Choosing a suitable motor for a 450 size helicopter is one of the most common problems that beginners in the hobby encounter. There is no clear naming system and the sheer array of suitable motors is endless. So where do you even begin to look? It’s mostly up to personal preference but there are a few things to look out for. Turnigy produces a wide array of motors that are suitable for a 450 class helicopter but my favorite is the Turnigy Typhoon 2215H and let’s face it, at just under $12, it’s hard to beat the price.

When Align created the T-Rex 450, they undoubtedly created one of the most popular electrical powered RC helicopters of all time, but also the most confusingly named. Up until then RC helicopters were classed either by blade length or engine size. The 450 actually refers to the motor but in a very confusing way. Unfortunately this confusing naming system has passed on over to its clones.

Normally when doing hard 3D flight, a 450 size helicopter uses about 40 Amps of current. A 3 cell Lipo supplies 11.1 volts of electricity. If we multiply them together we arrive at 444 Watts, hence the 450 naming system used by Align.

Ideally a 450 size helicopter needs a motor that can deliver 3200kv to 4000kv, kv simply means revolutions per minute per volt. The Turnigy Typhoon 2215H slots nicely into the middle with its claimed output of 3550kv, but the actual output is closer to 4000kv.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 35mm x 28mm, 51mm(with shaft)
• Weight: 63g (kv3550) (not including connectors)
• Voltage: 2-4S
• Max current: 20 – 28A
• Diameter of shaft: 3.17mm
• Length of front shaft: 16mm
• ESC: 40A

First Look

I have to admit that when I first saw the Turnigy Typhoon 2215H I nearly passed it over because of its price, I simply didn’t believe that a $12 motor could provide the performance that I was looking for, and my second thoughts were about quality concerns. So imagine my surprise when I actually received what I consider to be one of the best looking 450 size motors I have ever owned.

Turnigy have done a great job with the design and the dark color adds a touch of class. The addition of the cooling fan ensures that your motor always receives the airflow that it requires and the shaft has a groove already cut into it for mounting the pinion gear. You will need to supply your own banana jacks, pinion gear and mounting screws.

Flight Testing

After removing my old motor from my HobbyKing HK-450, I managed to get the Turnigy Typhoon 2215H mounted without any problem. The mounting screw holes are perfectly with the motor mounting plate. I did have to move my ESC a little as the motors wire leads are a little bit short.

Once I was happy with the main gear/pinion gears mesh I was ready for my first flight. I slowly powered up in normal mode, to get a feel for the motor, the motor started up smoothly and I was very impressed by how quiet it is. By 40% throttle, the helicopter lifted up into a nice stable hover. I spent the first minute or so just flying around in normal mode going through the full throttle range. The motor has plenty of power and is extremely responsive.

After a while I switched into idle up mode to see how it responded to a more constant head speed. The motor really came to life and the helicopter became a little beast in the air. I am sure the motor is very underrated and it should actually be labeled as a 4000kv motor, not that I’m complaining though.

Final Thoughts

The Turnigy Typhoon 2215H is a great little motor and you really can’t beat the price. I think Turnigy and HobbyKing have a winner here and I won’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a 450 size motor. That being said, I think they should work on the packaging, including a pinion gear and mounting screws would be helpful.

Positives

• Cheap
• Powerful
• Well Designed

Negatives

• No banana plugs
• No mounting screws

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