Depressed

[DUBIOUSP]

Ive started off on the advice of a local shop with a humming bird fixed pitch which I struggled with thew controls seem very wishy washy. I thought perhaps move to the Protech Zoom which Ive built setup and tryed flying snapped the main rotor blades with in 15 seconds I realy wanted to move to 30 class have I started in reverse or is it a question pure time and comitment shall I take the plunge go petrol now

[mackem54]

depressed

hi there,
i went down the same road as you,bought a fixed pitch from taiwan set it up and promptly smashed the tail and main rotors after spending a fortune on spare parts from all over the planet,i decided to go gas,i bought a second hand raptor of ebay,joined my local club bought a sim and after 3 months started the raptor took it out for a try and surprise i managed to hover (all over the place but hover) i am still learning but the gas helicopter has given me a great deal of pleasure,so from a newbie go gas.
regards

[Stuart]

The preferred method of learning historically was a .30. The launch of the new micro market has installed a mixed opinion of where to start from.

The smaller the heli the larger the learning curve in terms of learning to fly the aspects of flight are the same across the range just about.

In my opinion a .30 is still the best way to go, my oldest is keen to learn and I'll be buying a .30 caliber for his birthday.

It's your call....maybe you might find it useful to get intouch with a local club and go see what they are flying, if possible speak to a local instructor about a possible buddy session to get a flavour for it.

I feel for you...it can be sole destroying to spend all the time building then in seconds its back to the bench for repairs. I happend to me with my Fury Extreme when the back ball link came out the swashplate and I watched it tail drive into the dirt from 4ft. 300.00 that cost me..

[mo]

Hi Dubiousp.
You have my utmost sympathy, for having gone through the same trials and tribulations of yourself, know just how gut wrenching this can be.
I can only say that the previous reply's to your post are spot on, and you will find that IC route a far easier and a less costly one.
Although I am by no means an experienced flier, if my location is within easy reach of your own, I would be delighted to spend as much of my time as necarssary in getting you flying a model helicopter.
I can only hope that should I be of no help to you, there is another guy on this site who lives close to you, and can afford you the help you so badly require at this time.
Best Of Luck.
GOOD FLYING.
Mo.

[FrankS]

Maybe I'm the exception to the rule, but I learn't to hover on fixed pitch piccolo in my front room and have now upgraded to a Zoom 400 for outdoors.

That said the Zoom is easier to fly than the Piccolo.

One thing not mentioned is if you put a training undercarriage on, this makes all the difference when you are learning to fly.

My original piccolo looks a bit worn now and I did have to buy a new swash plate after a crash. Undercarriage has been repaired several times (hint - difficult to cyano back together so I used some string accross the joint and cyano'd that in place, works very well). Also I had to but a new tail motor after the original wore out. Rather than keep buying spares I bought a second Fun as they only cost 60 reckoning this would be cheaper than spares. Idea would be to build the new one and use old one for spares. Since I bought it about 8 months ago I've needed no replacement bits, obviously a variation on Murphy's law, if you've got it you don't need it!.

Based on my experience I would say the bigger heli's must be easier to fly as Zoom is much more stable than the Piccolo. But the upside of the small heli's is that they are cheap and very easy to fix, and you can get lots of practise in. So while you are building your gas model put a training undercarriage and get some indoor practise in, just short hops until you get the hang of it. That seemed to work for me, but I do have 20 years experience on fixed wing which may have helped.

[DUBIOUSP]

Thanks chaps flying is certainly something I wanted do from and early age, so want to keep it up is there any suggestions on a particular IC to go for stability spares etc, MO if Im in Kent when Ive finished my stride for satisfaction I will look you up

DD

[antsis]

The smaller they are the harder they are to fly. I also started with the hummingbird FP. Hell of a twitchy and probably cost me more in new blades, but it taught me how to hover and I could handle my hawk sport straight away. Lots of perseverance and practice, but if you can master the electrics, moving on to nitro will be a doddle.