Complete beginner.......advise from the wise ones please!

[howser_uk]

Hey ho, Why have i never thought about RC heli's before today, what an awesome activity!!!!!! However i'm a complete newbie, and know less than nothing about RC heli flying ect......
Would love to get my fingers on a cheap (I'm a student) electric heli for a beginnner. Not something that just hovers but something with a bit of progression, i've seen a bunch of crap 2/3 channel 'toys' that don't flick my switch. Been inches away from clicking that 'buy now' button but thought i should get some advise first, was looking at things like bumblebee's, piccolo's and Honey bee 2's. Any advise for a skint beginner would be much appreciated! Kit.

[Made2Fade]

Buy yourself a Snelflight Hoverfly Pro... there great for practising indoors. They run off a tiny thin cord so you can plug it in and hover all day. There great for practising nose in hovering. Theres none of the hassle of weather conditions/battery life etc etc. It might not look much of a helicopter but when you do make that big step into nitro helis then you can use this as a tool to go back and learn nose in/circuits. Also... go get yourself a simulator like Reflex XTR or the new Phoenix (when it gets round to being released ;-)). Buy yourself a descent transmitter thats gonna last and you can use it for the hoverfly and simulator. Then when the day comes of purchasing a nitro heli the transmitter can also be used for that. Anyways thats what id do if i could do it all again.
Lee

[bandicoot]

Thats some good advise. As a newbie i got a 4ch dragonfly to start out, the thing is the micro helis are not easy to learn on.

Getting a flight SIM is a must, FMS ia a freeware one not great but it works...sometimes. Its also good to have a lesson if you can, i had an hour with Ade who frequents these forums and went from ratteling arround on the floor with my micro heli before the lesson to short hovers after its also great fun to get out in the field with a nitro (albeit on a trainer lead) i know i have cought the bug

[Ade_Law]

thankyou walking advert, billboard coming your way soon :-)

Personally i prefer the hirobo lama XRB SR, by far the best indoor model there is. Its not the cheapest around but you get what you pay for.

beware the cheap Chinese imitations

Ade

[Thomas]

....advise from the wise ones please!

Heehee

Wise one, here, no 'ope, anyone that spends the sort of money we do on a model and then stands in a field all day freeezing their nuts off has got to be off their rocker!

[howser_uk]

Wise one, here, no 'ope, anyone that spends the sort of money we do on a model and then stands in a field all day freeezing their nuts off has got to be off their rocker!

LOL, Does beg the question.......why??
But then i'm a Kayaker, and spend I winter weekends half drowned in a dirty river............so it's a natural progression!

[howser_uk]

Ok, so i just placed a bid on a cheap as chips Futaba FF6 aniversary edition transmitter, why not.....good old e-bay shall provide expensive unwanted electronics to poor students for minimum cash!

[Ade_Law]

strongly recomend you remove that bid and see if you can find an FF7 The older version (7u) is a good radio except it doesnt do CCPM. The FF8 is also a good radio but you cant beat the new version of the FF7 called the 7c.

the ff6 has very limited software capabilities.

Ade

[Disc]

Hi
I belive the FF8 Super can do CCPM mixing but it must be
the super version the 8u doesnt do CCPM.

if you can find a cheap FF8 super that is.

[Sao]

when regarding helis the words 'buy cheap, buy twice' were never truer

[Dedcalm]

You wont find a cheap FF8, been keeping my eye on that market for a while and they still sell very well >50 for normal and >70 for Super.

Best option would be to push for a new FF7, these can be had for <100 and are very good for the money all things considered. If it existed when I got my FF9 I may have saved 130 and got one myself.

Rob

[Ade_Law]

i have been selling FF7s for 130ukp. I use one as a slave radio for futaba guys. (or a master if you have a FF6). Excellent radio very very good value for money.

Ade