ChetRog

I am interested in getting a helicopter to fly outside.I have never flown one so i dont know what to buy..I dont want to spend 400 bucks even..So i dont know if they even make them that cheap.Infact the cheaper the better. I dont care if its gas or battery powered.How do the electric work i can see them flying for 5 minuets then having to charge the battery for 6 hours then just getting 5 more minutes out of it..thanks for any info

Vario

Instead of buying the heli, which you will not do with 400.00, buy the Real flight G2 simulator instead, and see if you like helis. It cost around 200.00, and if you do not like them, you can always sell it.
Joe

Buzzin Brian

My Feedback: (1)

$400.00 for a complete settup is not going to happen infortunatly. About the cheapest you can get out with everyhting you will need. That being the heli kit, engine, muffler, radio gear, and starting equipment, would run you around $800.00. And of course that is not for the best stuff. But would definatly teach you how to fly, and would do all you would want it to do for quite a while. But like was said, $400 will not get it done. I to would suggest you get a sim, and try it out first. The sim is something that will help anyway, even if you do decide that you want to stick with it. It is a great and fun hobby. But it can be very expensive at times. Keep that in mind, and have fun with you first bird if you do decide to try it out.

stevenyc1

Or-

Look for a guy gettng out of the hobby- or clearing out some stuff they might not want/use-


...but very doubtful you'd get all you'd need under $400

reposess

My Feedback: (1)

Don't get me wrong, this is one of the funnest hobbies out there. I'm not discouraging you from getting into it, but you really should consider how far money stretches in this hobby (not very)

If the disposable income for maintenance/repairs and new equipment isn't there, it won't be that enjoyable a hobby for you. Keep in mind that even a moderate crash normally requires more than $100 in repair parts. There are never ending consumables and maintenence parts to attend to, along with heli- specific tools which you'll want to make your life easier. Even the $800 setups, though they'll be a good start, WILL be limiting in some way or another, and after you get a sense of what the hobby is all about, you'll definetly want something better.

Check out the G2 sim for $200.00 (less used)
It a good way to check out what flying is like. A lot of people quit because their preconceptions don't match the reality. The fact is, The things are just plain hard to learn.

Then, save up your money while flying the sim, I'd recommend you have at least $1000 to start, this will get you a quality setup ( the extra 200 goes a long way-differeence between an 8 channel and six channel radio, or some other goodies you WILL want).

R/C helis are a LOT of fun, but they are NEVER cheap.

rscamp

Words of wisdom, reposess!

Rob

ASteele

Very good reposess but don't totally discourage him with that inflated repair cost. I would say a $100 crash is something serious not moderate. My most expensive crash thus far has been $18 and that was falling from a 20 ft hover straight on the helis side. Other than that I agree with everything else said.

rscamp

It is interesting how the size of the hobby budget expands as the interest grows.

I just had a thought. The small Lite Machines fixed pitch heli is quite inexpensive and requires only a basic radio if memory serves. It is available for glow and electric power. In this size, the electric version is probably easier to use. I can't think of anything else that would come closer to your budget. It is also good for beginners because it is durable as all get out.

I agree with all the simulator advice. If I was just starting out, a simulator is the first thing I would get!

Rob

reposess

My Feedback: (1)

That is true, crashes do vary widely.
Perhaps 50 could be thought of as more realistic.
You must have already had extra sets of blades to repair a 20 ft. fall from hover for $18. Discounting blades, $18 for a crash could be done.

ASteele

Actually it kind of cut a notch in the blades but I continued to use them until I recently purchased a set of carbod fibers that I was going to buy anyway. The only thing that needed replacing was one linkage and that metal rod that connects the blade holders (whatever it is called). It was caused by the fuel line coming undone from the engine. Happened again and I semi auto rotated it in but broke 1 skid $8. I can auto pretty good now after lots of practice. Unless you lose something big like a gyro heli repairs are not that bad. Guaranteed though that the $200 spent on the sim will save you ten times that in repairs.

ChetRog

Bummer..Well thanks for being honest about what it would take..I will just have to stick with my RC car..Thanks guys

imeins

ChetRog: I'm an absolute heli beginner, I have fixed wing rc experience spread thinly over many years. I downloaded FMS the free simulator, played and fiddled to get my fingers working right. I then bought G2 only because I could not afford the heli I wanted, practiced some more.... Then (after about 8 weeks) I bought a Feda / Hummingbird micro electric (read "CHEAP"). They are "supposed" to be harder to fly than the big birds. I have now had it for four days and had about 15 flights. During the first flight I was hovering in the loungeroom (6x6 empty area) in and out of ground effect. Now I have started "surfing" the light breezes outside and doing forward flight / circuits. It's not nearly as difficult as I had thought and been told. I have had three notable incidents when things leapt in the way of the heli.. (1) a cement garden edge - smack tumble. (2) my 16 y/o sons legs!! - no he didn't get hurt or the heli (3) a fall from a 15ft tree after first flying straight into it and getting caught in the branches then "flying" out under power. Total damage ? Nil.

If you want to get in cheap and maybe have a 4ch radio already don't completely discount going in with a small electric like this. No you can't fly it in a decent breeze but it's a heck of a fun intro to helis and the bits are cheap if you do mess up.

Ingmar
see mine at http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...threadid=96539

guntop

i got into my nexus 30 with cms gyro for 415.00. i also had the futaba txas radio with heli software. it has been a good heli for me. not the absolute best heli but for what i use it for now, it serves the purpose.

extremeflying

My Feedback: (7)

cars cost the same thing as helis(with hops up) and they dont fly!

y dont u try a humming bird from centuryheli.com get a complete combo with training gear which will cost u around $330 and u can be airborn