a Spektrum DSMX 7 channel receiver, all Align Digital servos DS615s on the swash and a DS655 on the tail. A Castle 80A HV ESC for the Scorpion HK-3536-510kv motor.

I've opened the boxes a couple of times, but never committed to the build.

This morning I brought out the boxes from the corner where they have been gathering dust and set out the parts for inventory. There was a moment of panic when I thought the seller had removed the rotor head and swash plate. I looked everywhere, no bag of parts for the head... I was pissed, I should have opened the box completely a couple of years ago, or did I? I couldn't recall, but if I had surely I would have noticed the missing parts. I looked online, and I was going to be out about $100 at least. I just didn't feel like spending the money, having just dropped a lot on the 26cc engine and the Waco F5C (more on that later).

I went to toss out the boxes and it just felt wrong, so I reopened it and as I went through the smaller boxes in the kit, I found it. It was in the box marked clearly for the 3GX, and on the edge something about the head. There is was. Happy dance!  It would turn out that the only thing I am missing is the 13T pinion and the mounting screws for the motor, as these were likely in the bag containing the original motor. I ordered a helical 13T pinion from the boys at AMainHobbies for $8.

So I started the build.

Took apart and rebuilt the rotor head with Locktite. The main bearings were well greased.

The frame comes in many pieces and connectors, screws and bars. I have the frame ready for installation of the servos, and will build and install the tail assembly tomorrow. I will likely install the electronics, awaiting the pinion before being able to install the motor. This is going faster than I expected.

Yesterday and the day before I installed the new tail control assembly on the Trex 500e, and completed the see-saw installation on the Trex 600e, and replaced the receiver on the Frankenheli 450 with an HK Orange DSM2. All of my existing heli's are flight ready except for one 450 that needs some programming and its tail belt to be replaced.

Tomorrow, we build some more.