New Toy

[ZAP]

Guys I need some advice on Helis. I have been looking at eBay for a RC Heli, but I do not want a cheap toy one, I would prefer on that was more a robust unit.

I was looking at THIS one.

I have done some reading and apparently it is better to get a belt driven tail rotor and I also need to have access to spares, which this eBay seller has. There also seems to be heaps of upgrades to make it a mean machine.

Should I get a training kit as well ? I have never flown a RC chopper, although I understand flight and have flown a real chopper.

Any advice would be welcome, I have a $500 budget.

Thanks

[Guest newl]

Guys I need some advice on Helis.  I have been looking at eBay for a RC Heli, but I do not want a cheap toy one, I would prefer on that was more a robust unit.

I was looking at THIS one.

The one you linked to would appear to be OK for a basic complete package.

The down side to a complete kit like this is that eventually (should you remain in the hobby like most of us to ) you'll outgrow the radio. Ideally you'd want a minimum 6 channel computerized radio that supports a few model memories. Mine for example is a somewhat simple 6 channel unit (JR XP652) that has multiple memories so that I can go out and fly the real thing or plug it into my interface on the computer and take the simulator for a fly using the real McCoy (which again, really helps when learning) instead of a cheaper or simulator based radio (e.g. RealFlightG3 interface).

A decent radio should cost you around $500-600 or so onwards to something like the JR10x which would set you back a few grand easily.

I have done some reading and apparently it is better to get a belt driven tail rotor and I also need to have access to spares, which this eBay seller has.  There also seems to be heaps of upgrades to make it a mean machine.

Opinions on this vary. The general consensus though is that if you want the most control after a flame out (or in this case, the battery dies), shaft drive is better because you can still control the tail rotor but at a cost of using the built up power in the main rotor. The other side of the coin is belt drive which typically means the tail rotor is not driven when the engine dies which in turn means limited control but more head speed.

Should I get a training kit as well ?  I have never flown a RC chopper, although I understand flight and have flown a real chopper.

Any advice would be welcome, I have a $500 budget.

Thanks

←

Training gear you can make yourself using two dowels to make an X with and a small hoop (or Styrofoam/plastic balls if you cannot find one) that gets strapped to the end points of the dowels. This assembly in turn gets strapped to the skids. To answer your question though, I'd recommend it highly for anyone beginning, especially if you'll be learning by yourself and not with a club (a good thing to get into when learning to help you with setup and what not..most new pilots don't happen to have pitch gauges either).

Hope this helps.

[F6 UTE]

Guys I need some advice on Helis.  I have been looking at eBay for a RC Heli, but I do not want a cheap toy one, I would prefer on that was more a robust unit.

I was looking at THIS one.

I have done some reading and apparently it is better to get a belt driven tail rotor and I also need to have access to spares, which this eBay seller has.  There also seems to be heaps of upgrades to make it a mean machine.

Should I get a training kit as well ?  I have never flown a RC chopper, although I understand flight and have flown a real chopper.

Any advice would be welcome, I have a $500 budget.

Thanks

←

Zap, I was in the same boat.

I'd never flown RC heli, but my bro-in-law has a nitro jobbie, and a lil elec Bel 47 Medi Vac......

I started small.. But I would have loved to go bigger, but when I went to the RC shop I took a limited amount of $$ with me, coz I know me, and I would have come home with a beast of a machine... Just like when I went shopping for a $300 elec RC car.. Came home with a $1200 Nitro AWD Ford Cosworth BEAST.

But things that fly, crash.. I reasoned with myself and took this one in stages. I'm itching to get to a bigger machine, but in reality, I aint ready for one....

Small = cheap to fix.

The Walkera you pointed out seems OK, but from all accounts, the Walkera Elecs leave much to be desired..

Check out a Night Ranger 3D or a second hand T-rex 450. T-rex might be out of reach for $500 though..

Ebay has NR3d Max sized helis come up now and then..

As far a 'robust' well mine has survived several crash landings and the only thing to break were main blades ( $22 for 2 sets, posted ) and the landing gear.. ( $11 )

For $175, fly out of the box, you can't beat it.. I'll bash this one around, then probably step up to a T-Rex 450..

My Bro-in-law knows This Guy. Check out his vids. Simply amazing.. He was at the show on the weekend just gone, and seeing it in real life just astounds you..

[Guest newl]

Something else to complement the link Ben made, Google for (might even be some clips on YouTube or Google Video) Curtis Youngblood video clips. Absolutely amazing the stuff he can make a helicopter do. You can waste hours watching his and others' video clips.

[BFHOON]

hey zap I have some training legs and a good beginner petrol chopper u live in the same areaas me so if u want I an give u some lessons with my chopper.

as said though a pc program is avalible from kellets hobles for 350 or so that will teach u to fly before trying the real thing.

im about to but the cd so u can try it out if u want.

Edited 01/12/06 11:36 AM by hooverman

[ZAP]

Thanks mate, I want to buy NOW, but I think a little R&D is needed as there are heaps of choices.

I would want to practice on a cheap elec one before I got in control of your gas heli.

I appreciate the comments guys, there is a Night Ranger 3D's on eBay new, that I might get. Need to convince the wife that it will be my chrissie present after she just spent $410 on makeup

[BAturb]

Something else to complement the link Ben made, Google for (might even be some clips on YouTube or Google Video) Curtis Youngblood video clips.  Absolutely amazing the stuff he can make a helicopter do.  You can waste hours watching his and others' video clips.

←

I was lucky enough to meet and watch Curtis Youngblood fly at Sheparton a few years back, to watch him just makes the mind boggle especially his night flying display,

as for the other questions ZAP_F6 asked, its good advice from everyone to get a Tx which will be able to be used should you get more models and as they get more advanced, I use a Futabe FP-T8UHP, 8 channel, 9 model memory (expandable to 18), this is my second Tx as the first one soon became inadequate but for $1500+ make the choice carefully and try flying before you buy, my advice take up the offers to look at and fly as many models as you can before you decide on a final choice, and for begining you really cant go past the cheap e-bay RTF hellie's, if after you have been flying and get more models it is simply a matter of changing the Rx in the model for a compatible one to suit what ever Tx you buy

[Panda]

I had considered buying one of the bigger petrol helis, but decided against it because I figured it was just too expensive to learn on. I ended up getting a Dragonfly 36 with collective pitch, brushless motor and Li-Po battery.

Like this

Time has shown that I made a good decision, I have broken and replaced -

countless blades

1 motor (cheapo stock motor)

2 batteries (Li-Po's don't like heavy crashes)

rear rotor blades

the whole chassis

both landing skids

canopy

plus various bearings, and connecting rods

It's great fun though and it's about the only thing that I can do which is actually a challenge. It does take a long time though, a very long time.

It reminds me of when I was learning to drive, I thought that I would never be able to change gears easily, but my old man said that with experience you will be able to do it without thinking about it.

The same applies to flying, I thought I would never be able to hover, but now I can do it without thinking.

Actually, I might go and have a fly right now.

Panda

[F6 UTE]

Something to think of, the Venom Night Ranger heli's aren't compatible with any other tx. Dunno how or why, but you can't use your own....

I got some height last night ( Usually I don;t go higher than the fence.. ) , and managed to not only fly over the next door neighbours house, but I landed it in my own backyard!!! Got pretty hairy there for a minute, thought I would be jumping the fence... lol..

[BAturb]

practice is the key, practice untill you can fly without thinking about reacting, usually by the time you think and react you might have already crashed,

Panda, that is exactly the same as my Dragonfly, I think they hover and fly great for a "cheap" model