So what's wrong with going straight to nitro? Before the advent of small electrics, we all learned on nitro birds. The normal learning curve was a 30 sized machine, then a 60 sized machine when you were ready. Eventually, the 50 and the 90 sized machines came about. The beauty of it is that you can upgrade a 30 to a 50 very easy and you can upgrade a 60 to a 90 equally easy.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND small electrics to start with. If you have no experience in RC a small electric might not be for you. I will get flamed by that statement, but the skill required to fly a small nitro is considerably higher than what is required to fly a bigger helicopter. The old saying "bigger is better" DOES apply to RC. They fly a hell of a lot better then the little electrics.

Now, on the other hand, a crash with a nitro will be a little more than the $40-$50 that you talk about. A good set of carbon blades for a 50 sized helicopter start at $70. That will be your absolute minimum crash cost when you start using carbon blades. You do not have to use carbon blades right away, but you will eventually. Plan on spending an average of $80 for every crash with wood blades.

I know it is a lot of information that maybe you did not want to hear. But the reality cannot be covered up. If you are as serious as you say you are, DO NOT go with small electrics and take the jump into the nitros.

Or you could go with the bigger electrics, as the Align TRex 600 or the Thunder Tiger Raptor E620. The only drawback that the bigger electric have is that the battery cost goes thru the roof. But as some people have said, you purchase all the fuel up-front with electrics.

Rafael