Best small CP heli for longer flights
07-31-2013, 07:40 PM
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Best small CP heli for longer flights
I just got in to small electric helicopters (after about 10 years of fixed wing nitro planes) and am having a blast. I just bought a Blade MCPX and am having fun learning the idiosyncrasies of CP helis. One universal truth about the small helis I've been flying is that you only get about 5 or so minutes of flight on a charge. I'm looking to spend at most $400 on my next small CP heli but would really like at least 8 minute flights. I haven't tried aerobatics yet, but in the future I'd probably like to be able to do light aerobatics. I'd say I'm looking for a sport flyer with good handling. Is this possible? I'm open to glow if that would be an option.. Thanks
08-01-2013, 04:43 AM
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RE: Best small CP heli for longer flights
Tall order to fill with a 400 dollar budget.
Also, hard to tell what your idea of "small" is when you mention that you would even consider a nitro powered heli. Nitro power is going to be a heli of the dimensions of roughly a 600 class heli. Which is not "small" by my definition.
Also, you never stated what TX you have. If you dont already own at least a 6 channel radio, then you will need that as well.
Based on my own experience and doing it all on my own without a mentor, I advise you to get a 500 heli as your next heli. If you are flying the mCPX confidently...then the 500 will be a piece of cake once you get it setup right and everything is tuned (meaning your setup, not motor).
The 500 is really one of my favorite helis in my fleet now. Simply because its large enough to see very well and because of its size it is less "twitchy" which gives more time to react and correct the unexpected things that can and do happen in flight.
The bad part, you cant get into a NEW 500 for 400 bucks. Likely about twice that unless you skimp on electronics. But, you could go with a Copter X or an HK 500 and use the bargain budget electronics kit to get you in the air. Just know that you will have to replace the servos and gyro sooner or later and hopefully you wont experience a crash because of the cheap electronics.
I went the cheap servo route once and paid for it in 2 crashes caused by servo failure on my 500. So now I at least buy decent servos like Align digitals or even better if my budget can afford it at the time.
Good luck. Learning to fly helicopters is probably the most difficult RC that I have learned thus far, but also the most rewarding.
08-02-2013, 04:03 AM
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RE: Best small CP heli for longer flights
ORIGINAL: VP1
Thanks for the reply! I'm using a DX6i transmitter.
I'll look into some 500 size helis.
Thanks for the reply! I'm using a DX6i transmitter.
I'll look into some 500 size helis.
11-04-2013, 05:30 PM
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Getting 12 minutes out of a battery on almost any helicopter is going to be next to impossible. The reason is the motors draw anywhere from 10 to 20C which sucks the life out of a battery real quick. Plan on having about 8 batteries and a field charger setup so you can be charging while you are flying. Then you can fly all day or till you drop or til you crash.
You little mCPX draws from 2.5A to 4A in F-Mode from a 200mAh battery http://4port.us/data/mcpx-f-mode-spooled-up/
You can mod your bird and install a larger battery to acheive longer flight times, but be care of the power to weight ratio. Remember the law of diminishing returns, at some point you will not be able to do much because all the "lift" is being used to just haul that battery up into the air.
You little mCPX draws from 2.5A to 4A in F-Mode from a 200mAh battery http://4port.us/data/mcpx-f-mode-spooled-up/
You can mod your bird and install a larger battery to acheive longer flight times, but be care of the power to weight ratio. Remember the law of diminishing returns, at some point you will not be able to do much because all the "lift" is being used to just haul that battery up into the air.
11-09-2013, 06:46 AM
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I just got in to small electric helicopters (after about 10 years of fixed wing nitro planes) and am having a blast. I just bought a Blade MCPX and am having fun learning the idiosyncrasies of CP helis. One universal truth about the small helis I've been flying is that you only get about 5 or so minutes of flight on a charge. I'm looking to spend at most $400 on my next small CP heli but would really like at least 8 minute flights. I haven't tried aerobatics yet, but in the future I'd probably like to be able to do light aerobatics. I'd say I'm looking for a sport flyer with good handling. Is this possible? I'm open to glow if that would be an option.. Thanks
I built this one as a night flying machine and put a small ESKY 3900 motor in it and the throttle and pitch curves are set very conservatively.
It can do basic loops and rolls but will bog down if you start throwing it around too much,
Most of my other helis have far more powerful motors but at the cost of flight times (average 5 minutes)
If you already have a DX6i radio you can build a heli like this for under $200.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkqyK_JuZ8U
Last edited by Rob2160; 11-09-2013 at 06:50 AM.
