E-Flite’s New Blade mCX2 – mCX with Drastic Improvements!

The micro coaxial Blade mCX2 RC helicopter is the newest product to hit the market. It uses the revolutionary mCX platform. The history of the mCX platform is interesting. It starts with the actual mCX that brought a radical change in the growing micro coaxial helicopter industry. The mCX – S300 followed this, leading to the popular Tandem Rescue. Each of these helicopters appeal to people for different reasons, but all are extremely effortless to fly. Following these is the mCX2, which has some useful upgrades influenced by the high performance offered by the Blade CX2 and the Blade mSR.

The Body

The integration of the entire body of the helicopter is a style that comes from the bigger Blade CX2, making the mCX2 look larger during flight, and larger than mCX, though the dimensions of the two are very similar. The body of the mCX2 has two parts, which are the back tail and the front pod of the helicopter. Now, we need not loosen any tiny o-rings, as we used to on the mCX and the S300. This model uses little grommets like Blade mSR. They remain fixed to the body of the helicopter.

The style of this model thus offers simple removal and access features. If you want, you can also remove the rear of the model and fix a carbon tail fin or boom. This is part number EFLH2428. This transforms the mCX2 to a more dynamic boom and pod configuration.

E-flite has also put a modifiable weight on the optional boom. This helps to maintain the correct center of gravity after the removal of the bulkier work on the back of the body. At the same time, you can also modify the center of gravity in order to change the flight of the helicopter. For instance, you can improve the advancing flight speed by giving the helicopter a subtle nose heavy configuration.

E-flite knows the needs of its customers well. They know that most people whose passion revolves around micro helicopters came into the hobby to have fun. To enhance the feeling of enjoyment, E-flite has added red and green starboard and port navigation LED lights that flash. They have also added a red light at the tail, replicating a navigation beacon that rotates. These lights do nothing for performance. Rather, they use more power and add weight. However, the little details increase the popularity of E-flite in the micro heli industry. The LED lights are already in place in the rear part of the heli’s body. They are a part of the new Blade mCX2. You can plug them in the improved 5-in-1 control board, as it has an additional input to plug in the lights. You can also use your old control board to use the mCX2, but the lights will not work.

Other upgrades comprise of a clear window for the canopy. E-flite has also included new graphics on the rotor blade. The blade, with additional white tips, now displays the “BLADE” trademark, similar to the Blade mSR. This adds to the appeal of the rotors when they are stationary as well as when spinning.

Overall Performance

In this area, the original mCX is definitely inferior to the new Blade mCX2. The new heli has robust coreless motors. These provide a minor power improvement. Since the body integration results in addition of weight, this little power maintains the performance of the helicopter. In addition, there is a large improvement in the power and performance of the Pod and Boom configuration, in comparison to the configuration in the original mCX.

The control of these stronger motors is through the new control board, which probably has some modifications in the algorithms for proper motor mixing functions. Similar to other mCX 5-in-1 control board, the new one also has a DSM2 receiver, a functional yaw rate gyro, dual linear servos in charge of controlling the cyclic swash plate movement and ESC circuitry, which controls mixing and power to both the rotor motors.

The helicopter derives its power from its 120-mAh 14C cell of 3.7 volts. This is a Lithium-ion polymer battery. Blade mSR also uses the same battery. Upgrading to the 150-mAh Li-Po battery is also possible. This allows better flight durations and speed.

The user selectable dual position swash plate is another upgrade in the performance of the mCX2. Like others, this too is an improved version of an mSR component. Adjusting the pushrods to the outer most balls of the swash from the inner most ones allows additional angles of cyclic pitch. This makes the cyclic performance livelier, as your confidence and skill with the mCX2 increases.

Modification of the stock mCX swash plates has been going on for a while now. Having realized this, E-flite generated the best solution to increase the speed of the helicopter. If you change the boom and pod configuration to a slightly nose heavy configuration, the mCX2 will have faster flight speed when the helicopter is advancing. You can do this easily using the adjustable weight. This is possible on both, the mSR and the mCX2.

Versions

The Blade mCX2 comes in two versions, namely the Bind and Fly (BNF) and the Ready to Fly (RTF) version. This is unlike the earlier Blade SR and the Tandem Rescue, which had only a RTF version.

With the mCX2 Ready to Fly version, you get everything needed for the helicopter to start flying. The RTF kit includes the mCX2 helicopter, a MLP4DSM 4 – channel radio or transmitter, a 120-mAh 14C cell, 3.7 volts Li-Po battery, a BMCX basic single port Li-Po battery charger and eight AA batteries, four each for the battery charger and the radio.

With the exception of the radio, the BNF mCX2 version has everything that the Ready to Fly kit has. This allows you to save money, as you can use your old E-flite, JR or Spektrum radio to bind the helicopter. As long as the radio uses the DSM2 interference free and bulletproof spread spectrum by Spektrum, you can bind your mCX2 to it. This is among the best features that have evolved over the years. Rather than keeping multiple radios, you can now use the same radio for your new helicopter. This is the need of the hour, and the developments in the helicopter industry have finally caught up.

Specifications of the Blade mCX2

This is an ultra, micro coaxial RC Heli. It is advisable to fly with it only indoors. The diameter of the main rotor is 190 mm. The gross weight of the mCX2 is 28 grams or one ounce. The length is 200 mm that is 7.9 inches, while the height is 120mm or 4.7 inches. The mCX2 uses two installed micro coreless motors. The control system used by the helicopter is an installed 5 in 1 ESCs, mixer, servos, gyro or receiver.

Conclusion

The replacement of the original Blade mCX by the new Blade mCX2 will be inevitable. For beginners, who started with the mCX and turned into expert flyers, the mCX2 fulfils their need for new challenges when they wish to have a little fun indoors. The improvements are drastic, with better looks and performance, simpler mounting grommets and the two-body format customization. Even an amateur flyer can tell that the improved mCX2 will be a success.

Since the cost of the mCX has gone down considerably, people can take to this hobby even more easily at extremely affordable rates. The mCX introduced amateurs to the helicopter-flying hobby, and the new mCX2 is going to take that success even ahead.

Update: The Blade mCX2 BNF is now available
Update 2: Holy moly it’s just PURE fun
Update 3: I can confirm that the new Blade mCX2 is working with the HP6DSM as well as the LP5DSM Transmitter wihtout any problems. I you’re using the HP6DSM you have to reverse the following Dip Switches to on: 4,6,7,8

• Order the Blade mCX2 BNF – Only $89.99

• Order the Blade mCX2 RTF – Only $119.99