Align T-REX 500X (Belt Drive) TOP Combo (RCE-BL80A ESC) - RH50E22XT

I have been flying RC heli's for over 20 years and flown a half dozen brands. When I bought my first Trex product around 15-18 years ago I knew I had found the best products on the market. This 500X is my 5th Trex and it clearly shows Align has continued to refine and improve their products.

The kit is very well thought out, packaged and has very good instructions as usual. The Microbeast FBL controller is OK and does the job. I do wish Align would offer a top combo w/o a FBL unit included OR a choice of brands. I find the IKON2 and MSHeli Brain2 to be a generation ahead of the Microbeast. With their on board Bluetooth integrated controllers, set up and adjustments thru a cell phone app can be done at the field and are definitely a step ahead of the MB.

Other than that, as usual no missing parts and everything fits perfectly. This heli is solid as a rock in hover, like looking at a photograph. Very predictable, responsive and adjustable characteristics. I haven't really given it a torture test yet and am still dialing in the control settings. (which would happen much faster with a connected phone app)

I can tell it will be more fun to fly than my 450's, but I can also say my Trex 600 nitros are still king of the mountain.

I did have a nasty tail wag issue that was defying correction. It turned out to be some vibration affecting the FBL controller. I had used the stock 2 sided foam tape that came with the Microbeast. At the suggestion on a Helidirect tech I tried remounting it with 2 sided, clear Gorilla mounting tape. Immediately the issue was solved.

The suggested battery size goes up to 3300mah. But before you buy some, check the battery dimensions very carefully. The 3300's I ordered wouldn't fit in the fuselage, luckily rcbattery.com accepted their return and gave a full refund. The 3000mah's helidirect sells on the other hand fit perfectly. https://www.helidirect.com/products/pulse-3000mah-50c-22-2v-6s-lipo-battery-ec5-connector

This is also my first experience with a belt drive tail rotor. Simple, less parts and seems to work very smooth.

Satisfied customer here! This is one mean machine which I would highly recommend!

This is my second Align heli and it does not disappoint. Took it to the field yesterday for the maiden and what a sweet ride she is. Hovers like there is no tomorrow and only had to tweek the gyro a tad to keep from over shooting on a pyro. HeliDirect is a great company and the folks there are ever so helpful!!

This is my first helicopter in over 20 years. Its great to be back in the hobby. Kit is very high quality, and comes with everything but receiver, battery, transmitter and charger. Customer service has been great. Answered all my questions in a timely manner.

First helidirect was quick on shipping and to work with. The kit went together flawlessly, couldn't be happier. Like I said cluck buy service and the kit are top notch.

Goes together easy enough. Spend a little time with the instructions before you build. Pay close attention to the tail and rotor head components. Clean all screws with alcohol. Helicopter flys great. I highly recommend it.

This is my first heli kit. The build instructions could be a little more detailed (for a newbie).
Otherwise a great kit. Highly recommend!

It's a great flying heli that is your usual excellent deal from Align. The only problem I ran into during the build was a couple holes in the main frame were a tiny bit off..not to big a deal that was easily fixed. If you are in the market for a 500 sized heli I wouldn't hesitate for a second to get one these. As always every time I've dealt with helidirect it's been great and the shipping is super fast.

Great heli fast shipping. Thanks

Let me start by saying I am no stranger to Helicopters, I have built a scale Dauphin with Align mechanics (purchased from Helidirect) that made the cover of RC Heli pilot magazine. Over the years, I have built and flown over 30 helis ranging from Trex 250's to a 7 foot fully functional Airwolf.

I was pleasantly surprised when I got this kit. So many of the things we used to have to buy as add-ons (after disposing of the OEM parts) are now standard: High voltage servos, 75A ESC with High voltage BEC, redesigned servo mounts, 3-point main shaft bearings, and more. I remember spending hundreds of dollars on upgrades to being the original TREX 500 up to this standard!

In fact, the only things I needed outside of the kit were batteries and a radio! (I did swap out the Microbeast for a Bavarian Demon in case I end up making a scale heli out of the mechanics later) I really like that all the major assemblies were pre-assembled, another far cry from the older kits. Yes, you do want to remove each screw, apply Loctite, and torque them down, but it's super easy to do one screw at a time, with the assembly already put together loosely.

If you are looking at a 500 class helicopter kit, I strongly recommend this one. You won't be unhappy! I have always stayed with Align, for the availability of parts (both OEM and aftermarket) from both Helidirect and the LHS.