Which Mini/Micro heli to buy???
06-20-2003, 02:45 PM
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Which Mini/Micro heli to buy???
Hey guys....
Trying to sort through all of the different brands of mini/micro helis on the market to decide what I want. I am an advanced fixed wing pilot (fly turbine aircraft) and I have quite a bit of heli time under my belt. I owned a Piccolo when they first came out but got bored just hovering in the house and sold it. I am now looking for a mini/micro heli that has some good performance both indoors and out that I can modify/upgrade at my own pace but wish it to be somewhat aerobatic out of the box. I have looked at the new Piccolo Pro and the hornet along with a few others but figured it would be best to ask here before deciding. Dont want to drop a fortune but willing to spend some $$ for a good performer. I currently have a high end computer radio and high end chargers capable of charging LI batts as well.
What would be the best kit to fill these requirments? Please include what motor upgrades (I assume hacker?), battery, blades ect... I would need to get this kit to be capable of inverted flight and mild aerobatics. Would also like to get 5+min of flight time.
TIA
Todd
Trying to sort through all of the different brands of mini/micro helis on the market to decide what I want. I am an advanced fixed wing pilot (fly turbine aircraft) and I have quite a bit of heli time under my belt. I owned a Piccolo when they first came out but got bored just hovering in the house and sold it. I am now looking for a mini/micro heli that has some good performance both indoors and out that I can modify/upgrade at my own pace but wish it to be somewhat aerobatic out of the box. I have looked at the new Piccolo Pro and the hornet along with a few others but figured it would be best to ask here before deciding. Dont want to drop a fortune but willing to spend some $$ for a good performer. I currently have a high end computer radio and high end chargers capable of charging LI batts as well.
What would be the best kit to fill these requirments? Please include what motor upgrades (I assume hacker?), battery, blades ect... I would need to get this kit to be capable of inverted flight and mild aerobatics. Would also like to get 5+min of flight time.
TIA
Todd
06-20-2003, 02:53 PM
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Hi
Though I am not much into electrics but do fly Nitros and I liked Eolo a lot . Comes with One Way , Thrust Bearings and bearings at places where needed . Very nice quality and Parts are cheap compared to Logo helis . For moreinfo ..check out rchover.com or do a search here . Lot of fellas have already acuired em and can give you more info
06-20-2003, 03:06 PM
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Which Mini/Micro heli to buy???
What's the dimensions of the Eolo? Looks to be bigger than the Picclo/Hummingbird?? How readily available are replacment parts and upgrades on this heli since I believe it is faily new to the market?
Todd
Todd
06-20-2003, 05:34 PM
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Yep it is bigger
For sure it is not same size as Hornet and is defintely bigger .. The main blades are 810mm in diameter and not good for in house flying . Parts are available from rchover.com and are available whatever needed . Kit is much more nicer than Hornets and Picolos .. it is somewhat like a Corona in size but built like bigger helis
You can ask more at
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...threadid=94628
Photo Picked up from a member for comparision
You can ask more at
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...threadid=94628
Photo Picked up from a member for comparision
06-20-2003, 06:32 PM
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Which Mini/Micro heli to buy???
Mate, I have a Hummingbird, a Pic Pro, an Eolo R22 and an Eco 8. If you want to fly in AND outdoors you only have 2 real choices. Pic Pro and Hornet. Can't really comment on the Hornet. I spoke to my LHS guy, and he echoed what all the BBS's say... great when setup and working right but a bu@@er to get right and really breakable.
I am sooooo impressed with my Pic Pro. Been in the air with it just over a week and it is simply outstanding in and outdoors (though you need a good space to do anything more than hover indoors).
My Pro:
Pic Pro (surprise!)
Hacker B20-36S, 9 tooth pinion
CC Phoenix 10 ESC
GWS 6ch nano rec
GWS ICS50 esc for tail
Factory lightened CSM HLG200 locking gyro
Micro tube antenna.
E-Tech 3S 11.1V 1200Mah Li-po
20 ish minutes flight time. Resilient. Easy to CA. Cheap fixes and upgrades. Tail motors may die from time to time but they cost s0d all. Mine has not gone yet.
One word of VERY important advice. With your experience.. go straight for a setup like mine. Brushless separates with Li-po. The stock motor is weak and won't last long. The picoboard is a pain and a one box solution, which can be bad. You WILL spend the money going separates and brushless so just bite the (expensive) bullet and do it from the start.
Mine flies like a rocket!! and if I could, it would fly upside down to the moon! It's performance is quite shocking!
Great bit of kit, well don Ikarus and Hacker and E-Tech :-)
I am sooooo impressed with my Pic Pro. Been in the air with it just over a week and it is simply outstanding in and outdoors (though you need a good space to do anything more than hover indoors).
My Pro:
Pic Pro (surprise!)
Hacker B20-36S, 9 tooth pinion
CC Phoenix 10 ESC
GWS 6ch nano rec
GWS ICS50 esc for tail
Factory lightened CSM HLG200 locking gyro
Micro tube antenna.
E-Tech 3S 11.1V 1200Mah Li-po
20 ish minutes flight time. Resilient. Easy to CA. Cheap fixes and upgrades. Tail motors may die from time to time but they cost s0d all. Mine has not gone yet.
One word of VERY important advice. With your experience.. go straight for a setup like mine. Brushless separates with Li-po. The stock motor is weak and won't last long. The picoboard is a pain and a one box solution, which can be bad. You WILL spend the money going separates and brushless so just bite the (expensive) bullet and do it from the start.
Mine flies like a rocket!! and if I could, it would fly upside down to the moon! It's performance is quite shocking!
Great bit of kit, well don Ikarus and Hacker and E-Tech :-)
06-20-2003, 06:55 PM
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Which Mini/Micro heli to buy???
Dodgey,
Thanks for the info! Can you be a little more specific as to where to find all the goodies you listed? I have been doing quite a bit of research on the net and I have come to the same conclusion, go with the pico pro. Just need to find one website where I can get everything I need
I was wondering about the pico board, guess I shouldn't get one. Can you tell me how the mixing is handled to the tail rotor without th pico board? I see your using a seperate ESC for the tail but where is the mix done? Radio I assume? Does the pro's swash plate use standard left/right forward/back movement or does it use the new style computer mix (forget what that new setup is called) for directional control?
Thanks again....
Todd
Thanks for the info! Can you be a little more specific as to where to find all the goodies you listed? I have been doing quite a bit of research on the net and I have come to the same conclusion, go with the pico pro. Just need to find one website where I can get everything I need
I was wondering about the pico board, guess I shouldn't get one. Can you tell me how the mixing is handled to the tail rotor without th pico board? I see your using a seperate ESC for the tail but where is the mix done? Radio I assume? Does the pro's swash plate use standard left/right forward/back movement or does it use the new style computer mix (forget what that new setup is called) for directional control?
Thanks again....
Todd
06-21-2003, 07:29 AM
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Which Mini/Micro heli to buy???
No problem. I got all the help I needed on these boards so I try and "give some back"!
As for getting all the parts.. my situatuion is a bit different as I'm in the UK.
Pic Pro Kit - helihobby.com amongst many
You will probably find they have eveything
Brushless motor and ESC - www.fxaeromodels.com , although helihobby will probably have the Astro 010 which is a popular alternative
Helihobby again for tail esc (a lot of folk recommend buying a higher frequency tail esc to make the tail motor last longer. gets expensive tho)
Li-Po's I use b-p-m.com (Bishops power products) they are good value, pre-built packs and deliver to the UK fast.
I use a lightened CSM HLG200 Gyro. Because it is a heal locking gyro you don't need a tail mix. The Gyro does it all!! You just turn revo mixing off on the TX. Because u end up using a regular esc for the tail you have to trick it into initialising on power up. With mine, I have to apply full left rudder to "switch it on".
For a full seprates explanation go to helihoby.com and click on the tips and trick link and it shows how to wire separates, brushed, and brushless.
The head does NOT use CCPM mixing. you have 1 servo for elevator, 1 for aireleron and one for pitch only. I set my radio CCPM to "normal" which is the equivalent of "Off". Ch1 and 2 does ail and elev, and 6 does pitch. As long as your TX will link throttle and pitch channels then it will work.
If you go to the Ikarus BBS ant to the Picolo forum and search you will find more details on all of this than you can handle!
ikarus.de
good luck :-)
As for getting all the parts.. my situatuion is a bit different as I'm in the UK.
Pic Pro Kit - helihobby.com amongst many
You will probably find they have eveything
Brushless motor and ESC - www.fxaeromodels.com , although helihobby will probably have the Astro 010 which is a popular alternative
Helihobby again for tail esc (a lot of folk recommend buying a higher frequency tail esc to make the tail motor last longer. gets expensive tho)
Li-Po's I use b-p-m.com (Bishops power products) they are good value, pre-built packs and deliver to the UK fast.
I use a lightened CSM HLG200 Gyro. Because it is a heal locking gyro you don't need a tail mix. The Gyro does it all!! You just turn revo mixing off on the TX. Because u end up using a regular esc for the tail you have to trick it into initialising on power up. With mine, I have to apply full left rudder to "switch it on".
For a full seprates explanation go to helihoby.com and click on the tips and trick link and it shows how to wire separates, brushed, and brushless.
The head does NOT use CCPM mixing. you have 1 servo for elevator, 1 for aireleron and one for pitch only. I set my radio CCPM to "normal" which is the equivalent of "Off". Ch1 and 2 does ail and elev, and 6 does pitch. As long as your TX will link throttle and pitch channels then it will work.
If you go to the Ikarus BBS ant to the Picolo forum and search you will find more details on all of this than you can handle!
ikarus.de
good luck :-)
