Confused & Frustrated Newbie

[hapnan1]

Hello.

Frustrated Newbie question?

I have been playing with Helicopters going on two years now. Thanks to this Web Site I found The Phoenix. It has been the best flying I have ever had. I bought the Trex 450 SE with the Spectrum DX7 radio and all the goodies. I have yet after two years to get the thing off the ground for more the 5 seconds till I crash. After many $$$. I gave up. Went to planes. They @#$&. So I am back. I am looking for scale units. I found using Phoenix I could fly them. I was having fun. for the first time in 2 years. I tried other simulators but nothing comes close. Any direction on were I can get a good scale Helicopter?

Thank you.
Fred

[cjcj1949]

Hello.

Frustrated Newbie question?

I have been playing with Helicopters going on two years now. Thanks to this Web Site I found The Phoenix. It has been the best flying I have ever had. I bought the Trex 450 SE with the Spectrum DX7 radio and all the goodies. I have yet after two years to get the thing off the ground for more the 5 seconds till I crash. After many $$$. I gave up. Went to planes. They @#$&. So I am back. I am looking for scale units. I found using Phoenix I could fly them. I was having fun. for the first time in 2 years. I tried other simulators but nothing comes close. Any direction on were I can get a good scale Helicopter?

Thank you.
Fred

I don't think its the scale helis that make it easier, more the fact that bigger helis are easier and flying on the sim is easier. I think you should have a look at the mcx BNF or get some lessons at a proper heli school.

The mcx will give you a chance to have some fun. Not everybody can learn on their own. You may be doing something wrong. Have you looked at Radds school of heli flying. Start on smooth ground with training gear fitted and just slide around.

[Disc]

Go join a Club and get some help don't even try to fly scale until you can fly pod and boom around 1st.

Club list can be found at: www.bmfa.org

You try this hobby alone and you will get fustrated and confused....

You want to get a half decent 50 machine that will go into scale at some point.

Learn to fly the 50 1st


You can go spend a bomb on scale and then crunch 1st flight because it won't be set up right engine needs running in etc etc etc.

Go learn the right way via a club

[Sao]

I don't think the BMFA lists AMA clubs so try this link instead
http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx

[Disc]

I don't think the BMFA lists AMA clubs so try this link instead
http://www.modelaircraft.org/clubsearch.aspx

BMFA lists all affiliated clubs be they Helicopter or plane or gliders

[Sao]

BMFA lists all affiliated clubs be they Helicopter or plane or gliders

Yes... but not ones in America
Unless someone has renamed Berkshire to Conneticut the link I provided will be slightly more usefull

[Disc]

Yes... but not ones in America
Unless someone has renamed Berkshire to Conneticut the link I provided will be slightly more usefull

Oh yea didn't spot that

[Sesame]

Dont give up with it Fred.

but learning on a scale is gonna be a costly excercise. keep at it with the 450 until you have that licked then move on. the advice to find a club or a flying school seams to me your best bet for success.

take a look at the sites quoted and locate somone close to you how can help you with tips and setup of the heli.

[hapnan1]

Thanks to all! Yes I do live on the other side of the pond so the site above will not work :-) You did give me a good chuckle though. And I will check out the other one offered. I left out a few details. I did join a club. Us less I am looking at another know. I can fly the Blade CX units like they were nothing. I like the idea of a 50 series. If I went with the larger units, like one said one crash and it will be darn expensive. Much like the 450 has been. I appreciate the assitance. Seems like this group is really in to Helicopters un like some I have been on.

Thanks a bunch.

Fred
Windsor Ct USA :-)

[Cskinner]

Hapnan, i am also new to the hobby and i did a lot of research before i made my purchase. My advice to you would be this. Since the 450 size heli's can be a handful in windy conditions, and from what i hear they are more twitchy and quicker responding than larger heli's, you may want to consider a trex 500. Fantastic heli, not too big, but stable in the wind. Sure the spares and heli may at first cost a little bit more, but you may find yourself saving money due to less heli-to-floor incidents. A lot of places do a good bundle deal on the 500, and a Spektrum Dx6i is a fantastic value for money transmitter. Another good thing about the 500 is that the spares and upgrades are a pretty fair price in my opinion. A crash wont cost you an absolute arm and a leg.

So what really did it for me was the thought that, OK, its going to cost me that little bit extra at first, but going by what a lot of people were saying in the posts i made and read, the extra stability in wind is fantastic, so your not limited to perfectly calm days, and it may reduce the number of bumps you have with the ground. Theres my thoughts hope they are of some help, and good luck.

Chris

[cambs flyer]

Hi buddy.

Sorry your introduction to RC Heli flying has been such a disaster, as I'm sue you know the slightest thing can cause these birds to act very oddly, and it may well be something so small causing all your grief.

If you could find a like minded person or club to take a look over her I bet you'd be tail in hovering within a few hours.

I think everyone in this hobby needs that first few hours of help and guidance, I had some truly superb help when I started flying my 450, and I learned to fly on the 450's there super machines to learn on, & cheap to repair.

I wish you success and hope you find some guidance soon Bro.

[gramey]

I'm pretty new to all this myself but I find my Blade 400 very twitchy and I think most EP heli's of that size are. If your being drawn to scale heli's I think the advice to get a 50 size heli may be worth considering as once you've got the hang of that there is a wide choice of scale bodies you can fit a 50 into. There are 50 size EP heli's but the cost of batteries is pretty high and you'll need to keep on top of looking after them.
If you go 50 IC route you'll get far more stick time from a gallon of fuel than you will with 4 or 5 batteries. Also the 50 being bigger than the T Rex 500 it will be far more stable in the wind, just my 2c worth.

[cjcj1949]

Can't agree with this.

Hi buddy.

Sorry your introduction to RC Heli flying has been such a disaster, as I'm sue you know the slightest thing can cause these birds to act very oddly, and it may well be something so small causing all your grief.

If you could find a like minded person or club to take a look over her I bet you'd be tail in hovering within a few hours.

I think everyone in this hobby needs that first few hours of help and guidance, I had some truly superb help when I started flying my 450, and I learned to fly on the 450's there super machines to learn on, & cheap to repair.

I wish you success and hope you find some guidance soon Bro.

First few years more like it.

Chris

[cambs flyer]

Narr just a few hours the rest is up to you then, lol.

[hapnan1]

Years I must agree. I had my local hobby shop set the bird up test fly it a few times. So I know it was set up correctly. They also are very good at rebuilding it when I crash. I would not say it was a cheap repair though. I crash them well
It was more the operator.... I like the idea of a large Trex 500 series. I really want to stay with electric as I have a large open space but also have nervous horses .......

Thanks again.

Fred