HBFP or other as 1st helicopter

[Madcowz]

Hi,

A few weeks back I bought myself a toy coaxial mini helicopter and have had so much fun that a little bit of wee came out and now I think I should progress on to a proper one.

I have done a fair about of reading and it seems the Honey Bee FP would be a good starter for me. It will be cheaper to repair than a CP and more involved than a coaxial which I think I would tire of very quickly.

Am I missing any other excellent starter helicopters that would give me a good grounding in this hobby?

thanks,

Hedley

[simon1]

Eflight blade msr or blade 120 is the one for you mate

[simon1]

Blade 120 SR Review - As Good As The mSR?

[Dannyyy]

Yeah I would I go with a Blade mSR or a Blade SR... or a Blade 120 SR

[Madcowz]

Thanks for the very quick replies. I know this will be the forum to stick with so when I plough the thing into the ground I can get advice on rebuilding.

Just out of interest, what do the Blades have that make them a better option that the HBFP?

thanks.

[Dannyyy]

Thanks for the very quick replies. I know this will be the forum to stick with so when I plough the thing into the ground I can get advice on rebuilding.

Just out of interest, what do the Blades have that make them a better option that the HBFP?

thanks.

Cheaper, Smaller, easy to learn on, good quality parts, cheap spares and easy to get spares

ohhh, and really good fun to buzz around the house

[Madcowz]

Ah, I see, just one or two reasons then!

I take it is complicated enough to last me a while? I'm looking for something that I can learn on properly and will be a good grounding for a CP later down the line. Hence why I am not bothering with a coaxial one.

[Dannyyy]

Ah, I see, just one or two reasons then!

I take it is complicated enough to last me a while? I'm looking for something that I can learn on properly and will be a good grounding for a CP later down the line. Hence why I am not bothering with a coaxial one.

No its not that complicated if you read the instructions, Simple's

[simon1]

I wouldn't bother with the SR, the 120 SR defo, the tail motor on the SR won't last you that long and on that size heli is vague to say the least.
Go 120 Sr, you know you want to

[coptermanic]

Either the mSR or SR 120 would work better than a HBFP. The mSR is great for durability and for learning the basics indoors. After that, well Blade 400, Trex 500 etc.....

[bigpops]

I'm going to go against everyone else, and say HBFP (V2)

I have an mSR myself, and it's too easy to fly compared to the HBFP.

That said, the mSR can't be beat in a confined space like a normal living room.

[Madcowz]

I really am confuzzled now!

So far I have the following recommendations: A Blade mSR, Blade 120 SR, Blade SR and the HBFP.

Having spoken to a friend who flies helis (still a newbie) he also instantly recommended the Blades so I think this is the range to go for, that and my local (ish) shop stocks the spares.

However, I have little idea as to what the differences are and what I should choose:

I have a small house but a large garden and a huge field next door so I can fly outside a lot without any travel. I am after something that will be a challenge but won't have me weeping into a plastic bag full of indistinguishable parts and an empty bank balence every couple of days.

I see that the mSR and the 120 SR are both FP whereas the SR is CP and therefore hardy to fly and more expensive to fix?

Blade mSR: FP (length: 7.5 in)
Blade 120 SR: FP (length: 12.5 in) - larger version of the mSR
Blade SR: CP (length: 19.1 in) - collective Pitch version

Ok.. the mSR is small and light so less damage in a crash but no use outside. The 120 SR is bigger and better able to handle light winds. The SR is a collective pitch heli and bigger, harder and more expensive to fix?

Just to add to all of this, my friend says he has a spare radio so I could go down the BNF route rather than the RTF.

Can anyone advise further please? I am close to purchasing but want to make sure I buy the right one first time round.

thanks.

[Ashley Davis]

The blade SR and SR 120 to me are somewhat similar to coaxials as they tend to self stabilise. Whilst you can learn a great deal from them you seem to be looking for an outside heli and neither the SR or SR 120 are realistically outdoor heli's except on the calmest of days.....which in this country is pretty rare.

I'd personally go Blade SR. To give you an example I'm posting two videos, the first is my son on his first flight of the Blade SR after only ever flying coaxials. The second is myself and Richie Clark showing how far you can push an SR should you be that crazy.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUsSzxAmJCQ]YouTube - Andrew flies the Blade SR for the first time[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_r7TfOq98k]YouTube - Ash & Richie 3D the Blade SR[/ame]

[Ashley Davis]

Here's two overview videos I put together so you can see the difference between them and what you get .....

E-Flite Blade SR Overview

Blade MSR Overview & Upgrade

[chipbutty]

It kind of frustrates me that so many people dismiss the HBFP. Whether it is the Esky name I don't know but it is the most popular starter heli with good reason. Cheap as chips, flies very nicely, cheap to repair and very robust. Very busy HBFP communities online. Especially over on Helifreak. I do like Eflite stuff and the MSR is a great indoor heli though I don't like self stabilising nature of some of their helis.