OMPHobby M2 Explore Electric Helicopter (Orange)

First, a great little helicopter for learning and relearning. I think to understand a review, you need to know the experience of the reviewer. I'll share that and then some experience with this little bird.

I'm 65, been away from the hobby for 10 years after being somewhat more than a beginner but not quite an intermediate flyer with a T Rex 450 flyer with a tail gyro.
Self taught back then on RTF fixed pitch, mainly constructed out of reinforced plastic rods, not really repairable, but cheap enough to replace in a BNF version.

Getting back into the sport with a T Rex 470 on the workbench nearing completion and a Kraken 580 still in the box. Obviously both represent a little more investment and higher repair costs. Figured I needed something to polish the skills on before setting up and attempting to get the 470 in the air.

Purchased a new Futaba and added the small Futaba satellite receiver for interface, no problem adding it to the M2. Installed the first battery and after sliding the M2 around on the deck for awhile ending up tilting enough to hit the rotor blades on the deck and break all three cyclic servo arms. For some strange reason, OMP includes 3 spares with the BNF M2!

Replaced the servo arms and used the servo setting in the FBL unit setup to zero the servo arms. I've spent the rest of the time practicing indoors, bouncing off the furniture at times. I've left all of the other FBL settings at factory settings about mid-range.

As I gained more control also noticed I needed to do some setup. I had a bias to rolling left and tilting forwards as well as tail slowly drifting. Started by adjusting everything out with transmitter trim, it worked but I knew it wasn't the correct way to take care of the problem. Started playing with the FBL Gyro gain and eliminated the tail drift.
Played around with the servo throws in the FBL to get rid of the roll, but again even though this works most of what I read indicated FBL servo settings were only to zero the servo arms.
That leaves mechanically adjusting swash plate connecting rods.

There is room to get a set of calipers between the swashplate and upper frame or upper bearing to check measurements ensuring swash mechanically level as well as monitoring the effect of connecting rod adjustments. Through a process of hovering, landing and adjusting the connecting rods, achieved the stability advertised and thumbs off hovering for a few seconds. It is indeed becomes a joy to fly at this point as well as continue learning knowing that all the variations are due to your movements and not helicopter drift.

This has been a great learning experience as I have returned to the hobby. It has enabled me to begin getting rust off my skills, further them and have a better understanding of FBL units and helicopter setup.

Additional notes:
- I do fly with transmitter throttle settings and pitch settings in normal flight mode. I adjust these as my skills require, leaving the settings in the FBL unit at default. Idle Up 1 and 2 are programmed as well, but I am not using them flying indoors. Past experience has indicated that an idle up setting with more negative pitch can be useful if flying outdoors in the wind.

- I do have Dual rates and Expo programmed in the transmitter, again making them more responsive as my skills improve.

- There are a couple of Youtube videos that mention solving stability issues or drift. The proposed solution is to power up the transmitter and M2 in normal flight mode, let it initialize, (both blue and red LED solid) then hold full back elevator until the red LED flashes. Take off normally, hover steady to 10 to 15 seconds, land, hold full back elevator again until the red LED goes solid.
I've tried this, hovering with the red LED flashing was all but impossible for me. The M2 did not seem stable, was very sensitive to control inputs to the point I never received a stable hover. I tried this a couple of times with the same result. Could be my skill level, but it didn't work for me.

To summarize, this is a great bird to learn or relearn skills on and wonderful to help solve some of the questions in your mind regarding transmitter, receiver, FBL unit and their interactions as well as mechanical setup. I have the Explorer version and it seems to have metal in all the right places as well as proper use of plastic. Despite multiple crashes the only parts I've needed to replace have been the 3 plastic servo arms, 6 for $3.99, can't beat that! Their breaking kept from damaging the spindle shaft, main shaft, servo gears, etc. on a main rotor strike. Others like other things, but the cheaper Explorer seems to have everything it needs to be a great learning bird as well as a fun flyer.
Not the cheapest micro but it probably is in the long run.
Hard to go wrong if you're adding a Micro to the fleet ( a ball to fly indoors!), relearning or learning new skills!

Excellent little heli. High quality and zero play/slop with anything. Very nicely engineered. It has a very locked in feel when you fly it. The picture on here does not do the orange canopy justice. It is a very bright fluorescent orange. The canopy I received is fiberglass but I have heard they are plastic now. Excellent spare/upgrade part availability. Get one you will love it.

I love these helicopters never had to replace a Servo yet just as cheap little servo arms a bag for $3. Fun direct drive easy to repair and don't forget your friendly and fast service at amain Hobbies.

Well packaged, top notch quality. I use OMP's setup download for the OMP Protocol on the TX16s and I will put some modifications in the pitch curves but as they programed it it flies well, no wobbles, no bobbles. I am a sport flyer and not a 3D flyer for what it is worth.

Very smooth and stable little heli. OMP continues to refine and update the platform. Parts a reasonable and fairly easy to find.

Nice little heli. I am flying it with the Radiomaster TX16 and found a Youtube video on the radio set up. Worked great. The heli flew right out of the box. It still needs some tweaking though.
This heli is small so keep it close. I almost had mine fly away.

Where do I start? How about "WOW"! This purchase and RC Heli has exceeded my expectations. I have flown the Blade mCPX and Blade 130x and this OMP M2 Explore leaves them behind hands down. Having the ability to adjust the flight controller to specific individual capabilities makes this model even more attractive. The only downsize, and not a big deal, is the way the battery compartment is set up to lock in and unlock the battery removal. I've removed two batteries and have already broken the latch due to the awkward release switch design that is a weak point with this model and that of the M2 V2. Resolving this poor design would get 5 Stars from me.

Incredible quality and build. Flew perfectly out of the box. Do not sit on the fence with this bird !!