Am I mental?

[SimonV6]

My first collective pitch heli was a mini pred, and yes, compared to a trex450 they are crap, way to much slop with all those z bends instead of proper ball and link connectors, however, I did learn how to hover a collective pitch heli in my garden with it, so much so that when I got the trex450, it felt real easy to hover

That said if I had my time round again I wouldn't waste my time on a mini pred, just go straight for a trex450.

if you want to keep the cost down to £200 ish then best go for a second hand Trex450 rather than a new Mini Pred.....but really £200 buys you very little in this hobby

Simon

[Ade_Law]

so disc how would you spend £200???

to be brutally honest... you dont..

you do get what you pay for in this sport but a lot of the time you dont have to spend a massive amount more to get something a whole lot better value

http://www.fast-lad.co.uk/store/e-fl...de-p-2617.html

i have flown one of these straight out the box and the setup wasnt perfect but pretty damn close, better than some experienced pilots manage :-)

Ade

[Butuz]

Even if you do stretch the budget to buy the Blade 400 above - its not going to be a good experience really only having one battery. A 5 min flight every hour isnt good for learning.

So you'd want to buy 3 or 4 batterys, and spare blades etc (coz you will mash em) Your talking another £100 probably already and you have not had a big crash yet!

Butuz

[mattydred]

if i was just starting out and had £200 i would get phoenix and a belt cp

job done ;o)

matty

[Kwickkwack]

Probably the best answer is dont, save another £100 and get a Blade or similar (I think Ade costed that at £300) Or if you want to use it indoors and indoors only go for a CX 2 which will give a contr rotaing heli for around a hundred and leave you money to buy Phoenix

[cambs flyer]

No your not mental mate just eager to have some action, and who can blame you, I've lost count how many people have asked me can they have a go and are they difficult to learn how to fly....

The Mini Pred I think was one of a few first generation RTF's to hit the market, and a few members hare have had success, bit in hind sight I bet there'd all say if they could do it all over again there'd go straight in for a 450, but many can't afford to put a 450 system together.

Saying that Trex Mad sell a 450S system complete with the DX6i for £333, OK you'd have to build it, and possibly have to buy better servos depending what the package comes complete with, Servo wise you don't want anything less than a HS55 class servo, I use them on my 450 and OK there not very crash survivable, but a new gear set costs around £2 so it's still cheap flying and they make my trex fly nicely, but I am planning too upgrade them, (if I ever get flying again).

Or for around £260 you have the Blade 400, two weeks ago I saw my first Mini Pred in Peterborough Model shop, when I needed a few fiddly parts quick, the M.P really is a pile of poo compared to todays next gen' RTF's build quality wise.

But for the price you do get a flying machine complete, regardless how twitchy they are to fly, but I think it's days are numbered now RTF's like the Blade 400 & Twister Strom, and 2.4ghz belt CP's are on the market, and do a very fine job for the beginner indeed.

But you get what you pay for, and if the CCP helis is the way you want to go forward ideally buying the Blade 400 system & Phoenix would be ideal, but if not then two other avenues are laid out before you, the BCX2 Contra, or E=Sky Contras which can be used for Phoenix via there Tx's, or buy the DX6i & Phoenix.

It's best not to rush into this, as unlike Planes they don't glide, and second chances to correct a crash in the making are very few and far between when you first start out.

[jboweruk]

Ouch, that's a tight budget. Welcome to the forums and the hobby by the way. Personally I would try and put the extra 63 to that and get a Blade 400. It's the heli I want next.

[163phil]

if i was just starting out and had £200 i would get phoenix and a belt cp

I couldn't agree more!

OK, I know I'm going to get slated for this...

With the cost of a Trex 450SE v2 with DX6i or similar being in the region of £600 and a Belt CP plus Phoenix for £200 it's a no brainer! (IMHO)

The cost of spares is roughly comparable between the Trex 450 and Belt CP, and to start with you will crash - lots! £400 buys a hell of alot of spares

OK, you may have incidents due to radio glitches and cheap components etc along the way, but you'll still learn to fly with the Belt CP, and you'll still have loads of fun, and that's what it's all about

Whatever you fly you'll be parting with loads of cash in this hobby. As Leebert said to me when I first started "welcome to the money pit" - how true!

This is very much a second hobby to me, which probably explains my reluctance (inability) to spend mega bucks on it, but it is certainly highly addictive. I am hopefully ultimately heading towards a Trex 450SE V2 with DX6i myself ...



...after the Buzzflyer for indoor fun

[Backrowslea]

Cheers fellas.

I never said £200 was the budget, just thought it seemed like a good price, rather than jumping in the deep end with £600!! Although the wife and new baby may have something to say about it!

Think I will spend a few more days/weeks/months reading up and looking!

So how does the honeybee2 and the belt CP compare??

[Pipistrelli]

I have a Blade 400 brand new and untouched. I'm looking for £250 for it.

I'm only in Cambs, so could bring it up and arrange to meet you and Disc sometime?

[Boggy]

you started this thread by saying your an engineer and how impressed you were with the trex 450. so have you actually looked closley at a mini pred. its all z/bends instead of ball links on servo arms. the pitch servo runs a wire up through the main shaft!! its pants. oh and the radio is too.( yes ive had one)
the blade 400 is far better for a little more money. and you get a dx6i radio setup included. ade flew mine as he says quite litraley out of the box!! no setup nothing just a quick look over plug in and go.

400 gets my vote!

http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/showth...lade+400+first

[Aidi]

Cant go wrong with Blade 400. Flies nice, put together nice, and not too expensive when it comes to fixing it.

Rgds
Aidi

[Backrowslea]

not looked closely at a mini pred but I think I have been suitably put off!! Imprest with the blade 400.... Any other suggestions? Oh and the wife says £600 is about £600 too much!

[Disc]

not looked closely at a mini pred but I think I have been suitably put off!! Imprest with the blade 400.... Any other suggestions? Oh and the wife says £600 is about £600 too much!

thats nothing wait till its 40-100 pounds here and there for parts and batteries and a decent charger

[Backrowslea]

I can count those as running costs..... She doesnt need to know about those yet....

Oh and the Blade 400 looks fantastic!