This is my first post...just became a member of the forum!

I purchased a Helimax Axe EZ a couple of months ago. This is a coax mini electric heli. I have had a great deal of success with it. I've learned alot about flying this heli and adjusting it and, of course, repairing it. I have gotten to the point where flying the Axe EZ has gotten rather boring, so I'm ready to move on to a good second electric helicopter. I don't want something too difficult lest I become discouraged, but something that is a reasonable step-up from the Axe EZ in terms of the challenge. I'm looking at something with a street price less than about $200.00

I would appreciate any suggestions people have.

-Ata

What do you want to do with your 2nd Heli? If you want something to be able to advance on..from what Ive read the Axe CP(200$) is a good choice..it's slightly comparable to the Blade CP(250)..differences are that the Blade is lighter and probably more 3D capable(Comes with a Lipo), but with the extra weight of the Axe..it seems to be more stable and beginner friendly.

If you want a fixed pitch bird..from what I've seen it's just smart to stay away from Walkera. I'm not sure what I'd go with.


Both of these will be considerablly harder to fly than what you have now..Really, they're not even like the same kind of plane. I can tell you what 90% of the people here will, invest in a good simulator..personally I feel like you can't get the same kind of experience unless you're actually there..simulators are good at orientation..but if you've gotten good with your EZ then that might not be something you need to worry about

Thanks Hellion179! I'm mainly interested in honing my flying skills - getting better at handling more challenging helicopters so that eventually (and I do mean eventually) I can perform aerobatics and various advanced flying moves. That's in the far future. For now, I want to get practice with a more realistic heli. I plan to do the sim thing, but I'm looking for a heli that will allow me to put my skills to the test. I've already got the orientation problem mostly licked so I think I'm good there. But, then the Axe EZ is a very forgiving heli in that respect and overall.

On some other posts, I've noticed people mentioning the Falcon 40 as a good non-coax heli for beginners. Anyone have any comments on that?

BTW, I thought about posting this question on the Beginners Heli site, but I really want to hear the perspective of the more advanced R/C pilots thinking back to earlier in their careers.

Hehe, I should let you know I only have a couple dozen hours time behind a heli and that was about 5 or so years ago..and then it was more like crashing than really flying, lol..all that I posted was the general consensus of what I've been reading. I too have read good things about the Falcon 40.

The best advice I can give is get something that they make a lot of parts for..something you can get locally. To get good at this you have to keep doing it..and if you're waiting a week for parts every other weekend or so..then it can hurt progression.

IF you were willing to spend the money I'd go with the Axe CP personally. That's what I might get, I could probably afford the bigger stuff or rework my Raptor...but that would mean more grief with the wife. Having something that's CP will let you do everything the FP can...AND, it allows for more room to bloom..some say it can be flown in some wind too..

Only downside is you can have 2 FP heli's for the price you'd pay for anything CP.

Fair enough Hellion179. Thanks for your honesty.

I think what it comes down to is the difference between a FP and CP heli in terms of stability and controlability. Will the CP heli be so responsive and difficult to fly that I'll get frustrated getting it to even hover? If I were to get a CP helicopter, I'd probably go all out and get something like the Blade CP pro which is already equipped for aerobatics etc.

I'd still like to hear from others about my topic - a good second heli...

Thanks,
-Ata

Ata,
The nice thing about going with a CP heli, any CP helis, is it will be easier to fly outside. Being able to apply negative pitch will allow you to more easily handle wind gusts, updrafts, etc. I know some folks with falcon 40's. Nice flyers, but cheaply made. Still, a fixed pitch heli would be the next step up from your coaxial. Better foward flight, etc. BUt you'll still be chasing the heli in terms of altitude control because you have to wait for the headspeed to change before your corrections take effect. On to the next consideration: Some of the more popular "beginner" CP helis, lie the Axe and Blade CP come with a nmh battery which is heavy and outdated. The CP Pro, which goes for about $250 comes with a Lipo and a balancing charger. It also has a much more responsive head which will allow you to use this same heli to learn some aerobatics with. be arned, however, the little rate gyro it comes with is great for hovering, forward flight and some aerobatics ( I just did fast inverted forward flight with mine last night) but unless you're really really good at orientations the tail can easily get away from you. So now you need a heading hold gyro, which is like $90. Then you'll probably want a Brushless motor system and a Direct Drive Tail motor. Bottom line is, you have to decide what works for you. What level of sophistication will keep you going for now. Because as you can see, its never ending. The ultimate smart investment is a TREX. But that's major bank to get set up right.

I would recommend a Blade CP Pro. Move the control rods in a hole on the servo arms to make it less sensitive. Get some training gear and practice in a place where you have a smooth floor and plenty of room. I know you think you've got it down, but this is a whole other level of skill. Skate around on that smooth foolr and get a feel for what the heli does, how it responds. Make your first hovers just a couple of inches off the ground. Give yourself time to learn.

Good luck,

Dave

Thanks for the advice Dave - especially the point about moving the control rods inward on the servo arms to make the CP Pro less sensitive! I would never have thought of that one. Getting the CP Pro did cross my mind, but as you say, it would be a whole different experience as compared with the Axe EZ. I'm just afraid that I would be overwhelmed by the difficulty in flying a CP Pro and then I would get overly discouraged.

So, I hear you saying that a Falcon 40 may not be a bad idea at this point and it is the next logical step beyond the Axe EZ.

Thanks again....I'm open to more responses...

-Ata

yes, it would. Just be sure you have a recource for parts.