Buy the stiffner here £8.99 (inc VAT)!
What is it?
Well, it's an aluminium brace for the motor mount area of the stock (plastic) King frame. It is manufactured by Xtreme Productions.
What does it do?
The area just behind the motor mount it a known weak point on the stock frame and often bends and twists in flight, potentially damaging the main gear and causing a nasty crash. Over time the frame will begin to sag at that point causing a poor gear mesh and making setting the motor up to mesh with the main gear correctly - not too loose and not so tight that it binds. If the gear mesh isn't correct then the gears will make a whining noise and wear faster too, or too loose and it'll slip and destroy the gear and possibly damage the pinion too.
All about it
It's a well crafted piece of kit, a perfect fit for the frame with a tiny bit of trimming around the stock motor mount area - just a couple of mm front and back for the side rails.
The stiffner comes with all you need to attach it. The screws for the motor that came with the stiffner are too narrow a gauge! The stock screws are too short. Luckily I had some spares that were long enough and of the correct size - and a couple of big washers to spread the load for when I do them up.
You'll probably need a gear puller too, as the pinion is raised about 3mm by the aluminium plate (hence the longer screws) and if you're as fussy as me you'll want a perfectly square mesh with the main gear.
Image courtesy of XP website
Pros
Cheap
Easy fit (sub five minutes)
Massive improvement to stock (plastic) frame
Cons
Motor mount screws were the wrong gauge, so you'll need your own
Worth my money?
Big yes! Other than the motor mount screws being wrong, this is the best upgrade I have ever fitted. The heli is more responsive and there's virtually zero flex.
It's a perfect upgrade for someone sick of the flexy-frame issue, but who's not yet ready to shell out the £40-50 for the full carbon frame. It's a real good compromise and worth every penny.
_________________
Honey Bee King II
- Wooden blades - Titanium turnbuckles
- GF TRex Lid - Align HH gyro - DX6 Tx
- 1xHPS18100 - 3xHS55s - 43T pulley
- 3900kV + 10T - 11.1v 1800maH LiPO
GL450
- Not flying... yet
