Next steps??

[Stretch79]

Out of interest guys who goes where after the 200srx stage? Is there a good heli that's still easy ish to fly or is all gloves off?

[CromedCm]

Hi, personally i would go with a sim if you dont use one all ready and a 450 size heli. A 450 is not to expensive to buy and crash

[honwal]

hi stretch, I have just got myself a blade 450x, I have dialled in all tame settings just to hover in norm mode, and slightly higher settings for circuit in stunt, soon as I get a chance to get out I will post how I got on,

very windy here to-day,

I am chomping at the bit...LOL

[Stretch79]

Thanks guys. Think most go for the 450 so I may look into that. There are so many more options at that size. Really want a Huey or Apache fuselage lol

how you getting on with the 200? Sounds like you're progressing at a better rate than me!!

[tomatwalden]

A 450. If you have a computerised radio already - get a 450X BNF or the newer 360CFX BNF.

If you bought the 200SRX as the RTF option with the supplied radio - also start thinking about a new radio to support a growing fleet of helis. The new DX6, DX7 or DX9. Or the still-very-good DX8

[myxiplx]

There are lots of options, I wrote up a few here:
RC Helicopters - Beginner buyers guide

It essentially boils down to a question of whether you want to learn to fly as quickly and cheaply as possible, or whether the experience of flying a larger heli is more important to you.

If you want to learn CP flight, your next steps would be to get a reasonable computerised radio, and then a sim or a small CP heli. Either option is easier to get running than a 450, cheaper to crash, and needs less setup and repair knowledge. You'll still be able to learn a ton of flying skills, but with less risk and at lower cost.

If you want to move straight to something larger there's a bit of a steeper learning curve, and you'll need to be a bit more careful with your flying. But a 450 is definitely the size I'd go for if you want something larger, and there are some great choices with the 360mm blade size machines out there right now.

[Stretch79]

Thanks all for the advice.

Goong by what home alone is saying I've a bit to go yet. I can't do any tricks.

Will sell my Srx complete and then get a Bnf with a new dx and bind it. Won't go bigger than 450. Will defo invest in a sim but how realistic are they? I find flying mine is limited. Maybe need to go to intermediate

[tomatwalden]

Thanks all for the advice.

Goong by what home alone is saying I've a bit to go yet. I can't do any tricks.

Will sell my Srx complete and then get a Bnf with a new dx and bind it. Won't go bigger than 450. Will defo invest in a sim but how realistic are they? I find flying mine is limited. Maybe need to go to intermediate

Can you fly the 200SRX in "expert mode" yet?

[Stretch79]

For some reason honwal came up as home alone.

not yet no. I'm merely asking for reference really. Want to progress as I'm keen to go scale but obviously I need to get much better first.

[tomatwalden]

In which case, get through to "expert mode" on your 200SRX. If you can fly it in that mode, you'll find transition to collective pitch fairly trouble free.

But then, yes, I would suggest a 450 sized (bearing in mind that "360's" are the new, bigger! 450's)

[honwal]

Thanks guys. Think most go for the 450 so I may look into that. There are so many more options at that size. Really want a Huey or Apache fuselage lol

how you getting on with the 200? Sounds like you're progressing at a better rate than me!!

not a chance here to-day getting out with 450x very windy and rainy, I have learnt in the short time I 've had in heli flying to be patient so I am waiting for that calm day,

the 200 is coming along pretty well, I am managing runs turns piro's, small circuits, I am using intermediate mode, beginner mode I struggled with control,

I have dialled in the three modes in dx6i for 200, which came with 450x, not tried yet with dx6i and 200 due to weather,

what swayed me to 450x was acouple of yt vids I saw, proving with right approach you can get on with a cp heli albeit slow but sure saying this I still have to get mine airbourne

[myxiplx]

The sims really *really* help, but just like anything with RC Heli's, they're something you need to learn.

If you put in 15 minutes a day on the sim, after a couple of weeks you'll find it feels totally natural. Ultimately what counts when you're learning is stick time, and generally a mix of sim time and flying will get you more stick time and you'll progress faster. All the sims are a little different to flying in real life, mainly as the depth perception is totally different, but the muscle memory and reflexes you pick up are identical. Once you've spent a little time flying both sims and models you'll find they both start to feel more and more natural.

Plus the sims help keep you sane during those wet and windy winter months :-D

[Peteski]

All the sims are a little different to flying in real life, mainly as the depth perception is totally different, but the muscle memory and reflexes you pick up are identical. Once you've spent a little time flying both sims and models you'll find they both start to feel more and more natural.

That's exactly what I found. Once you learn the stick movements on the sim without having to consciously think about them, they translate directly to real flying. You have to make adjustments for the differing response characteristics of each model, but that happens quite quickly, especially if you practice on the sim with a variety of different models. The great thing about the sim is the sheer amount of crash free stick time it gives you.

I took the conservative approach of keeping well away from CP helis until I could fly one with total confidence on the sim and when I eventually did begin flying real CP helis (micros) it actually felt pretty natural once I got over the nerves. In your case, flying the 200 SRX confidently in expert mode should be a good sign that you are ready for the next step.

[Peteski]

not a chance here to-day getting out with 450x very windy and rainy, I have learnt in the short time I 've had in heli flying to be patient so I am waiting for that calm day,

That's a shame, but think you did the right thing. I waited ages too for the right conditions to start flying my CP helis. The last thing you want is a crash due to an unexpected gust of wind while you're still getting your eye in!
Funnily enough I attempted to fly my little mCPX in the garden yesterday. I put it on the ground and the wind blew it over before I'd even spooled up. I thought that was a good sign to just go back indoors again

[Chrisrw]

Hi,
Being a beginner as well I can say definitely try and master the 200srx in expert mode before flying a 450. I have a FP msrx (which has no self levelling and so I assume flys much like the 200srx in expert mode) and I would have crashed my 450 on my first circuit had I not been confident with that first. Take out the 450 and do some hovering exercises etc if you want to have ago a go on a bigger heli but if you haven't mastered a banked turn on the 200srx in expert mode you will not have experienced what happens when you bank too far over in a CP - the heli wiil literally fall into the ground! Even the intermediate level on the 200srx is still self levelling (and limited bank angle) - this means you actually can't crash unless you either hit something or drop the throttle (much like flying a self levelling quad). In expert mode in a turn you move the cyclic (elevator and aileron) to obtain the required banking angle (and forward flight speed) and then return the stick to centre - then as you exit the turn you pull the stick in the opposite direction to bring the heli back level (ok, so maybe I oversimplified it a bit, but you get the general idea). In intermediate mode it's very different - you need to continue to give stick input to maintain the banking angle - so transitioning from intermediate to expert mode there will be a big tendency to just roll over and crash as you try to maintain the desired cyclic response.
It took me a little while to get my head around this at first - I flew the mcpx (a full CP micro) for a week before I could make a turn without crashing. Unlike the srx, the mcpx has linear servos and is very light and can take lots of crashes into grass!
If you are already doing 'banked' turns etc on the sim and finding them quite easy then you will already understand this and are probably ready to have a go with a 450, if not I would recommend more sim time before trying circuits etc on a 450.
Just a few thoughts from my experience so far.

For some reason honwal came up as home alone.

not yet no. I'm merely asking for reference really. Want to progress as I'm keen to go scale but obviously I need to get much better first.