Soxos Strike 7
Detailed review of the Swiss model

The Soxos Strike 7, an improved DB7 or a whole new model? The answer is, a bit of both. When the Swiss brand Heli Professional recently presented the Soxos Strike 7 it was presented as a an evolution from its predecessor, however the number of improvements and changes mean it keeps it soul but has grown a big set of teeth and it doesn’t really recognize itself in the mirror. Thanks to this though, the new Strike 7 meets the requirements of even the most demanding top pilots and in this article we are going to go over what makes this heli different to the rest in its category.

First Impressions

The Strike 7 arrives as a kit without blades. The box is different to that of usual Soxos helicopters, being smaller and simpler. All components are perfectly placed and divided into numbered bags. The printed manual shows each step of the build in detail.

When compared to its predecessor, the canopy stands out the most, being bigger, more stylized, more aerodynamic and with large air intakes for ventilation. The color scheme also stands out, being not only elegant and aggressive, but the use of fluorescent colors also make it one of the most high visibility helis that I have ever flown, making orientation easy.

Following on from the canopy, another one of the most significant changes is the change to a belt system for the tail. Currently most pilots prefer belt drive systems due to the easy maintenance and repair, not to mention lower cost to replace. The carbon chassis has been updated as has the landing gear. Mechanically, the placement and design of the one way bearing is also different, allowing the use of todays larger more powerful motors.

The quality of the parts and the finish is also worth a mention, with aluminum parts now being used for everything of any importance, while the whole system maintains its recognizable gearing system and its exclusive tail servo linkage system for an overall practical and simple design.

Main Rotor

Presented entirely out of aluminum in an anodized matt black finish, it uses a 10mm transversal shaft, and a mains shaft of 12mm. It looks and feels very rigid and robust. I particularly like that the rotor arms are removable, which makes replacing them much easier as well as more cost effective in case of need for repair when compared to having to replace the entire rotor head.

Turnbuckle pushrods are used throughout which make setup easy, allowing for quick and simple yet precise adjustments. The feel of the links is that of being big and tough, which is definitely something that plays in the helis favor. The plate used is a CCPM 120º. In my case, I like using Spinblades Black Belt 685mm, however the heli can take up to 700mm to suit your style.

Chasis

The chassis is made up of two main parts. The first of which is the main structure, which is CNC milled from a single slab of aluminum. Being fabricated from a single piece, this provides the model with increased rigidity and a guarantee that all components are always perfectly aligned. It also simplifies the build, as less parts are required.

The lower part of the chassis is then made up from two 2mm carbon plates. On them, two plastic rails are mounted onto which the battery system is attached.

The batteries themselves are mounted on a plastic tray with Velcro straps. The locking system is released with a simple press button. Personally, it feels like a strong yet simple and practical system to remove and replace batteries between flights.

Two plastic landing skids and aluminum skid pipes make up the LANDING GEAR, with a much more current shape and design. Mounting is easy with a total of four bolts going into the chassis.

The canopy as mentioned is entirely new and with a rather different and aggressive design. With multiple channels ready opened, airflow over the motor and speed controller is not going to be a problem, providing with very positive cooling. The whole thing is painted in vivid bright colors for great visibility. The mounting method is via magnets in the top half and hard mount points in the lower half. All very fast and easy install and remove.

One of the strong points of this model is the transmission system which is comprised entirely from gears and pinions. Accustomed to helicopters that use a combination of gears and belts, the system used in this heli definitely stands out. It also uses helical gears.

Having been flying the model for roughly a year, in my experience the drive train works perfectly, as well as being surprisingly quiet considering it doesn’t use belts.

A further improvement from its predecessor is the ESC tray. Made up from two carbon plates joined by two further aluminum parts with the Soxos logo engraved on it, which together allow for the use of even the largest of ESC. I personally feel that this was a great improvement, with more and more pilots choosing to go for controllers such as the Kontronik Cool Kosmik, which can now be installed safely and securely without any alterations to the model. Below the ESC there is still a lot of space available to install other components.

At the opposite side of the rotor, we also find a further carbon plate, just behind the rotor when you can mount your chosen flybarless system.

Tail

Here we find one of the biggest changes found in the Strike 7.Listening to top pilots and team members, Heli Professional knew that it was time to swap out the previous torque tube system in favor of a belt drive system for the tail.

For those unaware of the differences, the use of a belt for the tail reduces drastically the maintenance required, as well as being significantly easier and cheaper to replace if required.

The tail case itself is made entirely out of aluminum, however it does incorporate two rubber rings which work as shock absorbers to prevent vibrations. The four bolts that secure the box each also have a small rubber ring for the same reason, all while keeping a simple design that just works.

The tail rotor is also made entirely out of black and silver anodized aluminum. The blade grips are design in such a way that you can even adjust the degrees of throw in a visual manner.

Both the fin and the tail boom braces are made from carbon, however included in the kit is a bright neon yellow vinyl sticker so that the fin will match the canopy with a very aesthetically pleasing finish, especially in flight.

Something else that stands out in this helicopter and makes it unique is the linkage system for the tail. The servo is mounted vertically on the tail tube via an aluminum bracket, and is then connected to the tail system via an aluminum tube which fits directly over the servo spline. This tube is then twisted one way or the other by the servo to control the tail. The tube is also supported by two ball bearings assuring a smooth and precise operation.

Strike 7 in flight

For the first flight I set 1850rpm in normal mode, 2100 rpm for idle 1 and 2200 for idle 2 as these values are my standard setup for any 700 size heli.

Accustomed to flying the DB7, expectation was high for the new Strike 7. If being honest, the style of flying is very similar with subtle improvements all round, with the main difference being in the belt drive system for the tail. Setup of the VBar NEO with the same gain settings as its predecessor proved pretty much spot on for everything, just needing to retune the tail.

The feeling when flying the Strike 7 is that the tail is very fast to react while also being very precise, able to spin at a constant speed regardless of the maneuver or rotor rpm, even in piros.

The Strike 7 has proven to be a particularly stable helicopter, yet the agility on cyclic is still very fast and precise. The feel is just great, helped no doubt by the overall low all up weight, and the brilliant MKS X8 servos.

All together, it can maneuver quickly while still feel like it is flying on rails. It is friendly enough to build your confidence from the get go, aided further by the reliability of just flying time and time again without issue.

Conclusion

Almost like Apple’s engravings on the back of their devices, the Strike 7 is designed in Switzerland and made in China, but going one step further, with all parts being mass shipped to Switzerland for their final quality control, packing and shipping. The result is a product with a true guarantee of quality.

The design is simple yet innovative and with a mechanical system that allows true confidence in the machine. The change to a belt drive for the tail feels like it was the right move to make, based on both pilots preferences and the overall result that has been obtained.

The Strike 7 is quick and simple to build, made up from visibly high quality materials and having swapped out many plastic parts for new aluminum versions.

The end result is a helicopter that is agile, light and precise with a current design and bright color scheme, all for what is currently about the lowest price of any other helicopter in its size range.

Because of this, it becomes a great option for anyone looking for a new 700. I love mine!