RC Heli Awful Crashes... I repaired it and THIS happened! ✈️ T-REX 600

Join me as I dive into a world of ups and downs with my trusty Align T-Rex 600 RC helicopter. In this compilation of crashes, I share the backstory behind each unfortunate event, what went wrong, and the steps I took to mend my beloved heli. But the story doesn't end there - witness the triumphant return of the T-Rex 600 as it takes to the skies once more!
Though I'm known for my EDF jet videos, my roots in the world of RC helis run deep. This T-Rex 600 has been a constant companion, evolving alongside the hobby itself. From Ni-Cd batteries to flybarless setups, this heli has seen it all. I'll take you through each crash, detailing the lessons learned and what it took to restore it to its former glory!
It's a tale of pilot errors, mechanical malfunctions, and sheer determination. From Furtivos 2015 to the present day, this heli's journey has been a rollercoaster of challenges and triumphs. Join me in reliving these moments and celebrating the resilience of the RC enthusiast spirit! :D
It took long enough! :')
The crashes happened on Flights: 189, 199, 201, 262, 264
Remaiden Flights 265th to 267th.
Pilot: RC4ever
Video: Luis Ibáñez
Airfields: Club Els Cards / ARC Sant Cugat / Club de Modelisme Osona
Chapters:
00:00 - Crash compilation intro
00:12 - Flight 189 Pilot error
00:27 - Flight 199 Tail pitch locked
00:46 - Flight 201 Tail gear drive ripped
01:12 - Flight 262 Oscillations + wire disconnect
02:14 - Flight 264 Oscillations + self-destruct
04:00 - Fixes explained
04:17 - Flight 265 Remaiden!
10:10 - Flight 266
14:50 - Flight 267
Model: Align T-Rex 600 Electric (Fully upgraded)
Main rotor blades: XBLADES X605
Flybarless: Align 600 DFC w/ KDS EBAR
Motor: Scorpion HK-4025-1100kv
ESC: N/A
Servos: 3x Savöx SC-1257TG + 1x Futaba S9254
UBEC: Turnigy 8-15A
Receiver: ASSAN X8R
Radio: Futaba T8UP
Receiver battery: SLS 2S 1800mAh
Main battery pack: CNHL G+ 6S 5000mAh 70C (On the flights 265-267)
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You can also follow/support me on:
Patreon: / airguardian
TH-cam: / airguardian
Facebook: / rc4ever
Instagram: / airguardian
Twitter: / rc4media

[@RC4ever]

You probably know already that I mostly upload EDF jet videos, but I was an RC heli pilot long before I got my first jet! This ancient T-Rex 600 has been my main heli for a long time. As a kid I started with an E-Sky Honey Bee and later got a Mikado Logo 10 (the very first one!!). Back in that time we still flew with Ni-Cd / Ni-Mh battery packs! The Logo soon became obsolete though and as I was progressing and aiming to perform 3D aerobatics I found myself needing a more suitable heli. A friend of mine sold me this T-Rex, which I think he had already put about a thousand flights or more on it. Little by little we upgraded the entire thing as the times changed and helis evolved. We replaced the flybar with a flybarless unit, HiTec servos got replaced by Savox, plastic pieces were upgraded to metal ones, etc. The heli flew really well, I started flying 3D aerobatics and quickly learnt a lot with it! I didn't really have any crashes at first, but then, during Furtivos 2015 event (flight 189) I had my first one. As seen on the video, it was pure pilot error. I aimed to transition from inverted forward flight to upright backwards with a half flip but I didn't time my inputs properly and sent the heli violently into the ground. 10 flights later that same year, after repairing it, I had a mechanical malfunction in flight where the tail pitch control locked up. I immediately hit throttle hold but took too long to recover control and I bled energy too fast in the autorotation descent, resulting in a crash. Right after repairing it again in 2016, I had the tail gear transmission totally rip out in mid flight, leaving me without tail control. This time though, I managed to get the heli upright and auto-rotate back to safety (quite the feat!). In the last second, I forced the stop with full pitch, to avoid hitting myself, so the landing wasn't graceful, but despite the hard impact, the heli was essentially undamaged. Another repair, and this time the heli seemed to be finally happy about it and flew flawlessly for another 60 flights. But by 2018, the heli crashed again at the Furtivos event during flight 262. On this occasion the heli started oscillating in the air and I suddenly lost all control. Best guess, the oscillations caused a too-tight UBEC lead to pull out from the receiver. Then the heli plummeted into the ground for one of the worst crashes so far. We repaired everything yet again (it took an entire year to get on it though) and by next year, at the same event I flew one test flight in which everything seemed to be okay, but then on the second (flight 264), the same thing happened again, with the heli suddenly starting to vibrate violently. This time I didn't lose control (I had fixed the wire lengths and installation accordingly) but the oscillations quickly grew to the point the heli self-destroyed in mid air. A tail boom brace broke loose, the tail rotor clipped the tail fin, then the boom brace blocked the tail rotor, and the whole thing went down pretty badly. It's not totally clear what happened, but after thinking it through, my guess is that the GF frame plates were worn down after hundreds of flights, a condition worsened by the crashes and hard landings and this allowed wobble and freeplay under high loads into the system. When the deformation was big enough, well, the heli couldn't cope. After fixing that, making a complete overhaul and making sure the boom was well secured, the heli has proved to be just fine. :)

[@Wind_Rapport]

love to see people still giving love to the older models - nice video! Subbed

[@RC4ever]

Thanks!
It's amazing how well this one behaves despite its age!
True, it's been heavily upgraded and I am not a 3D-master world class heli pilot bringing it to the limit, but still!
:DDD

[@steve-cb7du]

The scream is awesome ahah

[@RC4ever]

I was laughing for a while yesterday at that, as I revisited the footage, hahahaha!

[@ArthurRC]

Ouch! Heli crashes can happen way faster than a plane isn’t it ?

[@RC4ever]

Yes... when things go south it tends to happen in a fraction of a second!

[@xXRapToRiXxGamer]

Nice that you also fly helis. I will get myself the new align TB70. It's very well priced in the US currently and I will pick the kit up on my vacation there 👌

[@RC4ever]

Nice!
Serious bird right there! ;D

[@xXRapToRiXxGamer]

​@@RC4ever​Yeah but the kit goes for 730$ with motor...you won't get anything new and 700 size for even close to that price.

[@RC4ever]

@@xXRapToRiXxGamer Agree. That was already one of the big appeals of Align back in the day and it still is.
Decently priced kits and spare parts go a long way in the world of RC helis!

[@olli8623]

lucky happyend

[@RC4ever]

Yeeep! 😀