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Ok, here's my belated by the looks of things view on the whole beginner IC model thing.
It is certainly true that when you are first learning to fly, you need all the help you can get, as the pilot has to pick up all the controls at the same time. So having a good quality heading hold gyro and decent tail servo will mean the pilot can concentrate on the other controls as the tail will take care of itself, within reason of course.
As for choice of model, I too have seen many benefit from starting with a 50 size model as apposed to a 30. However, this grately depends on the speed at which they learn. If they have help from fellow club members or go and have some professional lessons, then the 50 is a definite candidate for a first model. If however, the pilot chooses to learn more or less solo, even with this forum it will take considerably longer to learn to hover, therefore in those circumstances a 30 size model is a far more cost effective choice as a first model.
As to which particular manufacturer, as I have mentioned before in other posts, there is no such thing as a bad model in this day and age, sure, my personal preference is and always has been raptors, although I have had others, Hirobo, Robbe and JR for a time. The rule of thumb here tends to be find out which of them is the most popular choice at the chosen club and go for the same one. That way you can be sure that you will find someone knowledgeable and experienced with that particular model if you need help with the initial build, setting it up or maintenence / crash repairs later on.
The other thing to consider is budget, but dont be fooled by the initial kit price, as that is only the starter for 10, the real costs come in the shape of spares for crash repairs etc. The next obvious one to think about is availability of said spares, the last thing you want is to be doing really well with a model and then not be able to fly for weeks on end because you have crashed it or something has failed and you can't get the spares, (This may sound a little exagerated, but it does happen!)
Lastly, but still important to a lesser degree, is the looks of the model, there is no point buying a model you dont particularly like the looks of much, as a fully equipped model is a big investment and one you may well have to live with for some time, so make sure you insure as much as possible you wont simply get fed up with it after only a few short months.
When you have decided upon which model is for you, don't then what ever you do, be tempted to spend lots of money on shiny alloy or carbon bits, as they are always more expensive to replace in a crash. Metal rotorheads are stronger and more durable than their plastic equivalents, but they still have bearings that can fail as a result of a crash. Carbon parts are well known to splinter and split in a crash, they are also disproportionally more expensive to replace than their plastic counterparts. All these good things come into their own when you can fly at least circuits and beyond, so until you reach that stage, keep things as cheap and as simple as you can.This only applies to the airframe, the radio gear and engine etc. will pay dividends to buy good quality items, as this will equal reliability and trouble free flying.
I don't think I have missed anything have I?
Cheers,
Pete.
It is certainly true that when you are first learning to fly, you need all the help you can get, as the pilot has to pick up all the controls at the same time. So having a good quality heading hold gyro and decent tail servo will mean the pilot can concentrate on the other controls as the tail will take care of itself, within reason of course.
As for choice of model, I too have seen many benefit from starting with a 50 size model as apposed to a 30. However, this grately depends on the speed at which they learn. If they have help from fellow club members or go and have some professional lessons, then the 50 is a definite candidate for a first model. If however, the pilot chooses to learn more or less solo, even with this forum it will take considerably longer to learn to hover, therefore in those circumstances a 30 size model is a far more cost effective choice as a first model.
As to which particular manufacturer, as I have mentioned before in other posts, there is no such thing as a bad model in this day and age, sure, my personal preference is and always has been raptors, although I have had others, Hirobo, Robbe and JR for a time. The rule of thumb here tends to be find out which of them is the most popular choice at the chosen club and go for the same one. That way you can be sure that you will find someone knowledgeable and experienced with that particular model if you need help with the initial build, setting it up or maintenence / crash repairs later on.
The other thing to consider is budget, but dont be fooled by the initial kit price, as that is only the starter for 10, the real costs come in the shape of spares for crash repairs etc. The next obvious one to think about is availability of said spares, the last thing you want is to be doing really well with a model and then not be able to fly for weeks on end because you have crashed it or something has failed and you can't get the spares, (This may sound a little exagerated, but it does happen!)
Lastly, but still important to a lesser degree, is the looks of the model, there is no point buying a model you dont particularly like the looks of much, as a fully equipped model is a big investment and one you may well have to live with for some time, so make sure you insure as much as possible you wont simply get fed up with it after only a few short months.
When you have decided upon which model is for you, don't then what ever you do, be tempted to spend lots of money on shiny alloy or carbon bits, as they are always more expensive to replace in a crash. Metal rotorheads are stronger and more durable than their plastic equivalents, but they still have bearings that can fail as a result of a crash. Carbon parts are well known to splinter and split in a crash, they are also disproportionally more expensive to replace than their plastic counterparts. All these good things come into their own when you can fly at least circuits and beyond, so until you reach that stage, keep things as cheap and as simple as you can.This only applies to the airframe, the radio gear and engine etc. will pay dividends to buy good quality items, as this will equal reliability and trouble free flying.
I don't think I have missed anything have I?
Cheers,
Pete.
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