The Blade Scout CX.

The Blade Scout CX is a beginner RC helicopter that anyone can fly!

Model Description:

The Blade Scout CX

The Blade Scout CX is Horizon Hobbies answer to all the toy helicopters that seem to be flooding the market lately. This is a true hobby grade micro RC helicopter, complete with a 3-channel, 2.4GHz radio. It comes 100% complete and just requires charging the lipo battery and go fly!

If you are a fixed wing flyer, who would like to try RC helicopters or you are looking for a gift for a friend or relative who would like to give RC a try, then the Scout is just what you are looking for!

Kit Contents:

This is a truly RTF (Ready To Fly) model and everything required is in the box. About the only thing you could possibly consider buying, is an extra lipo battery, but I found that the included charger takes but a few minutes to re-charge and your back to flying again.

  • The Blade Scout CX, completely assembled and ready to fly.
  • The 3 channel, 2.4GHz RC transmitter with built-in lipo charger.
  •  Lipo flight battery.
  •  4-AA dry cell batteries for the transmitter.
  • Printed manual.
The Blade Scout CX


The Helicopter

The Blade Scout CX

The Blade CX is complete and ready to fly. It has two motors, one for each rotor. Being contra-rotating, there is no tail rotor.

The PC board contains the Peizo Gyro, the RC ESC and the servo control that changes the pitch of the lower rotor.

The total weight is less than half an ounce, so you can understand why it is difficult to damage the Blade Scout CX! Bumps into walls and furniture produce no ill effects but keep the crashes to a minimum as nothing will last forever. Blade does have a full range of spare parts that are available, if you need replacements.

The Transmitter.

The Blade Scout CX

This photo shows the 3-channel RC transmitter. The 2.4GHz frequency is the latest radio technology in the hobby. There is no need to concern yourself with radio interference and no bother with other flyers being on your frequency. It is possible for 50 plus flyers to fly at the same time, but my living room is no way big enough!

The left stick controls throttle ( up/down) with low throttle all the way down ( as shown in the photo).

The right stick controls left/right fuselage positioning and forward stick controls forward flight and back stick controls backward flying.

There are elevator and rudder electronic trims, an on/off switch with LED and a lipo battery charge port, with it's own LED.

Note the position of the battery, when in the charge port. On my version, the "E-Flite" logo is face up, but check the connections. in the port, before you plug in for the first time.

It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to charge a battery and you should monitor the condition of the 4-AA cells that power the transmitter. When their power is low the LED dims or does not light at all.

The Lithium Polymer Battery.

The Blade Scout CX

The battery is an E-Flite single cell lipo of 70mAh capacity and a voltage of 3,7V. When plugging in the battery, ensure that the red dots are aligned and keep your finger nail behind the socket, to keep distortion to a minimum.

Make sure that the transmitter is switched "On" before you plug in the flight battery and then place the Blade Scout CX on a level surface. to allow the gyro to align itself. You will notice the LED on the circuit board flashing when you first plug in , but after a few seconds it will become constant, so go fly!

The Blade Scout CX

Flying Impressions:

The Blade Scout CX

The Blade Scout is very easy to fly. This is my first attempt at flying an RC helicopter and I was very quickly having a ball! I started off by slowly advancing the throttle, until the chopper was light on the skids and started moving left, right and forwards and backwards, on a table top.

Then it was just a question of advancing the throttle and rising up and flying around. It is fun to fly backwards and landing on the table or counter top can be a challenge.

Flight time is about 4 or 5 minutes and unfortunately I can see no way of increasing the size of the battery to increase flight time.

The contra-rotating blades make this a very stable helicopter, which makes any kind of forward speed or aerobatics impossible. I guess Blade never intended it to be any other way!

My daughter, Melanie gave it a try and had no problem in flying around the room. She has no experience of flying RC at all but was soon enjoying herself with the Blade Scout CX.

Pros:

  • Low price, just a little more than the toy helicopters.
  • True RC Transmitter, on 2.4GHz. Not a limited range infra red device, as sold with a lot of toys.
  •  Very easy to fly.
  •  Able to fly with other models, at the same time.
  • Can withstand surprising punishment.

Cons:

  • Only one color available-makes flying more than one at a time a challenge.
  • No RC aerobatics possible.
  • Slow forward speed.
  • Short flight time.

Reviews:

On the whole the reviews were very positive. This is strictly intended as a beginner RC helicopter- it will NOT do any RC aerobatics or fast forward flight! As long as the reviewer understands this then 5 stars were common.

The other criticism was regarding the low flight time and the fact that a larger capacity battery was not available.

It was praised for bring far superior to many of the toy helicopters available, most of which have no or poor gyro control and use infrared technology that has limited range and only one model can fly at a time.

Videos:

A good video from Horizon, that shows what the Blade Scout is capable of.

The Blade Scout CX is in stock.

For further information and more photographs take a look at this page-Micro RC Helicopters.