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| Helimax Axe EZ |
Average Rating: 8 |
Jan 15, 2007
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Reviewed By: Hoomi
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Join Date: Jan 14, 2007
Location: Tucson, AZ
Total Reviews: 1
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Rating: 8 out of 10
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I’d never flown an RC Helicopter before buying the Axe EZ. Heck, I’d barely flown an RC Airplane before, so it was probably a crazy idea to buy a helicopter. Still, I played around with the model on the RealFlight simulator at the local hobby shop, and the price on the Axe EZ was low enough to make it very tempting.
It didn’t help matters when my wife encouraged me to go ahead and buy one. It’s difficult enough to resist buying a new toy under normal circumstances; when your wife is twisting your arm, it’s nearly impossible.
The Axe EZ is around 14” long, employing a pair of coaxially mounted rotor blades counter-rotating for stability. An electronic speed control balances the two sets of rotors for either stable flight, or pivoting left or right. A pair of micro servos controls the swashplate for forward/backward and side-to-side motion. A 7.4 v, 800 mAh lithium-polymer battery provides power for both the receiver and the motors. Everything is included in the Axe EZ kit, including a spare set of rotor blades (both top and bottom) and a spare set of landing skids. All that the purchaser needs to buy is 8 AA batteries for the transmitter.
I must say, with nothing more than maybe 5 minutes of simulator time, I was still well able to follow the instructions on the included DVD and accomplish a successful first flight at an indoor basketball court. The Axe EZ includes the training gear, which helped stabilize the model even further as well as helping to cushion less than gentle landings. My first flight, per the instructions, was kept just barely off the ground while trimming the controller for a stable hover. By the end of that first flight, I was managing a nearly stable hover a couple of feet off the floor and was hooked.
The second flight was attempted outdoors on a still morning. It went okay until just a wisp of a breeze picked up, making control very touchy. After fighting to keep things stable a few too many times, I landed before the breeze and my inexperience resulted in a catastrophic loss of control. As small as the Axe EZ is, it doesn’t take much wind to push it around.
I’ve flown four more times as of this writing, all at the indoor basketball courts. I’ve now flown without the training gear, and still have managed to avoid crashing. I think it’s safe to say that even a rank newbie like myself, by being patient and following the instructions, can achieve success with the Axe EZ.
Judging from videos of other RC helicopters, though, the Axe EZ is a bit sluggish on the controls. It’s not going to jump forward at fast speeds using the factory settings for the control arms. It’s not going to accomplish impressive aerobatics. I am told by the hobby shop guy that I can move the control links to the outer holes on the servo arms for more control range, but until I’m experienced enough to handle it, I’m leaving it as-is. Things are just fine for a newbie like me.
My flights with the Axe EZ range around 10 to 15 minutes with the Li-po battery pack. I’ve purchased a second battery for around $30, and the one caveat I would include that wasn’t mentioned in the instructions is to let the motors cool down between flights. A small amount of the rotor wash passes through the body over the motors and electronics, but things are still pretty warm after a full flight, especially with the training gear attached. The additional weight requires more power for the lift, and this translates to more heat in the motors. It takes about 2 hours to recharge the battery with the included charger.
The Axe EZ comes in six different colors and includes decals which the owner may apply to personalize their helicopter. There are decals for Air Force, Coast Guard, Police, News, and Navy versions, though if you’re like me you may just leave them all off.
My son has the Blade CX, and one big difference I’ve found between the two comparable models is that the Axe EZ has rotor blades that are pivot-mounted. A single screw clamps the blades in the rotor heads, with friction keeping them straight. If something contacts the blades while they’re spinning, though, they can pivot to help avoid damage to the blades or the heads. The Blade CX has fixed mounting, and my son has broken several rotor heads and one set of blades so far (he’s attempted more outdoor flights, so this isn’t an indictment on the Blade itself).
I’m not an expert helicopter flier, by any means. As a rank beginner, though, I’d say that Helimax has a winner on their hands for those wanting an accessible introduction to radio controlled rotary-wing aircraft. Experienced fliers may find the Axe EZ a bit too tame, but if they have friends wanting to try their hands at helicopter flying, and DON’T want to risk their more advanced models, the Axe EZ is a great one to recommend. |
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• Very reasonably priced.
• Easy to follow instructions for successful beginner flights.
• Compact and doesn't require a large space for flying.
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• Not aerobatic at all.
• Currently, no upgrade parts listed on Helimax webpage.
• Controls may seem too sluggish to experienced fliers.
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