Respect to you lot...............

[bilbosmeggins]

Hi all

I've long been reading about how hard it is to fly a model helicopter. And I've long been dismissing it as nonsense. After all, how hard could it be? I've raced 1/10th scale buggies for quite a few years, I'm pretty adept at console games (a legacy of having 3 teenage sons), and I enjoy paragliding so have a pretty good understanding of flight. The perfect apprenticeship, or so I thought......

Took the plunge and bought a CX2 the other day. It was second hand, and included many spare rotor blades, and two sets of spare skids. I kinda figured that the guy who sold it on ebay was either a: a hopeless flier, or b: hugely pessimistic. Well, after it's maiden flights yesterday, with me at the sticks, I'm ashamed to say that I was hugely grateful for those rapidly depleting spare rotor blades. I really, really struggled. It was like trying to control a two year old tot hyped up on blue smarties!! Had a couple of flights this morning, and have managed a little more success at the expense of only one rotor-blade.

What can I say except hats off to you guys!! Never again will I roll my eyes when I hear or read that someone is "just hovering". And the sooner my DX6i turns up so that I can get some Phoenix hours under my belt the better.

RESPECT

[waveydavey]

Nice post, it comes though we all start with over compensating in the inputs. Nice little stick moves if you nudge left you are going to have to add a little right to stop it from gathering pace left and the same for all of the other inputs, except rudder.

[chugga-bug]

Lol

[p4ddy]

As Wavey said every input (nudge) needs an imediate lesser nudge in the opposite direction to prevent it going off on a collision course lol, & this 2nd smaller nudge usually stops the heli dead if you didn't over do it that is.

[bilbosmeggins]

I am trying to be as gentle as I can with the inputs. The required opposite nudges will take a little to time to get my head around and become natural I think. I've already managed to adopt one bad habit though. Everytime things start to get ugly I find myself just shutting off the throttle. Irrespective of what the heli is doing. Luckily, for the most part, its a 2 foot drop onto soft(ish) carpet. Finding it hard to stop doing it though as it's just a reflex reaction at the moment. And the CX2 has a nasty habit of finding the harder shaped objects in the house on it's way down, lol. I shall persevere though

[Darwil]

It's a learning curve buddy, I'm sure we all did it at first - what you need to learn is the 'escape routes' - what you're going to do when something goes wrong. Indoors it's not so easy because of furnishings, tv's etc etc but outdoors if you get the chance with this bl**dy wind height can be your friend - just be careful that higher up there insn't wind though - been there, done that one, had to go to neighbours and ask for heli back! LOL
Take care and enjoy..... oh and keep away from the tv; wifey thinks our cat scratched ours LOLZzzzz

[alex]

haha- great first post- I still have no idea what those scratches are on my fridge door at home!!

[bilbosmeggins]

You wanna see the decor by the french doors........ Looks like Freddie Kruger's been trying to get in, with some success

[heli]

We all start at this stage. My mCX took a hammering in the first few weeks. As everybody says you can't beat sim time.

[lee mister]

be warned you will get hooked like i did, when i first got the sim i thought this is imposable but its very addictive and each little step is really gratifying, when you get your first 600 sized heli your first hover and for many many flights after your body will shake with adrenalin, its been a year now for me and when i push myself its hard to land with thumbs shaking like a jelly on a honeymoon bed
im in Worcester if you want to come see us fly or need help sometime pm me

lee

[Mslater]

Nice post - makes me feel loads better about the squircles that I flew a couple of weeks back.