Buying Nitro *

[AnthD]

Just a quick one , After hammering the Sim the last 3 weeks and numerous thread reads on here and helpful advise Im just Browsing options and Heli Combos ...

Is is it just me or are Nitro harder to come by? .. they seem Out of Stock a lot and especially the big names around 600/700 size Nitro , Trex 600/700N seems hard to actually buy at the moment .

and yes dispite some of the negative criticism towards Nitro there's a Major a buzz from the engine noise that comes out of them , Looking at a fellow members on here it just feels the way forward .. Just if I do go down that road are they introducing a new Trex 600/700n hence the lack of stock?

AnthD

[10x]

There are new Align Trex 600/700n out......
/http://www.align-trex.co.uk/news/2015/02/new-trex-600n-2015-model/
New Trex 700N (2015 Model ) / ALIGN-TREX news and info Model Helicopters

[myxiplx]

If you look at the global market there's been a bit of a decline in nitro, although there are still plenty of them around in the UK. A lot of the manufacturers are really focusing on electric, even those who still produce a nitro model often have far more electric options available.

My 600N's were a cheap route into the hobby for me, getting a full size second hand helicopter for the £3-400 mark is a bargain, plus the up front costs for nitro are a lot less than electric and you really have to try hard to damage the engine in a crash. I like them enough that I now have two second hand 600N's, and while I now have an X3 I probably won't transition to larger electric models for at least another year.

[Grumpy]

If you look at the global market there's been a bit of a decline in nitro, although there are still plenty of them around in the UK. A lot of the manufacturers are really focusing on electric, even those who still produce a nitro model often have far more electric options available.

+1 dealers stock what sells, they dont like to keep the stuff on the shelves for too long because they only end up having to discount it when the new model comes along. Glow power ('nitro' if you really must) helis are in the minority these days so dont sell the same volume as electric, so the dealers dont stock so many. If you give them a call you might be able to get one ordered in.

But I've got to ask... Have you seen a big electric heli fly first hand? before you decice that glow/nitro is the only way to go maybe you should get to see a big electric fly?

[philipjdall]

Yeah the nitro v electric debate can go on and on...

from my point of view, after being in the hobby roughly five years I had never owned or even flown a nitro until a few months ago. So, I decide to give it a bash and inform myself. What I will say is that although it comes with it's own hassles, I really, REALLY, like it.

If I was learning over again I would definitely go the nitro route. With fuel it is pay-as-you-go, and you don't have to invest in a ton of batteries to get the flight time.

Nevermind ten minute flights, vs a paltry 4:30 on electric 700s. For practice nitro makes sense to me.

[SaneAdam]

I was the same as Phil having never flown or owned a Nitro model until very recently.

I love it My packs have been on storage charge since i got it and I'm not sure when i will fire them back up while I'm enjoying my Nitro as much as i am right now.

Brilliant, more fun and more soul!

Only downside is…. and i know this seems to buck against the trend of what people say… but the cost is high if you fly a lot. Yes there are many upfront costs with electric. but once you have spent that money it stays spent and you just have to charge your packs up.

But a jug of fuel is £22. I usually fly 3 days a week, usually using 1 jug per session. So that is £64 a week in fuel…. every week… every month… every year. That is seriously going to rack up lol

Cant put a price on fun like that though

Plus my flying has improved dramatically since flying Nitro. Mainly down to much more practice time Plus the much more dynamic power delivery has sharpened up my moves a lot. 7 to 8 mins of practice time at a very capable 3d head speed To get that long with an electric you would have to drop the headspeed or be very conservative with the power

[DaveG]

I was the same as Phil having never flown or owned a Nitro model until very recently.

I love it My packs have been on storage charge since i got it and I'm not sure when i will fire them back up while I'm enjoying my Nitro as much as i am right now.

Brilliant, more fun and more soul!

Only downside is…. and i know this seems to buck against the trend of what people say… but the cost is high if you fly a lot. Yes there are many upfront costs with electric. but once you have spent that money it stays spent and you just have to charge your packs up.

But a jug of fuel is £22. I usually fly 3 days a week, usually using 1 jug per session. So that is £64 a week in fuel…. every week… every month… every year. That is seriously going to rack up lol

Cant put a price on fun like that though

Plus my flying has improved dramatically since flying Nitro. Mainly down to much more practice time Plus the much more dynamic power delivery has sharpened up my moves a lot. 7 to 8 mins of practice time at a very capable 3d head speed To get that long with an electric you would have to drop the headspeed or be very conservative with the power

Nicely sumed up,

[philipjdall]

Adam, the other thing the OP could do is go for a 600 size and OS 55 and he'll use about half as much fuel...

Agree with you tho - I've never flown better!

[Grumpy]

Nevermind ten minute flights, vs a paltry 4:30 on electric 700s. For practice nitro makes sense to me.

Of course it depends on how hard you fly and how high a headspeed you run but FWIW I get 6.5-7 minutes out of my 700 e heli.... I admit to not being a hard flyer but neither am i just pootling around doing 'scale' flying.

[Grumpy]

Adam, the other thing the OP could do is go for a 600 size and OS 55 and he'll use about half as much fuel...

Agree with you tho - I've never flown better!

And the electric costs are half as much too... Whatever way you look at it, per minute in the air glow is about 2-3 times more expensive. If you fly a lot that could add up to well over £1000 per year difference.

[philipjdall]

And the electric costs are half as much too... Whatever way you look at it, per minute in the air glow is about 2-3 times more expensive. If you fly a lot that could add up to well over £1000 per year difference.

Come on mate, maybe if you buy cheap packs then yes.

I fly with opti ultras/gens as everything else I've tried (HK etc) are pants when pushed.

£130 a pop for a 6s 5000, 500 quid on a kosmik, 400 on a konny motor.

Sure, there are cheaper options but to get the decent kit electric isn't cheap either.

Nevermind the amount of money I have spent on chargers and genny's.

[AnthD]

Thanks for all the input and links here ,

I think Adam has hit the nail for me , Remember as the majority of RCHA .. I have a addictive personality, So this Heli choice is based on my first Heli and I can move to Electric when is time to add a model ,As a Newb Im looking for optimum time on the sticks/land/Filll back in the air is my number one box to be ticked followed by the enjoyment of flying which I feel with Glow/Nitro is magnified by the real block in there I've seen up to 500 size Heli's Grumpy and they aren't lightweights I hear you there so I can imagen the 600:700s are monsters !

Long term , cost wise is not high on my list, my priorities remain time in the air , I've learnt a lot about throttle curves etc this week and been messing around on the Sim with it all makes a huge difference to me ! So the extra power of the Electric will be waisted on me to start with and Id thing I'll have to tone down the Nitro , There's also I feel I can learn more with Nitro knowing more about electrics it would be suited better to my skill set so going against the grain I'll be on a learning curve with Nitro and I kind of like that! So as a newb the lower power & higher flight time appeals , and the noise of it it has to be said !
All these BMW i8s kicking around .. I'd still have the old M6 5.0 V10 ;-)

AnthD

[tomatwalden]

.., and the noise of it it has to be said !

AnthD

You could alway fly electric, and just stick a bag of rusty nails in the motor to get that authentic sound (and probably the smoke too!)

[trillian]

Adam, the other thing the OP could do is go for a 600 size and OS 55 and he'll use about half as much fuel...

Agree with you tho - I've never flown better!

The other upshot of the smaller engine is that you don't need a Dynatron, the Align starter will handle it just fine.

[woodsta888]

As I understand it AnthD is stil relatively new and doesnt currenly own a larger heli. Loads of small heli time and sim but not yet a 3D pilot.

I would say go electric as you wont require the fastest servos, most powerful motors or high C rating packs like seasons pilots will who have progressed to flying 3D will require.

Cheaper lipos will suffice and will keep you happy for a year. maybe you are a fast learner. But you wont require high headspeeds and the manuevres wont require high amp loads for an electric giving you longer flight times. I fly an 800 electric and on Turnigy Blues and flying big air sport at 120-1400rpm get 8 - 10 mins on 12s @ 2 x 6s5000Mah lipos.

Once you start progreesing to 3D - requiring the snap and high disc loads bogging down headspeed and lipos trying to keep up, this is where huge battery amperage is required then it will be time to move to nitro for longer flight times with the power.

Have to say from flying nitro and gassers previously, nitro smoke really puts me off. I must admit I'm no hard 3D pilot. Slow tick tocks are my limit but that's partially down to my low headspeeds.

Fair play for going big (6-700) as first serious heli. Also depends what people fly at your club. Lots of nitro then go nitro, mainly electric then go electric. If you choose the minority - weigh them up as some people dont lik ebeing leant on too much for help if there are only one or two of them.

Taught myself from scratch with a Sim (Reflex XTR) a koyosho caliber 30. Got a shop to set it up to fly and then learnt the rest from there. No peer pressure to push me though so hence still no where near a 3D pilot. Probably have lots of bad habits too.

Good luck