Which Electric Heli to Buy..??

[AGW]

Thanks once again guys for all your input, I'm still trying to take it all on board I understand each point of view about SIM's, and also about IC vs Electric.

I think if I can get this Twister 3D for £150 and it's in the condition he say's it's in then I will buy it, but I will also get a simulator as well that way I can hit it from both angles. If I really get into it then I can get an IC further down the line

On a SIM note, I have raced car SIM's in the past and although very good you feel some what detached, I know when I race cars as silly as it may sound I feel as though I get feedback through the sticks and I just don't get the same feeling from the SIM, although as people have said it's much lighter on the wallet to crash a SIM..

I am not under any illusion that this will be an easy hobby to master, and that I will total my Helli numerous times whilst I'm learning the basics.. but this should be all part of the fun! It definitely can't be as expensive as when I crash my car it cost me £150 the other week to repair my car after a minor crash, I could have a whole new bare bones Helli for that..!!

Cheers

Andy

[bandicoot]

Well FMS is a free sim and after a lesson with Ade it I used it for about an hour then it was off with the training gear and away I went, and ive not looked back.

I fly ( in the loosest terms possible) a micro heli that everyone says are hard to fly, so that goes to show the value in having a lesson and spending a little time in front of your PC.

So I say get the heli if its ok
Get a sim even if it’s the free one (its better than nothing)
Book a lesson with an instructor

With time and perseverance you will be hovering and having fun into the bargain

[marktigere1]

Good for you.

Enjoyment is the name of the game. People can only give their opinions on a forum and its the likes of Ade, Stuart and others who really know how to fly these babies who can take it to another level.

I'm trying to start again after a long layoff and I'm finding it slow going and a bit frustrating not being at the level I was. But I still enjoy every minute and the day that stops happening is the day I'll stop. (Or if funds vanish)

Good luck with the flying.

Cheers

Mark

[MartinM]

AGW, for me the cost is in more batteries, chargers, new heli kits, upgrades etc etc, yes it is true a big crash can also cost ! ( and you know one is waiting for you, maybe on that next flight, just a matter of time !! )

[AGW]

The kit I am hopefully getting has all the chargers etc! How long will a LiPo pack last whats it's life expectancy rather than flight time?

When I raced IC cars at a national level I had two race engines which would be replaced every year at a cost of £300+ each nevermind all the maintenance costs for them plus all the spares for the car it's self. I bet I have spent in excess of £2k in the last 12 months on cars and it's been a good 12 months

What would you say is an average cost for running an electric Helli like a twister 3D for a season?? Based on a novice flying, I know it's probably a difficult one to answer..

On another note I have been playing with the free flight SIM which was mentioned in the thread FMS, and i've been doing quite well! I've managed to get the basic box pattern sorted out !almost! it's a bit wobbly but probably 9 out of ten times I can complete the pattern and land without crashing!

Andy

[hellished]

I agree with all the comments made.
You can download FMS simulator it's free! Its quite good but doesn't modell forward flight very well( transitional lift) It is a great way to develope your hovering reflexes though.
Personally I would download FMS and buy a trex XL se. Trex parts cost about the same as hummingbird/picolo/twister but it is a proper heli! you will get heading lock gyro with it no doubt which is a must have.

[Ade_Law]

the cost of running a 50 isnt high at all. on a good weekend flying you will do a gallon of fuel. for magnum 20% thats 800ukp a year. I doubt you would average a gallon a week tho.

depending on luck and how hard your pushing maybe 4 crashes a year at somewhere averaging around 150ukp each.

i doubt that after buying a 50 size heli many will spend over much over 1200ukp.

Ade

[AGW]

Ade,

I know you're not a big fan of the electrics (Yet!! ) But I have put my name on the list for a T-Rex 600.

http://www.rcheliaddict.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1682

I looked at the cost of setting up a 50 size raptor with the same electrics as the T-Rex and it works out £100 less, but I just don't want the mess of more IC stuff (Neither does the missus )

I am going to the 3D masters on the Sunday so hopefully there will be lot's of people to talk to and I can have a good look at IC and Electric, maybe I might change my mind..!!

Andy

[Ade_Law]

people forget that IC has been advancing too.

remember that with that you will only be getting 1 battery. which is one flight per 2hrs.

there is no doubt that one day electric will take over but its not today and i dont think its going to be as soon as some think. i remember them saying it 10 years ago and it still isnt even close.

Ade

[AGW]

I am getting two batteries with that! But I take your point, you can just fill up an IC and go again.

It's a big decision to make for me because it's a lot of money to invest in the wrong thing! Hopefully the 3D masters will help, but there is a possibility I might get offered a 600 before then...

Decisions, decisions....

Andy

[ChrisB]

It wont fly as well as a Nitro 50,you are lugging the full weight around for the whole flight as the power decreases..

A 50 with say a Hyper 50 will produce more grunt than a 50 electric and you get 100% power from full till empty with a fuel tank which is getting emptier and lighter..

But if you dont want the little bit of mess an engine makes which takes a minute to clean away then thats a reason for electric i suppose

[AGW]

How often do you rebuild a Heli engine? I strip clean and re-build my car engines after every race I also have to replace the con rod every couple of months and the piston and liner every six to eight months and if I keep it longer than a year then I will replace the bearings too.

This is just what comes with racing cars at a high level, and I don't want that from heli's I want something I can go and relax and enjoy doing. Is flying IC heli's as involved as that???

I think that's what worries the missus, I spend hours sorting my car out, so if I spend hours sorting my heli out too then there could be trouble..!!

maybe it would be useful to know the maintenance requirements over say six months of an IC so I could compare it to electric (excluding any crashes!!)

Andy

[ChrisB]

In 6 months running,i wont touch any engine

I purchased a second hand os 50 about 18months ago for £50..It has done 40 hours no probs,i brought a second hand hyper a year and a bit ago for £90,it has done 20 hours to date.

I have NEVER rebuilt an engine on a heli or an RC car..

At my RC offroad track i run a Savavge,a Revo and a Lightning,all cars are over 6months old and no engines have been touched to date..

i have seen Many engines blow from pure owner negligence,model engines are designed for their purpose?

How often do you rebuild your fullsize cars engine?

I simply fail to see how a Glow engine that is well looked after can die in a short time,i genuinely have not had this problem,maybe i have just been lucky

A friend of mine who has flown planes for 40 years and helis for 20 has old engines from the 70`s for fixed wing that run as good today as ever

[Ade_Law]

i find the rear bearings when you abuse them (lean them for max power) only last around 20 gallons. its easy to do and cheap. no need for OS bearing local bearing shops supply metal caged bearings for less thean 5ukp for the pair.

Ade

[AGW]

Without trying to turn this into a thread about cars I race 200mm IC at national level it's a very serious hobby for me and I invest a lot of money into it so I can get the performance at the top level! My engines run at 48,000 rpm plus at the edge of destruction, it's a fine line between saving 1/100th of a second and a dead engine thats why they are stripped and re-built after every race!

I know Heli engines run at alower rpm (about 20,000 I thought), so by the sounds of it they do not require the same amount of maintenance as my car engines, which is a good thing it will help me make my mind up

Andy