after numerous crashes I finally got a stable hover and it's surprising how.

first of all like everyone here I've always followed to advice of keep the training gear on and I've also done the whole RADDS tutorial over and over again.

I was continuously frustrated at how my fights always felt out of control and the bcp kept swaying and sliding.

Today out of frustration I decided I wasn't going to go with the landing gear.......... And that resulted in the longest stable hover yet 1/2 pack hover (I have a 1200mah Lipo). I instantly went from sketchy 30 sec to steady 8min.

So for those of you wondering why it's so hard to hover if you have had at least 20 flights with the ping pong balls on, try with them off. One of the main problems was the lag effect from the balls was causing me to over correct continuously until I oscillated out of control without them the movement from the BCP is much snappier and much more easy to control as a result.

Another bad thing the ping pong balls do is add weight which make crashes much more severe like having plasti blades also makes crashes very bad. It's also a good idea after 20 flights to not rely on the balls to save you learn how to gently put her down to use the dirt break not send her crashing to the floor.

For those of you discouraged keep hanging in there I had no CX experience and now I finally had the CP click and if you think your destroying alot of parts to get there... here's my list:

1x Main blade
2x Tail blade
2x bearings tail (lost during horrific crash)
1x main frame assy
1x pitch control link
1x retaining pin (lost one day)
3x skid (single not pairs)
1x flybar
1x flybar paddle

vortex05,

Congrats! You haven't broken many parts to get where you are! LOL Keep at it, slow and steady, and you will be in FF befoe you know it.

orlbuzz

I am having similar success, though I did have previous experience with the cx, only two days worth, I tried the blade cp with the gear on, and had little success. Once I took the gear off, I was hovering for about 40 second times, though Im out right now for repairs (blades and main frame) I felt so much more confident that I can do this after flying without the gear. Once its back together, I am going to have to go to a gym or somthing, need more space, lol.

oh, and just a tip, don't fly around a dog. My dog "thor" a big german shepard favorite passtime is to chase my planes, lol, but the helicopters are a little different, after getting hit with the blades once from the cx, though he would have learned. Came charging at the cp the other day, none the less, after a trip to the vet, we both learned our lesson, poor dog, made his tongue look like hamburger. good luck, spence

surprised as ever when taking off the gear made it so much easier. After my 2nd flight I'm actually able to recover (apply a power boost to slow it down just before it lands). slowly reducing the area required for a full pack hover to the area above my bed 4ftx6ft unfortunately it's snowing and windy outside in Canada so I can't really fly outside, maybe I'll use a gym once I think I'm ready for some nose in.

Congrats on the hover! To the guy who hit his dog...I feel your pain. My lab-pit is pretty good about staying back. I guess she figures anything that sounds like an angry bee, she wont get near (LOL). Got a couple young cats that might end up learning the hard way.

Just some notes:

*the added weight of the training wheels help stabilize the unit.
* yes, the pongs will affect hover due to ground effect but not so much as to affect my hover where I cannot fly it.

* batteries have a huge effect on flight stability (learned that the hard way).

I guess we have the same experience with the training gears and I must say that they do add to the weight and operation of the heli. However I have at least twice or three times as much parts that I have replaced just trying to learn how to hover. I guess the key is "patience" and "practice".

for what it is worth,,,,been going thru the same routine as you all, witha bcp and was having trouble, till for some reason i put on the symetrical blades, and boom,,,,,,,hovered , seemed to make a difference, called a buddy with a flat bladed bcpp and he switched blades and said it made a dicernable difference... I have not switched back, maybe it is a fluke, but it helped me....................................

I never got mine to fly with flat bottoms. I'm running plastic symmetricals. They're a little hard on the spindle and main rotor shaft though if you impact anything and if you land too hard...you're replacing the tail boom. I've done carbon fiber symme's. They are nice but expensive. The plastic blades are difficult to balance out also. I'm still flying the same plastic blades after several strikes but I got a new set on order...these are spent but they still fly.