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Which small heli to get? - 3/5/2003 6:12:01 AM   
R6stunter


 

Posts: 40
Joined: 12/13/2002
From: Pooler, GA, USA
Status: offline 		Alright I have experience flying helis, first off. I am looking to get a small heli to fly inside of my new hobby shop. I used to work in another shop intown until it closed and I decided to open my own. We had a Piccolo which I built and tryed to get hovering, which actually happened a few times, but it was not easy. It was extremely twitchy and tended to wander around. I want to get another one but dont know which to get since there are so many different types out there now. I want something that can be all hopped up in the future with carbonfiber and aluminum stuff. I want something that can be aerobatic but easy to start flying when first built. Well that sounds like alot but I want big heli performance out of someething I can fly off countertops and in a room size area. Thanks for everyones help
       Post #: 1

Which small heli to get? - 3/5/2003 7:06:10 AM   
Hoverup



Posts: 637
Joined: 7/4/2002
From: Gulf Coast, USA
Status: offline 		Based solely on your statement about what you want down the road from your micro, I would recommend either a MS Hornet or the Ikarus Piccolo Pro. Although there are more upgrades available for the Hornet at the moment than the Pro that has mostly to do with the fact that the Pro is new to the Market. To help you decide do a search and get a large pot of black coffee going because you will have lots of reading to do. The question posed to go either way has started flame wars in some threads in the past due to fierce loyalties to a brand. I have both and there are strengths and weaknesses to both designs. Set up properly and with a competent pilot at the sticks, both will do incredible things indoors and out. Plenty of video to prove both of these micro's capabilities on the web. Until we can get Walt and his Hornet and Steve and his Pro to have a shoot out/fly-off in SoCal, the arguments will continue. I like both.
The newest crop of pretenders are all Piccolo clones and could be hopped up with the tuning pieces for the Picc, but there will be some trial and error experienced by builder/pilots before we have a recipe for mods like we do for the Hornet and Pro. For example if you do your home work, you will find that the e-motor of choice for the Hornet is a Hacker B20 22s and the same element for the Pro appears to be the Hacker B20 31s. But even these are subject to change as Astroflight has now introduced a less expensive alternative to the fine German motors and others are attempting to break in (Razor , Etc.)
So hit the search and read, read, read. You'll learn a lot of other useful things along the way.
Hornet sites to start with:
http://www.hornet-heli.com/cgi-bin/bbs/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro
http://microhelis.homestead.com/HornetMods.html

Piccolo sites:
http://www.ikarus-modellbau.de/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=UBB1
http://www.pgoelz.com/piccolo1.html

This should get you started. It only takes $$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!

Cheers - Boyd
AMA 80393
Major, USAF
Retired

(in reply to R6stunter)
       Post #: 2

Which small heli to get? - 3/7/2003 7:49:25 AM   
R6stunter


 

Posts: 40
Joined: 12/13/2002
From: Pooler, GA, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks for your help, anyone else have anything to say?

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       Post #: 3

Which small heli to get? - 3/7/2003 10:52:32 PM   
Adam T



Posts: 350
Joined: 1/30/2002
From: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Status: online 		HoverUp said it pretty well i'd say. Not much to add to that. I have a Hornet and I love it, but I want a Pic Pro next!


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Adam - LA CA
Santa Fe Dam Radio Control Modelers

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       Post #: 4

Which small heli to get? - 3/8/2003 4:26:55 AM   
Thrustline



Posts: 82
Joined: 1/7/2002
From: Cedar Hill, TX, USA
Status: offline 		The new FEDA is the most stable one of all of the micros, I have a piccolo, skylark and the FEDA . It will fly in smoother control than the piccolo, as far as the Hornet I have no experience with it, but from what I know and see in the designs, this new FEDA has the most stable rotor head and I love it, if you watch their video, I do the same thing at work flying it from the desk in my office at work and down the hall. Basically all can be made to fly about the same eventualy with some time and patience.

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       Post #: 5

Which small heli to get? - 3/8/2003 4:42:03 AM   
Adam T



Posts: 350
Joined: 1/30/2002
From: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Status: online 		where can i see this Feda video you are talking about?


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Adam - LA CA
Santa Fe Dam Radio Control Modelers

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       Post #: 6

Which small heli to get? - 3/8/2003 4:53:26 AM   
Thrustline



Posts: 82
Joined: 1/7/2002
From: Cedar Hill, TX, USA
Status: offline 		He is now showing it on E-Bay where he sells the new Advanced FEDA. Here's the URL: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3118606150&category=2563
It takes abit to download, but shows how stable it is.

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       Post #: 7

Which small heli to get? - 3/8/2003 4:57:41 AM   
Adam T



Posts: 350
Joined: 1/30/2002
From: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Status: online 		Well...that's pretty lame!

Certainly doesn't compare to the Hornet and Pic Pro vids that are out there doing full 3D and inverted hovering on the deck! As for the tail boom catch, have you seen the Piccolo Tour vid?

Anyway, thanks for the link.


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Adam - LA CA
Santa Fe Dam Radio Control Modelers

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       Post #: 8

Which small heli to get? - 3/8/2003 5:04:02 AM   
Thrustline



Posts: 82
Joined: 1/7/2002
From: Cedar Hill, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Not the greatest video, however it is very stable, the piccolo will not hover without alot of modifications, this one is very easy to fly and will hover with out modifying it. I always pick it up to show how well they fly, the others keep you busy.

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       Post #: 9

Which small heli to get? - 3/8/2003 8:05:14 AM   
Hoverup



Posts: 637
Joined: 7/4/2002
From: Gulf Coast, USA
Status: offline 		Let's get back to what the thread starter asked for. It wasn't the most stable hovering micro (and until you try a CP Hornet or a Piccolo you need to save the awards you are giving the Feda for some other category like "most lacking in originality" .

R6stunter said "........I want something that can be all hopped up in the future with carbonfiber and aluminum stuff. I want something that can be aerobatic but easy to start flying when first built. Well that sounds like alot but I want big heli performance out of someething I can fly off countertops and in a room size area.

Now with that focused, unless you put a Piccolo CP head on the Feda ( which can be done by the way) it will never do aerobatics of any type much less 3D. The choice is still a Piccolo Pro or a Hornet CP. And as far as the "New Improved Feda".... Are the now shipping it in a box from a fertilizer company or have they finished the piracy and now use the Piccolo simulated wood finish cardboard box to ship it in. I've got multiples of all these babies and the Feda/HummingBird/DragonFlyer is a good, cheap, FP heli for folks to try to see if they like micros before they move on and up.

Sorry but the Feda response didn't answer the mail and we don't need to send any more greenbacks to Hong Kong. ( Let Century Helicopter do that for you.)

2.5 cents

Cheers - Boyd
AMA 80393
Major USAF
Retired.

(in reply to R6stunter)
       Post #: 10

Which small heli to get? - 3/8/2003 9:00:07 AM   
Thrustline



Posts: 82
Joined: 1/7/2002
From: Cedar Hill, TX, USA
Status: offline 		I have a piccolo and as the thread started, the one he was trying to hover and stated it wasn't stable. And the piccolo I have is not as stable hovering either, as the new FEDA I have. So, the thread started that he was looking for a more stable little heli, he tried a piccolo. So I see nothing off track, we are only ansering the question.

(in reply to R6stunter)
       Post #: 11

Which small heli to get? - 3/8/2003 11:17:37 AM   
Hoverup



Posts: 637
Joined: 7/4/2002
From: Gulf Coast, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by R6stunter
..................... I want something that can be all hopped up in the future with carbonfiber and aluminum stuff. I want something that can be aerobatic but easy to start flying when first built. Well that sounds like alot but I want big heli performance out of someething I can fly off countertops and in a room size area. Thanks for everyones help [/QUOTE]


Sorry to respectfully disagree one last time, but just because the room is full of horse poop doesn't mean there is a pony in here somewhere. The only way the Feda will meet the stated need quoted above is if you remove the canopy, throw the airframe away and install a Hornet CP or Piccolo Pro CP chassis in that same canopy.

Regards the Hover stability.......................
The most stable hover in the micro hangar of my fleet runs like this:

1. Most rock solid and stable -- Walt design fbless Hornet CP
2. Second place - Hornet CP (MS version)
3. Third place Piccolo Pro CP
4. Fourth place - Hornet FP
5. Fifth place - HummingBird FP
6. Sixth place - Piccolo Fun FP

I guess you need to try a micro CP to understand what I'm saying. The first thing you won't miss is the "yo-yo" effect throttle management has on an FP heli and it just gets better after that. Try comparing the FP with a CP in slight wind conditions. While the FP sometimes refuses to descend no matter what you do with the throttle and then falls like a rock when the wind subsides, the CP leaves altitude up to the pilot and the pitch command being sent to the heli.

Sorry to run on it really doesn't matter but this guy already flies helis (no guarantee for micros) and said what he wants out of the platform. When you post some video of the Feda doing 1/10 the things that are being done with the Hornet CP and the Piccolo Pro CP then I'll eat this thread and concede.

Cheers - Boyd

(in reply to R6stunter)
       Post #: 12

Which small heli to get? - 3/8/2003 7:14:11 PM   
R6stunter


 

Posts: 40
Joined: 12/13/2002
From: Pooler, GA, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks guys, I think I may get a Hornet Cp. Who distributes them? I need to know so I again

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       Post #: 13

Which small heli to get? - 3/8/2003 8:58:14 PM   
Thrustline



Posts: 82
Joined: 1/7/2002
From: Cedar Hill, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Sounds good Boyd, I haven't the experience of the Hornet, I will probably go after one. The FEDA that I have must be an exception to the others people have got, it flys and doesn't walk around or require the throttle chasing as you say, like the piccolo of the Skylark I have. Just like planes and cars, you can have luck where others don't and be hooked on the ones that preform the best for you.

Cheers- Thrustline

(in reply to R6stunter)
       Post #: 14

Which small heli to get? - 3/8/2003 11:09:47 PM   
Hoverup



Posts: 637
Joined: 7/4/2002
From: Gulf Coast, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by R6stunter
Thanks guys, I think I may get a Hornet Cp. Who distributes them? I need to know so I again [/QUOTE]

Good choice..........

Try Dennis at:

http://www.deeteeenterprises.com/.

It's the best one stop shop with all the basics and the best upgrades.

There are others but not with the inventory that Dennis has.

Sean at : http://www.helihobby.com/index.html

Steve at: http://dreamhobbies.com/dreamhome.htm

Fitz at: http://www.fxaeromodels.com/mshornet.htm

All are good shops with good service.

Cheers - Boyd
AMA 80393
Major, USAF
Retired

(in reply to R6stunter)