Best Beginner's Buy?

[simon1]

raptor 30 everytime for me!! I have used a neon blaze, twister gold, and recently a mini titan 325, these were all much more difficult to learn on than the raptor, you WILL crash the smaller heli's more than the bigger heli's.
Go for the raptor 30, built like a tank and is hard as nails arrrrrrrH

raptor 30 lover

[anth.payne]

Don't mean to sound stupid here - but could someone give me a bit heads up on some of the terminology?

Tx - Transmitter I'm assuming? (e.g the DX7i?)
Rx - Receiver? (The bit inside the heli for the transmitter?)

Similarly - If i bought a DX7i - what else is req'd in addition to this?

[Tombo242]

I moved from medium sized co-axial to Blade 400. The initial learning curve was steep but taken in stages with "Radd's School of Rotary Flight" at http://www.dream-models.com/eco/index.html . I found the really hard part was the first day without the TG fitted.

Someone earlier said that UK=wind, I live in Portugal and although we have 30 days a year when it might rain, we have 2 days a year when the wind might be below 10kmh (6mph). You learn to fly in wind or forget it and buy a kite!

[debrooker]

Tx - Transmitter I'm assuming? (e.g the DX7i?)
Rx - Receiver? (The bit inside the heli for the transmitter?)

Correct

also TG = Training Gear - 4 long legs hanging from the bottom of heli with balls on ;-)

[Hangar-7]

Don't mean to sound stupid here - but could someone give me a bit heads up on some of the terminology?

Tx - Transmitter I'm assuming? (e.g the DX7i?) Yep
Rx - Receiver? (The bit inside the heli for the transmitter?) Yep

Similarly - If i bought a DX7i - what else is req'd in addition to this?

I noticed you're getting confused - remember you're learning a new language full of jargons and acronames. Easy to get confused ... we'll have been through this stage ..but you'll get over it soon.

For DX7 and Phoenix sim .... you'll need a computer (obvious!!!). Tx will need 4 cells AA size. Needless to say rechargable type and a charger. Last two items you can buy from Sainsbury, B&Q or Amazon. Go for the maximun capacity cell but no less than 2450mAh. Amazon sells them for £6.50 or around that price.

Sim comes with a connector to Tx. The stick movements generates all the signals you need to fly the heli. The sim is very realistic both sound and graphic wise.

[speedy jon]

i started off with a mash co-axiel. which are really easy to fly but helped me with oriention ie looking at the heli from different angles. i then wanted to move on to bigger and harder stuff. i 1st bought a mini pred but took it back because it wasnt great.
i was then stuck, people in the club i joined was telling me go nitro and others saying go electric.i also bought a dx7 and phieonix sim to practice on. the sim helps loads and its cheaper then trying to fly a heli when you dont know what your doing.crash reset ect. i went for a trex 450v2. learnt how to hover and basic left right forward back movements. i then bought a raptor 50 and the basic skills i learnt from the 450 passed straight onto the raptor. a nitro has that fear factor with it but once i over come that my flying has progressed. i started flying in march and im now doing figure of 8's and circuit. they aint great but im still progressing.
i also bought myself a trex 600nsp and since i bought this i havent really touched the raptor. the nsp was a hell of alot of money but i love it.
the way i done things i feel has helped me because i learnt on the small and harder to control heli then went to the bigger and more stable heli. but its upto you how to do things.
dont forget with a nitro you need to add the cost of fuel,fuel pump, starter and starter wand , glow plug (the nsp has a onboard glow).
it is an expensive hobby and is very easy to get carried away with spending.

[anth.payne]

What are the differences between the current range of Raptor 50 models?

[DT39]

I noticed you're getting confused - remember you're learning a new language full of jargons and acronames. Easy to get confused ... we'll have been through this stage ..but you'll get over it soon.

For DX7 and Phoenix sim .... you'll need a computer (obvious!!!). Tx will need 4 cells AA size. Needless to say rechargable type and a charger. Last two items you can buy from Sainsbury, B&Q or Amazon. Go for the maximun capacity cell but no less than 2450mAh. Amazon sells them for £6.50 or around that price.

Sim comes with a connector to Tx. The stick movements generates all the signals you need to fly the heli. The sim is very realistic both sound and graphic wise.

Wow i've not got any AA's in my DX7 I have got a 11.1v 2620mah lipo though, DX7 standard battery is a 9.6v 1500mah Ni-Mh
DX6i that takes 4 x AA's

[del19_82]

I started with a small electric & very quickly changed it to a Raptor 30. What a difference that made to my learning curve, so much steadier & smoother to fly and as has been mentioned handles a strong wind reasonably well and considerably better than a small electric!!

[Tombo242]

After many years of fixed-wing, I started with an indoor co-axial, moved on to a Blade 400. Currently helping a friend build a Raptor 30, waiting to see how it handles before wondering whether to try nitro or not. Seems very messy so that Raptor will have to be very good to convince me.

[Hangar-7]

Wow i've not got any AA's in my DX7 I have got a 11.1v 2620mah lipo though, DX7 standard battery is a 9.6v 1500mah Ni-Mh
DX6i that takes 4 x AA's

Yep, you're right - it is 8 and not 4 cells. Thank you (too keen to key in fast).

My friend who has a DX7 (from Singapore/ Hong Kong) had only alkaline battery. I assume your lipo is an add on ..hmmmmm how do you charge it without taking out the lipo???

Cheers

[anth.payne]

hi everyone - hope you dont mind me revisiting this topic, but just got out of hospital, and i'm considering changing my tactics to keep me busy whilst off work.

So I'm thinking now of buying a cheaper heli kit I could work on whilst off my feet, something which is cheap to buy, cheap for parts, easy strter build...?

This can get me started in the mean time before I buy my trex 600.

Was thinking of something along the lines of a Raptor 30?

Help appreciated, thanks

[sacko]

No point getting a 30 if you are planning on buying a 50 soon.

How about a 450 Pro?

[anth.payne]

No point getting a 30 if you are planning on buying a 50 soon.

How about a 450 Pro?

I wanted to buy nitro - elec doesnt really interest me.

Just wanting a project to keep me busy whilst off work. An easy 1st build - that wont matter too much if it goes wrong... cheap parts

[stickstirrer]

If you have access to a reasonably sized hall, buy a small electric heli to learn/practice on no matter what the weather is doing or whether it's night or day! I have access to a small hall and am presently getting in lots of practice with a Trex 250. I started with an Esky Honeybee fixed pitch in this hall. I know people knock this model a) because it's Esky and b) because it's fixed pitch but it's cheap, it bounces (usually nothing breaks if you hit the wall/floor) and it's single rotor. You learn throttle control, tail control, and orientation. I recommend this as a model to learn on indoors. I did and used it upto being comfortable with nose in hovering, when I progessed to collective pitch (a Belt CP).