Did a search on the Internet and I'm glad I've found this forum.
My name is Jason, I'm 33 and in the military as a chopper pilot (trained on the Jet Ranger and now working the mighty Sea KIng).
I've been resisting scratching the itch to get into r/c helos for a long time now. However it's too strong to ignore and I'm about to make the leap.
I'm here to meet all types of enthusiasts and will be looking for advice and help along my way.
So I've already mentioned I fly helos in real life, (as well as having fixed wing and uav experience on the Heron). My only r/c experience with helos has been the Havoc and for Christmas I got PropelRC's Gyropter. I've tried an r/c simulator on the PC for only about 5 mins. I don't have a controller or software to practice before I buy anything really complex.
I suppose the number one thing I'm looking for at the moment is a quality online store or a local hobby shop in the Halifax area. Reading the reviews is tiresome at times and there is always conflicting reports of great and terrible experiences and orders..... xheli, HK, bananahobby....
I certainly haven't made my mind up with the brand or type of helo I want, but I have narrowed it down. I want a RTF outdoor collective pitch helo with the sim software, basically a package deal. I'd even entertain a 3D helo, I know the risk of moving too fast and becoming overconfident, but I'd like a helo with room to grow and learn into without being extremely expensive. Basically a first helo that I will fly for years.
Any input on a store/online shop would be great, especially in regards to quality, customer support (or lack of) and ease of shipping/importing through customs.
Cheers and thanks for the welcome,
Looking forward to meeting on the field this summer....
Jason
Hello Hello
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KrasherJack
- Posts: 696
- Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:26 am
Re: Hello Hello
Jason, Glad to see and hear from a Heli- Pilot enthusiast... we have a range of helo's at the club e-flight Blades to Rapters, T-rex's, and Mini-Titon.
The biggest factor most of us have to deal with is parts. Some of the HobbyKing Choppers are of the lower quality, but are easy to get parts for.
Deep pockets and endless patience, are a must.
some of the Blade choppers are easier on the pocket with modest learning curves, I would recommend 1 of the Blade CP's or Coaxial's to start, then maybe on to a 450 class Mini-titan, or HK450 clone. Good luck, hope to see you at the field soon.
Oh and forget you regular day job, these are way more fun...
Jack
p.s. Mighty small Cars on windmill Rd., have a good line of the E-flight Helos, in stock.
The biggest factor most of us have to deal with is parts. Some of the HobbyKing Choppers are of the lower quality, but are easy to get parts for.
Deep pockets and endless patience, are a must.
some of the Blade choppers are easier on the pocket with modest learning curves, I would recommend 1 of the Blade CP's or Coaxial's to start, then maybe on to a 450 class Mini-titan, or HK450 clone. Good luck, hope to see you at the field soon.
Oh and forget you regular day job, these are way more fun...
Jack
p.s. Mighty small Cars on windmill Rd., have a good line of the E-flight Helos, in stock.
Zoom..Zoom
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rhyneheimer
- Posts: 395
- Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:22 pm
- Location: Halifax, NS
- Contact:
Re: Hello Hello
hi jason-
i fly only fixed wing RC gliders and powered, but i have had a lot of fun messing around flying rc choppers on the simulator (RealFlight) at home, even some inverted flying, so with the cold weather now i might suggest that as an option to get up to speed, as well as visiting the guys at their flying sites. no parts to break. i even used the sim to brush up my thumb reflexes before flying a new model indoors this winter. was my first time ever flying indoors. very fun.
good luk
steve ryan
i fly only fixed wing RC gliders and powered, but i have had a lot of fun messing around flying rc choppers on the simulator (RealFlight) at home, even some inverted flying, so with the cold weather now i might suggest that as an option to get up to speed, as well as visiting the guys at their flying sites. no parts to break. i even used the sim to brush up my thumb reflexes before flying a new model indoors this winter. was my first time ever flying indoors. very fun.
good luk
steve ryan
Steve Ryan -
HEFA/MAAC pilot, slope soaring fanatic, electric enthusiast -
I am not a drone
HEFA/MAAC pilot, slope soaring fanatic, electric enthusiast -
I am not a drone
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Dirt Torpedo
- Posts: 574
- Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:53 pm
Re: Hello Hello
Sounds like you have good background, desire, attitude, and situational awareness Jason.
Going CP from the start isn't too tough but the maintenance (repair, inspection, and setup) is challenging. I started with a CP aerobatic heli by myself with no instruction, and I think they fly better than most trainers; you can always tone them down with various techniques such as flybar adjustments, expo, and low-rates on controls.
For helis the first choice in sims tends to be Phoenix. Your next concern would be to choose a reliable quality radio system and airframe (bIgger is often better). R/C heli electronics and mechanics are evolving quickly - flybarless controllers (multi-axis gyro/imu units) and decent electronic headspeed governors are beginning to make sophisticated radio p-mix (channel-mixing) capabilities irrelevant.
The third person perspective to flight control is a significant challenge but stick time in the sim can address that to a large extent. The biggest challenge is with ambiguities in orientation, particularly under bad lighting conditions or at longer ranges. For example, a small heli in a side-in hover at eye-level might roll left or right in response to a gust, and it can be surprisingly difficult to determine which is the case, in order to apply corrective input, except through response to the corrective lateral cyclic input chosen.
Going CP from the start isn't too tough but the maintenance (repair, inspection, and setup) is challenging. I started with a CP aerobatic heli by myself with no instruction, and I think they fly better than most trainers; you can always tone them down with various techniques such as flybar adjustments, expo, and low-rates on controls.
For helis the first choice in sims tends to be Phoenix. Your next concern would be to choose a reliable quality radio system and airframe (bIgger is often better). R/C heli electronics and mechanics are evolving quickly - flybarless controllers (multi-axis gyro/imu units) and decent electronic headspeed governors are beginning to make sophisticated radio p-mix (channel-mixing) capabilities irrelevant.
The third person perspective to flight control is a significant challenge but stick time in the sim can address that to a large extent. The biggest challenge is with ambiguities in orientation, particularly under bad lighting conditions or at longer ranges. For example, a small heli in a side-in hover at eye-level might roll left or right in response to a gust, and it can be surprisingly difficult to determine which is the case, in order to apply corrective input, except through response to the corrective lateral cyclic input chosen.
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Dirt Torpedo
- Posts: 574
- Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:53 pm
Re: Hello Hello
Do yourself a favour and build a kit from scratch. The problem with RTF is that they bundle poor electronics into the package and the setup is rarely RTF, and is unlikely to remain RTF for long anyway. 
The Blade 400 (which I bought) is a good example. It is one of the better RTF offerings yet the gyro, servos, and ESC are all not very good, my radio was defective, and QC was poor.
The Blade 400 (which I bought) is a good example. It is one of the better RTF offerings yet the gyro, servos, and ESC are all not very good, my radio was defective, and QC was poor.
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RocketManRC
- Posts: 1285
- Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:39 pm
- Contact:
Re: Hello Hello
Hi Jason, welcome to the dark side (i.e. model heli flying)!
Actually I recommend not to take up helis to anyone who asks however for anyone who is determined the first thing I do is point them at Finless Bob's construction videos:
http://helifreak.com/forumdisplay.php?f=60
You need to register with Helifreak first (it's free) and then have a look at some of those to see what is involved with building (and therefore fixing).
In my opinion the whole thing is a black art but once you get past hovering it is a huge sense of accomplishment!
If you prefer not to do much research as you said and your budget allows, I recommend the T-Rex 450 Sport Super. You will get something that goes together perfectly without modifications and has everything you need except a radio and battery and charger.
No matter what you choose it is best to get someone to test it for you before you begin practicing. There are at least 6 of us who would be happy to help you with that.
By the way, there is no shame in getting yourself a Blade MCX2 Coaxial heli to play around in the basement (or living room)
Rick
Actually I recommend not to take up helis to anyone who asks however for anyone who is determined the first thing I do is point them at Finless Bob's construction videos:
http://helifreak.com/forumdisplay.php?f=60
You need to register with Helifreak first (it's free) and then have a look at some of those to see what is involved with building (and therefore fixing).
In my opinion the whole thing is a black art but once you get past hovering it is a huge sense of accomplishment!
If you prefer not to do much research as you said and your budget allows, I recommend the T-Rex 450 Sport Super. You will get something that goes together perfectly without modifications and has everything you need except a radio and battery and charger.
No matter what you choose it is best to get someone to test it for you before you begin practicing. There are at least 6 of us who would be happy to help you with that.
By the way, there is no shame in getting yourself a Blade MCX2 Coaxial heli to play around in the basement (or living room)
Rick
Rick MacDonald
May you live in interesting times!
May you live in interesting times!
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GaryF
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:14 pm
Re: Hello Hello
Hey Jason,
I started with the TREX 450 Sport Super Combo, as Rick said it comes with everything except the radio and receiver. After Rick checked it over I was hovering and now starting to get enough courage to move around. The following is a link to the one I purchased.
http://www.greathobbies.com/productinfo ... =AGN015076
Gary
I started with the TREX 450 Sport Super Combo, as Rick said it comes with everything except the radio and receiver. After Rick checked it over I was hovering and now starting to get enough courage to move around. The following is a link to the one I purchased.
http://www.greathobbies.com/productinfo ... =AGN015076
Gary
Gary Foster
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jpl77
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:48 pm
- Location: Eastern Passage
Re: Hello Hello
Thanks for the quick responses...
I love building things, but I WOULD definitely need a mentor with putting something like this together.
Rocketman, thanks for the vid links, looks like I'll have to find some free time.
BTW, I have been doing research... but I was referring to all the online stores and personal experiences of one shop over another.
And I've been flying a little coax, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2zWi4lMxxk
I love building things, but I WOULD definitely need a mentor with putting something like this together.
Rocketman, thanks for the vid links, looks like I'll have to find some free time.
BTW, I have been doing research... but I was referring to all the online stores and personal experiences of one shop over another.
And I've been flying a little coax, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2zWi4lMxxk
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schooner2000
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2010 7:35 am
Re: Hello Hello
A blade mSR or 120 SR fixed pitch might be a good step up from the coaxial for indoor in the house to start getting up to speed on general controls and orientation. They are fairly simple to learn from on your own and durable and the local shops carry spare parts.
If you plan to go the Spektrum radio route you can get these in bind and fly and pickup a DX6i, DX7, DX8 to bind to them and then use the same radio as you progress to bigger CP helis. Or you cna jsut go with the RTF versions with cheap included controller but I think getting a good radio to start that you can start getting comfortable with as well is a good way to go.
Just a couple thoughts on a quick way to get started especially this time of year when you can practice inside. That an PhoenixRC simulator, which also works well with Spektrum radios.
If you plan to go the Spektrum radio route you can get these in bind and fly and pickup a DX6i, DX7, DX8 to bind to them and then use the same radio as you progress to bigger CP helis. Or you cna jsut go with the RTF versions with cheap included controller but I think getting a good radio to start that you can start getting comfortable with as well is a good way to go.
Just a couple thoughts on a quick way to get started especially this time of year when you can practice inside. That an PhoenixRC simulator, which also works well with Spektrum radios.
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Dirt Torpedo
- Posts: 574
- Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:53 pm
Re: Hello Hello
I'll throw a second vote in for the 120SR & mSR. The mSR is a lot of fun and very quick in full forward flight. It can even do passable half-assed stall turns, tail slides, funnels (tail-in or nose-in), and hurricanes. They tend to snap into nose dives with fast forward flight but will generally just skip off the gym floor if you don't catch it in time. They look like a bunch of sparrows when a pack is ripping around the gym.
I would steer towards the 120SR for its size and increased potential for outdoor flying.
This is not to replace the CP bird you want but just as an intermediate training aid and an affordable, fun, low-stress addition to the hangar.
I would steer towards the 120SR for its size and increased potential for outdoor flying.
This is not to replace the CP bird you want but just as an intermediate training aid and an affordable, fun, low-stress addition to the hangar.