Blade/Horizon Hobby 200 S BNF
A tough little fixed-pitch trainer with Panic Recovery
A tough little fixed-pitch trainer with Panic Recovery
Blade RC is never one to rest on its laurels when it comes to improving its line of micro and mini-class helicopters. The Blade 200 S is a fresh spin on the traditional fixed-pitch trainer, with the added benefits of flybarless stabilization and push-button Panic Recovery.
UNIQUE FEATURES
First and foremost, why fixed pitch when flybarless collective has become common even for micro indoor helis? It’s about toughness and simplicity. A fixed-pitch helicopter only needs two cyclic servos, and the head design is simpler. This makes fixed-pitch helis both tougher and easier to repair. The 200 S expands on this theme by using a tough plastic structure. The direct-drive tail is also mechanically simple and resistant to damage. The overall result is a remarkably durable helicopter for a class of this size.
Since they aren’t designed for inverted flight, fixed-pitch helis can also use high-lift cambered blades, so they seem to fly “lighter.” With its efficient cambered blades, the 200 S can get away with a relatively small rotor span, making it tougher and allowing for faster changes in head speed.
In addition to its tough physical design, the 200 S BNF includes Spektrum’s AR636A receiver with SAFE (Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope) technology. This provides a selfleveling beginner flight mode and also a rescue mode that will stabilize the heli regardless of current flight mode or attitude.
Like its bigger brother, the 230 S, the 200 S uses a brushless variable-speed tail rotor, making it resistant to damage in a tail strike or crash. The small 3-blade tail rotor allows rapid changes in rpm, giving it better hold than is typical for direct-drive tails. The plastic tail rotor is a snap to replace if necessary.
The H3050 digital cyclic servos are large for a helicopter in this size range, and they have metal gears with plastic pitch links, allowing them to stand up to nearly any crash. The landing skids and canopy are inexpensive plastic and are easily replaced. The airframe is simple and easy to repair.
The BNF version includes the helicopter, a 3S 800mAh LiPo battery, a basic wall charger, and a bag of spare pitch links and basic tools. The heli can be bound to just about any Spektrum transmitter in just a few seconds. Because it’s a fixed-pitch design, you set it up in airplane mode; that way, you don’t need a radio with helicopter mixing.
The 200 S has three flight modes. In Stability mode, the flight controller limits the maximum bank angle to about 40 degrees, making a serious crash unlikely. In Intermediate mode, the maximum bank angle increases to about 60 degrees, allowing you more freedom to expand your flight envelope. In both these modes, the helicopter returns to level flight when you release the cyclic stick. In Agility mode, there’s no limit on bank angle, allowing you to do basic aerobatics, like loops. Loops need to done with some altitude in hand as you’ll have positive pitch over the top. You can also program a push button or switch to trigger Panic Recovery—this will return the helicopter to a level upright attitude regardless of current flight mode. The manual is complete and does a nice job of explaining
helicopter basics. While a little time on a flight sim or experience flying a quadcopter is a good idea, a rank beginner can learn to fly with this helicopter.
IN THE AIR
As noted previously, the 200 S features three flight modes: Stability, Intermediate, and
Agility. You can also program high and low rates to make handling a little more docile.
One idiosyncrasy of Stability mode is that the helicopter is a bit “tippy” when it’s light on the skids. For this reason, I recommend taking off with a decisive increase in throttle or lifting off in Intermediate mode and then clicking back to Stability mode. In my tests, I found the flight duration to be about eight minutes in typical conditions, which is plenty for training sessions.
GENERAL FLIGHT PERFORMANCE
Stability: With Stability mode selected, the
200 S is remarkably easy to fly. The selfleveling works nicely, but you still have enough control to fly around pretty quickly. Our photo flights were conducted in gusty winds, which normally would have made a micro fixed-pitch heli a real challenge to fly, but the 200 S soldiered through without any problems. Even in strong winds, the heli would level out whenever I released the cyclic stick, although it would, of course, drift downwind.
Tracking: Motorized fixed-pitch tails are nice in terms of simplicity and durability, but they tend to be less precise than torque-tube or beltdrive styles. The 200 S has no such problems. The light 3-blade tail rotor can change rpm quickly, making tail hold surprisingly solid. Even in the strongest wind, I never had the tail blow out or wag excessively.
Aerobatics: As a fixed-pitch trainer, the 200 S isn’t really designed for aerobatics, but it can handle basic maneuvers, like loops and rolls, if you do them quickly. Panic Recovery is always available if you lose orientation during a loop, and the recovery is remarkably quick. Because fixed-pitch helis use throttle instead of collective, you can just chop throttle to minimize damage in the event of a crash. Landing: Landing the 200 could hardly be easier: Make a straight-in approach and reduce throttle to land. The landing gear have a reasonably wide stance, so you can land safely even on fairly rough surfaces.
PILOT DEBRIEFING
This helicopter is a solid choice for beginners. The self-leveling works well even in challenging weather conditions, and the simple tough design is forgiving of mistakes.