Thanks Scott and kc for your suggestions - good point about sim flying in the livingroom. A little more realistically, I'd like to get out to our local park where the walls are not so close and practice basic maneuvers. The best I could achieve with the Aero-Hawk was about 30 second hovers - and this was only after hours and hours of trimming and filing and sanding until them tiny linkages were nearly worn away. Does variable pitch make hovering any easier or is that more in the hands of the pilot and not the mechanics? How would you compare the quality of today's models (Walkera - E-Flite) as compared to the Aero-Hawk vintage? Has there been any improvement in the fabrication and molding of plastic parts for fit and consistancy and durability? Thanks again for helping me navigate through this maze. Your suggestions and opinions and experience are VERY much appreciated !! Jack