Axe CPv3 Using a Blade CP Rear Tail Rotor

January 21, 2009 on 8:36 pm | In Axe Cpv3, Modifications | 2 Comments

The new Axe CPv3 has a direct-drive tail rotor that replaced it’s earlier version which was setup with a larger rotor that was gear driven in the CP. While this change definitely looks cooler and more scale, the direct drive rotor seems to break if you just look at it wrong. I’ve had it break in the air for no apparent reason resulting in a crash, I’ve had it just come off all-together on a hard landing (that didn’t hit the rotor), and if you do scrape it or touch it while it’s moving at all it’s a goner for sure. The other problem with this setup is that the non-geared motor gets really hot and I’ve already burned one out. These motors are $27.99 at my local hobby shop, more than the main motor!

So I decided to switch to the tail setup on the original Axe CP (which is the same as the Blade CP, Hummingbird FP, Sabre FP and most other micro helis) and so far it’s been great. I bought the CF boom for the Axe CP which came with most of the hardware for the conversion, and I used the gear, tail motor and bearings from an old Sabre FP I had laying around. Finally for strength, I bought the CF rotor for the Blade CP. Tail authority is just as strong if not stronger, piros seem faster and the few times that i’ve scraped the tail on the ground, it’s only knicked the CF tail, or brought it out of the gear, instead of snapping at the same point like all of the other CPv3 tails I went through. I’m also using the motor out of the Sabre, which is a $7 replacement part opposed to the near $30 Axe motor.

I also keep hearing that Helimax is coming out with a torque tube gear driven tail conversion for Axe CP, which I would definitely be interested in. It’s been on Tower Hobbies website for a while but each month the expected arrival date gets pushed back to the following month, so who knows if it will ever show up.