Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on this thead. I'll keep this brief....

A year ago I bought a Blade CP and was discouraged with how hard it was to fly, combined with what little abuse the wooden blades take (from a newbie). So it sat on the shelf for about 8 months until, by chance, I sold it to a friend. That's when I found the Blade CX. We all know how fun these things are to fly. I've been flying mine for about a month now with what I would say are typical results. Yes I've broken blades, bodies, landing gear, etc. All this because I want to FLY this thing. Not hover around in my living room or do perioettes (sp?) on a impossible wind-free day.

So here's my question to you, the reader, would one month's practice prepare me for another Blade CP? Eventually I want to buy one along with either Carbon Fiber blades or Plasti-blades (something that can take a hit or two... or 10).

Does your friend still have your old CP?
If so, ask if he'll let you try it again. A try or two at hovering shold give you an idea if you're ready or not.

That's a good idea. He lives a couple of towns away, but maybe he'll bring it to work with him!

You see, I figured that a CP should at least get off the ground and somewhat stay airborne. But I heard a great analogy. It's like trying to balance a ball bearing ontop of another ball bearing while walking around your living room. Knowing that now, I feel I can be more patient!

Money is tight, so I can't go and spend $200 on a simulator AND $200 on a new Blade CP!

I also had a CP - sold it on ebay and recouped my money. Bought a CX. Mostly I'm happy - same thoughts as you.
Then I read that I could have worked with a really experienced person to fine tune it, and add a ton of weight to the flybars for stability, and move the control rods inboard to slow the response down - the opposite of what we do the the CX. We want to slow the CP down. AND there are upgrade radios that slow the control by at least half near the center of the control range, and get more linear as you move the stick away from center - again slowing the delicate input required to fly the CP as a newbie.
I think that with the proper combination of tricks and adjustments you should be able to fly it. And keep the CX for the rainy days.
Soloboss

the first thing newbs should consider doing to a stock blade is to move the pitch links inward until they are on the 3rd hole (using the outermost hole as hole 1). This should deaden the response considerably enough that you should be able to flail more madly without the blade CP respond in mad fashion. Once you grow beyond the super slow response that this would give you you can move up a hole. currently I'm on hole two oddly it seems to give me full range of movement already as moving the cyclic to the corners NE NW SE SW I can already hear the servo's bind, (side effect of the swash binding).

As such I was thinking I might want to bring it back to hole 2. so far having alot of fun with it in this setting just keep in mind if you get into trouble it's better to not cut throttle as I've learned after a few broken skids. I sometimes (unfortunately due to rain) flight test indoors to make sure everything is set right.

I do find that flight testing indoors it's better having a faster response (Links at hole 2) your able to stop movements that might involve smashing into a wall by quickly flicking the controls the opposite direction ever so briefly... Just don't hold down a direction for too long as by the time it starts going with higher pitch settings it goes FAST. Too fast for this newbie.

Good points ball all. Soloboss, so now that you look back, are you ready to tackle a CP again?

Swanky,

Do what ya gotta do, but just go slow, it took me many months to fly the CP or CP Pro. I broke a lot of parts, but I was determined to fly the sucker. Now, I can hover all day long in my basement, and I have a ball flying in the back 40.

Moving the the linkage to the 3rd whole, tames it down tremedously. As your ability grows, you can always move them back.
If the 3rd whole gives you headaches, go for the 4th hole. Just have to experiment.

That's me the old guy, hovering my Pro in the basement, do it all the time.
Just be patient and don't fly beyond your ablility, take small steps and build as you go. Then you can run.

Dave / Choppersrule

Choppers,

So the fact that you have about 5 helis and a few planes hanging on the wall has nothing to do your passion for flying??? Just kidding, but I thought *I* was a chopper nut. Maybe not a nut, but a man trying to live a childhood dream.

I'm liking this idea of moving the linkages, that will help me for sure. Also, since nobody has mentioned it yet, I will follow RADD's techniques. Thank you for your input!

Swanky,
I do have the passion for the flying. Spent 4 years in the Air Force, working on the B-52s and KC-135s, the big stuff.
Flew the planks for about 5 years, had a ball. Now the helis. "Childhood dream", I think I'm going thru Man-apause.

I post this all the time, my fleet of helis, however it's a few months old and doesn't show my Blade CX2 and the tiny Picco Z. (Total 7)

Moving the linages in 2 holes, if you need 3, made the difference for me, of almost throwing in the blades(towel). My reflexes just aren't what they use to be, so 3D is out of the question.[8D] One of the model helis I built, had over 200 tiny little parts, took months to build and paint.

Just go slow and enjoy what you can do, and build on that slowly.

Best,
Dave / Choppersrule
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I found this unresolved post and wondered how the decision went. Did you get the CP? Weather you did or didn't are you satisfied? I really wish that I had posted my frustrations on this forum. Maybe I wouldn't have lost my CP. Maybe I would have lost my mind. Who knows? But I'm certain that with some guidance I could have trimmed the heli better than factory, and moving the link locations may have made a huge difference. At the time I got rid of the heli I didn't know if I was over or under correcting the heli. It does seem that flying something with no TBE would be good. I keep my CX adjusted, but as long as it's making its own wind, it's a bit unstable.
My LHS has a program where I could have hired a trainer for $20/hr. Training, along with the adjustments to make the on-center control far slower may have made me a real pilot.
I do know that I'll always have a soft spot for the whistle of the rotor coming up to speed. I love it. And as long as ebay has CP Pro helis for sale, there's always tomorrow. CP Pro - detuned to make it slower to respond is cheaper than a CP plus upgrades.
Soloboss

SIMULATOR....SIMULATOR....SIMULATOR!!!! If you can't afford the $170 for G3.5, then go with Clearview (about $70 after all said and done).

If you cant fly the helis in the simulator, you can't fly the real thing.

When you do get the real thing, tame it out as said above. But that is far from the miracle cure. You really should have the controls down before you even try to use the CP.

When you do get the heli, start following RADDS flight training.

Do these steps in order and you will be hovering a CP in no time.

Also, stronger blades lead to damaging harder to replace parts in a crash. Stick to the woodies to learn.

Danny