i just bnought a humming bird on ebay. i was wondering if anybody has any suggestions for learning to fly it? where do i start? i have looked at some online tutorials, but i still would like more info. thanks!

Make sure everything is set up right, and dont over-correct the cyclic movements.

Good luck!

ive just started yesterday and ive made a stabalizer to stop it toppling. need lots of space too and a slippery surface like on tiles.

I'm new to it too.... leave it on the ground, get to know your heli (the first 5-10 batt. packs)
Slide it a little around, always with the tail towards you, when you feel that know when to do what with the tail,
then start to move around (on the ground) with the cyclic movements... A smooth floor is preferable..

When You think You have got it in Your fingers, try to trottle up until its very light on the skids..
You will feel that it becomes a little unstable, but dont quit!...(it will because og the ground effect...GE..).. just keep trying to hold the heli inside an imaginary square on
the floor...

When YOU think You are ready for some hovering, then put it back on the ground AND KEEP IT ON THE GROUND FOR ANOTHER PACK OR 2
..After that... throttle up, and....liftoff! (or maby not, but sooner or later it WILL go down, so don't sweat it )

In my little experience i have learned that if you are able to controll the cyclic to some extent, then loose the training gear (if You have one) the gear makes the heli a little more unstable... And for me the best thing for liftoff, is to make the heli light on the skids, then just boost it 1-2 ft of the ground, this to awoid the GE... i now find it more easy to hover.. just try to keep it there with SMALL CORRECTIONS on the cyclic...

Hope this will help You.. if You want, drop me an email, and i'll send You a little video of one of my first flights

-Cookie-

PS: Sorry for my poor writing ability, I'm just a pale Viking You know heheh

thanks a bunch, check your mail.

Yeah kakemanx, ive been doing what you just said until about 30 minutes ago i got pissed off with it and took off and went into a hover about 2 inches but it started to slip and didnt have room so landed, my heart was pumping like billio, i thought i was gonna be driving myself to hosptial with major lacerations

ive sent you a mail too.

Jepp, recived, and answered

Keep it up...

-Cookie-

I just started flying a HB too. I would recomend training gear from Century, it made a night and day difference for me. Also I have have crashed it lots of times and only broke a few parts. Luckily the total damage cost has been about $10. Oh yeah, I live about a half hour or so from Century so "I dont mind going for it" b/c I can go down and pick up any replacement parts I need post haste

GET A SIM its the best way to get the feel and not spend $$ on relacement parts. Especially if you have never flown a heli and have no idea as to control inputs. Getting an elec heli off the ground is just the beginning it will show tendencies much different on take off than it will once its a foot or so off the ground. Some people say to pop it up with a lot of throttle but I dont agree. I like to see the helis tendencies and correct for them in every aspect of flight. ALso tile and hard wood are very difficult to learn on. Put a placemat or small piece of rubber down for the heli to sit on and try it like that. you will be suprised how much more stable it is to get off the ground. Also a heli will always lean left on take off due to the prop wash and the torque of the engine until it gets airborn. Dont correct this with trim use the left aleron stick to correct until its up and then see what its tendencies are. If control inputs are new to you on anything RC planes or helis and rudder is new too then you will be learning for a while and most likely repairing. A Simulator is the way if you are a newbie. IMO Good Luck I hope this helps.

thanks joeb thats very helpful. i have fms and a hummingbird model, but i dont have he stuff yet so i cant try it out. i have done it using the keyborad and the models ruder seems to be messed up. do you know of anyplace that i can download a modle of a hb for fms? thanks. i have experiance on cars and trucks and opne firebird XL, but not on anything with a rudder, so this should be interesting.

Get realflight G2 and fly the Electric Helis there. Since they are similar to the hummingbird (i mean they are all electric heli's) you will learn the feel of flying a heli without wasting money. FMS is not that realistic and the keyboard does not give the full effect of a real transmitter (common sense). So get g2 , if you can't afford it, try getting it on ebay (that's where i got mine for 100 bucks with everything included) or just get g2 lite, BUT GET G2

G2 or AFP IMO AFP= aero fly proffessional is a better sim. It has a better physics engine. Not as good on graphics but lets face it its a sim not a video game and its cheaper than g2. But thats MO do a search in here for Real flight and AFP draw your own conclusions. But remember theres a reason why those sims are free.