I'm starting to think it's all a big lie, and the videos I've seen are convincing Hollywood fakes...

I've been driving RC cars, and flying RC planes for many years, so I have the control thing down. I've been through Radd's training program, and I did well with that. I can totally control the helicopter with the main skids off the ground, and just the training balls touching the ground. Side to side, forward and back, no problem.

But I just find every time I take it off the ground, it's impossible to control. One small thing upsets it, and I end up chasing the damn thing all over the place. I can't seem to get "ahead" of it, if you know what I mean. I'm just reacting. I don't know if it's just too slow responding, or if there is something wrong with my heli? I've crashed it plenty of times, on my 4th set of blades, bent my second main shaft, couple tail rotors. I patch it up, and try to set it up properly, check the blade tracking, etc...

Today really made me mad. Brand new set of blades, go outside into the back yard, get up and almost immediately crash again.

Could there be something wrong with this thing? It just seems like it's completely unstable.

I'm wondering if maybe the Bell Hiller mixer might help make it more responsive?

I can fly a Super Decathlon knife edge from horizon to horizon, or drive a touring car 40mph between boards 4 feet apart, but I can't seem to really CONTROL this thing.