which rc heli to get?

[lbc213]

I'm slowly thinking of getting back into these type of things, I used to have a HPI Savage nitro truck a few years ago and owned a dragonfly rc heli which was horrible but I'd like to get into this hobby again. There are so many rc helis and such about these days I'm not sure where to start. I'd like to buy one which is capable of flying maybe 3d but I'm not experienced enough or have the budget for a nitro one so an electric one would do. I just want want to practise on and not too expensive, I've looked on ebay(I know that's where the cheap imitations ly) but this one seemed good in the video and it's 6ch and it's pretty cheap,

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Skyartec-Wasp-V3-Pro-6CH-3D-Helicopter-Heli-BL-CNC-head_W0QQitemZ270305286383QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_To ysGames_RadioControlled_JN?hash=item270305286383&_ trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A16|39%3A 1|240%3A1318

what do you recommend or think about this paticular one? bananahobby.com have alot of good stuff but it's in the u.s

[Made2Fade]

First thing that comes to mind is problem with spares. Me personally i wouldnt bother mate, ebay helis are crap, dont think you'll see much 3D out of that (thats if you can get it off the ground without breaking summit). If its a 3D heli you want and your on a budget then go for the Eflight Blade 400. Bit busy right now but im sure people will be here soon to tell you why to go for that one and more reason why the one your looking at is bad. Personally id go for an MCX or CX2 and mess with one of them before you go for a full 6 channel 3d heli.
Cheers
Lee

[raptorheli2]

i'm glad you never bought something without asking. you can forget about 3d capable as thats a buzz word companies use to con people into buying their stuff. this one you link to on ebay is typical of the crap i see people buy and turn up to the club with. i have never seen a decent model come from ebay and i suspect i never will. you just don't get a "3d" capable heli for 140 quid ready to fly. to be honest from my past experience wih ebay specials is you will get a model that barely flies period.

my advice would be to buy a blade cx2 and potter about with that if your budget is under 200 quid. if you think helis will be for you then you can buy a nitro ship later on.

if you have more money then a blade 400, trex 450 etc are all within reach. the budget really is the deciding factor. i would urge you to save another months pocket money and buy something decent to begin with.

one last thing, the regulations for transmitters is different in the UK so avoid buying things abroad. the state of the pound just now it isn't attractive anyway. also you WILL get caught at customs with goods from USA 99/100 and they will relieve you of a minimum of 35 quid from past experience as they charge 16 quid handling on everything plus the VAT.

cheers

[cjcj1949]

I was asking this question a few months ago now I can hover. Heli stays on ground though. There are loads of answers depending on money and how committed you are. The cx2 is good if you have lots of space. The mcx is even better and stands crashes better and flies in a normal room. The blade 400 and the Twister Storm are 3D capable but more difficult than bigger more expensive helis. One thing you will definitely need is a sim like Phoenix. It's the cheapest option as you won't damage it and if you decide to give up you'll be able to sell it on here and get back most of your money. You'll also need a four channel cheap tx to use on the sim (6 or 7 is better)

[james newbee]

I’m new to this sport but £1 is a £1 and they are both getting harder to come by lol

But a great heli is the beam e4 the build quality is fantastic and parts are not priced for the supplier

If it’s a nitro thingy you want then they have one coming out in the spring, and I think a bigger machine as well

James newbee

[Made2Fade]

I agree... phoenix sim (£79.99) is a must really... maybe get yourself that and a descent TX (something like a Spektrum DX6i at £89.99 with Receiver included) to hammer over the winter. Then by the time some descent weather comes around you can have some funds saved up for a descent heli. The great thing about Phoenix is its multiplayer and forever getting updated with new models/fixes/secenery. Maybe even get a Bind and Fly MCX (£59.99) to fly from the DX6I. This will give you a little hands on and is a great laugh for around the house. The only real heli you dont have to leave your sofa to fly If its a 3D heli on a budget though then the Blade 400 is the one to go for. This is a complete RTF (ready to fly) package and comes with a Spektrum DX6I, all electrics pre installed, battery & charger. Spares readily available unlike the one your looking at. Heres a link that has both helis ive mentioned, check it out:-
http://www.fast-lad.co.uk/store/inde...ath=21_134_107
If you can afford more then any of the well known 450 helis could be another route to go. Models such as the TRex 450 SE V2/Mini Titan SE/Beam/Outrage etc. Would'nt really recommend it until you have at least dipped your foot in the water. They cost too much to buy, to decide the hobbys not for you and then sell on IMO.
Cheers
Lee

[tourerjim]

First thing that comes to mind is problem with spares. Me personally i wouldnt bother mate, ebay helis are crap, dont think you'll see much 3D out of that (thats if you can get it off the ground without breaking summit). If its a 3D heli you want and your on a budget then go for the Eflight Blade 400. Bit busy right now but im sure people will be here soon to tell you why to go for that one and more reason why the one your looking at is bad. Personally id go for an MCX or CX2 and mess with one of them before you go for a full 6 channel 3d heli.
Cheers
Lee

I'll vouch for that my first & biggest mistake, but at the time that was all i could afford oh I must admit it made me go to the local model shop & walked out with a Zoom 400.

[heliTV]

Yep - agree with pretty much everything that already been posted!

A good supply of spares are essential for beginners as crashes are more or less inevitable! I bought the Blade 400 (after a CX2) and the spares are redily available and fairly cheap. For me, Phoenix is also an essential. I've just had a lesson with my instructor (Pete Milner - Phoenix Model Aviation) and I can now use Phoenix to practice everything we were doing today (lazy 8's and side on hovering)

The other plus point for the Blade is that there are a number of experts on the forum that know the thing inside out and can answer almost any question - Ron (Boggy) being the most prolific!

All that said, the Blade 400 is £270+. Twister do a CP Gold which is substantially cheaper - I've just bought one for my lad Josh (helitvjr)!
Spares availability should also be good on this.

I would avoid ebay specials and try to buy from a reputable UK outlet. I use Hobby Hangar in Yeovil on Boggy's recommendation. Ade is really helpful and won't try to sell you anything you don't need/want! I would try and find a heli specialist as some "all-purpose" model shops don't really understand helis and, but for this forum, I owuld have got my fingers burnt!

All the best

Graham

[lbc213]

thank you everyone for your input!, I will save a little more and maybe think about getting a blade 400 or something in that region. thanks again

[matt27]

I dipped my foot into rc heli flying with a blade cx2 last christmas and then jumped in
Ive never got out and now for this Christmas I am getting the blade 400 3d
Got phoenix in may and have had a lot of fun on it but at the same time have learnt a lot of different things
I would say phoenix is a must (as everybody does)

A quick question for those in Cambridgeshire
Where would I have to go to go to join a club
That’s a mistake of mine, I haven’t joined a club!

Ty

Matt

[gramey]

If you have a local hobby shop, preferably one that has a wide range of heli's & spares, then go and speak to them and ask them to let you know if anythnig comes up 2nd hand. You'd be surprised at the number of people who start off buying something they can't get their head around flying and sell it within a matter of weeks having given up.

I fall into the first part but I hate being beaten, especially by a machine, so I've persevered. I bought a new CX2 three months ago and crashed it numerous times, so many I've forgotten, then 3 weeks later I was in my LHS and they had a second hand Blade 400-3D for £175.00. This came with a Spektrum DX6i TX which you can use for a wide range of machines. The lad who had bought it only flew it twice gave up and traded it back in for a nitro car. A month ago I bought a 2nd hand T Rex 600 Nitro Sport, again from my LHS, and I've been having lessons on that at my local club.

If you do go for a second hand heli then you want to see it fly before you buy. If your local shop are worth anything they'll check it all over and set it up and show you it flying, if they want you to coe back they will.

I initially ignored the advice about buying the Phoenix flight sim thinking it's another £80.00 I'm spending unnecessarily, WRONG! Whatever you buy you'll recoup the £80.00 in savings on spares as you can at least get to grips with the basics of the controls and crashing on the sim costs nothing.
From experience every time I crashed my CX2 it meant uppper & lower blades, usually the centre shaft and sometimes both, fuselage twice. You can spend between £6 - £20 each time you crash so as you can see that £80 doesn't seem such a bad investment after all. On my Blade 400 I've done main blades, main shaft feathering shaft, landing skids, canopy, servo's, tail boom, tail blade shaft etc.

The above is nothing to be proud of it's just to let you know that the advice regarding buying sim is sound and it's money well spent. You'll find no end of knowledgable and helpful people on this forum and without them I'd have probably given up within a few weeks like so many others.

Whatever you buy I hope you enjoy it and if you can get through the initial frustrations chances are you'll get hooked. Just don't try and fly your heli like you drive your Savage, that's been my biggest problem I've been trying to drive a heli!!!