metabolicmaggot

I have a electric Aerohawk and it works for crap (has no lift) so I was looking to go to gas. Are there any RTF gas helis? or what is the cheapest complete gas heli, I am on a very low budget.

gsk11740

Oxymoron
äk-sE-'mor-"än
noun
a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (as cruel kindness); broadly : something (as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements

The words "Cheap", "Gas" (or Nitro) and "Heli" simply don't go together in the same sentence.
Actually, in my experience, "Cheap" and anything related to R/C Helicopters don't go together.

metabolicmaggot

Well whats the cheapest one?
~500 i hope? i think i heard 800

gsk11740

I've never owned a nitro heli myself but I did some quick hunting around before I wrote this and did find one kit for $219 (Gohbee Stinger 30) but that was for the basic barebones kit, not including motor or anything to fly it. When you start adding on the essentials needed to actually get it in the air, I imagine the total would probably easily exceed $800. They had the same one but added on a OS 37 Engine and Futaba GY401 Gyro w/ S9254 Servo for $539 so you get an idea of how fast the cost goes up. That still doesn't include the radio and who knows what else it takes to fly it. I'm not sure but I don't think Gohbee is one of the more expensive brands either.

I found the electrics were expensive enough and went back to flying planes for a while to allow my smoldering credits cards time to cool off! For what it's worth though, I have an electric heli (Walkera 36 with an Align 430 brushless) that has no shortage of power. It can lift off like a rocket. I know there are a lot of other electrics that are a lot better than mine. I'm not familiar with the Aerohawk but it looks like a fixed pitch from the pictures I could find. I don't think fixed pitch helis are known for a whole lot of performance. I've heard the Falcon 3D is a pretty good deal for $299 and from the videos I've seen, it seems to perform well.

rsiaviation

I also had an aerohawk and thought it was crap. I never had it in control for more than 20 seconds. But you should give electrics another chance and for the most part electrics are cheaper than gas until you get into the larger models. Just my .02.

Rsiaviation

Kevinator9

No RTF helis. Closetst thing is ARF. My Caliber 3 was ARF. All I had to do was screw on the boom, skids and boom supports. (Plus radio gear.)

HeliTB

I thought I could get into nitro cheap and I'm $900 dollars and climbing, The bad part is this is .30 size not .50 Heli

VinceHerman

You don't want an RTF heli.
SO much of this hobby is being able to set up, tweak, repair and troubleshoot.
Would you like an example of why these skills are so important? Let's look at your aerohawk. Not the best heli in the world quality wise, but flyable. If it were properly set up, you would be flying it now.
So, two lessons here.
Lesson #1 - Don't buy low quality products. Do the research, and buy good products.
Lesson #2 - You need to be a heli mechanic to fly model helis. Buy a kit and build it yourself. This will enhance your setup skills.
Vince

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

What Vince said. Word for word.

Cheap = junk = the aggrivation will quickly exceed the value of any money you saved.

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

I have to third that. If you try to go cheap, you might as well just take a few twenties out and light them on fire. Thats what you will be doing. If you don't want to do it right, then go to radio shack and get a little micro infrared heli and enjoy it. If you go glow, you will spend some serious coin and when you fly it, you will have to fix it and that will be expensive also. RC helis are not cheap. If you don't want to spend a lot of money, don't get one.

metabolicmaggot

Is a $350-400 used one worth getting?

akdude47

From what I have learned, this guy here http://raidentech.com/hearfnigasra.html is about the cheapest you will find. YOu still need to get electronics to complete the setup, but it does come with a .15 engine. I have read some good reviews on this site from users on it, in both the electric and gas version.

tippy

Cheap = Low Quality/not precise/hard to keep trimmed ... hard to fly/easily breaks/can't find replacement parts/toyish
Inexpensive = Low Cost

Cheap is usually inexpensive and an inexpensive heli is usually a cheap heli.

If you truly desire a "cheap" heli ... there's plenty out there. But as others have said ... you get what you pay for.

VinceHerman

That really depends on the heli. I have seen several people buy used helis. One went well. Two others looked like good deals to begin with, and were very cheap, but ended up costing as much as a new one, and then were out of date.
Not to say that there are not good deals out there. If you know the seller and know that they are not trying to dump off their problems, then you have a better chance. But I would worry about getting something with hidden problems, or that will be difficult to get parts for.

My preference would be to do research. Make a shopping list. Go to several online vendors and compare. Go to any local hobby shops and see how big the premium will be to buy though them. (I prefer to buy locally, especially if it comes with free help!)

Something along the lines of:

Heli Kit (Raptor or Hirobo 30)
Motor
5 servos (analog for budget)
Heli transmitter
Receiver
Receiver battery
Futaba GY401 gyro (or better)

Tools
Fuel Pump
Glow Drivers
Starter
Ball link reamer tool
Ball Link Pliers
Pitch gauge

Probably some things in there that I am missing, but hey, this is your research project.

savage 40

look here .... http://www.heli-world.com/searchresu...x?categoryid=7 I spent the $757 and am tickled at what I got..

metabolicmaggot

Thanks savage, I've been looking for a kit that atleast had everything.

degsc

try a Tower ultimate combo I think it will have everything you need for lift off for about $700-$800
George

savage 40

heli world beat towers ultimate combo.I got more for my money..