New guy here, this is cool!
 

Hi all! Another new guy here.

It all started when I was at the Meijer store with my kids. We went through the toy area and I spoted and purchased an Air Hogs Havoc Heli. It is a very fun toy, but it was enough to give me Heli Fever :D. The following day I went to the LHS and purchased a CX. I am having a ball with it, but now I want to move up again.

My question, Is a BCPP too big of a jump forward for me. I am afraid that I will grow out of the CP too quickly, and I don't want to spend another $250 or more in 6 months for a Pro or something else. I know that the T-Rex is supoosed the be an amazing machine, but at this point, I don't want to spend that kind of money.

I do not have a simulator but I do have experience with fixed wings. I want something, at this point :D, that I can go outside in my yard and fly. I know that 3D is a ways off for me, but that is the direction that I would like to go eventually.

Thanks in advance for everyones input. I love this forum. I have learned quite a bit from reading it, and I look forward to hearing what everyone has to say.

Thanks,
Ryan

RE: New guy here, this is cool!
 

well thats good that you got into the sport,welcome..well i would say get the cp pro because the cp and pro are the same but the pro is setup a little different. and i dont think the blade pro will leave you bored..

RE: New guy here, this is cool!
 

I would get the CP Pro with a few conditions:

1) Remember that the wind has a very big effect on these little helis, so I would make sure you have someplace other than your yard to practice in. Once you learn the ropes, you'll be able to handle a bit of wind.

2) As part of your spare parts kit (and you will want a spare parts kit- main shafts, pitch links, feathering shaft, skids, tail booms, etc...), I would buy the standard CP blade grips. Use those until you get the hang of it, then put the Bell/Hiller grips back on. The BCPP Bell/Hiller system may be a bit too responsive for a beginner whereas the BCP gave a very little bit of lag time. That's my personal recommendation, and the argument goes both ways (some people don't like the control lag and learn better with the Bell/Hiller).

It's cheaper to buy the BCPP and downgrade it for training than it is to buy the BCP and upgrade it for performance.

Good luck.

Chad

RE: New guy here, this is cool!
 

There are plenty of tricks to tame a CPPro down a lot - if you already have a Good Futaba Tx. for your fixed wing stuff you will really be set.

Once your set post on how to tame your Pro, and you'll get some tips.

Get training gear, and don't take them off for a while, you'll be o.k.,

Dennis

RE: New guy here, this is cool!
 

The little collective pitch helis take a bit of tinkering to get set-up correctly and re-build for those inevitable crashes, small blade whacks usually result in new pitch links, paddle links etc. They can be made to fly well and do aerobatics with. One other option is a fixed pitch heli like the E Sky Honeybee, it's about $129 with a Tx and batts. The HB FP can cruise around in normal flight pretty good, and is very easy and cheap to repair, you won't have to fuss with pich and throttle curves etc.

RE: New guy here, this is cool!
 

If your goal is to eventually to 3D, or have any larger Heli, get into a collective heli now, learn all of the setup's and maintenence.

Flying Heli's is 85% being a mechanic - 15% flying

If you are careful and take your time, you can minimize crashes and major repairs

Dennis

RE: New guy here, this is cool!
 

Dennis

I replied to your post above in regards to a fixed wing Futaba Radio for helis. I have a 6 Channel Futaba Computer radio but didn't think it would work with helis since there are no pitch curves or cyclic/collective pitch mixing in the programming. Is there a web site that you can direct me to for programming instructions. My Blade CP arrives today and I wouldn't mind using a better radio for it.

Thanks

Jim

RE: New guy here, this is cool!
 

Gents,

Thanks to everyone for your respones! It looks as though a CP Pro is in my future! It seems as though it is pretty simple to tame down the Pro. That was exactly what I was worried about. I was afraid of having too much machine in my new-b hands.

I ponied up the cash yesterday for Real Flight G3.5, Only to find that I had to up grade my computer. Oh well, I hope that the cost will be worth it. So which Heli should I be practicing on? Are there any that are close to the BCPP?

Here is an intresting story for you guys that happened to me today. It was a very calm day here today so I took my CX outside. In mid flight my flybar cam off! I have the aluminum inner shaft, but some how the screw came out of the head and let her come lose! So if any of you guys were wondering if you can go inverted in a CX, just take the fly bar off! Of course it wasn't intentional, but it went inverted and then dropped like a rock! Pretty interesting! No damage to the CX really, just a slightly bent fly bar and a missing screw for my fly bar head. I wish somebody else was around to see me inverted for my first time though! Even if it was a mistake and did result in a crash. It was pretty cool! :D

RE: New guy here, this is cool!
 

I was thinking of a 7c or 9c - don't know which others have pitch/throttle curves in the fixed and heli versions. Still though, if the Futaba had dual rates or expotential, you would be ahead of the curve I think - that is what really helps flying a Pro.

Dennis

RE: New guy here, this is cool!
 

Go with the T REX. a good Sim, and a instructor at your local club. You will get just as bored with the cp pro as you did the cx. Unless you can justify the 400+$$$ on top of the $249.00 purchase price to upgrade the cp pro. Not only is the T Rex a better heli but, it is easier to fly and much less expensive in the long run. I have both and still enjoy my cp pro but consider it a toy just as the cx has or will probably become to you. Regards;)

RE: New guy here, this is cool!
 

My first CP heli was the CPP. I figure in 3 months I spend $400 repairing the thing. I find the thing to be a b#$%tard to fly. I'm in the process of building a T-Rex at the moment and kind of wish I had just bought that right at the start. Now, even though I have a really hard time flying the CPP and have decided to retire it because I was spending too much on parts, maybe it has been excellent training for flying the T-Rex. When I fly the Rex for the first time, I should have my answer. If I'd gone straight to the Rex, maybe I would have spend thousands on parts, not hundreds learning the basics. I agree that you might get bored (and maybe really frustrated) with the CPP quickly and to make it a really good flyer you have to spend a lot of money on upgrades, money that might be better spent on a heli that will last you for a long time before you start to feel the need to upgrade.

BTW, I've been flying Real Flight G.3 and find it awesome for learning side and nose in hovering. However, be aware that flying the helis on the sim it a lot easier than real life.

RE: New guy here, this is cool!
 

The first heli i have ever flown ever was a cp pro.I jumped in with both feet.Never used a sim or flown any heli.I used the radds method and i was hovering in no time.Just added the dd tail and its hovering great.Im no where near bored with the cp pro.Lots of people down this heli but for me its a great heli with a great price tag.