Advice for beginner indoor learning heli?

[hotstocks]

I am new to all of this and have only flown a few hours on Realflight sim, I can hover the electric one o.k. but obviously crash when trying to fly much. And I have flown a couple hours with an Esky dual rotor comanche and crashed it (broken blades/landing gear) nothing major as it does forward, reverse, side to side well, but up and down is REAL touchy and I can hit the ceiling or floor easy. Anyways, I want to get into the hobby with a small and safe (not one that can chop off a finger) real single rotor 4 channel heli that I can practice in my house during the winter. I have heard that the "ONLY" option is the Walkera 4#3B, as it is small enough for in house, not dangerous, and the stablest of all the micro helis. But I am worried about what I hear about it being so much more difficult than learning on a bigger dangerous one? If I want to learn in my house safely and cheaply (crash resistant), is the 4#3B my best choice or is there another brand I should look into.
Thanks for any help or advice

[RaptorStudent]

Personaly to start with the blade cx2 is always a hot choice and when u fell like getting a bigger machine dont use Ebay unless u have someone who can inspect the machine for you befor you buy.

Dan

[hotstocks]

The Esky comanche I used is just like the blade cx2 and for the hour or two in flight it just didn't seem like a helicopter to me. I used it in Realflight and it was kinda boring even though I don't have great control (but obviously can hover). I tried the electric single rotor 4 channel wat? in Realflight and can kind of hover and move around a little before crashing it, and that seemed more like a real helicopter to me. So I am wondering if the Walkera 4#3B is the only and best real single rotor 4 channel heli to learn on in my house or is there something more stable/durable? I guess I really don't want to buy a dual rotor, but would like a small indoor electric 4 channel single rotor safe (maybe crash kit ping pong balls) heli to learn in a house.

[RaptorStudent]

If you want a near realistic helicopter sim, Phoenix will be recomended by 99% of the guys here.

[hotstocks]

What's wrong with Realflight G4, I heard it was good? Why is Phoenix better?
And how about a single rotor indoor heli recomendation?

[RaptorStudent]

Sim wise i just got what was recomended by these guys.
As for electric im a purist, its got to have noise and lots of smoke for me to fly it
Im sure some of the electric guys will help ya when they get out of bed

[murph]

I agree with Raptor on the sim front; I use Phoenix, its a good sim, you get free updates and model downloads, and, according to the Phoenix website, they're bringing out a new version (free to current customers) that will give audio tutorials/lessons, which can't be a bad thing.

As for an indoor heli, it also depends on how much space you have indoors, even for some of the indoor heli's you need a fair bit of space to fly in as they can go off on a tangent if they're easily affected by their own turbulence at the ground level.

I have heard that the Buzzfly micro micro heli is ok, if its properly set up i.e. put a bit of pitch (about 15degrees) on the paddles makes it much more stable. So that could be a good option, without the paddle pitch, its probably a right little handful, without being dangerous.

Otherwise, look at a Fixed Pitch model, eg Twister FP V2 (I started with this one)its not a bad heli, quite crash resisitant, just make sure you stock up on the skids, as they breeak easily,and use a training undercarriage, just to raise it off the floor a little, and to give it more stability.

But I imagine any of the Fixed Pitch models will be quite similar.
Hope this helps

[hotstocks]

I'm doing well but found out what is so hard and solution

I am doing well hovering, even turning, but I found out what is so hard about controlling the helicopter. It is the fact that the left stick controls the tail direction, which is fine and natural. BUT there is no reason why the same stick should control the up/down throttle. It makes your throttle and therefore height extremely unpredictable and difficult to control. Am I REALLY the first person to have thought of the solution? If they just let the left stick control the tail and put a trigger (variable like a pot) button underneath the transmitter where your first left finger rests, when pushed it would give throttle down in increments of how far it was pressed down. And under the right side of the transmitter the same for throttle up. I am 43, but have been playing video games for 30 years. This would make the transmitter like an Xbox 360 controller and make RC Helicopters WAY easier to control. Anyone want to get a patent, produce it, and cut me in on a % of it?

[RaptorStudent]

I have been flying since i was 7 (planks)and this year i started helis. I actually find the rudder on the left natural
PS i have a massive dislike for games consols, they keep people in their houses and make em fat

[Boggy]

i think you kinda answered your own question . if you have been playing video games for 30 years its you that needs to change, not the controller. we would find it just as strange with triggers for throttle!!!

[Mike W]

Heya and welcome to the forum ... As for flying with rudder/throttle/pitch on same stick .. change it to mode 1 then .... throttle/aileron are on the same side and rudder/elevator .. or you could try mode 3 or 4 ... theres lots of different ways to control Rc models ...Cant rememeber which top 3d'r is it but they fly with a joystick type affair ,each to there own i suppose .. People have prolly thought of it but its inpractical for most of us .. You just need to learn how to fly em ... Most of us play games as well and find the transition quite easy ... Get some more stick time in and you should be ok ....

[murph]

Hotstocks,
I agree with everyone else on this. Changing the controller as you say only makes it easier for everyone who plays computer games, I don't play games and so would not find it easier to control.
Surely when you started playing games you found them hard to play, until you got used to the controller? You just need to learn again!

[hotstocks]

Thanks, I might as well learn the right way for the USA. So I guess mode 2.
Now do I just use thumbs or first finger pinch too?

[timmmy]

thats up to you also, theres downsides and benifits to both i found i have better control with the pinch but now im doin more 3d i find it hard to move fast enough so im now doin both

[jboweruk]

I've had the dubious honour of driving a car that had the throttle on the steering wheel back when I was a driving instructor, about as natural as a nuke.... it was really hard to do it. And I really can't imagine triggers for the throttles, too many ppl would smack their helis in, hard. One of my earliest flight sims used to use 2 digital joysticks (yep that's right, digital), and one was the throttle rudder the other was the pitch/roll. Even then it felt really natural to me. Only thing on an RC heli that would be more natural than it already is would be if you had a seat with cyclic, throttle, pitch and pedals.... And take it from me, that is not an easy way to fly a heli, even from inside....