Scotty sounds to me like you ended up buying a really nice heli from a really schitty hobby shop. The Axe is an excellent heli, however, like all helicopters it is not for the impatient. When I bought mine (it was on impulse) I took it completely apart and made sure nothing was bent or warped. Then I lovingly put it back together and it flew just fine. As for the busted potentiometer, call Helimax, their customer service is great!!