Raging Rotors Build Report: Goblin 570 Kit from SAB Helidivision!

OK, so I may have done a lot of building these past few months (idle hands blah blah blah), but I love getting dirty and what better way than a kit? Thanks to my trip to IRCHA, I got my opportunity with the SAB Helidivision Goblin 570. This has been my baby, and still is, so here is the skinny of what I have in it (Note: This is a kit, so all electronics, servos, etc are not included. The final tally will be at the end price wise.):

• Goblin 570 Kit: Beautfiul machine and fun to build. Full price is $698 for kit alone (I really enjoyed Brian crying in the corner from my expense report).
• Motor: As I am doing a more docile/casual 6S LiPo setup, I picked the Quantum 4125 size 1100kV motor. It is big on power for a 6S setup, and can be picked up for $130.
• ESC/BEC: I go with what works, and in this case my go-to ESC is always from Castle Creations. For my needs I picked up a Phoenix Edge 130Amp Aircraft ESC. I wanted a separate BEC to prevent major aircraft damage on ESC failure, so I supplemented the Castle BEC Pro to run along side the ESC. The ESC runs around $190, and the BEC was $40.
• Battery: I am a fan of all batteries of a high ‘C’ rating for best motor/ESC efficiency. Currently I have two batteries lined up to run with the 570: Predator 6S 5000mAh 45C from Diamond Hobby, LLC for $110 and Hobbico set me up with a new FlightPower 6S 5000mAh 50C battery to test out (sells for $210).
• Servos: There are two types of servos needed for a collective pitch helicopter: Tail Servo and Cyclic Servos. In both cases, I went with the SAB recommendation and ordered BK Servos. BK stands for Bert Kammerer, one of the major product developers for Goblin Helicopters. The cyclics used were the BK 7001HV, which I needed three for control of the helicopter’s head and swashplate. These servos retail at $100 each. The tail servo, which is responsible for controlling rudder action of the helicopter and helps stabilize tail for precise motion, is being supported by the BK DS-7005HV servo, retailing at $90.
• Flybarless Unit: What is a collective pitch helicopter without control to help with basic stabilization? For this I am going with the flybarless system from iKon, which features polarity protection (helps with accidental backwards servo plug installations) and a bailout feature. This system retails for $225.
• Canopy/Tail Boom: Most of the pilots in my area fly the primarily Yellow Goblin 570, which is nice, but not very individual. My kit was the less popular Black/White canopy and tail, and was not visually stunning for orientation help and would not get any attention (like RC cars, showing off a nice body/paint job is always fun). For this alone I reached out to CanoMod and got the Carbon Fiberglass (XLC) Blue Eyes Combo Set. This surely made my ‘baby’ special, and can be picked up for around $185.
• Misc. Accessories: For added cooling to the motor, I nabbed a Goblin Upgraded Motor Mount ($43) as well as the preferred Goblin Futaba-Type Servo Horns ($18) to take the guesswork out of some of the linkage placements.

Add all that quality product together, and you get one slick helicopter and a total bill of approximately $2,240. I am fortunate for a lot of help in this endeavor so I cannot say I could afford all this, so thank you to my local hobby shop HobbyTown Orland, the guys at PrestigeRC/HeliDirect, and my man Ben over at Hobbico for all the help and support. This doesn’t even include all the help from coworkers, friends, and local team pilots: Tony B, Mike L, and Ed H! You guys are amazing!

Check out all the pictures from the build to point. All I currently have left to do is reinstall the tail linkage (CA glue is not exactly enough when you want your tail to keep the heli from spinning like a top, use JB Weld to support the glue point), finish setting up the tail in the iKon, and then play with settings on the Castle ESC and BEC, which will get me to the maiden flight.

That does it for me! Enjoy the pics and until next time, Stay Shiny and Keep Flyin’!