DeLuXe24

Is the Blade CP (pro) a good beginner heli? I have never flown a heli before and I want one that that is easy to fly but can do tricks and stuff when I get better.

robflyer82

My Feedback: (1)

I learned to fly helis with a BCPP after doing planes for about two years. The CX will be easier to fly for a beginner but is limited in terms of capabilities. The BCPP is capable of advanced flying (like flying inverted) but I wouldn't describe it as easy to fly. Its a steep learning curve to fly helis and there will be crashes. There is the RADD's (http://www.dream-models.com/eco/flying-index.html) school of flight that I wish I had done when I started. Proper setup of the heli will make learning to fly it much much easier. Good luck

Rob

AeroDave

If you're willing to get some training gear, take your time, learn in an area with plenty of space and be open to buying a sim then yes, the CPP can be a good beginner heli. I think it represents a different kind of commitment, much like buying a larger nitro heli. Its not a cheap, forgiving toy but a very capable aerobat that will serve you well for a long time to come. If, on the other hand, you plan to take it out of the box and attempt to hover in your living room first time out then it is a huge mistake and a complete waste of money. For the casual introduction to the world of helicopters the CX2 makes way more sense. Both are well made, quality investments. They just represent different approaches.

choppersrule

Deluxe24,

AeroDave has put a lot of things in perspective for you, keep in mind that it's an expensive hobby and takes sometime to get proficent at it...and alot of patience too. Look at Radd's School of Rotary flight for a lot of details in getting the heli off the ground, follow it religously and it'll teach you alot in a short time and save you alot of money in broken parts.
Here's a link to Radd's:: http://www.dream-models.com/eco/flying-index.html

AeroDave, very well put together, I read a lot of your posts

Dave / Choppersrule

DeLuXe24

I had a friend point me toward the RADD school of flight and Ive read alot of it and I think it makes a lot of sense. I really want a sim but dropping 200 smackers on a sim seems kinda ridiculous. Any one know of a inexpensive but good sim?

sportsman67

Hi DeLuXe24, Listen to this advice its all good. I too flew electric planes for awhile now, this is much harder and there are times this past month I have had my doubts about my CP Pro. Through the advice in this forum(read my previous posts), following radds, having an experienced pilot trim it for me and practicing on a sim(very important) I still find it tough. I have repaired it lots, bought lots of parts and have put a lot of time into it. I'm now starting to find it very rewarding as I can hover and do cautious ff flight but you need a lot of patience and money to get into this hobby or your heli will sit because you can't fly it, you can't afford to fix it or your just fed up with fixing it. Did I say I love this thing! Good luck and Happy Flying.

Forgot to mention : I use clearview rc flight sim. you can buy it online for $30 and it has a cp pro in it. You can use it with a game controller or buy a cable to hook it to the tx that comes with the cp pro.

AeroDave

Dave/choppersrule,

thanks for the kind words. I've read lots of your stuff too, and learned a ton!

sewflynwa

DeLuXe24,

I am not experienced with helicopters, having gotten by CPP only 5 days ago. This was my first attempt at a helicopter after 30+ years of "fixed wing", both electric and glow. This afternoon, on my 10th battery, I got a full pack hover without having to bail and set it down. It has, without a doubt, been the most challenging R/C learning experience ever for me. I did a lot of reading here on the forums, read RADDS many times, and applied my own experience from fixed wing flying, in one word--PATIENCE. Nose in hover is next and forward flight is a long ways off still, especially here in SW Oklahoma where calm winds outside are something you read about elsewhere. But based on how responsive the CPP has shown itself to be, I have no doubt it is a very capable machine and will meet your needs.

Cary

FMB42

Sim
Setup
Practice
Patience

Follow this, and the above posts, for the best results. Consider trying the freeware download SIM "FMS" and be sure to check out "bladecprepair.com" for lots of setup info. You can upgrade the BCP for better performance, as your skills improve, or downgrade the BCPP for better training characteristics while you learn. Good luck and good flying!

P.S. Don't forget to wear eye protection while operating or working on your RC helicopter.

MNMike

PET PEEVE ALERT

I guess with a steep learning curve, you'll be an expert in no time...

DrunkYoda

Well think of a bell curve. At first you learn very little, then more, then boom you peak, then you learn less until eventually you aren't learning anything again. A steep bell curve to me would mean my learning at first is a LOT (not skill level) and as I master the art I learn less(as I already know it). 0-1-5-10-5-1-0

A short learning curve, lets say counting to 5. I need to know very few facts, very little learning. So the learning curve is obviously shorter I start from nothing, find out what numbers are, repeat 1-5 a couple times, and I know it. There's nothing more to learn about counting to 5 skill level I'm maxed but learning level 0. 0-1-2-1-0

So the skill level acquired is low versus time. The learning levels over time are low, then really high, then low again, thus making it steep. Learning curve corresponds to the process of learning over time, not the skill level acquired over time.

MNMike

The slope at any point of the curve is a tangential line. Steep would indicated an angle between 45 and 90 degrees, where the average increase in skill would be faster than the average passing of time. Your 'beginning' bell curve is a shallow learning curve, where time passes and skill increases little. The point where learning comes quickly is the 'steep' portion of the bell curve. At the top of the curve where you learn little as time passes, again the curve is shallow, mild, low, not steep, whatever you want to call it. After you reach the mean, your skill declines due to excessive ingestion of fermented grain beverages, doing stupid things without your helmet, inhalation of nitro fumes, alzheimers, etc. Maybe a bell curve isn't the best example to use...

DrunkYoda

I was saying fact wise you learn little at first, 1 fact. Your brain functions very little. You start learning a lot about the subject and you continue learning just as much, the learning increases your brain "learning" function. 5 facts, 5 facts, 5 facts, then you learn less as you come out of the bell curve. 2 facts, 1 fact. less brain funtion on the learning, more on maintenance of facts. So at the top of the bell curve it doesn't mean you learn a lot, then stay stagnant, then drop off. I'm saying you maintain a level of learning then slowly drop off to where you are not learning anymore or a lot less at least. So the learning process is steep as there area LOT of facts about RC Helis that you learn over a short period of time, and/or you crash, so you drop down to not learning as much again , the skills attained over time is low.

So back on this whole helicopter thing.... You will learn a little at first that gets you interested. You will pick up pace and maintain a long period of time where there are many facts and much much much flying time. Following the bell curve you will learn less and less, eventually you will get bored... jk

there's always something to learn, most of us learn new things every day. So you could say the "learning process" looks more like this.
_/------------ never really drops off for most of us at least.

drphoto

Did you ever fly or know someone who flew RC 'planks'? (airplanes) They didn't start with an aerobatic model thinking I'll learn on this and then go fly the AMA pattern later.

No....they...at least the smart ones....start with a slow stable trainer and then move up. Why should heli's be any different? And let's face it, a heli is way harder to fly than a plane.

So, IMHO get a slow stable trainer heli like any of the coax designs (CX, Lama, etc) A little more challenging is one of the FP dual motor designs like the Honeybee 3, but they're still pretty good trainers. Once you can completely control one of these birds (and I mean control....not just keep from crashing) then get the hot 3D machine.

This might not be the majority opinion, but in my mind, it seems like the logical one.

Sorry for the rant.

BTW: I agree w/ posters who say the learning curve is not linear. You can work on something for days w/ little progress and then....BAM....you just get it.

rcmiket

CX2 it will give you the feel for the heli world without breaking the bank. Lots of guys go with "upgrades". Save the bucks and fly the crap out of the CX2. I went to the Pro next and I'm not sure about that was the way to go. Seems like in order to get it fly good you need to spend quite abit on upgrades. Save your bucks and look at the T Rex for a next choice. After flying one I'm sold. Its a fun world enjoy there's tons of info out there to help you along. Good Luck.

Pearl_414

Deluxe,

You asked, is the CPP a good beginner heli and does it fly easy, the answer is no. The CPP is hard to fly, unless you are experienced or abnormal. I heard many pilots say they thought the CPP was for them and were very wrong. Then you have great heli pilots that would differ. My LHS salesman labled the CPP as the hardest rc gas or elec heli in the world to fly. When I 1st flew the CPP, I thought it was easier to fly then advertised, although I had heli experience already. With your case no heli experience, looking for 3D, smooth flying heli, you may wanna consider the .30 - .50 nitro heli's, much more stable , which I think can make decent trainers and for the improved pilot. Good luck

Pearl

ndoren

I don't know that you have to spend $200 on a sim, but whatever you invest in a sim is money well spent. The sim serves many purposes. For one, it'll give a realistic enough experience to convince yourself that you want to buy a real RC heli, or that perhaps you don't. Second, you can get "real" experience and hone your skills, thus minimizing your crashes once you do get the heli. In other words, you may make back your $200 by not busting so many parts once you actually start fllying the real heli. Third, you can try crazy things on the sim without paying a price for broken parts. Also, it's great when it's windy and rainy... a suitable sub for the real thing when you need your flying fix.

When I first got my sim (yes, the expensive FSOne) I actually thought the software was defective. I simply could NOT fly the CP in the sim. I figured the sim was junky.. how could a heli be that hard to fly? Well, if I'd started with the real heli, I'd have crashed it, and thrown it in the trash in frustration. Now that would have been a true waste. Instead, as I got better on the sim, I finally bought a heli and real flying experience was a lot more pleasant as a result. I don't crash every time I fly. Just most times. Neall