Learning to fly RC Helis
Discussion
Okay, as shall become apparent on another thread soon, I have a couple of RC Helis which I have never flown and I don't know how to. (Well, I have flown the piccolo a bit, but trying to find BEC connectors for the batteries is a nightmare etc, but that's another story.)
For those that can fly, e.g Roop and Davi presumably, how did you learn? Were you self taught or did you go along to a club initially? Have been to a couple of clubs but have to admit did not find the people very friendly and by the time I had finished building the helis did not want to go back to learn to fly them.
Is it doable on your own? If so, can anyone suggets a good heli I should be picking up to learn on for not too much cash (I have the TX already)?
For those that can fly, e.g Roop and Davi presumably, how did you learn? Were you self taught or did you go along to a club initially? Have been to a couple of clubs but have to admit did not find the people very friendly and by the time I had finished building the helis did not want to go back to learn to fly them.
Is it doable on your own? If so, can anyone suggets a good heli I should be picking up to learn on for not too much cash (I have the TX already)?
Nevin said:
Okay, as shall become apparent on another thread soon, I have a couple of RC Helis which I have never flown and I don't know how to. (Well, I have flown the piccolo a bit, but trying to find BEC connectors for the batteries is a nightmare etc, but that's another story.)
For those that can fly, e.g Roop and Davi presumably, how did you learn? Were you self taught or did you go along to a club initially? Have been to a couple of clubs but have to admit did not find the people very friendly and by the time I had finished building the helis did not want to go back to learn to fly them.
Is it doable on your own? If so, can anyone suggets a good heli I should be picking up to learn on for not too much cash (I have the TX already)?
First thing to say... BEC connectors, the best thing to do with these is find some good quality cutters, then chop them into tiny bits to ensure you are never tempted to use them again
they are absolultely useless, and I have yet to work out exactly why they are supplied. That done....
what are the 2 heli's? that will play a large factor on if you can learn on your own safely.
I am self taught for the most part. I started with a Piccolo, learnt indoors on it and then moved up to the bigger machines. The club I eventually joined had a couple of heli flyers but after a few weeks with the piccolo I'd already attained their level, so I was still on my own!
If you can put up with the slightly odd writing style, the best way to learn, without doubt, is using Radd's lessons - here:
www.btinternet.com/~bejay_uk/Raddsflyinglessons.html
I did this, with the piccolo and was hovering confidently very quickly having not broken or spent any money on the heli whatsoever. I'd also say join an online heli forum - rchelispot.com is very good - full of highly experienced people there, and none of the bullsh!t you get at runryder.com (steer clear of this place!)
On reflection, if you didn't have the pic, I'd say go for another heli - anything not made by Ikarus really. They are very outdated, massively overpriced on parts and their attitude to customers is absolutely disgraceful.
One other huuuuge aid, that coupled with Radds lessons will save you even more time, and more money, is a PROPER simulator - I use Reflex XTR, tried em all, this is the best value for money IMHO and is definitely the best flight physics engine. It'll cost you £100 or so, but the last crash with my ECO cost £400.... for one crash.... it isn't worth not spending.
Davi said:
Okay, as shall become apparent on another thread soon, I have a couple of RC Helis which I have never flown and I don't know how to. (Well, I have flown the piccolo a bit, but trying to find BEC connectors for the batteries is a nightmare etc, but that's another story.)
For those that can fly, e.g Roop and Davi presumably, how did you learn? Were you self taught or did you go along to a club initially? Have been to a couple of clubs but have to admit did not find the people very friendly and by the time I had finished building the helis did not want to go back to learn to fly them.
Is it doable on your own? If so, can anyone suggets a good heli I should be picking up to learn on for not too much cash (I have the TX already)?
First thing to say... BEC connectors, the best thing to do with these is find some good quality cutters, then chop them into tiny bits to ensure you are never tempted to use them again
That done....
what are the 2 heli's? that will play a large factor on if you can learn on your own safely.
I am self taught for the most part. I started with a Piccolo, learnt indoors on it and then moved up to the bigger machines. The club I eventually joined had a couple of heli flyers but after a few weeks with the piccolo I'd already attained their level, so I was still on my own!
If you can put up with the slightly odd writing style, the best way to learn, without doubt, is using Radd's lessons - here:
www.btinternet.com/~bejay_uk/Raddsflyinglessons.html
I did this, with the piccolo and was hovering confidently very quickly having not broken or spent any money on the heli whatsoever. I'd also say join an online heli forum - rchelispot.com is very good - full of highly experienced people there, and none of the bullsh!t you get at runryder.com (steer clear of this place!)
On reflection, if you didn't have the pic, I'd say go for another heli - anything not made by Ikarus really. They are very outdated, massively overpriced on parts and their attitude to customers is absolutely disgraceful.
One other huuuuge aid, that coupled with Radds lessons will save you even more time, and more money, is a PROPER simulator - I use Reflex XTR, tried em all, this is the best value for money IMHO and is definitely the best flight physics engine. It'll cost you £100 or so, but the last crash with my ECO cost £400.... for one crash.... it isn't worth not spending.
Cheers Davi.
Assuming I was to persever with the Piccolo (which I bought about 4 years ago) then what types of connectors would you suggest other than BECs? It has been sat dormant for ages as I have two LiPo batteries with no connectors on and can't find BEC connectors anywhere.
If I were to buy instead a larger electric heli to get started on, do you have any suggestions?
I currently have a Graupner E-trainer 50 which looks quite nice, but would like something a bit quieter to get started on if I am going to be doing it in my parent's garden. Will post pics up on the other thread shortly.
Cheers for the other links, especially Radd's site, which looks especially helpful.
Nevin said:
Cheers Davi.
Assuming I was to persever with the Piccolo (which I bought about 4 years ago) then what types of connectors would you suggest other than BECs? It has been sat dormant for ages as I have two LiPo batteries with no connectors on and can't find BEC connectors anywhere.
If I were to buy instead a larger electric heli to get started on, do you have any suggestions?
I currently have a Graupner E-trainer 50 which looks quite nice, but would like something a bit quieter to get started on if I am going to be doing it in my parent's garden. Will post pics up on the other thread shortly.
Cheers for the other links, especially Radd's site, which looks especially helpful.
No worries.
To be honest, pretty much any connector is better than a BEC, BEC's are really only meant for very small loads, and the amount of times I've had mates bring heli's round to sort out a problem only to find the connector fried, I wont touch them even for rx powering.
Micro-Deans connectors are very good - and polarised, though they can be tricky to get hold of. I mostly use 2mm Gold bullets for small stuff like the piccolo, 4mm gold bullets for the big stuff, but if you go for them you want to be careful with polarity. I put a female on the neg, male on the pos of the battery, and the other way around on the ESC, but you do run the risk of some prat picking it up and plugging the battery into itself
. Robotbirds.com are good for them (also do BECS incidentally) - I'll see if I can find a place for the Micro Deans. Larger E-Heli wise, depends on size of area you are planning on flying in. To be honest, until you are very happy hovering in all orientations, flying in an enclosed space is a bit dangerous with anything much larger than a piccolo. A pic will sting (and slice!) a bit, and obviously could take your eye out, but not alot else. Big ones can kill or seriously maim, very quickly.
A Trex is a very good step up from the pic - it's a "proper" RC heli, just small. about 50% bigger again than a pic, but it will handle a fair wind and is infinitely more precise. Down sides are you need pricey Lipo packs to get decent performance - dont get cheapies, I've tried em all, they just dont cut the mustard. You'll want minimum of Flight-Power 1800 or 2200 packs.
Stepping up from that, there are a few new ones due on the market soon, so best waiting a bit to see how they fair!
Currently there is the Robbe Eolo - a nice machine, but a bit rare, parts can be tricky and quite expensive. This can be run on Nicds though Lipo better.
After that - if anyone suggests the Ikarus Eco 8 - hit them. Utter pile of crap. If you know anyone that likes em, I've got one going cheap!! very expensive parts, which are very poorly made. You really need large lipo's (£120 each type) and it'll still leave you dissapointed.
King of the E-Heli's is the Heinselet 3DMP - it's the Lambo of the rc heli world. It's also got a similar price tag. If you have money to spare, and want a large E heli, look no further.
One thing I will say - if you are tempted to learn on your 50 machine, I would only recommend you do it at a club, where there are people around you. at least 2 people were beheaded by 50 size heli's last year, I know of one person that lost one entire hand and all the fingers on the other. Dont want to sound dramatic, and sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, but when these things bite....
Roops out on a golf course somewhere in Cheshire at the moment but I can give you some history.
He learnt on various indoor electric models, had a few accidents (flying one into his leg for instance), then after getting fed up with Roop spending a small fortune on replacing various parts I got him a Raptor V2 plus all the bits for Christmas, he started off by hovering just a few inches off the ground in a BIG space, he never bothered with the training undercarrage though, he then started hovering higher and higher, then moved on to turning it in the air (left to right, back to front etc).
After a bit of that he then started moving it forwards and eventually got it going in a circle, (he had a co-pilot device that took over if it got out of control), eventually he was doing figure 8's and went from there.
What also helped was getting a simulator,he could crash all he liked without recking my/his expensive 'copter.
And thats about it really.
Just practice and patience.
Claire
He learnt on various indoor electric models, had a few accidents (flying one into his leg for instance), then after getting fed up with Roop spending a small fortune on replacing various parts I got him a Raptor V2 plus all the bits for Christmas, he started off by hovering just a few inches off the ground in a BIG space, he never bothered with the training undercarrage though, he then started hovering higher and higher, then moved on to turning it in the air (left to right, back to front etc).
After a bit of that he then started moving it forwards and eventually got it going in a circle, (he had a co-pilot device that took over if it got out of control), eventually he was doing figure 8's and went from there.
What also helped was getting a simulator,he could crash all he liked without recking my/his expensive 'copter.
And thats about it really.
Just practice and patience.
Claire
Davi said:
Cheers Davi.
Assuming I was to persevere with the Piccolo (which I bought about 4 years ago) then what types of connectors would you suggest other than BECs? It has been sat dormant for ages as I have two LiPo batteries with no connectors on and can't find BEC connectors anywhere.
If I were to buy instead a larger electric heli to get started on, do you have any suggestions?
I currently have a Graupner E-trainer 50 which looks quite nice, but would like something a bit quieter to get started on if I am going to be doing it in my parent's garden. Will post pics up on the other thread shortly.
Cheers for the other links, especially Radd's site, which looks especially helpful.
No worries.
To be honest, pretty much any connector is better than a BEC, BEC's are really only meant for very small loads, and the amount of times I've had mates bring heli's round to sort out a problem only to find the connector fried, I wont touch them even for rx powering.
Micro-Deans connectors are very good - and polarised, though they can be tricky to get hold of. I mostly use 2mm Gold bullets for small stuff like the piccolo, 4mm gold bullets for the big stuff, but if you go for them you want to be careful with polarity. I put a female on the neg, male on the pos of the battery, and the other way around on the ESC, but you do run the risk of some prat picking it up and plugging the battery into itself
Larger E-Heli wise, depends on size of area you are planning on flying in. To be honest, until you are very happy hovering in all orientations, flying in an enclosed space is a bit dangerous with anything much larger than a piccolo. A pic will sting (and slice!) a bit, and obviously could take your eye out, but not alot else. Big ones can kill or seriously maim, very quickly.
A Trex is a very good step up from the pic - it's a "proper" RC heli, just small. about 50% bigger again than a pic, but it will handle a fair wind and is infinitely more precise. Down sides are you need pricey Lipo packs to get decent performance - dont get cheapies, I've tried em all, they just dont cut the mustard. You'll want minimum of Flight-Power 1800 or 2200 packs.
Stepping up from that, there are a few new ones due on the market soon, so best waiting a bit to see how they fair!
Currently there is the Robbe Eolo - a nice machine, but a bit rare, parts can be tricky and quite expensive. This can be run on Nicds though Lipo better.
After that - if anyone suggests the Ikarus Eco 8 - hit them. Utter pile of crap. If you know anyone that likes em, I've got one going cheap!! very expensive parts, which are very poorly made. You really need large lipo's (£120 each type) and it'll still leave you dissapointed.
King of the E-Heli's is the Heinselet 3DMP - it's the Lambo of the rc heli world. It's also got a similar price tag. If you have money to spare, and want a large E heli, look no further.
One thing I will say - if you are tempted to learn on your 50 machine, I would only recommend you do it at a club, where there are people around you. at least 2 people were beheaded by 50 size heli's last year, I know of one person that lost one entire hand and all the fingers on the other. Dont want to sound dramatic, and sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, but when these things bite....
Modelpower.co.uk does Deans connectors and 2mm gold bullets, so I've ordered a pack.
Think I'll keep with the Piccolo now in that case and get started indoors with that to get the hang of things. Will get a sim as well for practising on.
All too aware of the dangers, which is why I have been very loathe to start up my 50 powered heli without knowing what I am doing. 2 beheadings is pretty grim it has to be said.
Cheers for the advice. Looking forward to getting flying soon.
Sounds pretty similar to my learning curve Claire, though I did it with those lessons I posted earlier, which meant by the time I could hover, it didn't matter if it went a bit squiffy as I could snatch it back!
Good point on the insurance, it wont cover you for smashing your heli up, but it will cover you when your heli/plane goes out of control and protect you from third party claims, which is the important bit.
Sounds like you are on the right path there, take it slow, take it steady. No-one really notices if you manage to get a shakey circuit within a week, but everyone notices if you can do it rock steady, even if it took you 6 months to master
Good point on the insurance, it wont cover you for smashing your heli up, but it will cover you when your heli/plane goes out of control and protect you from third party claims, which is the important bit.
Sounds like you are on the right path there, take it slow, take it steady. No-one really notices if you manage to get a shakey circuit within a week, but everyone notices if you can do it rock steady, even if it took you 6 months to master
Well Gaffer's filled you in on a bunch of stuff so I'll just go over the points briefly. How I learned and how to learn are very different...!
I started with an Ikarus Piccolo. Small indoor electric thing. Biggest pile of tat ever. I have flown all the Ikarus variations of the Piccolo as well as the small Century Hummingbirds etc, and it seems the more you spend the worse they get with the Piccolo Pro being a pile of the proverbial. I ended up modding mine heavily and it flew OK but the smaller the helicopter the less like a full scale helicopter they will fly because the dynamics of the thing are all wrong at that size.
I moved onto a Raptor 30 v2. Awesome machine. I have subsequently bought and sold a lot of helicopters and the Thunder Tiger Raptor 30's are still the best engineered helicopter for the money. Utterly bulletproof and very forgiving to fly yet challenging enough that you will possibly never wring the maximum out of it. Different people will advise you get different helis, but I've had Thunder Tigers, Kyoshos and Hirobos and have flown JR's and the TT wins every time.
I taught myself to fly. Didn't have much success with the Piccolo so went with the Raptor. As Gaffer said, I never attached the kiddie skids, just small hops to get the feel of the heli while running in the engine at the same time. This progressed to hovering and then hovering at 90° each way then circuits and figure 8's followed by nose in hovering. I can now fly a number of 3D manouvres and hover in any orientation. I did use a co-pilot for a few flights - amazing piece of kit but once I got the confidence I was away and disconnected and removed it from the heli fairly soon. I was fortunate in that my mother lives out in the sticks with a huge garden (my dad landed his full size heli in there a few times) so no probs for the Raptor.
I agree with all that Davi has said bar the simulator. I tried the three main simulators and was also lucky enough to speak to two of the top 3D pilots in the World who both swear by RealFlight G3. The graphics aren't quite as fancy as XTR but the helicopter physics engine is recognised as the best - the top three 3D pilots in the World use this software when the weather closes in. I have both simulators but it's G3 that gets started up the most.
OK, how to learn to fly. My recommendations... :
1 - Start out with a 30 or 50 sized nitro helicopter like you have. Forget learning on the electrics, big or small - they both cost more money. The small ones are expensive to crash, the big ones have very expensive battery packs. Can't recommend the Thunder Tiger Raptor 30 v2 enough but I am sure your 50 is fine. Don't go for a 60 at this stage, nor a 90. They will chew fuel at a hell of a rate for very little advantage. If you can fly a 30, you can fly a 90, but it doesn't work the other way around.
2 - Get BMFA insurance. About £25 a year for £5m of 3rd party liability. Essential with a heli, even if you are flying it in your back garden. People get killed by these things.
3 - Build your heli carefully and absolutely to the letter in the manual. Don't rush and don't cut corners. Use the kiddie skids (I didn't, but was just lucky I didn't bin it).
4 - Join a local club (unless you live in the middle of nowhere). Make sure it's a club with a healthy helicopter community. Some clubs had bad experiences with helis and don't like them. Subsequently if you turn up with one they get all arsey. I had this when they told me my heli would 'clog up the field' hovering and doddering about - even after I ripped the sky up and demonstrated landing the thing in an area 1/100th the size needed for planks. The the good heli clubs, there will be guys there that will check over your model to make sure it's safe to fly. They'll also help you set it up properly and will be able to teach to you fly it, or at least help you learn.
5 - Enjoy the experience...!
If you have any queries, I'd be delighted to help out where I can. Feel free to PM me. It's more than a hobby, it's an obsession...!
Roop - www.raptorv2.co.uk
I started with an Ikarus Piccolo. Small indoor electric thing. Biggest pile of tat ever. I have flown all the Ikarus variations of the Piccolo as well as the small Century Hummingbirds etc, and it seems the more you spend the worse they get with the Piccolo Pro being a pile of the proverbial. I ended up modding mine heavily and it flew OK but the smaller the helicopter the less like a full scale helicopter they will fly because the dynamics of the thing are all wrong at that size.
I moved onto a Raptor 30 v2. Awesome machine. I have subsequently bought and sold a lot of helicopters and the Thunder Tiger Raptor 30's are still the best engineered helicopter for the money. Utterly bulletproof and very forgiving to fly yet challenging enough that you will possibly never wring the maximum out of it. Different people will advise you get different helis, but I've had Thunder Tigers, Kyoshos and Hirobos and have flown JR's and the TT wins every time.
I taught myself to fly. Didn't have much success with the Piccolo so went with the Raptor. As Gaffer said, I never attached the kiddie skids, just small hops to get the feel of the heli while running in the engine at the same time. This progressed to hovering and then hovering at 90° each way then circuits and figure 8's followed by nose in hovering. I can now fly a number of 3D manouvres and hover in any orientation. I did use a co-pilot for a few flights - amazing piece of kit but once I got the confidence I was away and disconnected and removed it from the heli fairly soon. I was fortunate in that my mother lives out in the sticks with a huge garden (my dad landed his full size heli in there a few times) so no probs for the Raptor.
I agree with all that Davi has said bar the simulator. I tried the three main simulators and was also lucky enough to speak to two of the top 3D pilots in the World who both swear by RealFlight G3. The graphics aren't quite as fancy as XTR but the helicopter physics engine is recognised as the best - the top three 3D pilots in the World use this software when the weather closes in. I have both simulators but it's G3 that gets started up the most.
OK, how to learn to fly. My recommendations... :
1 - Start out with a 30 or 50 sized nitro helicopter like you have. Forget learning on the electrics, big or small - they both cost more money. The small ones are expensive to crash, the big ones have very expensive battery packs. Can't recommend the Thunder Tiger Raptor 30 v2 enough but I am sure your 50 is fine. Don't go for a 60 at this stage, nor a 90. They will chew fuel at a hell of a rate for very little advantage. If you can fly a 30, you can fly a 90, but it doesn't work the other way around.
2 - Get BMFA insurance. About £25 a year for £5m of 3rd party liability. Essential with a heli, even if you are flying it in your back garden. People get killed by these things.
3 - Build your heli carefully and absolutely to the letter in the manual. Don't rush and don't cut corners. Use the kiddie skids (I didn't, but was just lucky I didn't bin it).
4 - Join a local club (unless you live in the middle of nowhere). Make sure it's a club with a healthy helicopter community. Some clubs had bad experiences with helis and don't like them. Subsequently if you turn up with one they get all arsey. I had this when they told me my heli would 'clog up the field' hovering and doddering about - even after I ripped the sky up and demonstrated landing the thing in an area 1/100th the size needed for planks. The the good heli clubs, there will be guys there that will check over your model to make sure it's safe to fly. They'll also help you set it up properly and will be able to teach to you fly it, or at least help you learn.
5 - Enjoy the experience...!
If you have any queries, I'd be delighted to help out where I can. Feel free to PM me. It's more than a hobby, it's an obsession...!
Roop - www.raptorv2.co.uk
the only comment I'd disagree with on that roop, is the not learning on a small electric. Choose the right one, and they can be very cheap to learn on, and once you have learnt on a tiny one, flying a large one is a doddle (much as you say with not going on a 60 or 90). First time my raptor was fired up I took it into a hover, went off and made a cup of tea and came back to pick up the tx... well OK, thats a bit of an exageration, but you know what I mean!
My Sub-Micro has an 8 inch diameter rotor, I can hover it and land on a box 5mm larger than the skid footprint, but virtually none of the 'average' pilots I know who learnt on larger machines can even get it in a stable hover.
About the only disadvantage to learning on the small ones is you dont get to overcome the fear-factor, which is my biggest stumbling block at the mo. For some reason I can happily invert my X400 and Trex a few feet off the floor, but the rappy... it has to be up with the gods before I'll consider it.
Value for money, you are spot on with TT heli's, they really do an excellent job. I have been very tempted by the latest Evo 50, having flown them back to back it's definitely a much more precise and crisp heli, but then it's more than twice the price!
My Sub-Micro has an 8 inch diameter rotor, I can hover it and land on a box 5mm larger than the skid footprint, but virtually none of the 'average' pilots I know who learnt on larger machines can even get it in a stable hover.
About the only disadvantage to learning on the small ones is you dont get to overcome the fear-factor, which is my biggest stumbling block at the mo. For some reason I can happily invert my X400 and Trex a few feet off the floor, but the rappy... it has to be up with the gods before I'll consider it.
Value for money, you are spot on with TT heli's, they really do an excellent job. I have been very tempted by the latest Evo 50, having flown them back to back it's definitely a much more precise and crisp heli, but then it's more than twice the price!
I guess I got unlucky with mine - the Piccolo was bloody awful as was the Hummingbird. I have a Zoom 400 which is the overpriced and underengineered too, but the tinye electrics aren't really my domain so I'm happy to believe there's good ones out there.
My Piccolo did fly beautifully after you spent a half hour setting it up properly, but the problem was that after a single circuit, it all went out of kilter and you had to set it up again. A bit like the early Kyosho Concepts, but at least they flew OK when not set up precisely, the Piccolo was unmanageable.
I do agree about the precision that you get from learning on the micros. If you have any recommendations for one that doesn't need hours and hours spend pi$$ing about setting up I'm all ears as I fancy one to fly around my apartment and in the enclosed courtyard here on nice days. I have got micro servos, 2 x GWS ICS 50 (2A brushed ESCs, 5-8cells), GWS 4ch Rx and a CSM 180 lightweight to go into something. Will go brushless if neccessary.
My Piccolo did fly beautifully after you spent a half hour setting it up properly, but the problem was that after a single circuit, it all went out of kilter and you had to set it up again. A bit like the early Kyosho Concepts, but at least they flew OK when not set up precisely, the Piccolo was unmanageable.
I do agree about the precision that you get from learning on the micros. If you have any recommendations for one that doesn't need hours and hours spend pi$$ing about setting up I'm all ears as I fancy one to fly around my apartment and in the enclosed courtyard here on nice days. I have got micro servos, 2 x GWS ICS 50 (2A brushed ESCs, 5-8cells), GWS 4ch Rx and a CSM 180 lightweight to go into something. Will go brushless if neccessary.
Davi said:
the only comment I'd disagree with on that roop, is the not learning on a small electric. Choose the right one, and they can be very cheap to learn on, and once you have learnt on a tiny one, flying a large one is a doddle (much as you say with not going on a 60 or 90). First time my raptor was fired up I took it into a hover, went off and made a cup of tea and came back to pick up the tx... well OK, thats a bit of an exageration, but you know what I mean!
Edited by roop on Friday 2nd June 12:27
I wouldn't say you were unlucky, that's pretty standard for a pic!
For flying in an apartment, really you want to stick with fixed pitch instead of collective, which is a bit limiting in choice. I reckon the best micro in both CP and FP is still the Hornet at the moment, but in standard guise it's still takes fiddling and they are very expensive on the spares as I'm sure you know.
The new hummingbirds are way beyond the originals in quality, but still can be troublesome.
Have to say I wouldn't bother with anything other than brushless and lith nowadays! One of the nicest FP micro's I've had for indoor was originally a pic, but with a home made CDRom brushless in it, 600mah 3 series liths and the rotors cut down a bit to slightly increase the headspeed. The twister is surprising for it's cost, I mostly start out with a cheap n cheerful heli, work out the problem area's and upgrade just those bits though.
Have you tried a Trex? with a decent power system in there, they truly are phenomenal flyers. Definitely not an indoor or small area machine though, too small a disk gives high loading and some insane headspeeds!
For flying in an apartment, really you want to stick with fixed pitch instead of collective, which is a bit limiting in choice. I reckon the best micro in both CP and FP is still the Hornet at the moment, but in standard guise it's still takes fiddling and they are very expensive on the spares as I'm sure you know.
The new hummingbirds are way beyond the originals in quality, but still can be troublesome.
Have to say I wouldn't bother with anything other than brushless and lith nowadays! One of the nicest FP micro's I've had for indoor was originally a pic, but with a home made CDRom brushless in it, 600mah 3 series liths and the rotors cut down a bit to slightly increase the headspeed. The twister is surprising for it's cost, I mostly start out with a cheap n cheerful heli, work out the problem area's and upgrade just those bits though.
Have you tried a Trex? with a decent power system in there, they truly are phenomenal flyers. Definitely not an indoor or small area machine though, too small a disk gives high loading and some insane headspeeds!
Well as I learned over 30 years ago I guess that its no so relevant in these days of computer Tx with electronic mixers, gyros etc.
Had a Kavan Jet Ranger (HB61) with mechanical mixing for full collective and tail pitch and throttle
About 20 litres of fuel (and 5 pairs of rotors) later I was fairly proficient....
I remember presetting the tail pitch/throttle/collective mix by fitting floats and floating it in a local pond. You could see any torque reaction before lifting off.
Didnt have any instructors as I seemed to be one of the first buyers in the country (but they did collect the phone numbers of all purchasers so we could compare notes and mistakes!)
Anyhow I asked some friends and they tell me that the recent Robbe Spirit LI (electric) is a very good model to learn on with no vices.
Had a Kavan Jet Ranger (HB61) with mechanical mixing for full collective and tail pitch and throttle
About 20 litres of fuel (and 5 pairs of rotors) later I was fairly proficient....
I remember presetting the tail pitch/throttle/collective mix by fitting floats and floating it in a local pond. You could see any torque reaction before lifting off.
Didnt have any instructors as I seemed to be one of the first buyers in the country (but they did collect the phone numbers of all purchasers so we could compare notes and mistakes!)
Anyhow I asked some friends and they tell me that the recent Robbe Spirit LI (electric) is a very good model to learn on with no vices.
I fly nitro RC helis
I have a raptor 50 with a os 50 hyper in it and also have a raptor 90se
IF you want to fly biger helis ie nitro/gas or turbine. Dont even bother trying to learn on small electircs. They dont handel the same
get insharance and someone that can fly to check over heli for first flite. forget some locktight in one place and your wearing the heli. a 30 will put you in A and E, a 90 class size heil will take you head off clean.
and get a simulator IE reflex is good
As gaffer said you can crash as much as you like on sim
NO you cant. Treat sim like real thing. use training gear to stop you tiping it over while learning to hover. its no use once you can hover still and land gently you can take it off.
and remember at all time there dangerouse and must be respected at all times. and dont expect heil flying to be cheap its not. you will crash at times and it will cost you.
average crash on a raptor 30 class will cost you 150 pluss
ps some sergested flying in back garden dont even think about unles you have about your own feild sized garden in the country.
I have a raptor 50 with a os 50 hyper in it and also have a raptor 90se
IF you want to fly biger helis ie nitro/gas or turbine. Dont even bother trying to learn on small electircs. They dont handel the same
get insharance and someone that can fly to check over heli for first flite. forget some locktight in one place and your wearing the heli. a 30 will put you in A and E, a 90 class size heil will take you head off clean.
and get a simulator IE reflex is good
As gaffer said you can crash as much as you like on sim
NO you cant. Treat sim like real thing. use training gear to stop you tiping it over while learning to hover. its no use once you can hover still and land gently you can take it off.
and remember at all time there dangerouse and must be respected at all times. and dont expect heil flying to be cheap its not. you will crash at times and it will cost you.
average crash on a raptor 30 class will cost you 150 pluss
ps some sergested flying in back garden dont even think about unles you have about your own feild sized garden in the country.
Could have been worse.. I think! My crashes tend to be expensive, as it's usually trying something new at high speed. My last plank crash was about the cheapest I've had in some time at £80, due to a glitch in the rx while flat out 3ft off the deck, why couldn't it have glitched ele up rather than hard alieron left?!?!
I've just started work on a scale Airwolf... crashing that would be expensive in both money AND time, I think you can guarantee I'll not be doing much Acro with it, ever!
I've just started work on a scale Airwolf... crashing that would be expensive in both money AND time, I think you can guarantee I'll not be doing much Acro with it, ever!
Mode 2 is the most popular in the UK, but if there are any clubs near you it's worth while checking what most of them fly there - if you do decide to join one, then it's handy to be able to have others with experience check your model over. I've only met a couple of Mode 1 ers and generally treat them like they are lepers, but there are still some odd balls out there 
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