You dont sound much different than my path Bob, except last year I finally started forward flight. That's why I suggest that
www.rchelicopterfun.com site and You Tube videos, especially so the part where he describes and shows learning to do 'long,skinny figure 8's. If you REALLY want to get this down, the collective pitch helis and flying forward flight and more, besides those sites the bhest advice I can give you is this : For about 339 bucks you can get the legendary Raptor 30V2 complete with engine and muffler, the best deal in rotary wings for begineers especially in my book. You can use three good quality ANALOG swash servos, one good digital for the tail and a good gyro (I love the Quarks and,DS-760's, and you are flying. No electric 450 or 500 comes close to the stability and wind resistance of this heli, they are super cheap to fix with spare parts everywhere, they are easier to see, they hover better, plus this, which is invaluable to the new flyer : You get 15 minute flights, you're not landing every 5-7 minutes to screw around with batteries.
You're a plane guy. Does the begineer benefit more from a .60 trainer or an electric, 36' span rainer,a .15 nitro one,etc ? It's the same thing.
I love electrics too, but for learning, for very gentle flight characteristics, for the most actual flying time, they can't be beat.
Also i have a blade CP prop 2, the tail will move back and fourth on its own, seems to be a gyro issue, maybe an adj
Bob : That thing, the Blade CP, emphasis on 'thing' you'll read about it's apologists saying absurdities like 'it'll make you a better pilot', ad nauseum.
It's junk. It was junk when it was new and it's junk now.
Maybe we'd all be 'better pilots' if we were taught with a burning stick of dynamite stuck up an unmentionable orifice, but I don't buy it.
I'm an E-Flite and Horizon fan, but somehow bud you got the two biggest piles they ever made,especially for begineers.
They both have in common ,note, motor driven tail rotors. Not good.
Check out that Raptor. You probably have three appropriate analog swash servos in your plane stuff, I know you have the flight box.etc. You can get enough money to buy a first rate gyro and tail servo from selling those two crates and I promise you you'll be busting out wide open figure 8's and more,and this season, to boot. Doug