Second helicopter, first real (ish) helicopter.

[scoobystig]

the blade 400 and Twister storm are pretty much the same heli, in fact i would say that almost 95% of the spare parts are the same

i started with a Twister storm and it got me through to ciruits, stall turns and loops, wasnt particulaly happy inverted though,

admittedly i has a transmitter before so didnt need the DX6 that comes with the blade 400, although if you see yourself going far in this hobby then you may want to look further towards a DX7, i have known several people get a DX6 but then move onto Nitro helis with governors and such and then need the 7 channels

most Twister storms sell 2nd hand for around £90-£100, and that should include at least the lipo they came with and the balancing charger
although i would view that charger as a short term

as mentioned before hand the Gyro on the Twister is pot luck as about 30% of them stopped working almost straight away
i went straight to a Futaba 401 on mine (even though my original was ok) and it transformed the way it flew

which ever way you go it is worth having some lessons or joining a club for advice on the setup as that makes the flying so much easier

cheers

[fredted40x]

Wow alot of detailed replies. Thanks!

I think im going to get the twister 3d storm after what people have been saying about them being similar to the blade and also due to the fact that for £140 i can get everything and that seems pretty good. Then i can gradually upgrade the transmitter etc as i get better. But im going to get it in a week so have a bit of time to look around.

Cant find any twisters on ebay worth looking at, have found one or two blades but i think they are going to go for mega money, any thoughts on this one Blade 400 3d on eBay (end time 10-Dec-09 19:00:51 GMT)?


Im also looking for a good battery at the moment for the twister but im confused (again) on what is best, have found this
ZIPPY flightmax 2200mAh 3S1P 20C lipo li-poly battery on eBay (end time 12-Dec-09 09:39:24 GMT)
Any good?

What sort of distance from the transmitter can the helicopter go with the 35mhz and 2.4ghz?

Im also looking to get a simulator but i really dont think i could spend £80 on the pheonix, how would something like this
http://www.modelshopleeds.co.uk/cata...5dfffceea3a55b compare?

Last question, can anyone recommend any more good shops?


Cheers

[unwind-protect]

Im also looking to get a simulator but i really dont think i could spend £80 on the pheonix

Really, Phoenix is the cheapest way to learn to crash (er, fly!) a helicopter there is.

If you decide it's not for you resale prices are very good, I doubt you'd lose even £20 (the cost of one real crash).

[tiddler]

Phoenix may seem expensive But it is leagues ahead of other cheaper heli sims and has been the best training investment I ever made

[fredted40x]

Ive used flight simulator x before on my computer and it only cost me something like £25, its got nothing to do with rc helicopters but you get so much more for your money, plus looking at it i think i would get bored of it very quickly and just take the real thing out with the training gear on.


I bet im really annoying you guys but i will phone up the modelshop tomorrow and ask what controller they use too see if its compatible with pheonix otherwise i would have to buy a new controller and that will cost way too much.

[tiddler]

Ive used flight simulator x before on my computer and it only cost me something like £25, its got nothing to do with rc helicopters but you get so much more for your money, plus looking at it i think i would get bored of it very quickly and just take the real thing out with the training gear on.


I bet im really annoying you guys but i will phone up the modelshop tomorrow and ask what controller they use too see if its compatible with pheonix otherwise i would have to buy a new controller and that will cost way too much.

Your not annoying me
It is your money after all and you never know you could be one of those people that is just a complete natural, and picks up flying helis nice and easily
Unlike me

But they do say the best way to learn a lesson is the hard way Dont they

[Downdraft]

Don't quote me but I think the Tx that comes with the 3D Storm has a 3.5mm jack that can be used with FMS flight sim, I know it's a bit naff but if your on a tight budget it will teach you how to hover if nothing else.
Best thing of all is FMS is freeware so you only have to get yourself a usb to 3.5 jack lead which are available for under a tenner if you look around and off you go.

Before every one say's it's rubbish the most important thing is it's free, and you dont get much for nowt these day's. IMO worth a try.

Good luck.

[fredted40x]

cool, that sounds good as a starting point, and then when i want to start doing the 3d stuff il save the money for pheonix.

Will the pheonix sim or the reflex simulator that ive just seen support that transmitter if it uses a usb to 3.5 jack lead? Or will i have to buy the software and lead/transmitter?

[jamesb72]

I think im going to get the twister 3d storm after what people have been saying about them being similar to the blade and also due to the fact that for £140 i can get everything and that seems pretty good. Then i can gradually upgrade the transmitter etc as i get better.

Cant find any twisters on ebay worth looking at, have found one or two blades but i think they are going to go for mega money,

Im also looking for a good battery at the moment for the twister but im confused (again) on what is best, have found this
ZIPPY flightmax 2200mAh 3S1P 20C lipo li-poly battery on eBay (end time 12-Dec-09 09:39:24 GMT)
Any good?

What sort of distance from the transmitter can the helicopter go with the 35mhz and 2.4ghz?

Im also looking to get a simulator but i really dont think i could spend £80

I think with your budget and plans the twister 3D will be perfect.

2nd hand blade400s on ebay are going for much more than 140, I got one for 150 and it was a bargain, normally they go for 180+ and being 2nd hand, you don't know how worn out/crashed they are, so I think buying the new twister 3D is very sensible. I would buy some cheap wooden blades (the e-flite/twister ones should be about £8 a pair), and use them to start with - the carbon blades won't help you to start with, cost more to replace, and will do more damage to the rest of the heli in a crash.

That zippy lipo is perfect, only thing is I'm not sure what connectors come on the Twister - it is probably Deans/T-connector but you might have to change plugs - I know the BLade400 comes with funny blue e-flite connectors - to be honest I would switch to Deans/T plugs anyway, as it means you can buy cheap lipos easily.

Range on 35Mhz or 2.4Ghz will be far more than you ever need, realistically you will learn to hover at 15-20ft range, and when you fly circuits you will struggle to see the heli beyond about 500ft. Range of 35Mhz is approx 1 mile, 2.4ghz is certainly more than 1km - both are far beyond what you could ever possibly see the heli, so you will crash long before you run out of range.

For simulator, I would highly recommend buying a cheap USB transmitter from somewhere, and downloading the FREE helisimrc simulator HeliSimRC - the graphics are nothing special, but the physics and 'feel' of the helicopter and brilliant and you could learn everything on this - I paid £12 delivered for USB controller on ebay, or you can buy a cheap simulator (like Helimaster sim from Leeds models for £19.99) and use that controller for helisim.

Phoenix is a fantastic simulator, graphics look like real life, and you can setup any type of heli etc, but for learning to hover/fly circuits, and basic 3D helisim is absoutely fine - and will teach you loads.

[jamesb72]

Ive used flight simulator x before .... looking at it i think i would get bored of it very quickly and just take the real thing out with the training gear on.

I'm the same, but its well worth getting a cheap simulator for two reasons:

1. When you crash the heli, you will be fed up, while waiting for spares to arrive, you can 're-create the moment' on the sim, and learn to get out of it for next time.

2. When its a bit too windy to fly, you can have a buzz on the simulator rather than risk it with the real heli - which can often end in tears !

I would really strongly suggest you try to find someone to check over/trim the heli before you try to fly it though - as this will really make it 100 times easier, also if you see someone else hover it perfectly, and then you have a go you will know its not the heli, and you just need practice.

I have looked at heli's for friends who were struggling alone, and the heli was practically unflyable so once I've straightened it out, they have done much much better !

Happy flying !

[Planehazza]

Is there anywhere that does discounts for group buys of Phoenix?

I'm tempted to buy it myself, but £80 is quite a bit of dosh. Plus, I fly planes - how is it for planes?

[Downdraft]

cool, that sounds good as a starting point, and then when i want to start doing the 3d stuff il save the money for pheonix.

Will the pheonix sim or the reflex simulator that ive just seen support that transmitter if it uses a usb to 3.5 jack lead? Or will i have to buy the software and lead/transmitter?

Not sure sure about the Pheonix Tx support, but I'm pretty sure it will work with FMS. Take a look at this FMS Homepage FMS Computer Simulator FMS Free Simulator for Radio Controlled RC helicopters and R/C Air Planes.. You can download FMS here for FREE so all you need is the lead to connect it to your TX, Job's a good'n.

Phoenix is without doubt the best sim on the market IMO and if you keep your eye out in the BMF clasifieds theres quite often a bargin pop up. So best you get saving. LOL

[fredted40x]

Thanks all,

Off on my holiday on sun so when i get back in a week il be ordering my new twister storm and the sim controller . i bet the last couple of days will go really slowly as i will be looking forward to buying it.

Will let you know how it goes.

[dam74]

The other thing to bear in mind is to budget for spares. Some people get lucky (or are very cautious) and get into forward flight without crashing, but they are the exception; most people are going to take at least half a dozen crashes (at probably £20 a time, on average) before getting there.

Training gear will help reduce the number of early crashes dramatically!

I'll second this in regards to the spares. I have a B400 and it's just about to have the tail drive pulley repaired as the gears have burnt themselves on the shaft (overly tight belt).

Before you purchase the Twister Storm speak to some of the owners on here about them because I'm not sure where you buy spares from. I have a B400 and can easily get spares from places like Fastlads, Sussex Helis, Midlands etc. Whereas I'm not so sure about the Twister. They might be the same spares as the B400 as it is modelled on it but there are some upgraded parts on the Twister if I'm not mistaken like metal head, etc.

Update: after reading all of the thread I see that the spares are interchangeable. Maybe the head was upgraded at the store where I saw the Twister Storm.

[fredted40x]

Yeah i think the blade 400 parts will fit from what i have read.

Can i ask where you have seen the twister? was it around fareham?

Thanks