Tools for RC helicopters - essential and useful to have?

[Raven Morpheus]

Hey all

I've got 2 RC helicopters (well 3 but 2 are of the exact same make/brand) and all I've really got tools-wise is a soldering iron (Silverline battery powered converted to USB power, and either I'm not that great with it or it's not that great) and a set of jewellers screwdrivers (which I don't think go quite small enough and they aren't magnetic).

I've kind of got to take them apart as I'm putting them on new main frames due to crashes (and I've never even successfully had them off the ground long enough to learn to fly or hover yet!!) so obviously I need the right tools for the job...

...so, I'm wondering, are there any tools that you guys would recommend getting (wire strippers spring to mind but I can't for the life of me find any small enough for RC wires)?

Basically what's in your toolbox?

[MarkAnderson]

Depends on the size of the helis that you fly. I have three main helis a 770, 570 and 380. I think the following are useful to invest in. 1) A good high wattage variable soldering iron (Your 5W iron just wont have the power needed to melt higher gauge wire. 2) Good dress making scissors (handy for cutting rubber tube, cable hoses etc), 3) A good micrometer for measurements. 4) A good steel ruler. 5) A set of heli swashplate geometry set tools for the sizes you fly. 6) A blade or head mounting digital angle gauge for blade angle setting. 7) sets of spare wire in various gauges that you use. 8) Spare connector sets that you use. 9) Spare heat shrink wrap tubing in the sizes you use, 10) a couple of spindle shaft locking tools to cover the sizes you fly. (the Align 4<->6 and Align 8<->10 tools cover most models), 11) If you own a Mikado model you will need a spring loaded circlip plier for the main shaft retaining collar, 12) A set of ball link pliers for getting ball links on and off, 13) Needle nose pliers, 14) cable stripping / crimp tool, 15) Hex key wrench up to 4mm (if you own a 770 Goblin for the head screws), 16) Drivers - 1 x flat head screwdriver (4mm) , 1 x philips head screw driver (5mm is usually good), Hex drivers in 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm and 3mm. Hex nut drivers in 4mm, 5.5mm and 7mm. 17) Some good LocTite blue (243) thread locker, 18) some good green LocTite thread locker, 19) TriFlow Synthetic Grease for the head, spindle and one way bearing, 20) TriFlow dry lubricant for the gears and shafts, 21) Good Cyanacrylic glue, 22) a hot glue gun and some hot glue pellets, 23) spare two sided 3M tape, 24) Grease cleaner spray, 25) Tweezers, 26) some spare ball links, 27) a decent electrical multimeter