Newbie Electric Suggestion

[drewst]

Hi, im new to Helicopters so im looking for a little guidance.

I have been looking at the Twister 3D, my price range is about 200 for everything. What else would i need to get if i bought the Twister 3D.

If anybody had anything for sale feel free to offer it here

Thanks

Drew

[chappers]

advice you dont want to hear- save your money untill you can afford a "proper" heli ! 1. easier to fly 2. longer flight times 3. easier to set up etc.. etc..

[Sao]

Yes or at least get a decent micro heli, or better yet invest in a sim first

[bandicoot]

I would also say read these forums well...you can learn allot. I know i am.

[ChopChop]

Im new to helis to and i have a Twister and there are ok for a bit of fun in the front room or like me at work .
iv been using mine to help learn hover and thats about all its good for
Im looking to go for some thing bigger soon and im like you dont know what to go for rapter 30 or trex or zoom 400.
The trex and the zoom 400 will be ok for me i have a wearhouse to fly in.
coz you do need lots of room or you will not get now where...

[Butuz]

Personally I think the best way to learn is on a fixed pitch micro helicpter such as the Century Hummingbird V3, Ikarus Piccolo V2, Perkins Twister FP V2. Reason being, i dont think you can beat learning to fly on a propper helicopter like the above because they are cheap to buy, not too hard to fly, and more importantly spares are dirt cheap. I would prefer that to learning to fly on a simulator, personally i cant think of anything worse than sitting in front of my PC "pretending" to do something i could do for real in my living room / sports hall.

The Twister 3D is a great copter - BUT it is collective pitched which means that it is more complicated, more expensive to buy, need more expensive radio gear, and is more expensive to fix when it goes wrong, plus it is more likeley to do damage to ininimate objects such as sofas. I would steer cleer from a CP helicopter for your first one.

Equally, you can go too easy with a Contra Rotating helis like the Twister Bell 47 - this was my first helicopter and although i found it great fun, and easy to learn on - it has some quirks which can be annoying due to cheap electronics used, and its not all chat cheap to buy spare parts for. I would consider it a toy rather than a model helicopter. I have had mine for 2 weeks and i have outgrown it and am looking for something with more potential.

The next helicopter i am going to buy is a Century Hummingbird V3. There are a few reasons:
1) Fixed pitch - I can use my current 4 channel transmitter, servos, and battery that came with my Bell 47
2) I will be buying it in kit form so that i can build it up myself and learn more about how it all goes together and how it works (this is important for when you crash!)
3) Its cheap as chips both to buy, and to get spare parts for,
4) the most important to me - its highly upgradeable, it will grow as a helicopter as you grow as a pilot - you can buy all sorts of good value fancy aluminum and carbon bits that make it into an excellent, accurate little sportshall flyer.

Hope this helps a bit.

I have never flown a helicopter sim by the way - and i never plan to. My aim is to become good enough on my Hummingbird FP that i can fly any helicopter. Then and only then will i think about buying something big and expensive

Butuz

[Ade_Law]

Aggreed on the CP micro front they are expensive and fragile. On the other hand the FP micros are unstable and generally difficult to fly. If you have flown planes before and you have some ability on the sticks then they arent too bad to learn on, If however you have never flown anything before they can be next to impossible. I am sure they scare more people off than the addict to this wonderful hobby.

The method I prefer is a couple of hours with me and buy a sim. There is nothing matcho about not using a sim its not cheating or a toy it is a valid learning too. They use them on full size and so do we!

If you dont want to or cant go that route then Spend a more and get a better contra rotating heli. The Bell 47 is cheap and there are some known issues with the speed controllers on them. I have clocked many hours on the Hirobol Lama XRB SR. The SR is the cordless version and it is excellent. Yes it is easy to fly maybe even too easy but the foam blades are the only structrual part that ever breaks on them which are pretty cheap. Yes it is double the cost of the bell 47 but its cheaper in the long run.

As for them being limited, I have spent many hours playing on them, they are great fun. They will do left hand circuits, Backwards left hand circuits, funnels, Piros in the hover in either direction, Piro left hand circuits, And any combination of the above.

Ade

[airman22]

I agree. the lama is so much fun that ive ordered a raptor kit, which I hope will be ready for the summer, and i have just received a copy of reflex xtr sim which will hopefully make the process of learning to fly helicopters a wee bit easier. As with anything in life, get as much diverse experience as you can and the end product should be better

[MrRee]

I think the twister Bell47 is an excellent Heli and can teach the basics well .... put a sturdy training aid on and you won't do too much damage as it cannot topple over and landing is the hardest part.

Next stop? I don't know .... ask me in 6 months when I have taken my training aid off!! :lol:

MrRee

[Butuz]

Lol - you should see my twister bell now! Theres so much glue on it now that it probably weigs twice as much as it did before (and its twice as strong lol), the blades are smaller than they used to be because i chippped them and then cut them down instead of buying new ones. Infact - i have done a hell of a lot of flying on this - and not bought one single part for it!

Great way to learn. Doesnt prepare you for real heli's in the way that they behave - but it teaches you nose/side/tail in and slow forward flight and figure of 8's etc.

Butuz