Official Roban 600 Size MD-500E G-Jive Blue Scale Helicopter Conversion Kit Thread

[Aros]

MD-500E G-Jive Blue 600 Size Helicopter Scale Conversion Kit from Roban - RBN-KFMD500GJB6

The MD 500 series is an American family of light utility civilian and military helicopters. The MD 500 was developed from the Hughes 500, a civilian version of the US Army's OH-6A Cayuse/Loach. The successful Hughes 500/MD 500 series began life in response to a U.S. Army requirement for a Light Observation Helicopter (LOH). This is the 600 size MD-500E G-Jive Blue version.

Most of the work is done for you. All wood work is installed. Pre-drilled holes for easy install of the landing gear. Standard 600 set up is an 1100 Kv brushless outrunner motor, 80-100 amp ESC and a 6S 22.2V 5000 mAh or higher LiPo battery.

This fuselage can be completed in as little as 4-6 hrs and is intended for the intermediate to advanced builder. No modifications needed when using stock mechanics and stock rotor head.

Note: As of July 2018, this is an updated version of the MD500 with a full epoxy front fuselage and separate windows.

Features:

• Fully painted fiberglass scale fuselage
• Magnetic cabin lock system for quick and easy access
• Extremely detailed surface and molded panel lines
• Use of 600 standard equipment (6S Battery, 1100Kv motor), fly with your existing parts

Includes:

• Roban MD-500E G-Jive Blue 600 body kit

Requires:

• 600 Size helicopter kit - we recommend the Phoenixtech 600ESP helicopter kit
• Helicopter flight controller - we recommend the BeastX MicroBeast Plus Flybarless System
• Electronic speed control (ESC) - we recommend the Castle Creations Phoenix Edge 130A ESC with 5A BEC
• Battery eliminator circuit (BEC) - we recommend the Castle Creations 20A BEC Pro
• Brushless motor - we recommend the Scorpion HKIV 4025-1100Kv Brushless Motor
• Three cyclic servos - we recommend the MKS HBL665 High Voltage Servo Multi-Pack (3 Servos)
• Tail servo - we recommend the MKS DS HBL980 Tail Servo
• 6 Cell 22.2V 5000 mAh LiPo Battery with EC5 connector - We recommend the Admiral 6 Cell 22.2V 5000 mAh LiPo Battery with EC5 Connector
• 8 Channel radio - select a minimum 8 channel radio with pitch and throttle curves from our Radio Collection
• 8 Channel receiver - select a minimum 8 channel receiver from our Receiver Collection

Optional:

• Castle Link USB ESC Programming Kit V3

Important Information - Please Read
Roban Scale Helicopters are intended for modelers who have advanced level building skills. Both ARF and KIT product formats require you to install your own electronics (ESC, servos, motor, etc). KIT product formats also require you to install your own helicopter mechanics. Because helicopter mechanics can vary greatly in size and shape, you may be required to modify the fuselage slightly (including cutting, drilling, etc.) to achieve a perfect fit. Roban fuselages are all handmade from fiberglass and therefore may have slight variation in tolerances between body panels, doors, or windows. These variations do not affect flight performance and can be easily adjusted by an experienced builder with proper tools. These precautions are intended for novice builders; an experienced modeler should have no issue achieving perfect results with these premiere scale helicopters kits.

Product Specifications:

AGE LEVEL: 18 and up
SKILL LEVEL: Advanced
BUILD TIME: 4+ hours

Class / Size	600
Power Type	Electric
Rotor Type	Collective Pitch
Body Material	Fiberglass
Overall Size (L x W x H)	1260 x 350 x 480mm
Flying Weight	1353g
Main Rotor Diameter	N/A
Main Rotor Blade Length	N/A
Tail Rotor Diameter	N/A
Tail Rotor Blade Length	N/A
Tail Drive Type	Torque Tube
Cyclic Servos	3x Metal Gear
Tail Servo	1x Metal Gear
Power System	1100Kv Brushless Motor
Electronic Speed Control	130A High Voltage with EC5 Connector
Recommended Battery	6S 22.2V 5000 mAh LiPo with EC5 Connector
Battery Compartment Size (L x W x H)	N/A
Required Radio	7 Channel
Skill Level	Advanced
Build Time	4+ Hours
Recommended Environment	Outdoors

[Browneye77]

Is there another recommended donor chassis for this one? The phoenixtech ones don't seem to be available. Maybe a T-Rex one or something?

[F106DeltaDart]

Is there another recommended donor chassis for this one? The phoenixtech ones don't seem to be available. Maybe a T-Rex one or something?

That’s a tough one right now. Most modern 3D mechanics have larger diameter booms that don’t fit well in an MD500 airframe. I would personally look for a used Trex 550E, then retrofit a Trex 600 boom and torque tube. Not ideal, but that’s just what I’d go with.

[Browneye77]

That’s a tough one right now. Most modern 3D mechanics have larger diameter booms that don’t fit well in an MD500 airframe. I would personally look for a used Trex 550E, then retrofit a Trex 600 boom and torque tube. Not ideal, but that’s just what I’d go with.

Thanks for replying. You were a BIG help on the other thread on this topic.
So, same problem for the 600 class as well as the 450 huh? I guess there's just not enough interest in the scale helis. MotionRC sells them, but two grand for a RTR just isn't part of my vision of the future.

I think I'll order a Tarot 450 kit and a Jet Tech body.

[F106DeltaDart]

Thanks for replying. You were a BIG help on the other thread on this topic.
So, same problem for the 600 class as well as the 450 huh? I guess there's just not enough interest in the scale helis. MotionRC sells them, but two grand for a RTR just isn't part of my vision of the future.

I think I'll order a Tarot 450 kit and a Jet Tech body.

No problem. I think the problem is that in the 3D world, these mechanics are considered outdated and no one outside the scale community buys them. The scale community is already small, but narrow that down to just the 600 size, and I can see where it would be difficult to justify production continuing.

There is a positive to this. Trex 550s and 600s are still out there. 3D pilots sell them off cheap routinely because they are old. Look at RCgroups or Facebook marketplace, or the Facebook for sale groups for RC. I’ve heavily leveraged this to stock up on Trex 500ESPs and parts.

Why don’t newer 3D helis fit you might ask? Well, the larger boom diameter issue I mentioned is only one small factor. Modern 3D helis have tried to get the CG up close to the mast. So, motors and servos are mounted higher up. Batteries are integrated in between the frames. Main shafts are short with minimal clearance. Gear ratios are designed for high headspeed. Shaft driven tails have all but disappeared. None of these are particularly good for scale helis. This is exactly why Roban has their own mechanics for their main line helis. Same for Vario.

The 470s aren’t a bad value if you are ok with the motor driven tails. You can always rip out the GPS controller and add a normal FBL unit if you don’t want to use the stock system. At least they include some mechanics.

The 500s (which Motion no longer sells) are my favorite for the money. They can use the Trex 500ESP mechs or clones (which are still easy to get parts for), and are big enough to carry their weight better than the 450s. You can still get a number of 500 fuselages from Amazon, or flight-model. They should also fit the very inexpensive Steam AK420 mechs, but I haven’t had a chance to try that yet. Multiblade heads and scale blades are also cheap and available.

As for Jet Tech, the Funkey fuselages are ok for certain models, but in my opinion the Roban fuselages are more detailed. I also don’t like that they come with tinted windows versus the clear ones Roban uses. Something to consider.. Their Bell 222 and A109 do have better outlines than their Roban counterparts though.

Sorry for the long rant, hope this helps a bit!