Father and Son getting into the hobby.
07-08-2008, 07:22 PM
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Father and Son getting into the hobby.
My father, retired Navy engineer, has always wanted a heli. This past weekend, I took him to the LHS to pick one out. I did some cursory research prior and found the Blade CX-2 was a decent learner. I set it up for him and flew it a little myself. I AM NOW HOOKED!
I was thinking of buying a used CX-2 for me until i can master it. I was also thinking of buying the blade sim disk from Australia found on Ebay. While I am trying to master the CX-2, I figured I can practice on the 400 as my next heli. Does this sound like a good plan?? Or will I get bored of the CX-2 too quickly?? Thank you.
I was thinking of buying a used CX-2 for me until i can master it. I was also thinking of buying the blade sim disk from Australia found on Ebay. While I am trying to master the CX-2, I figured I can practice on the 400 as my next heli. Does this sound like a good plan?? Or will I get bored of the CX-2 too quickly?? Thank you.
07-08-2008, 07:44 PM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
That all depends on how quickly you pick up new skills, as well as what kind of flying you do. If you plan on doing mostly indoor flying, it is a great bird to have around even after you are proficient in heli flight. For outdoor flight, you can only fly it on calm days. Many new heli pilots get bored of the CX/CX2 within a month or so. The next step would be to a Blade 400 if you get a sim. practice, practice, practice, and put on some training gear. If you choose not to go that route (I highly recommend the previously mentioned route), you could step up to a fixed pitch heli next. They really can't do much more, but the will sharpen your skills as they do have a tail rotor/single main rotor and require more to control than a coaxial (CX/CX2). I would recommend staying away from a CP heli (electric motor driven tail) until you have gained more experience with a more stable heli such as the Blade 400. I'm not knocking the CP by any means, I have one and thoroughly enjoy it, it's just to squirelly for someone just starting out.
That being said, a simulator is an invaluable tool if used properly. It's best with a sim, to practice hovering until you can get that down, then move on to hovering in different orientations, forward flight, etc... Some "fun" time is a given (read: stuff that you are incapable of, i.e. 3D), but just remember to practice good flight habits on the sim as you would in real life, and practice the basics more than the "fun stuff".
My recomendation, is to get a CX/CX2 to get you flying, get a sim, and then to a belt/shaft driven tail bird with training gear.
Welcome to the addiction, err fun.
That being said, a simulator is an invaluable tool if used properly. It's best with a sim, to practice hovering until you can get that down, then move on to hovering in different orientations, forward flight, etc... Some "fun" time is a given (read: stuff that you are incapable of, i.e. 3D), but just remember to practice good flight habits on the sim as you would in real life, and practice the basics more than the "fun stuff".
My recomendation, is to get a CX/CX2 to get you flying, get a sim, and then to a belt/shaft driven tail bird with training gear.
Welcome to the addiction, err fun.
07-08-2008, 07:51 PM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
Hey Dart.
Thank you very much for the advice. I think it makes most sense to go the route you are suggesting. I saw the sim on Ebay for 39$ that plugs into the CX-2 TX. Are you familiar wit the sims? Any guidance would be appreciated. I read that there are quite a few sims out there, but if I plan on staying in the Eflite family, LHS has lots of parts, then I would like a sim that has the CP and 400. Thank you again.
Thank you very much for the advice. I think it makes most sense to go the route you are suggesting. I saw the sim on Ebay for 39$ that plugs into the CX-2 TX. Are you familiar wit the sims? Any guidance would be appreciated. I read that there are quite a few sims out there, but if I plan on staying in the Eflite family, LHS has lots of parts, then I would like a sim that has the CP and 400. Thank you again.
07-08-2008, 08:05 PM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
I would also agree, im a beginner in the heli world and started on a e-flite cp pro, but found out in alittle while that a cp heli wasn't my best bet when starting out so I bought a cx2 and love it, its very fun, I would agree after the cx2 to progress into a belt driven heli, the cp heli's are just very hard for a beginner, take it slow use the cx2 and do tons of practice on the sim, it will make you a better pilot and cost you much less money then wrecking all the time
07-08-2008, 08:07 PM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
Thanks guys. I found the RC Sim Thread. I will do some homework on the ones they cover.
Now I am hunting for a CX-2 on ebay
Now I am hunting for a CX-2 on ebay
07-08-2008, 08:08 PM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
Ohhh so many ways to go.
Start with the sim. The one you mentioned is unfamiliar to me. Many guys get the G4 for $200 and say it's worth every penny. It's wonderful, but for me the sim is a means to an end, that end being to fly the helicopter. So I do with a lesser sim, and it works fine. I have Clearview simulator available online as a download for $40. You get free upgrades for life for the money. And there are bunches of helicopters that can be downloaded at no cost. I also got the esky simulator controller. It's got what you need to learn the basics. The controller looks and feels like a basic OEM Transmitter, but it plugs into the USB port. That was about $30. So I'm into the sim for $70. As I said, I don't have the cool factor of the G4, but it works for me.
CX2. Great little helicopter. Take what mydartswinger said and insert it here. There are some performance mods that the guys like to make to enable the little helicopter to be more fun / challenging, but it's still less than 8 ounces of fun and any wind will take it for a ride. That includes the significant turbulence created indoors by the heli itself. Good fun - find a used one and go play. You will eventually break it. See http://www.heli-wiki.com/mediawiki/i..._and_CX2_Setup
for instructions about getting it back better than new. There are other sites with excellent information about other aspects of the coaxial helicopters. It's all good stuff and the support on this forum is outstanding.
Motor driven CP helis - again, what mydartswinger said. You want to be pretty good to handle one of those.
My preference was to get a single rotor fixed pitch as my 'interim helicopter' on the way to a real CP belt drive 400 / 450 class helicopter. I got a Falcon 40 and the delivered price is under $100. You can use the NiMH pack that ships with the helicopter or use your CX2 LiPO pack and charger to run it. And there are mods that make the fixed pitch entirely usable outdoors. Note that it will never fly like a good CP helicopter like the Blade 400 or Belt CP. But in stock form the Falcon is EXTREMELY durable and is a wonderful trainer. In modified form it flies well enough to be a good indoor helicopter. And it's just fun.
The real deal is the 450 size helicopters. How quickly you adapt to that level is a direct result of your ability. We are all different. The ability to fly will be similar to your ability to compete successfully in sports. It's eye / hand coordination, depth perception, concentration, patience, natural athleticism all rolled into one. You will know where you are after the first hour on the simulator. Some guys go from the Coaxial helicopters directly to the CP helis with no problem. Others (like me) struggle.
That's my take on it. I hope it's worth something to you.
Soloboss
Start with the sim. The one you mentioned is unfamiliar to me. Many guys get the G4 for $200 and say it's worth every penny. It's wonderful, but for me the sim is a means to an end, that end being to fly the helicopter. So I do with a lesser sim, and it works fine. I have Clearview simulator available online as a download for $40. You get free upgrades for life for the money. And there are bunches of helicopters that can be downloaded at no cost. I also got the esky simulator controller. It's got what you need to learn the basics. The controller looks and feels like a basic OEM Transmitter, but it plugs into the USB port. That was about $30. So I'm into the sim for $70. As I said, I don't have the cool factor of the G4, but it works for me.
CX2. Great little helicopter. Take what mydartswinger said and insert it here. There are some performance mods that the guys like to make to enable the little helicopter to be more fun / challenging, but it's still less than 8 ounces of fun and any wind will take it for a ride. That includes the significant turbulence created indoors by the heli itself. Good fun - find a used one and go play. You will eventually break it. See http://www.heli-wiki.com/mediawiki/i..._and_CX2_Setup
for instructions about getting it back better than new. There are other sites with excellent information about other aspects of the coaxial helicopters. It's all good stuff and the support on this forum is outstanding.
Motor driven CP helis - again, what mydartswinger said. You want to be pretty good to handle one of those.
My preference was to get a single rotor fixed pitch as my 'interim helicopter' on the way to a real CP belt drive 400 / 450 class helicopter. I got a Falcon 40 and the delivered price is under $100. You can use the NiMH pack that ships with the helicopter or use your CX2 LiPO pack and charger to run it. And there are mods that make the fixed pitch entirely usable outdoors. Note that it will never fly like a good CP helicopter like the Blade 400 or Belt CP. But in stock form the Falcon is EXTREMELY durable and is a wonderful trainer. In modified form it flies well enough to be a good indoor helicopter. And it's just fun.
The real deal is the 450 size helicopters. How quickly you adapt to that level is a direct result of your ability. We are all different. The ability to fly will be similar to your ability to compete successfully in sports. It's eye / hand coordination, depth perception, concentration, patience, natural athleticism all rolled into one. You will know where you are after the first hour on the simulator. Some guys go from the Coaxial helicopters directly to the CP helis with no problem. Others (like me) struggle.
That's my take on it. I hope it's worth something to you.
Soloboss
07-08-2008, 08:08 PM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
you can get some cheap used ones from a guy on ebay called hobbemart, I got mine used for 98 dollars and the only thing wrong with it was it had a small crack in the canopy
07-08-2008, 10:02 PM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
Solo, thank you very much. I have taken notes on your comments, done some research, and understand the basics a bit more and the progression. Thank you for the input.
07-09-2008, 07:41 AM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
The CX2 is a great Heli to start out with. It will definately help you learn the necessary eye 2 hand co-ordination in order to handle a larger Heli.
At this stage you can also develop the necessary skills to fly a Heli (any Heli) in different orientations, ie: Tail in (to start with), then Side in and Nose in.
As you have probably read already, there are a number of modifications that can be made to your little CX2, that will make it more agile and faster in flight, as your confidence, skill, and need for more excitement progresses.
Regarding simulator software - There is another Sim called FMS - that is actuall free!
It can be downloaded from the website, however you would need your own Controller in order to use it. One popular controller is the "e-sky USB controller", which can be bought new on EBay for a small price.
Progressing on from the CX2, ideally your next larger Heli should incorporate a belt driven tail. You do have the E-Flite Blade 400, however there is also the E-Sky Belt CP, which will be cheaper than the Blade 400. The Belt CP flies great, however incorporates FM radio gear (transmitter and receiver).
For futureproof technology, it would be more favourable to look into 2.4GHz radio technology, for glitch free flying! The Blade 400 comes with the Spektrum DX6i radio gear included as part of the package!
You also have more advanced (and greater quality) 450 size Heli's, such as the TRex 450 and the Thunder Tiger E325 Mini Titan! Also more expensive too.
All the best with your Heli career (and your father too!), it sure does get addictive!
At this stage you can also develop the necessary skills to fly a Heli (any Heli) in different orientations, ie: Tail in (to start with), then Side in and Nose in.
As you have probably read already, there are a number of modifications that can be made to your little CX2, that will make it more agile and faster in flight, as your confidence, skill, and need for more excitement progresses.
Regarding simulator software - There is another Sim called FMS - that is actuall free!
It can be downloaded from the website, however you would need your own Controller in order to use it. One popular controller is the "e-sky USB controller", which can be bought new on EBay for a small price.
Progressing on from the CX2, ideally your next larger Heli should incorporate a belt driven tail. You do have the E-Flite Blade 400, however there is also the E-Sky Belt CP, which will be cheaper than the Blade 400. The Belt CP flies great, however incorporates FM radio gear (transmitter and receiver).
For futureproof technology, it would be more favourable to look into 2.4GHz radio technology, for glitch free flying! The Blade 400 comes with the Spektrum DX6i radio gear included as part of the package!
You also have more advanced (and greater quality) 450 size Heli's, such as the TRex 450 and the Thunder Tiger E325 Mini Titan! Also more expensive too.
All the best with your Heli career (and your father too!), it sure does get addictive!
07-09-2008, 08:18 AM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
Greg,
On the sims, I use both RealFlight G3.5 and FSOne. FSOne has a more real "feel" to it, as the airplanes and helis are more difficult to fly than in G3.5. FSOne does have the E-Flite lineup (Blade CP/CP Pro [both with training gear versions] and the CX/CX2 helis), excepting the Blade 400. I would assume that the Blade 400 would be released in the near future as part of a "Hangar Pack". In the meantime, it does have the T-Rex 450, JR E-Voyager, Voyager 50, Voyager 3D, a Jet Ranger, and a Turbine 3D heli. It also has a "bomb drop" game that can help break the monotony of training. My only complaint about FSOne is it's lack of add-on and user designed aircraft.
If add-on/user designed aircraft are your thing, G3.5/G4 is the way to go. It's a relatively easy to fly sim, with a huge selection of aircraft, plus on the Knife Edge (designers of RealFlight) Forums, there is a swap page where you can download many user designed aircraft. RealFlight also has training "games" that may help you learn as well. Those include are a heli hover trainer, a heli orientation trainer, spot landing "contest" (you can play this single player), and a "deadstick/autorotation" "contest". Both have virtual flight instruction videos to give you demonstrations of basic flight maneuvers all the way through 3D flight. Also included in the RealFlight sims are other "games" including, limbo and pylon racing.
I've tried the FMS sim, but had issues setting up a controller for it. I wasn't hugely concerned about using it, since I already had both FSOne and RealFlight G3.5, and was mostly just seeing what it was like. I have installed the Phoenix Demo videos and was impressed with the realistic graphics. Sadly, Phoenix does not have a "trial" where I could actually fly using it for free, as G4 does.
There are several great sims out there, I only have experience with the 2 mentioned above. Other sims that I have not used are Ikarus AeroFly and Reflex. If interested in any of those, maybe someone else would have experience with them and be able to chime in.
Hope this helps.
On the sims, I use both RealFlight G3.5 and FSOne. FSOne has a more real "feel" to it, as the airplanes and helis are more difficult to fly than in G3.5. FSOne does have the E-Flite lineup (Blade CP/CP Pro [both with training gear versions] and the CX/CX2 helis), excepting the Blade 400. I would assume that the Blade 400 would be released in the near future as part of a "Hangar Pack". In the meantime, it does have the T-Rex 450, JR E-Voyager, Voyager 50, Voyager 3D, a Jet Ranger, and a Turbine 3D heli. It also has a "bomb drop" game that can help break the monotony of training. My only complaint about FSOne is it's lack of add-on and user designed aircraft.
If add-on/user designed aircraft are your thing, G3.5/G4 is the way to go. It's a relatively easy to fly sim, with a huge selection of aircraft, plus on the Knife Edge (designers of RealFlight) Forums, there is a swap page where you can download many user designed aircraft. RealFlight also has training "games" that may help you learn as well. Those include are a heli hover trainer, a heli orientation trainer, spot landing "contest" (you can play this single player), and a "deadstick/autorotation" "contest". Both have virtual flight instruction videos to give you demonstrations of basic flight maneuvers all the way through 3D flight. Also included in the RealFlight sims are other "games" including, limbo and pylon racing.
I've tried the FMS sim, but had issues setting up a controller for it. I wasn't hugely concerned about using it, since I already had both FSOne and RealFlight G3.5, and was mostly just seeing what it was like. I have installed the Phoenix Demo videos and was impressed with the realistic graphics. Sadly, Phoenix does not have a "trial" where I could actually fly using it for free, as G4 does.
There are several great sims out there, I only have experience with the 2 mentioned above. Other sims that I have not used are Ikarus AeroFly and Reflex. If interested in any of those, maybe someone else would have experience with them and be able to chime in.
Hope this helps.
07-09-2008, 06:43 PM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
Hmmm, it would seem that the cp pro I picked up might be a challenge huh? I do fly a bit of 3d with my bug. I guess I shall see. For $100 it seemed like a great deal. Should I hook it to my optic 6 or use the stock tx?
Tim
Tim
07-09-2008, 09:20 PM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
Mydart and H3li.
Thank you both. I bought a used CX2 tonight off ebay with lots of extra parts and upgrades. I also went to CommonSense rc and bought 2 extra batteries for 12$ each. I am looking into the Sim and may just go with the clearview as my first and then progress on from there. I am going to check out the ones you recommended now. Thank you again, Greg
Thank you both. I bought a used CX2 tonight off ebay with lots of extra parts and upgrades. I also went to CommonSense rc and bought 2 extra batteries for 12$ each. I am looking into the Sim and may just go with the clearview as my first and then progress on from there. I am going to check out the ones you recommended now. Thank you again, Greg
07-10-2008, 01:20 AM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
WELCOME ABOARD!!!.....hahaha! 12 yr Navy Vet, just couldn't help it. Started flying heli's about 3 years ago. Jumped right in with a 30 size gas....then quickly, VERY QUICKLY got a real flight r/c sim. Now, I am into the electic helis....Blade 400, Align 450, and Align 600. The smaller helis react to wind much quicker than your heavier machines. But, the heavier ones also cost more in terms of initial costs and also repairs. The sims only require you to "push a botton" and it gives you another fresh bird instantly!!!! ....keep the tail facing towards you, keep your altitude down to 6 or 8 inches, don't slam your throttle closed when it gets into trouble....practice, practice, practice. I spent almost 15 hours in trying to keep it in a stable hover on a sim, but now....piece of cake!!! When you get your first "kit" heli......pay very close attention to the build and set-up procedures. All of your linkages are 90 degree, and at neutal controls, your head components are like silk, level, smooth, AND BALANCED!!! (something a sim won't do for you) An AWESOME pilot is only as good as his machine. I think it is a wonderful thing that a dad and son get to enjoy a hobby together, my dad got me into this stuff many, many years ago and we still enjoy it together, now...... HAVE FUN!!!!wyldbill
07-10-2008, 06:08 AM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
Thanks wyldbill.
Dad is 72 and I am 35. I have always been so busy with football and hockey and then work, we just never had time for R/C. We spent 20 years restoring 2 1957 ford t-birds, so this will be fun for both. Thank you again for the advice! See you around on this site.
Greg
Dad is 72 and I am 35. I have always been so busy with football and hockey and then work, we just never had time for R/C. We spent 20 years restoring 2 1957 ford t-birds, so this will be fun for both. Thank you again for the advice! See you around on this site.
Greg
07-10-2008, 07:58 AM
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RE: Father and Son getting into the hobby.
Greg.
Welcome to the madness. I am sure you and your father will have many enjoyable hours together in this hobby. I know many families that fly together. My daughter loves to fly my heli. Now she is off to college. Hmmm. Wonder if I can get my wife interested? Let's keep em in the air.
Rob
Welcome to the madness. I am sure you and your father will have many enjoyable hours together in this hobby. I know many families that fly together. My daughter loves to fly my heli. Now she is off to college. Hmmm. Wonder if I can get my wife interested? Let's keep em in the air.
Rob
