Blade mSR X RTF

I'm writing to vent. I bought the mSR X for my son. He's been flying my Trex 450, not quite expertly, and his own mSR - until it started to toilet-bowl.

I thought the mSR X would be a good step up. Not going up to the mCP X, just the mSR X.

What we got was not a step up from the mSR. In fact, it really isn't a product ready to be released!! There are so many things wrong with this heli that they should recall this thing.

Yeah, yeah, I've read the posts, talking about how the quirks separate the men from the boys and how it gives you more of a challenge, and if I ditched the included radio and used a nicer one and programmed in all sorts of mixing, it would fly better, yada yada yada.

To put it simply, this heli has serious problems. If you want a heli that can fly like a heli, then this is not the one. If you want one that you can take apart and rebuild and improve upon, then maybe this qualifies.

What are my complaints?

- On take-off the heli likes to slide to the left - and fast!. (The instructions strongly advise not to give the heli any rudder, aileron or elevator input during take-off! Ignore that and correct for the slide before the thing hits a wall.)

- During hover and level flight, the heli lists to the right.

- For landing, the manual instructs to establish a hover 18 inches up, and then to reduce throttle, without any rudder, aileron or elevator input! Basically they want you to drop the thing a foot and a half, and call that a landing.

- On an enclosed card, they mention that when you plug the battery in, to put the heli on a flat surface within two seconds so the gyro calibrates. While we were used to this with the mSR, I don't recall having to rush to do this within 2 seconds?? Really?

- Be very careful when turning otherwise the heli has a tendency to sort of lose control and turn onto its side and zoom off in some direction.

- With the included radio, it is extremely difficult to do any rudder control without changing throttle. Yes, I know, ditch the included remote.

I won't even begin to tell you how flimsy the skids are. After watching some kids play combat heli with cheap Syma counter-rotating helis, I don't understand why the Blade's can't be made out of more durable material.

Thank you for letting me vent. I hope this heli gets recalled or somehow these problems are addressed. As is, I have bought my last Blade product.

-mz