ALIGN T-REX 700X DOMINATOR
Charles Anderson
canderson9898@comcast.net
Built for 3-D
If you have participated in the RC helicopter hobby during the last decade, there is a good chance that you have owned an Align helicopter.
Align began in the smallest, but largest, of ways—by conquering our hearts and wallets with one of the most successful 450-size helicopters released. At the time, no company could release a high-performance model of that size that would appeal to such a large audience.
Like many successful companies, Align was not one to rest on its laurels and soon began to release new sizes and new models. As soon as you could find yourself in need of a new or larger machine, Align had a new release.
Align has continued its success in helicopters by not only producing high-quality products, but also by manufacturing products that are affordable to both purchase and maintain. The company has done this by leveraging its tremendous sales numbers to give pilots the opportunity to purchase not just kits, but full all-in-one packages that include everything but a battery and receiver. It is with this continued growth and innovation that Align still remains successful after all of these years.
When I learned of Align’s new T-Rex 700X Dominator, it piqued my interest. Align decided to make some key design changes from the previous 700-size model. The modifications looked impressive from the marketing material. With new frames, a redesigned head, and some new electronics, Align appeared to again have a market-changing product.
After receiving the kit, the first thing you will notice when opening the primary box is that Align is still the king of packaging. The boxes are laid out neatly inside, and each one is properly labeled to aid with assembly. The packaging is superb, and I don’t think there is a single millimeter of space that is not used when designing the package.
Before beginning any new build, there are a few items of importance. First and foremost, take the time to clean the screws with alcohol. There is either machine oil residue or dirt and dust on all of the screws. If you take the time to
We’re sorry - due to a change during the production of this article, the bonus video mentioned in the printed edition of Model Aviation will not be available.
–MA Staff
At a Glance ...
Specifications
Model type: Electric 700-size helicopter
Skill level: Advanced/experienced
Main rotor diameter: 62.28 inches
Tail rotor diameter: 11.06 inches
Length: 51.97 inches
Height: 6.46 inches
Weight: 11.24 pounds with battery
Power system: 850MX 490 Kv brushless motor; RCE-BL130-amp brushless ESC; three DS820M high-voltage brushless servos; one DS825M high-voltage tail servo; BeastX MicroBeast Plus flybarless system (all included)
Flight duration: Four minutes (depending on flying style)
Needed to complete: Seven-channel helicopter transmitter; seven-channel receiver; 12S 5,000 mAh LiPo battery
Radio system used: JR 28X 28-channel radio; JR RG612BX six-channel XBus receiver; Pulse Battery 12S 5,000 mAh 45C LiPo battery
Street price: $1,679.99
Pluses
- One of the best-priced combo kits in the hobby. For a complete 700-size package, it is unmatched in the industry.
- All components included in the combo are designed to give the best performing package.
- Fit and finish is the best so far from Align.
- Locking push-button battery tray is smooth and easy to operate.
- Kit designed for ease of assembly and maintenance.
- Frame design is simplistic and functional.
- Head design brings smooth and responsive feel.
- Landing gear design brings the tail farther off the ground to protect tail gears and create a more aggressive stance.
Minuses
- Although the canopy is nicely painted, it’s too thin, which could result in cracks and hangar rash.
- Because of the frame design and layout, you must be careful when running wires close to the main gear.
- Align has included so much information in the manual that it could cause information overload; take your time reading it.
clean them properly, threadlocker will work better.
Take the time to wet-sand your carbon-fiber frames. If you do this early on, you will minimize the chances of wire chaffing and an occasional cut finger.
Manual
Align has taken great care to put every piece of information in the manual that you will need for the build. If you are new to building model helicopters or have little experience in following a diagram-based manual, you might want to read through the entire manual before beginning the build. Because the manual has so much information, it can be hard to see the exact location of an occasional screw or a point of attachment. Take the time to review each section before beginning the assembly and make some notes before starting each build segment.
Note: There are many items that are partially assembled. Take the time to disassemble them and check for proper assembly then reassemble them with threadlocker.
Frame Assembly
As you begin the frame assembly, notice that you are instructed to not fully tighten the screws because you need to ensure that the main shaft easily slides through all bearing blocks. I like to build a side at a time and then join the two halves. I experimented doing this both ways, and each time the frame alignment was spot on and the main shaft easily slid through the blocks.
The frames are one sided, so follow the manual carefully to properly choose the correct side. Bearing-block orientation is
important for a correct main shaft fit, so follow the manual closely to avoid having to take things back apart.
Head Assembly
The head comes preassembled, but should be taken apart and checked for proper assembly. My heli’s head was assembled correctly. The thrust bearings were in the correct position and lubricated, and all other components were placed properly. It was simply a matter of cleaning all of the screws with alcohol.
Use a cotton swab to clean the threads inside of the feathering spindle to ensure proper threadlocker adhesion. The new Align head is no longer direct flight control (DFC), and this is a fantastic change. I expect the Align T-Rex 700X Dominator to have a better feel than the previous DFC-equipped helicopters that I have flown.
Tail Assembly
Align has continued with its tradition of using a torque tube for the tail-drive system. You will find many opinions for using a torque tube instead of a belt, but this is a smooth torque-tube-drive system. Align has provided two torque-tube bearings to ensure a smooth and vibration-free tail system.
The bearing carriers fit well. After placing them on the drive shaft, a small amount of thin CA glue locked them in place. To insert the drive shaft into the boom, I used a little dish detergent to lubricate the bearing carriers. I put the detergent on a cotton swab and applied a thin film along the first inch or two inside of the boom. As I began to insert the drive shaft, I used an Align insertion tool to finish placing the drive shaft inside of the boom.
After assembling the drive shaft, it is time to move on to the full tail box assembly. The 700X tail control assembly is well designed and provides smooth and worry-free operation. I checked the tail grip assembly and found that all items were correctly placed, and proper lubrication had already been applied to the tail thrust bearing assembly. I simply had to check and apply threadlocker and reassemble.
The tail gear assembly was also correct, and no additional work was necessary. The tail gears were smooth and I found no physical imperfections during operation. After I had attached the tail control assembly onto the boom, it was time to insert the boom into the frames.
When inserting the tail into the frames, push until you feel the boom fully seat itself in the frames. When in place, equally tighten all frame screws. Make sure to place the “safety” screw that is meant to keep the boom from sliding out of the frames.
Main Gear
The 700X’s main gear is thick and beefy. The gear was well made and smooth. My gear was preassembled and all screws had threadlocker on them. When inserting the main shaft into the gear assembly, don’t overtighten the screw that holds the shaft in place—doing so might create warp. The screws need to be snug, but don’t use gorillalike force to torque them down. After you have inserted the gear and tightened the screws, run the head by hand and check for irregularities.
Motor
The included Align motor is massive. The 850MX is a 490 Kv motor, and Align claims that it will handle anything you throw at it. One nice addition to this kit is a motor-mounting plate. Align has manufactured a motor plate that also acts as a nice heat-sink mount. It should improve motor cooling and longevity.
After attaching the motor to the mounting plate, connect the pinion. The pinion is perfectly mated to the motor’s Kv and the expected performance of the helicopter. There are other pinions available for tuning, but I think this pinion will work perfectly for most people.
The next item of assembly is to mount the motor to the frames. There are four screws—you want to evenly tighten them to ensure smooth operation. My pinion/gear mesh was spot on, and the drive system needed no additional work.
Electronics and Setup
Align has included an impressive set of electronics with the 700X Super Combo. The cyclic and tail servos have impressive statistics and are sure to perform anything you ask. Align has also included a very capable BeastX MicroBeast Plus flybarless control unit in the kit. Many people like them because they require no external device to complete programming.
Setting up the MicroBeast Plus is straightforward if you follow the programming guide. Individual tuning can be accomplished by changing some parameters in your transmitter and/or additional tuning of the MicroBeast Plus.
Finally, let’s discuss the Align 130-amp ESC. Align partners with companies that can manufacture high-quality products that meet its specifications. This new 130-amp ESC is impressive. It offers a nice programmable slow start, active freewheeling circuitry, an available external programming box, long connection cables, an rpm sensor, etc. If you want it, this new ESC has it. On top of the performances that this ESC offers, it is a spectacular piece of eye
candy. It has a beautifully machined body that is anodized in the typical Align red, and comes with a nice fan to help with additional cooling.
You might wonder what company makes this wonderful new ESC. It’s not a complete secret, but I cannot name the manufacturer. What I can tell you is that although it is an easy-to-stick program, there is additional functionality that you can easily change with the use of an external program device. I did not have one of the new Align ESC program devices, but I was happy to find out that my Hobbywing Program Box (hint, hint) will also program this new 130-amp ESC.
Flight Testing
After completing final checks and making some last-minute adjustments, it was time to begin the flight tests. I wanted to give the model a good amount of flight time at different head speeds and with different flying styles to fully examine its flight envelope.
The initial flight tests were conducted at various lower head speeds to see how the model would perform in a more gentle style of flight. I have different models that have large performance profiles, so I was curious to see if the 700X would be able to offer low-speed to high-speed flight in the stock format. Keep in mind that you can “assist” the model by changing settings in your MicroBeast Plus to compensate for the lower head speed, but the model will let you know at what head speeds it will perform best.
In my early tests with head speeds lower than 1,500 rpm (1,300 to 1,400), I found that the 700X did not settle well at these reduced speeds. I did not expect the 700X to be happy at lower head speeds because Align designed this to be an agile, high-performance helicopter.
At low head speeds, the tail was not as locked in as I would have liked and the cyclic response felt too sluggish. I think it needs a speed-up gear to enhance tail performance at a low head speed. Although you can fly it at 1,500 rpm fine, the performance was less desirable at 1,300 rpm and 1,400 rpm.
As you increase your head speed from 1,500 rpm to 1,600 rpm, the model starts to settle in more. The tail is more stable, but you still need to run a higher tail gain. Cyclic performance is better in that head-speed range, but still not what many 3-D pilots would expect. For sport pilots, the 700X gives increased flight time in this rpm range, but you still need to be more conscious of your collective management.
If you increase the head speed to the range of 1,700 rpm to 1,800 rpm, you will see the model start to settle in, the tail gain more authority, and the cyclic authority increase. This is still in the range of head speeds that might appeal best to pilots who are looking for a more graceful style of 3-D flight. At 1,700 rpm to 1,800 rpm, the 700X will give you a good-performing model that is smooth and provides good flight times.
When you approach the 2,000 rpm range and beyond, the model becomes more nimble. Increased cyclic response and pitch authority with the higher head speeds turn the 700X into an energetic 3-D helicopter. Tail control becomes incredibly solid at higher head speeds, and pirouette rates can get as fast as you are willing to go.
As expected, you will find that as you push toward the higher head speeds, your flight times drop. For hard 3-D, expect flights of approximately four minutes—maybe lower if you are heavy handed on the sticks. When you are set up for this performance range, you will see quickly that the Align 700X Dominator was designed for these high head speeds.
Conclusion
The 700X Dominator is a solid flying machine. It tracks straight and true when you want, but is extremely nimble and aerobatic. The build was simple and straightforward, with no fit or finish issues.
All plastic pieces were free from defects and fit appropriately. The carbon fiber was good quality with no defects, and all holes aligned perfectly during the build. The metal machining was fantastic, and the metal parts were defect-free and fit flawlessly.
This kit was well thought out. You can expect many hours of great flying from your new 700X Dominator.
If you are looking for a 700-size model that can handle anything you throw at it and is affordable to repair when you inevitably hit the ground, you should look no further than the Align T-Rex 700X Dominator. This is the new king of affordable performance.
—Charles Anderson
canderson8989@comcast.net
MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR:
Align
align@ms.align.com.tw
www.align.com.tw/en/
SOURCES:
Hobbywing
fae_air@hobbywing.com
www.hobbywing.com
BeastX
info@beastx.com
www.beastx.com
JR Americas
(217) 352-7959
www.jramericas.com
Pulse Battery
(978) 206-6037
www.pulsebattery.com
