Where next ?

[tiddler]

Hi folks

My first time posting here so be gentle please

Not been into helis very long but saw an mcx being flown about six months back and just had to get one.
Loved it

Then I got a Ripmax minicopter and Loved it

Then I got a cx3. Wasn't too impressed with the build quality, especially the landing skids so pulled the body of and put a cx2 body on instead. Gave it a full metal upgrade and now I love it

Next in line was a Walkera 4G1fp heli and the Phoenix sim. Love the Phoenix sim, its brilliant. The 4G1 however is rubbish. Battery only lasts a couple of minutes

So whats next ?
My local shop is recommending the E flite Blade 400 but I have a hankering after the Esky Honybee belt cp.

Any help much appreciated

[EtheAv8r]

Check out the Thunder Tiger Innovator - way better to learn on than the Blade 400, more flexible and great fun. My blade 400 got sold as spares on fleabay. My Innovators get a lot of flying plus the occasional repair after I get too cocky!.

[mark lane]

Blade is better than the ESKY

Align 450 better still

You pays your money... etc

[acwman]

What is your total budget to get started..
If the Blade 400 fits your budget, I don't think that you will get a better combo at that price...which includes transmitter, lipo, charger.

If your budget is another couple hundred more, you may want to look at the trex 450 heli...where you will have to buy the charger, lipo and transmitter separately.. unless you go the second hand route.

[tiddler]

Hi again,
Thanks for all the useful advice. It does seem that budget has a lot to do with getting a good start in this hobby, and there in lies my biggest problem. Money, or rather the lack of it
I could if pushed, just about extend to the cost of the Blade 400 but this would be stretching me severely and I probably wouldn't be able to eat for at least a month (I'm not joking)
To be honest I'm not too sure about going the second hand route (Not enough Knowledge to know what I'm doing) and I would be worried I might end up spending more on getting a s/h heli up and running than I would a new one

I have seen the Honeybee (35mhz) belt cp on fleabay for £135.00 Inc P+P and it looks to be very good value at that price
But would buying this be a big mistake, after all, I cant afford to throw this kind of money away on something that isn't worth it or would severely disappoint.

Does anybody have anything good to say about it or should I steer clear completely and save up for the 400 ?

[cupracing]

steer clear of all esky stuff, you have to be a pro to fly them they are that bad.
Save for B400 I would suggest

[Dan1982]

I would save and get the Blade 400 and you get everything you need to get in the air, although it would be a good idea to save a bit more and get a few spares for it because if your anything like me I only got a few inches of the ground before I had the joy of my first of many crashes. The blades 400 was my first proper helicopter and trust me it’s nothing like flying the cx2/3 it’s a whole different ball game I’m learning all the time and it scares the ass of me (but I’m sure that’s why I love it).
Well good luck with your choice

[Benjy]

I just sold my 450 SE V2 £200 with the 401 gyro but no rx which is quite common for this sort of money. You can get a dx7 and AR7000 for around £100 - £150 whereby i would rather go for something like that for the same sort of money you would spend on the Blade.

[BigBeard]

I have just gone down the Blade 400 route, I didn't think I would have been able to setup a Trex 450 well enough and the Blade should be reasonably well setup out of the box. I had your concerns about getting something second hand and you also get the DX6i with the Blade which should be good for the next few helis.

That said I have a nagging feeling I should have got a 450 instead, the Blade seems to be built to a price where as I get the impression the 450 is built to a standard

PS - had my first crash this morning which will cost a good £30-£40 so bare that in mind as well.

[JezUK1]

I say Blade400 m8

[swampy]

I'd say join a local heli club to you Tiddler, and go from there before you spend any cash on anything, they would help you and guide you through what, to all extents and purposes, is a bloody minefield when you're just starting out.
One of the lads at work just bought himself a twister storm, badly bruised his fingers when he turned off his tx before unplugging the heli, which then went berserk in his front room, causing the inevitable damage to both the heli and its surroundings.
Back to the shop, who fixed it for him for 25 quid + parts, he tried again, binned it again before he even left the ground,( throttle and pitch curves more suited to a 3d pro),,,so finally he brought it to me, (myself only a newbie) so I've tamed his tx settings for him, replaced his main gear and mainshaft, and showed him what it's going to do when it leaves the ground, (all this has been a very expensive learning curve for me, before I joined a club),,,,,join a club from the get-go mate,,save yourself weeks/months of heartache and expense

[Benjy]

Thats very good advice!

[tiddler]

Hmmm ok, it seems that most of you aren't too impressed with the Esky belt cp. Which is a shame as its about all I can afford at the moment
But as I said I don't want to waste my money so It looks like Ill have to wait and save up a bit.

My next question is about the Phoenix sim. I have it installed on my laptop with my cx3 transmitter connected for control. But Just how realistic is it ?
For instance if I can fly something like the B400 with reasonably good control in Phoenix, can I expect that to translate to the real world and a real heli ? You know the type that really do break and don't magically re appear all fixed when you crash them

[acwman]

I think if you have got to a stage where on the sim you can comfortably take off, hover in one place, simply manoeuvres and land, you should be ok with the real thing. The key will probably be to start with, not to be overly confident.

With the real heli.. have the training gear on.. and take off in controlled way, and hover in one place, and start taking small steps until you can identify with the sim and real thing, and take it from there.

[cupracing]

the simulator is mainly there to train for orientation. Pheonix although very good is still quite floaty, they should have included a slider in there to adjust gravity really.