Which Electric Heli to Buy..??

[AGW]

Hi,

I have been thinking about starting up RC Helli's for a couple of months now, I have been racing IC cars for about 4 years and I've decided it's time for a 3rd dimension..

After doing some research, I think I have come down to two choices, based on cost and also reviews. Twister 3D or T-Rex 450XL, I know there is a reasonable price difference between the two! My concern is buying the wrong stuff and having a bad experience, I want to give my self the best chance possible to enjoy the hobby.

Your thoughts and suggestions would be great!

i know that the bigger Helli's like the Swift 16 and the T-rex 600 are more stable but I don't think I can justify the cost Running my IC car is expensive enough which is one reason I have decided on electric over IC and also the fact I can fly electric indoors and out..!!

Thanks in advance.

Andy

[Thomas]

Buy a SIM first, either Reflex or RealFlight G3 then get youself to a club and have a look at what people are flying before you decide on what to get.

[AGW]

The problem is I don't have any radio gear, only my two channel stuff for my IC car! Not much good for a Heli SIM i wouldn't have thought.

Andy

[simon109]

Hi,

Personally I would not choose any mini/micro heli to learn they are very twitchy even if you have been flying a while.

For what it costs to set up a T-rex including lipo's and charger i reakon you can set a Rap 30.

have you flown a heli at all ? have you had a go on a sim ? these are best thing to learn on when your starting, ok it's not the real thing but it will save you a lot of money when yor learning.

Have a go on a sim, see how you get on and most important, are you going to like flying heli's. (i'm sure you will :-) )

Simon.

[MartinM]

Hi, I only build and fly electric as my web sites will show you but when you say 'fly indoors' unless you have a big house, both helis your talking about can't be flown in a normal house.

Maybe your thinking of a hall that you use for cars ? I have test hovered my T-Rex and my Eco 8 in my largest room when the wife was out, about 12 inches off the floor but that's about it !!

I started out a year ago with the Twister Bell and is still good fun indoors..... Sell it on when you want to take it to the next level. That's what I did but never sold any !! Sims are good for sure, however, a good one will be the price of the Bell 47 / Lama 2.

[simon109]

Realflight sim comes with it's own TX.

Simon.

[Thomas]

Where abouts are you? for £25 you could have an hour's lesson and after that you'd be able to hover a Trex with no worries (if you had some SIM time first), you'd also get a feel for what you want.

I learnt to hover on a Trex, it's only when you start flying around they crash alot.

[AGW]

Thanks Simon I will have a look at RealFlight SIM.

Thomas I live near Alfreton in Derbyshire.

When I say indoor flying I know I can't fly it in my house, but if you look on the BMFA some clubs have indoor flying facilities.

Andy

[MartinM]

Re, indoors, just making sure !!!

On the Tx front, buy the best you can afford, you will then buy just once.

[bandicoot]

if cost is an issue then the micro electrics are ok...i'm learning to fly on one, it just takes time thats all. Too many people put them down, as long as you understand that heli flying is not easy and it takes time then i think they are a good intro to the sport

[Fixxxer]

Hi there, you might want to have a read through this thread http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1583 which covers the pros & cons of both nitro and electric. You are probably only talking £100 difference in the cost of a good trex setup & versus a raptor 30 or like and the stability really is noticable with the bigger machines.

Which ever you decide, I bet the IC cars don't last long ! I had 5 trucks of which 1 is left. Once your hooked thats it, no going back

[MartinM]

With you on that Brian, cost to get a new T-rex up and running would be about £400 ish, at basic level. I went that way after my time with micros. With them you don't get too depressed after a crash or 6 !!

[Thomas]

If you want a cheap copy of RealFlight let me know, I have both and couldn't decide what to sell, so chose to stick with RealFlight - as no one seems interested in Reflex I may as well sell the other.

[Ade_Law]

you have at least 2 dedicated helicopter clubs within 25miles of you. Go visit them them before you buy anything.

Dont be fooled into the "its electric, it must be cheap" approach. the really small micros such as hummingbirds and twisters are cheap but arent much fun to fly even when you know what your doing.

Simon, until recently was a lover of all things electric. As he said, for the price of a good setup in a Trex your getting close to that of a raptor 30, you will do a lot more flying and learn quicker. His flying has really come on since he got his raptor.


Also, flying helis is more than about flying helis, you become part of a comminity of people. If you can find a good club you will probably find you spend more time chatting than flying and the knowledge you can gain is incredible.

the second hand market for helis is flurishing but be aware of cheap components in a good model. it can seem like a bargain know what your buying and get somebody experienced to take a look at it before you buy it (another reason to join a club).

Ade

[Thomas]

you could also consider getting one of them foam wings, I hear they are an excellent way of learning too
(I wonder who is trying to raise some funds for a new heli?)