I have been searching the net for over a month trying to find what would be the best Electric Helicopter to start off with. I'm as new as they come to this field, and don't have alot of money to get into it. If anyone could show the right direction to go I would appreciate it. I was looking at the Mikado Logo 10, and seem to like the size, but have also looked at so many others. I read reviews on alot of them, and see alot of good and bad on all. Please Help.[>:]

I think that before you spend the large amount of money on a logo you should think of getting a simulator because never having flown a heli I don't think that you have the cash or knowledge to keep fixing a expensive heli like a logo after each crash you WILL have.With a sim at least you can see if you have what it takes to fly one and if you will want to stick with it because it is not as easy as you think and it takes a very long time to master the Heli.I don't want to discourage you but I think that you need a reality check because a fully set up logo 10 will cost you around $1000.00 dollars and each crash depending on how serious could cost you around $50.00 to $100.00 dollars and that is being conservative with the money amounts.I would spend the money on a sim and then after many sim flights I would look at getting a less expensive heli and then a logo 10 as a second or third heli.I am looking at one but it would be my third heli since I already have two.

Thank you for the information. Now, what would you suggest as far as a software for a simulator? What Radio should I look at purchasing to go along with the simulator, that I can also use with a RC Helicopter? I have read that you should at least purchase a 6 channel or more radio.

Depending on your finances it would be good to get the best you can afford to buy.I run the Futaba 9CHPS but it is a radio that cost me $450.00 there might be a place to get it cheaper if you look around.As for sim software there is only one that is great in my book and that is the Reflex XTR and with this one you do need your own radio because that is what you learn with on the sim.The radio that you purchase needs to be a Heli radio not a airplane radio and as for brand I like Futaba but if you cannot afford a Futaba,Hitec is acceptable but I would only look at the Hitec Optic 6 or the Hitec Eclipse 7.The sim is really the way to start out because you can crash all you want and only have to hit reset and not dig into your bank account to fix the crashes,it is worth it's weight in Gold for sure when it comes to learning the finer points of this hobby.I think that the Futaba 7 Channel radio is good but I cannot say first hand since I have only seen pictures of it.What ever you do research it first and then find what you like because you are the one that has to like it and learn with it and spend your money on it.And last but not least you need a good computer with a good graphics card to run today's sims so you need to check and see if your computer will run it and if you have a laptop forget it,it will not work because I have a laptop that is only 6 months old and Reflex will not run on it.[&o]

You can successfully learn how to fly without a sim... I did.

Follow instruction/ guidance from Radd's Flight School to the 't' and you'll be hovering and doing simple circuits with very little damage. Sims can be good for you to start off with, but there's no subsitute for actual flight experience. There are so many factors influencing your heli's flight characteristics that the software can not produce.

As far as the choice of your heli, you have to decide whether you want fix vs. variable pitch type. Your commitment to the hobby will most likely dictate what you're going to choose. For example, get an x-wing heli if you just want to try it out vs. getting a decent model like T-Rex if you plan to stick around with the hobby.

The sim is the best Radd's is fine if you want to waste your time with a fixed pitch that means more money and time wasted scooting around on the floor with a cheap fixed pitch heli that will add another couple hundred to the cost of your learning that could be used on a more productive heli while with a sim you will learn how to fly and trim out a heli.I looked at Radds and I even know the guy but it is for people that want to waste their time with a heli that has very little value for learning except to scoot on the floor fixed pitch are the hardest to fly and they are worthless except for flying in the house personally I like to fly outside.I spent 100 hours on the sim and went right into collective pitch flying and never wasted my money on a fixed pitch.I purchased a Trex and built it the very first time I tried flying pulled the heli into a hover and did it for a full battery pack.Also I guess a X wing heli is the XRB another waste of time it is a toy not a real heli it completely removes a very important part of learning the tail rotor and so what is going to teach you that???You want to waste time and money go that way or you can go with a sim and work hard and maybe go right into collective pitch if you feel that you are ready.I have been in it for eight months and because of the sim I have by passed fix pitch went right into collective pitch and own two heli's a Trex and a Voyager E and have no trouble with flying at all with out the help of Radd,I doubt that Radd's will do that for you.

Well I have to thank you for the information again. Of course I have been in love with helicopters my whole life, and will never be able to fly a real one, so RC it is. I do have some knowledge of the mechanics of certain helicopters, getting to fly in Huey's and two different Coast Gaurd ones. I spent some time, when there was time, talking to the pilots and crew chief's. It's hard not to just buy one and fly it, but I'm taking the advice of getting a SIM and radio first, which brings up another question on the radio. I have looked at all three that you had listed, and see that some kits come with the servos and some do not. My understanding is that I should buy one with the servos, but do not know how many.

Actually, if you are lookingat micro helis, you will probably want a transmitter-only package. The servos and receivers that they ship with the transmitters are too big for the micro helis.
ServoCity.com and BrucknerHobbies.com both ovver transmitters without the receiver and servos. The Futaba 7CH is about $170 this way. That transmitter would do you well for flying helis.

I'm going to go against the grain of the experienced guys here, and say just get a really cheap fixed pitch.

I started with a Walkera 22A, and it was too difficult to fly.

I progressed onto a simulator, but I really lacked knowledge of the helicopter and how it flew, so I still damaged my Heli.

Then I decided to get a Walkera 4.

It was cheap. They can cost less than US$100 including postage. Add some decent servo's and maybe a slightly larger battery, and for US$150 you're
flying. They come with a TX and RX, so you won't be tempted to choose the wrong one. Save that choice for when you have more experience.

Then learn on FMS. Once you can land on all the numbers in turn on FMS in 3ms/3ms wind, you can fly a Walkera 4 OK. The Walkera 4 comes with a cable to plug into a serial port, and any recent video card will suffice. Some Walkera 4's come with FMS. Others tell you where to download it.

Learn to hover tailfirst on the sim. Then go to the heli. Here's an example of what will happen next.

You will crash. You will crash. You will break something. You will crash.

However, the parts are cheap, and as you replace them, you learn how to set up your helicopter. You gain knowledge that you can't get from flying along. You learn how to repair and set them up. You learn how to *not* crash.

I got my Walkera 4 second. I wish it was first.

Lately, I've learned enough about repairing these to fix my Walkera 22A without parts... Other than a replaced servo. Not it's flying, and I've finally allowed myself to order repair parts from the net. But my skills learned on the Walkera 4 have saved me time and time again. And now I understand how the whole thing works well. And yes, it is a lot more stable than the Walkera 4, but the 22A needs a little skill to fly properly and to modify correctly.

I've just ordered one of those Aluminium heli's from Ebay. Made from machined aluminium, fiberglass and carbon fiber. That will make number 3 - now I am confident I won't destroy it on day one.

I'm still a novice, but I now have two flying helicopters, and have spent less than $100 on all the upgrades and spare parts so far. And I've been able to fly a basic heli for fun while learning enough to buy myself a better one.

Check out the Walkera 4 threads....

David