Simon Thorpe

I've had my Blade CX now for a few weeks and i'm learning fast. I still have a long way to go, such as being fully confident nose in, but i'm getting there.

I want to plan my upgrade path now... I want a good all round next step. Is it really going to be the Blade CP Pro? What other options do I have? I'm also thinking I really should invest in a better controller. Are there places that do package deals with a CPP and Spektrum 6 for instance? My budget is around $300-$350.

Ideally what I want is one payment for the heli, controller, charger etc. Be it a package I put together myself or one from an LHS or online store. Obviously i'll need spare parts for the inevitable problems (crashes) and I don't mind buying second hand if I can find a decent seller.

For some reason I really like the idea of flying something like a model Chinook or something that really looks like a real life heli. I remember seeing a video of an Air Wolf type replica that had retractable under carriage... I think I would prefer that more than going doing the dedicated 3D route.

J-Cube

Don't get a Blade CP/Pro! I had a real money wasting experience with it.

For the amount of money you have, go for something like the Falcon 3D. It seems like a good RTF package and it even includes a gyro and the tail rotor is driven by the main gear and motor. Or if you want something less complex, get a Falcon 40. That's what I'm going to do (right now a have a Lama V3 which is very fun to fly).

Sounds like what you want is a scale/replica heli. Build up your skill before you spend the extra money on one of these.

Do whatever you want!

Simon Thorpe

A gyro seems like a wise move, esp when you can disable it from the controller. Does the Falcon 3D or 40 come with a good controller and is it worth getting one without and upgrading it?

What is the advantage of having the tail rotor run from the main gear?

DZS

I am also looking to upgrade from my cx, i think a Falcon 3D would be a good start, but because its getting windy and cold outside I have to wait till the spring to it one, so untill then i think it will just get the fix pitch falcon 40 because its only $85, and i could use it to practice on untill spring.

J-Cube

I'm in the same position as DZS. I totally agree with you.

Simon Thorpe, I believe that the Falcon 40 and 3D come with good quality TXs. The advantage of having a shaft driven tail rotor is that, you don't have to worry about bad tail motors or a glitch in a 4 in 1 in a direct drive system. I can't really explain it all right now but it has advantages better then what I just said. It has to do with an equal and opposite amount of anti-torque (Newton's Law).

new-heli-pilot

The advantage to the tail rotor being ran off the main gear is that it eliminates the tail motor. This is just one less thing to go bad on you. i dont know much about the Falcons, but is the tail belt, or shaft driven? If it is belt then good, because if the tail boom bends you just get a new boom, as the belt wont snap. But with a shaft driven one the shaft will bend and you need a new boom and shaft.

Edit: Looks like J-Cube beat me to this by a few minutes, sorry it wasnt posted when I started typing.

J-Cube

I've been beaten to posts as well. The Falcon 3D is shaft driven. The Falcon 40 has a direct drive tail motor.

Simon Thorpe

So a Falcon, either a 3d or 40 is a good next heli. If the 3d has more potential as I learn, does it also mean the initial learning curve is steeper?

Any other heli's worth considering if my LHS isn't a Falcon stocker?

J-Cube

I hear that both make good next step helis. Eventually you can do stunts with the Falcon 3D. My advice would be to get a cheaper heli, something FP like the Falcon 40. Another good FP beginner heli would be the HoneyBee 4-Channel Radio Remote Controlled RC Helicopter Mark 2 (got that name from RaidenTech).

Simon Thorpe

So I just swung by one of the LHS near me. The guy building a heli on the counter gave some confusing and very cost increasing advice. Initially offering me a TRex 450XL and saying I should buy a Futuba transmitter kit and HH gyro... then he continued blabbering away to a final statement "Expect to be spending betwen 900-1100 for a full setup"

Not sure he understood me when I said "I have a $300 budget, what is the next LOGICAL step for me to take?"

*sigh*

J-Cube

Been there, heard that.

Next logical step (in my opinion):
Get the Falcon 40. If it turns out to really be a waste of $85, sell it for $60 and get the Falcon 3D from Hobby Lobby. At least you'll have some experience from the Falcon 40 (in someway or another).

I think that the Falcon 40 really looks like a good heli. I'm seriously going to try and order one this weekend.

If for some reason you end up getting the Falcon 3D, just remember to replace all the Chinese made screws with American screws or (from what I hear) you'll be screwed. LOL (bad pun)

Super_Dave

I have a blade CX that I mastered so I bought the MX400. Unfortunatly I'm still building it but I have seen them fly and got pleanty of information from experienced pilots. They are easier to fly then the Blade CPs but they are more upgradable and have better 3D flight capability. I know your budget is $300 but this MX400 totals out at about $780. MX400 - $140, Futaba 6EX radio with 4 digital servos (recommended by heli-max for the MX400) is $170, Brushless motor $75, speed control - $85, gyro - $140, li-po battery - $80 and a lipo charger (if you don't already have one) would be about $90. This will get you a heli that you'll have pleanty of fun with for a very long time and like I said before its easier to fly then a CP with better 3D capabilitys.

I should have my heli setup to fly tomorrow so I can tell you how it goes if you want.

Simon Thorpe

780 is way way over my budget and starts eating into my new car fund! Thanks for the information tho...

Karyn

You need to learn to prioritize. Which will be more usefull, a new car [:'(] or a new heli ?

cptsnoopy

you should really consider getting a small fixed pitch heli to continue your training before getting into collective pitch. continue learning hovering in all directions and get forward flight going in circles and figure eights. When you're just bored out of your mind with that, get a Trex SA or SE and chances are, you will save over getting a collective pitch in the first place. The main reason for fixed pitch is that the repair costs per crash are very small compared to a collective pitch. (this assumes that you are not flying very high...)

Simon Thorpe

So what model would you suggest? I think I really need to get a decent radio, it's pointless buying new helis and radios all the time. I'm going to keep an eye on ebay.

Simon Thorpe

Actually after all this reading, I think i'm going to go for the Falcon 3D... just need to find somewhere that has one in stock!

J-Cube

What cptsnoopy was suggesting would be the Falcon 40. Small and FP.

Let me know how you like the Falcon 3D. It may be CP but I hear its really easy to fly because of the HH gyro.
You can get the Falcon 3D for $280 at [link=http://www.hobby-lobby.com/falcon.htm]Hobby Lobby[/link] (back-ordered though).

I was originally going to get the Falcon 3D. Seems like a good heli. Just remember to replace all the screws when you get it!

new-heli-pilot

hobby-lobby is I think one of the sole distributors for the Falcon 3D, and look at the main blade price on that thing, by the time you buy those, and shipping why not just get a smaller HBCP2 or Blade CP, at least parts for those are around $10

Simon Thorpe

The reason for going with the Falcon 3d was the HH Gyro and the brushless motor. I think if I went for the BCP(P) I would be spending more money to get those extras? Am I right? I could I kit out a CPP with gyro and brushless for around $300

Not looked into the HummingBird yet... will do some searching now.

chopperdudes

i would suggest you try doing circuits and be really confident with nose in before you try anything bigger and more powerful. no coxail heli would prepare you for a collective pitch one. coxials are TOO stable. so if you are getting REALLY bored and can do everything the cx will give you, then upgrade. then, i would suggest you getting a cp (collective pitch) heli. these will save you one step and depending on which one you buy, you might not need to upgrade again until your really good at it... (inverted, tic toc's, funnel, death spiral) i'm only 14, bought a blade cp 2nd handed at my lhs for 185CND and tell you wat, if you got the money to get a better one, dont get the blade cp. let me tell you, it is quite a challenge to fly. i can say i'm a fast learner, i'm in my 3rd month of ownign it and i'm already at the looping stage. but i know many that still haven't perfect hovering in 3 months. i'd like to upgrade after the winter to a trex se. too bad we dong have falcon 3d parts here in canada... but there are advantages for a blade cp, it's power will not be as intimidating as that from a bl motor, crash costs are low, without the hh gyro, it'll teach you to fly the tail, and even though it might be one of the hardest heli's to fly, it'll definitely prepare you for anything bigger... they will all seem like a walk in the park if you mastered the blade cp. the blade cp is a very fun heli (that lacks a bl motor and hh gyro). but if you got the $$$$ and dont like a challenge, get something bigger... more powerful, more stable.

Super_Dave

I have a blade CP as well as the CX and the CP is very touchy. I think the main problem is it has a crappy gyro and the radio could deffinatly be better. I can hover my CP even nose in but anything past that is tough to handle. From what I hear (now waiting on li-po charger and brushless motor to fly my MX400 [:@]) if I can hover the CP and do some basic flything then the MX400 will be a walk in the park.

When I first got into heli's I knew the micros were the toughest to fly and I did think of it as an advantage because I could fly anything after I mastered a tough micro heli. It took me 3 months to learn how to hover with my CP (i started on the CP before the CX came out) but sense I flew indoors I didn't have the room to fix my mistakes when learning to hover nose in. Then I bought the CX from a friend and it was simple to fly. The first day I was flying ovals and figure 8s outside when it was calm. Then I stepped back up to the CP and had a good handle on it but never quite mastered it. So basically I spend a ton of money on the CP which is now going to lay in the corner. I'm hopping this MX400 will give me what I want and I didn't skimp on quality so it doesn't have the same problems as my CP did. I guess you get what you paid for but maybe you should wait till you can get a little more money later to get something better then the CP.

Simon Thorpe

Well, Hobby Lobby don't have any Falcon 3D's until the 27th October. So it looks like I am waiting till then...

Super_Dave

I haven't heard of the falcon untill I came on here. It looks pretty sweet especially for the price. The gyro and gear driven rudder is a huge advantage over the blade. The micro motor that ran the rudder on the blade was a deffinate weak spot compaired to gear/belt driven ones.

Simon Thorpe

Sorry, didn't respond to this.

I am very close now to that point. I can now pretty much put the CX anywhere with confidence.