G5 Build & Review

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Welcome to the Outrage G5 build & review article. The Outrage G5 is a new helicopter which loosely fits in the 450 class of helicopter. I say 'loosely' as it has a larger rotor diameter than most 450 class machines at 350mm. Most if not all other 450 class helicopters are at best 330mm but generally take 325mm blades.

The G5 is also unusual in that it is designed to take both 3S and 6S power systems, the default being 6S which can provide for up to 10 minute flight times. Certainly a dramatic improvement from the 5 minute or less flight times on 3S 450 class machines like the Align T-Rex.

This build article will focus on the build videos as the main content for the build with some pictures of the completed model. The rest of the article is a review of the model and comparison to it's main rival the T-Rex 450 SE V2.

Initially then here is a list of the various build videos and overviews:

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G5 Review

The G5 sent for review was the G5 carbon fibre version in black. This is the most expensive version of the model with other options of carbon fiber silver or G10 black construction. None of the kits come with motor or ESC but they do come with black fiber glass blades. ESC & motor choice is left to the individual as is lipo. However Outrage do provide some default configurations:

The Outrage G5 is all CNC & carbon construction with few plastic parts, the notable plastic items being the main gears. Everything is machined to a pretty high standard in comparison to rival models and overall quality is very high. There is as with all 450 class helicopters some noticeable run out in the main gears and tail drive gear but this has little effect in flight providing you mesh the motor pinion correctly on a high spot.

The canopy is fiber glass and none of your paper thin stuff seen on a few recently launched models, this is a good hard wearing canopy that should survive a good number of minor crashes. It's spray painted and the paint job is reasonable although not up to the standard of a professionally painted canopy such as Canomod for example. The skids are of carbon fibre construction which whilst very tough may lead to increased costs for beginners if they do manage to break the undercarriage (an often broken item for beginners). It is also worth noting at this point that the main shaft, feathering spindle and main gear are all interchangeable with Align T-Rex 450 parts.

Construction of the G5 posed little problems, it comes with a very comprehensive manual with exploded diagrams and numbered parts. All parts bags are also numbered accordingly and each build step typically only requires one or two bags opening to complete. Also very pleasing is the total lack of philips head screws in the kit, all the screws are cap headed for allen drivers.

Within the build the items I didn't like was having to glue the anti rotation slider into the frames (no longer necessary on the latest kits) and my rear gyro plate also needed application of glue to hold it firmly in place. However, it should be noted that most people will not use the gyro platform and instead opt to mount their gyros upside down on the much more solid under plate of the upper frames. One area that did cause me some issues until I realised what was happening was the tail output shaft pulley. This is held on with two grub screws. The problem being that the tail output shaft has no flats on it for the screws to locate into. My tail response was not particularly good and this was down to the pulley slipping. I understand this item is to be fixed in newer kits. Lastly the washout radius arms are pinned and on some kits I've seen some slop in this area, mine is relatively slop free here but it's an area for future improvement. This is one of the very few areas on the G5 where plastic has been used and could be improved with a bearing or bushing instead of pinned plastic.

Fortunately the things I do like form a much longer list. First and foremost the servo layout is superb, each servo is arranged around the main mast with the servo horn orientated in exactly the same direction and position as the other servos. This means that a near perfect eCCPM setup can be achieved just by using exactly the same rod lengths to the swashplate. Secondly the G5 has a programmable head with six different configurations ranging from beginner through to expert. Lastly and very importantly the tail pitch mechanism is a work of art and if installed correctly provides one of the smoothest and slop free 450 tail systems available today. Additionally the tail pitch slider is supported from above and below giving a lovely linear and supported movement of the slider on the tail output shaft. Also unique to the G5 is inclusion of ceramic main shaft bearings.

The rotor head is Mikado like in the design of the bell / hiller mixing with thrust races in the blade grips for nice smooth collective. The swashplate ball runs in a delrin bearing and after several flights shows little sign of wear and tear.

The G5 frame is very much built upon the Rotorworkz G4 which is unsurprising given that Charley Stephens designed both. The frames are built on the upper and lower frames concept common on many production machines these days. The upper frames holding the servos, motor, tail drive pulley and the lower frames the rest of the radio gear and the lipo tray. Rigidity in the frames is excellent and I was unable to cause any unwanted twisting in the frames by hand. It was whilst building the frames that the anti rotation slider is fitted and here I hit a slight snag as the swashplate pin was running too tightly in the slider, easily rectified with a little filing of some material away on the anti rotation guide. I'd much rather it was too tight a fit and have to remove extra material, too loose a fit is not as easily rectified.

One area that can often cause issues is the tail boom clamp and I'm pleased to say the G5 has a very good clamping system and I have had no issues with tail boom slip. The boom/belt is longer than a T-Rex 450 to allow for those larger 350mm blades. Speaking of which some black fiber glass blades are supplied in the kit. Mine were reasonably well matched although I've heard of different experiences in this regard. As a blade they are reasonably stiff as fiber glass goes but no substitute for a good carbon blade when it comes to 3D. They also are quite heavy which may be good for autos but will slow down responsiveness in flight. So, good for beginners not so suited to hard 3D. The supplied tail blades are black plastic and again seem reasonable as a stock item, 3D fliers will want to fit stiffer carbon blades for more power and crisper response.

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Flight Review

The G5 is a very different heli to fly than your usual 450 sized heli. The extra blade disc size makes a significant difference giving a much larger feel to the machine. It is more akin to flying a 500 class heli than a 450 class. The head speed is also lower due to the larger blade disc, typically 2500-2700 RPM. This gives the G5 a more relaxed feel to it rather than that 'angry wasp' feel you get from a typical 450 sized heli running at 3000+ RPM. The G5 is an exceptionally axial helicopter, this is due to all the weight being on the level of the tail boom or above. This means moves like tumbling loops are far easier to perform with little tail adjustment required. Accuracy in general is exceptional for a 450 class machine and this does inspire confidence when flying it. The collective is very linear unlike some other machines on the market, so it can seem that there is a lack of punch to the collective. This feeling disappears once you get used to the way the collective pitch comes in on the G5 and you adjust by moving the stick a little further than you would on a non-linear machine. The pitch can be adjusted to be non-linear by using an 'S' curve on the pitch if you prefer it this way.

The stock fiber glass blades are quite slow from a 3D perspective but they are exceptionally stable and very suited to a beginner. I soon moved off of these blades onto carbon blades and the responsiveness difference was very large. Once on carbon blades the machine comes alive and the full 3D envelope is opened up. The G5 performs 3D with ease and thanks to the 6S power system the power delivery is exceptional with little bogging and very very consistent head speed throughout the flight. Flight times are also exceptional, on the 1600kv motor I did 8 minutes of full on 3D and was still above the 20% threshold on my pack. Sports flyers on the 1600kv motor should easily attain 10 minutes flight time. On the 1700kv motor flight times come down a couple of minutes but performance is much stronger and big bens and other such power moves become much more manageable.

Overall I am exceptionally impressed with the flight manners of the G5 and it has rekindled my interest in flying 450 sized machines, it doesn't suffer from that whole twitchy on edge feeling that many other 450s suffer from. This is a grown up 450 which in my view has moved the 450 market forwards and set the standard for future 450 sized helicopters. 350mm is definitely the way to go and the 6S power system is a stroke of genius with flight times rivaling that of nitro helicopters.

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T-Rex 450 SE V2 comparison

Taken from my entry on TrexTuning Blog but updated now I have tuned the G5 a little and got used to flying it.

So tonight I went down the field and flew back to back, Outrage G5 then 450 SE V2.

The 450 SE V2 was Scorpion HK2221-8 powered with a 3S 2100 pack, CSM 720 gyro, 9257 tail servo.
The G5 was Outrage 1700kv powered, 6S 1300 pack, CSM 720 gyro, 9257 tail servo.

Here's how the two machines compare

Collective

The 450 SE V2 has non linear collective, which is a trait of all the T-Rex helicopters. They have more speed around mid pitch than at the extremes. This means they feel punchy in the air and as usual the 450SE V2 delivered it's usual smack down style clout. The G5 has a much more linear pitch response, so you can get the same punch but you have to move the stick further or run an S curve to get it. This is the main difference although the G5 has more punch at full collective as it's got a larger rotor disc driving a similar weight of heli.

The collective on the G5 is smoother than the 450 SE V2 in transitions, where as the 450 SE V2 just feels quicker due to the non linear pitch.

Cyclic

The 450 SE V2 has fast cyclic until you fly the G5, then it doesn't feel quite so quick anymore. Additionally the G5 is much more axial, giving it a more locked in feel, where as the 450 SE V2 has the slightly squirelly 450 way about it. Hard to describe but the G5 feels bigger in the air, it doesn't feel like a 450 traditionally feels, it feels more towards a 500 size although I wouldn't go as far as saying the same as a 500. It also looks bigger in the air and can be flown farther away. I much prefer the G5 in this area, it is fantastically accurate to fly for a 450 class heli.

Head speed

The 450 SE V2 revs it's nuts off and sound like it means business. The G5 sounds leisurely in comparison. Until you hit the sticks and realise that all that head speed just isn't needed in the G5, it has all the punch without all the whiz bang. It's actually kind of relaxing as the 450 SE V2 spools up and I tend to feel like an angry wasp just launched, where as the G5 is far more laid back.

In flight tracking

The 450 SE V2 is quite pitchy at high speed and you tend to get quite tense as it's all a bit on the edge when you really get it moving. The G5 is on rails, it flies like a pattern ship, it isn't pitchy and very very accurate, not wanting to go off track. Big loops are easy with the G5, it just does them so cleanly, with little or no cyclic corrections.

Chaos / piro's

Originally I found the 450 SE V2 easier in chaos and piro's, most of this is to do with being very comfortable with the shape and look of a 450 SE V2 where as the G5 is a different look altogether and I was still getting used to seeing it from different angles. The G5 performs piro's and chaos just as willingly, however it's cyclic accuracy wins out and it is a lot easier to keep it in one place or move it around in the chaos.

Tail

The G5 tail was a lot easier to setup than my 450 SE V2, the whole mechanism is far better, slop free and smoother than the 450 SE V2, which makes the gyros job a lot easier. Having said that after getting both tails setup the 450 SE V2 tail feels a bit more powerful to me. The G5 I have now fitted carbon 62mm tail blades and the tail is sharp and powerful, although I still think the 450 SE V2 may have the edge on having just a bit more tail power. That said, once again the G5 is more accurate and crisper due to it's ultra slop free mechanism.

Autos

This is blade dependent obviously but a quick comparison gave me a much more floaty auto on the G5, where as the 450 SE V2 whilst ok was a little more rushed in getting it on the ground.

Visual

The G5 is just easier to see, it looks bigger period. On the ground side by side with a 450 SE V2 it also looks bigger.

Flight time

Well this is where things go badly wrong for the 450 SE V2. 4 minutes tops and the pack was pretty flat. The G5 delivered just as powerful a performance for 7 minutes and there was some left to spare. I should note that this is the 6S G5, I haven't tested flight times on a 3S G5 but I'll bet the flight times are much more similar to a 450 SE V2 when running on 3S.

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Spares Price Comparison

Taken from some research on www.rcheliaddicts.com

This is looking at basic crash costs. Note that the Outrage has some more expense in the area of undercarriage as they are carbon fibre. Being all carbon and CNC construction can sometimes offer some disadvantages in spares costs, however, overall the G5 compares very favourably to the main competition. Spares prices are based on UK pricing but should mirror reasonably well to US pricing as well.

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Conclusion

Clearly the G5 is a step up in the 450 class of helicopter. Given it's accurate flying characteristics, huge flight times, good quality of components and very reasonable cost of purchase and ongoing ownership, Outrage appear to have a winner on their hands. It remains to be seen if the G5 will become as popular as it deserves but in the meantime it will get picked in preference for trips to the flying field over my T-Rex SE V2. This was somewhat inevitable, the 450 SE V2 has been available for around a year now and the 450 class was really begging to be moved forward, Outrage have been the ones to take on that challenge.