Few beginner questions

[Hick]

Hi there,

Im very interested into getting into this hobby but have a few questions if i may.

1. Im from the Uk, and have been looking at the following online stores, are there any others people recommend.

RC Helicopters from BuzzFlyer - Model Helicopters UK.
Remote Control Helicopters - Guides, Forums And Loads Of Helicopters

2. Ive been looking around, for good beginner helicopters, and the following is one that seems to be in my price range, any other recommendations?

Honey Bee CP2 --- BuzzFlyer UK

Ive noticed that the prices seem to vary alot between the 2 sites i mentioned.

Honey Bee CP2 --- BuzzFlyer UK

HoneyBee CP2 From Heliguy.com

The only difference i can see is that one is 2.4ghz and the other is Mhz. Being a total beginner i dont know about all the other differences, but if anyone could point them out that would be great.

3. I always thought that gas powered helicopters were where it was at, and are what you work your way up to. But ive noticed that most stores online seem to be stocking more electronic heli's than gas powered. Are the Electronic versions just as good or are taking over?

4. I also plan on buying the phoenix simulator, but other than going to clubs and the simulators, are there any other ways to learn? such as recommneded books or Dvd's?

Thanks for reading

[RGPuk]

I'm surprised you're still waiting for a reply so I'll set the ball rolling.

Opinions as to how to get going with helis will vary as much as the personalities supplying those opinions, but here's my 10 pence-worth based purely on my experience of starting off.

If you are doing it alone, start small and simple to get your eye in and build orientation awareness with something proven, that works well.

An mCX is good for any size of indoor environment, it's very hard to break, dirt cheap to fix if you do, and loads of fun.

A larger contra could come next - mine was a CX2. Indoors mainly (not very easy in confined spaces with obstacles like furniture), but when there's zero breeze outside, it's great - and gets you used to things happening much faster and particularly used to shelling out dosh for replacement of damaged bits.

Next step after that? Well, I suggest that while you do the first steps, find your nearest, good local hobby shop that does proper heli stuff, develop a relationship with them, ask questions, and listen to their advice as well as using this excellent forum to guide you. Find some pals locally too if you can - it's nice to share epoxy and cyano.

After 5 months or so, I'm now regularly exercising my sphincter with a Blade 400 and haven't regretted a steady start one bit.

I hope some of that helps.

Roger.

PS. I do think the CP2 may prove a handful for you as a beginner machine

[unwind-protect]

Main difference is that Buzzflyer is expensive, and Heliguy is cheap.

I would avoid the CP2. I believe Esky are discontinuing them (for good reasons, to my mind).

The reason small electric helicopters are so popular is that it makes the barrier to entry much lower than with the larger helicopters. Crash costs are also low. If you have the option, a 2.4GHz system should be more reliable than the cheap 35MHz systems.

[Paul.GT]

How about one of these,a couple of blokes have got them at Kentkopters exact copy of a trex 450....
Hobbycity Online R/C Hobby Store : HK-450 CCPM 3D Electric Helicopter Kit $33.99

[JAG1]

hi,i have never flown one,but what about a e-flite blade 400? you get every thing you need to get you in the air! it might be worth a look.

good luck.

[GravityKills]

a decent GHz radio
a simulator (Phoenix)
spend 50 hours on the sim. Many people realize it's not for them - no big deal, sell the stuff and lose maybe 200 pounds.

Then a decent 450 heli, where some nearby shop sells spares. Align T-Rex, Beam, Rave, whatever. HDX / Sonix is maybe the cheapest quality heli.
Don't spend money on cheap equipment, buy the "accepted minimum standard":
- 4x HS 65 MG servos, or HS 5065 MG if you can get a good price (one is as spare)
- Futaba 9257 on rudder, Futaba 401 gyro (not because it's best but because it's easiest to get help. If that doesn't matter, Spartan ds-760).
- then: 10 pairs of wood blades, 3 bags of main shafts (with 3 each), a bag of feathering shafts, 10 main shaft spare bearings, a pair of spare tailbooms, three spare belts, a new set of tail blades, a bag of tail shafts, a new landing gear. a bag of main wheels
- training gear!!
- three LiPos 3s 2200 mAh 25C
- one balancing charger (expensive)
- one non-balancing charger (cheaper)
at this point you don't want to give up anymore, because you've spent close to 1000 pounds. But, don't waste money experimenting with Esky / Walkera heli toys. If you buy a heli, get something decent (a coax is OK but that's not a real heli. It's not that useful because the main problem is hovering - the coax hovers all by itself.).

Everything in this post "IMO", and naturally other people will see things differently.

And, the HK 450 that was proposed flies indeed quite well. But you need to know what you're doing. If someone knowledgeable helps, it may be a good alternative (more work to fix it after a crash, though). I wouldn't recommend it, though. You need to change some parts (tail drive shaft for example), or the first crash is pre-programmed.

[Nigel]

I am moving form my CX-2 onto a T ReX 450, and may I say all the inputs for the guys above are excellent advice, just underpins the value of a site this one, it is for, and by hele enthusiasts ( of all levels) who are willing to share thier incredable experience. For what is worth, as a complete beginner, listen to the experts.... You really will NOT regret it.

[easypickingsere]

Think to be honest if I was starting out again I would forget buying a heli full stop. Go out get a decent 2.4ghz radio and phoenix.

In my own opinion the CX heli's are a waste of money when you can learn so much on the sim, this depends on if your really sure you want to get into this hobby properly. I wasted alot of money at the start of the year buying what can only be described as "tat". First a CP ready to fly heli which was and is still rubbish (sits on my shelf in a broken state). Then a CX which has had less than half an hours use.

I now have a trex 450 and a reasonable TX (DX6i). Was amazed at how much easier it was to control compared to the "ready to fly" package. If you dont want to join a club then do visit and pick the brains of people down there and what they fly, thing is I have found people in this hobby are soooooo helpful and alongside this forum you really can get all the help you need.

Put alot of hours in on the sim and you will learn alot without the cost of repairs. Also when you have made your mind up that you really want to get into it, buy once, buy right! Plenty of homework and research will save you money in the long run.

Hope my little ramble is of some use

[swampy]

Eyup Hick, as a newcomer myself, I'd go the cx2 route, with extreme skids(they crash extremely well) and tailboom, (makes adjusting servo links sooo much easier) just bought my lad the ansmann skywolf, (his choice, was getting interested, so I said I'd get him a coax),,which he has now binned, (after a week it must be said) and can't find a rotor head for the lower blades thats snapped a blade pin, same thing happens with the CX2, but you can upgrade that to an alloy rotor head, much tougher, don't break),,,,oh, and stick a little builders expanding foam in the nose of the canopy, makes them relatively crash-proof too, (took me 3 canopys before I discovered that one)
,,I've now moved on to a Gaui, and the next one is the TT Mini Titan se, (as I saw one for real in the shop, and all I kept repeating in an idiot voice was "shiney!,,,,lookit, shiney !"

[Tony Herbert]

Welcome!
I think you are seeing that there is no simple answer, but you are very wise to seek advice.
As a newbie too, I went the Mcx route (great fun indoors and the rest of the family can play with it, which is a bonus!). Gives you good orientation skills but underestimates the requirements of full collective.
Moved onto a CP2 wich did not fly out of the box and is made from Chinese cheese (no offence intended to ESKY). However, with help from this site, it has taught me no end about rebuilding and balancing to get close to something which will hover and fly OK - I actually like it a bit now. It also comes complete with simulator leads and I cannot emphasise how important the simulator practice helps.
I'm looking to get a Blade 400 next but keep the CP2 for training.
Easypickingsere's advice is very good with hindsight.
Regards,
Herbie

[stuskimac]

welcome to rc heli's !

i'll go straight to the point, this hobby ain't cheap and doesn't stop being so, get that into your head now ! however u don't have to break the bank straight away, shiny stuff won't always fly any better !

ok, that aside i luv it, like all the other members here, you'll find plenty of GOOD advice here too, like the man say's there are no easy answers.

i started out only 2 years ago and only just beyond beginner, i can hover tail-in, side on and fly lazy eights, nose-in hover on sim only, cos i usually crash !!!

crashes cost cash, you will crash, we all do ! get used to that, but don't let it put u off, most are easily repairable.

this hobby requires patience and time, lots of it !

if u're starting from scratch, personnaly i would start with a coaxial, not a true chopper, in the collective sense not at all, but a good start point, gets u orientated and familiar with flight controls, master it and your ready to progress further.

i skipped FP choppers went straight to CCPM, true chopper collective, found it really difficult to begin with, but stuck with it, glad i did, the day u master a hover u will be on cloud 9. u will need training gear/ legs with balls on end, i used carbon rod with ping pong balls, pvc tape and cable ties, money saver straight away !

i would personnaly start with electrics if like me, i have no i/c engine experience, learn to fly first, thats a big enough challenge on its own, without the added challenge of i/c, although i do want to progress to i/c, initial costs would be more .

there are lots more r/c heli suppliers online, buzzflyer can be expensive, try fast lads and midland helicopter to start with, also there are a couple of good monthly magazines worth a read for reviews and suppliers, such as "model helicopter world" and "r/c rotorworld"

finally, flight sims. personnaly as an owner of "pheonix" its worth having, good to practise on, crashes cost nothing, and when weather doesn't allow flying or grounded chopper for repairs, u can still fly lots of choppers !

my recommendations ( I.M.O. )

1) PHEONIX flight sim
2) blade MCX or CX2, depends on how much room u got indoors.
3) blade 400 rtf, it is truelly rtf, comes with decent 2.4gig radio, cheap stock parts, u don't need to upgrade straight away servo's or gyro, they work fine !
4) plenty of time & patience
5) don't be afraid to seek on this site for advice.

good luck and enjoy !

[debrooker]

Welcome to a great and frustrating hobby.

What follows is Daz's two pence worth as I'm new to this hobby (from Jan) and here are my views.

Firstly I started with a toy coax, great fun but teaches you nothing other than orientation and to be honest not much of that due to it being a t*rd with blades.

Secondly i decided to go with a Esky Honeybee Fixed Pitch and this is an excellent trainer. It is a tough little bird, and you will break parts - alot!

My view was that a larger and more expensize heli, although it will be alot more stable it will not simple hang there in the air - you will need to constantly provide input and this requires experience and lots of it. If you get it wrong you are going to be paying for it, which on the larger helis may be *only* £20-£25 but if your doing this once or twice every week it will hurt. However on the HBFP this cost will more likely be £2.

I personally like to push myself and i'm not sure I would do that for fear of breaking something on a better heli.

I'm of the belief that you should take the long term view and not rush to quickly to become a 3D god, learn the basics and learn them well (hovering tail in, side, nose in, lazy eights and so on)

Anyways good luck and enjoy what ever you choose as i don't believe there are any bad choices, just steps on the learning curve.

Daz.

[Farmer Giles]

Buy once buy right is my advice, but most of what's been posted above will see you started.

For example my bro' inlaw started with a small coax then seemed to go through the Esky range before finally getting a Trex 450. He told me he should have just bought the Trex in the very begining as his flying has improved alot as you spend less time messing about with it trying to get it to fly properly, getting pee'd with your lack of progress.

My route was FMS sim (only good for learning general controls), then an mCX, then a Phoenix sim (one of the best of the current crop) and then my Trex 500.

With the Phoenix sim and the mCX I felt I was able to fly the 500 with a reasonable chance of not stacking it the first time out.

HTH

[Nigel]

Excellent advice..... I am guilty i listening to a local model shop who I know knows nothing about heleo's just focused on a sales target...... Like to meet him in a darkend place!

Got my sights firmly set on a 450.....


Best...N

[Gareth-71]

Hi

....and welcome.

I've been flying since feb and am just sort of holding an inverted hover.

This hobby is addictive - be warned.

My advice is to take everyone elses advice....

If you want my hard learned opinion: Buy the following all at once:

Trex 450 RTF (you can buy spares anywhere and you can buy chinese replacement heads etc for next to nothing).

DX7 Tx (this is a top Tx and will last you forever - you will not need to learn new programming / feel etc later on. You will also easily sell it later if you decide to quit).

Phoenix Sim (Comes with the right lead for the DX7)

...and you wil need a few extra bits:

1. Balance Charger (iMAX B6 is cheap and good eBay / CHina £50ish)
2. Batteries (Buy a 4 pack deal from eBay / China 2800mAh 3S £15 each ish)
3. Some Tools (Hex Drivers and Ball Link pliers)
4. Pack of 5 or more fibreglass or wood blades - carbon fibre is simply not needed until you are getting seriously good. eBay / China £2 each
5. Pack of tail blades


Then DO NOT try and fly your 450 until you can hover tail in on the sim.
Whatever you want to do on the heli, try it on the sim first.

Total Investment - about £700 to £1000 to get going.

Oh, and the last tip is in two parts: 1 DO NOT DO WHAT I DID AND BUY LOADS OF HELI'S. 2. Everytime you buy a replacement part, buy two.

Good Luck and let us know what you decide to do.

Gareth