Anyone Into RC Helicopters?

[lastlight]

I've got a cheap $30 one. Must have a built-in gyro as I could fly it pretty well within minutes. Like Tony mentioned a heat current can send it sideways lol.

I'm not sure where I've been the last 10 years or whatever but I had no idea until very recently that flight had become so cheap?! The little tiny motors (look like watch batteries!) blow my mind with their power.

Battery life is crap though. 8 min of fun is torture.

[JMes]

I've had my eye on this Apache.
http://indyhelis.com/

Heres a video of it in action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC_MA...feature=fvwrel

[Nano]

Originally Posted by JMes

I've had my eye on this Apache.
http://indyhelis.com/

Heres a video of it in action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC_MA...feature=fvwrel

That's a lot of toy! I like it Haha

[jostafew]

Hey, finally another topic I have some experience with! I've been flying CP helis for about three years now, currently have a Trex 450V2 clone and Trex 500 TT clone. Also fly fixed wing but that's just kiddie stuff

If you're starting out and want to try a FP heli have a look at the Blade SR120 http://www.horizonhobby.com/products...sr-rtf-BLH3100

It's big enough that it can be flown outdoors, and since it's a single rotor heli it'll behave more like the CP stuff when this one gets easy. Of course as mentioned before the coaxial stuff is easier to start with but I think you'll get tired of it pretty quick (greasing the landing is only fun so many times!) Being an E-flite product you'll be able to get parts locally which is important. This one will take a rough landing and fly again unlike its more complex CP big brothers, but eventually something will break when you bounce it off a tree or a brick wall hahaha. I have a co-worker in Calgary with this model and he's been quite happy with it. It takes a beating and keeps flying, just has to replace the occasional main blade or the like. I find the smaller MSR to be kinda twitchy and gets blown around a little too much outside so I'm not sure I'd recommend that as a starter.

If you find that the price tag on the 120SR is a little steep (compared to reefing equipment it's pennies hahah) you can get cheaper stuff at the mall for $30 but know that it's not gonna fly super well, the transmitter layout's probably gonna be whack and won't translate to a real Tx well, and once it breaks a part it's basicly junk (no support).

If you do end up getting one of those E-flite helis, save yourself some $$$ and go here for extra batteries: www.hobbyking.com Straight from China and dirt cheap!

[MarkoD]

Originally Posted by jostafew

Hey, finally another topic I have some experience with! I've been flying CP helis for about three years now, currently have a Trex 450V2 clone and Trex 500 TT clone. Also fly fixed wing but that's just kiddie stuff

If you're starting out and want to try a FP heli have a look at the Blade SR120 http://www.horizonhobby.com/products...sr-rtf-BLH3100

It's big enough that it can be flown outdoors, and since it's a single rotor heli it'll behave more like the CP stuff when this one gets easy. Of course as mentioned before the coaxial stuff is easier to start with but I think you'll get tired of it pretty quick (greasing the landing is only fun so many times!) Being an E-flite product you'll be able to get parts locally which is important. This one will take a rough landing and fly again unlike its more complex CP big brothers, but eventually something will break when you bounce it off a tree or a brick wall hahaha. I have a co-worker in Calgary with this model and he's been quite happy with it. It takes a beating and keeps flying, just has to replace the occasional main blade or the like. I find the smaller MSR to be kinda twitchy and gets blown around a little too much outside so I'm not sure I'd recommend that as a starter.

If you find that the price tag on the 120SR is a little steep (compared to reefing equipment it's pennies hahah) you can get cheaper stuff at the mall for $30 but know that it's not gonna fly super well, the transmitter layout's probably gonna be whack and won't translate to a real Tx well, and once it breaks a part it's basicly junk (no support). U

If you do end up getting one of those E-flite helis, save yourself some $$$ and go here for extra batteries: www.hobbyking.com Straight from China and dirt cheap!

That's the exact one I was looking at. It's on for 159 right now with the radio.

But I was hoping to find a FP heli that's a bit bigger.

[jostafew]

A little bigger huh... well there's the Esky Honey Bee FP, it's closer to 400 size. You'll most likely be shopping for parts online but they are available. I don't have any personal experience with it but from what I've read it's another good one, you may wanna do some quick googling to see if it's more up your alley.

http://helidirect.com/esky-hb-fixed-...py-p-14271.hdx

On a somewhat related note, I'd highly recomend looking into an innexpensive flight sim program like Clearview for example. It'll use your existing Tx with a USB adapter (purchased seperatly, about $20) as the input device and will help you to practice the basic orientation skills, and take a crack at the more advanced models to see if you're ready. Real Flight is well known and comes with it's own Tx input device but it's spendy.

[BigAl07]

jostafew great suggestion on the Blade Series from HH! The beauty of getting a Blade series is that you pretty much get everything you need out of the box.

I've been flying (and instructing) R/C since I was 6 (didn't start teaching that early lol) and got into rotorcraft about 5 years ago. The "Blade" series are pretty well put together and most hobby shops carry spare parts for them. That's a huge plus because you will need spare parts. The only way to NOT crash is to never put a battery in it and never pick it up. Crashing is part of flying. I have flown everything from "humming bird" sized heli to planes with winspan of 8' and a 26" prop.

By far the most common (and probably will only get more popular in time) mode of propulsion is not battery (aka electric). It used to be that liquid fuel (nitro, gasoline etc) was the way to go because electric was just too heavy and your power to weight was way off and performance just sucked! That's not the case now. Because of major advances in battery and controller technology electric is taking over big time. I used to only fly fueled birds but now everything I own is electric and I doubt I'll ever buy another gallon of R/C fuel or gasoline for an RC aircraft.

Below is a list of the current offerings from Blade and how they are stacked up in order of easiest to hardest:



mCX2 is a small and fairly durable heli. It's indoor ONLY and I wouldn't even suggest getting it near a door let alone outside. This one is a blast to fly and I've even had first time pilots be able to fly this one on the first battery pack.

For you very first a Coax is a good choice. It will teach you the basics in R/C heli but wont require you to be "good". The CX2 is a good size if you want to "sample" some outdoor flight but you want NO wind. A gnat fart will blow it off course and much more you wont be able to correct for it and will crash a longggg way from home.



Moving up if you want a single rotor to start with the mSR X is a very durable and fun little heli to play with. It's light so outside you want no wind but due to it's small size it carries very little momentum so it can take a pretty good smack with little damage usually.


Then to take it up another notch (still fixed pitch here) check out the 120 SR which is just a slightly larger (and more stable) version of the m SR-X (but mSR-X doesn't have flybar but that's another conversation).



Next in lineup is the SR which is again slightly larger but this is the the first step into Collective Pitch (CP ) heli and isn't really your best bet for first heli. It's a lot of fun to fly and an excellent 2nd or 3rd heli.

Now let's step it up a notch to some touchy but fun helis!


Next in the lineup is the 450 3D (3D means acrobatics and some crazy flying to say the least). This is a newer version of my favorite "All In One" heli.

If I can help in any way please don't hesitate to ask or shoot me a PM! Flying is a PASSION I've had since day 1 and I love helping other people get into the hobby and STAY in the hobby!!

Sincerely,
Allen

[BigAl07]

Originally Posted by jostafew

On a somewhat related note, I'd highly recomend looking into an innexpensive flight sim program like Clearview for example. It'll use your existing Tx with a USB adapter (purchased seperatly, about $20) as the input device and will help you to practice the basic orientation skills, and take a crack at the more advanced models to see if you're ready. Real Flight is well known and comes with it's own Tx input device but it's spendy.

Have you ever seen or tried Phoenix? I've tried all the above (heck I started on a Dave Brown sim running on an Apple 2e back in the day). The Phoenix sim is second to none and very cost effective. The only perceived drawback is radio because you need your own radio. Some think that's a drawback I think it's an advantage because you get to practice with exactly what you'll fly with. Another huge bonus for Phoenix is that all upgrades (new planes, helis, etc) are FREE! You don't have to buy "Add-On" packs like you do with Real Flight.

Three things I can't stress enough...

• 1) Get a flight sim! It will save you a TON of money and pay for itself in the first 2 hours of flying.
• 2) Get the help of someone who knows how to fly. Instructors are free (at least here) and it will probably save you a TON of money!!
• 3) Be INSURED! I don't know if it's viable in Canada but AMA is a life saver in an accident.

[jostafew]

Hey BigAl07, yes MAAC insurance is available here for about $75/ year, but it's only valid when flying with a club at an approved field. So unless you're a club member and fly there regularly (they usually require insurance to fly with them) it's pretty pointless. Just find a quiet place away from pedestrians, traffic, and windows hahaha. It's bad news when a model goes down and takes something or even worse, someone with it.

What's the cost for Phoenix? Clearview is $40 and I have no real complaints with it, graphics are decent and model dynamics are good. New models are free as they're developed. I chose it after trialing the popular ones (including Phoenix).

[BigAl07]

I don't remember the price (I've had mine several years just keep upgrading it for free) but I know it was something around $100. It's probably a tad more now. Well worth it because almost as soon as a new heli/plane is release it goes onto the sim or at least when the bird gets popular.


Bummer about the MAAC insurance. AMA offers (or they used to) a Park Flyer version that would cover you flying at other places not just a sanctioned AMA flying field. Normally I'd say it's not worth the $$ but I had to "use" it one time. I "might have" ran into a parked car a few years back with a fairly large plane. I'm just saying LOL! I used to fly only at the club (Was flying some fairly large planes) but once I got into the smaller helis I drifted away from the club and like you said away from people etc is all I need now. I routinely fly at parks, in Gyms, and almost anywhere I can get a spin in. I've been known to take one (or more) of my heli on vacation. I took my Blade 400-3D camping last year in the Smoky Mountains. Was awesome for a few days then I lost a gear at about 100' and the whole campground got to see what a sloppy nasty auto-rotation looks like LOL!