ORIGINAL: pmennen
>I taught myself to fly CP helis with a cheaper SIM called Clear View.
I also have Clear View, but I didn't buy any of the heli models because they had so many and I didn't know which one to buy.
Also a friend of mine said he found all the free sim's inadequate. Iguess you found the opposite.
Did you start with CP helis from ground zero? I had thought that was so difficult that it would be impossible.
By the way, I don't have a programmable transmitter yet, but I'm thinking of getting the Spektrum DX6i. I'm not sure why you asked. Would that effect my choice of helli?
Thanks for all the advice!
~Paul
I take that you have the free download of Clear View since you said you didnt know which models to buy. The free version is the same as the pay, other than with the free you only get the one airplane to try, think its the Apprentice 15e. But anyway...I would suggest you just go ahead and buy the full version as its only 40 bucks and you get all of the heli, plane and car models that the author has created, plus any upgrades that should ever come available.
While Clear View may not be as authentic as Phoenix for helis, or Real Flight for airplanes...it definitely is good enough for someone brand new to the hobby to use to train themselves. The graphics are pretty good, especially if you are comparing it to one of the free SIMs like FMS....night and day difference, like comparing the original Doom or Castle Wolfenstein graphics to say Modern Warfare. Just no comparison. Also, the models fly very similar to the real RC models in regular flight. I dont think that either the planes or helis are depicted well enough to use this SIM to learn to 3D with. But for basic flying skills...its as good as anything. At least I think so and I did teach myself to fly CP helis with it...because like I already said...Ive had to go it alone since no one in my club flies helis.
So...saying all of that, it would be my recommendation to start with Clear View to get your basic skills (muscle memory) honed to the point where you can at least lift off and into a hover and then fly around a basic circuit. The time it will take you to do this will be up to you. Everyone learns how to fly at different paces...soyou could be on the SIM for a month or 12 months before you feel confident you can fly a real CPheli. Some people maybe even less or even more time.
I brought up your transmitter because it would matter as to which micro CP heli you bought. Lets say you had a DX6i...then you could buy a BNF Nano CPX or mCPX heli as they have Spektrum recievers. If you bought a Walkera...or Heli Max, you would most likely want to buy RTF versions that come with their own radios. I fly Spektrum myself so buying the Blade micro "mCPX" was a no brainer for me.
If you are looking at buying the DX6i, I would say go for it. Its a good and well proven entry level radio that wont break the bank. And since it is made by Spektrum, you will be open to buy any of the BNF Blade helis...along with ParkZone planes and such. It will hold 10 different models and can work with helis as well as planes. I have a DX7, but have several friends that use the 6i and I have even helped them program their radios and the programming isnt that confusing once you get used to it.
Did Istart with a CP heli? Well, not really. I actually started with a cheap toy coaxial heli that I got bored with after the first couple of days. I then bought a Trex 450 clone and started then. So really, no I didnt start out with a CP, but kind of did. I also bought a micro FP heli while I was trying to learn to fly the 450. It was a Blade mSR and I did learn a lot from it, but hindsight is always 20/20 and IFI could do over again, knowing what I know now...I would have skipped wasting my money on the coaxial and mSR (not that the mSR is a bad heli per say...its actually a fun little heli...but will leave you wanting more after you get used to it, plus I couldnt really fly it outside unless it was dead calm conditions) and bought the mCPX to learn on instead. However, at that time...the mCPX wasnt invented yet so it is what it is.
Im not saying that you can just jump right into flying a CPheli...but unless all you care about is flying a heli around your living room and under the coffee table when you are bored...you will want to be flying a CP heli sooner, rather than later. And with the invention of these tough micro CP helis that are on the market these days...there is no reason to not just start out with the CP. I say this because a few reasons...
1. They are cheap when compared to say a 250 or larger CPheli such as an Align
2. They are durable...but when they do break the parts are cheap and easily available (Im talking about Blade durability and parts since this is the brand I have direct experience with)
3. They fly almost identical to their larger brothers...250 and up helis
4. They wont kill you or others if you get hit by one when you lose control/orientation when its close to you
5. They can be flown inside or outside and when outside can easily handle 10MPH winds.
I could probably think about more reasons...but those 5 are the ones that immediately come to mind.
Pair that with a SIM and several hours of practice, there is no cheaper way to get into CPheli flying...barr someone just giving you everything for free!
Im sure others here will chime in on their experience...some may second my suggestions, some may not. But I do know that once I got my mCPX my flying skills increased a great deal. Before that time alli could do with a CPheli was lift off...hover at various altitudes, maybe piro the tail around and thats it. Once I started flying the mCPX, I could fly circuits...flip to inverted and do loops and rolls and just started having a lot more fun. Also, if you go with Clear View...it comes with the mCPXmodel and it is quite realistic!
goodluck.