Timm102859

I'm totally new to the hobby and am interested in a stable, durable and easy to use heli to learn/begin with. Money is not a factor as I thinks it worth paying more (if necessary) for the rigt equipment to learn a lot with less limitations. So Iguess the question for you experienced flyers is if money was not a object whant equipment would you buy if you were a beginner knowing what you know about the difference options? I would appreciate any help any experts are willing to provide. Thanks!

Moontan13

Get a flight sim first. I like Phoenix but Realflight is good also.
My first two copters were both inexpensive Symas I got on Ebay. They're a coaxial design which is very stable for a beginner. I had the S007, (which I gave away) and the larger S032 which can be flown outdoors. More "serious" helis, fixed or collective pitch, are more difficult to fly, hence the recomendation of a flight sim.

Timm102859

Thanks, Iplan to get the simulator, but thought there were beginner type helicopters that could be used in conjunction with practice on a simulator in preparation for the more advanced/difficult pitch helis.

Also, is there a "best" controller to buy and use with the simulator that can be used for real flying. Idon't want to practice on a simulator with a cheap controller that does not compare to relatively high end controllers used in real flight. Thanks!

Moontan13

The Blade 120 SR is a pretty good fixed pitch heli to start with.

A version of Phoenix comes with a working transmitter as the controller, and RealFlight has one where the controller is not a working transmitter. For me, I thought it better to just buy the radio I was going to use as the controller. I opted to buy a Futaba 7C, and I had to buy the cable adapter for it from Phoenix.

Healthrisk

Timm I noticed you live in orlando FL. Me and a few other guys on the boards live in the same area. If you would like I have a "starter" coax heli you can try sometime to see if you like it. It was my first heli and had me falling in love.

Timm102859

Thanks, PMsent....

Also, can anyone tell me who to PMabout changing my email address? I'm tying to change my primary emal address on the forum and when Ido it tells me that the new address is already registered on the forum and to submit change request. However, the request change box does not appear.

Aframomum

My Feedback: (10)

Hi Tim,

Welcome to another fellow Floridian! Where in Orlando are you at?

One other thing...be careful of the saying 'money isn't a problem' b/c this hobby has a habit of making money a problem.

Mark

Healthrisk

Ahahaha I have sent him an email already. Tim will be joing us some time for some flights!!

Aframomum

My Feedback: (10)

B...your too fast with your posting kung foo...I can't keep up.

Mark

Healthrisk

I do this for a livling!!! >.> interweb's is my universe ^_^

Timm102859

Hi, Mark I'm near the Airport at Curry Ford and Econ.

Aframomum

My Feedback: (10)

Tim, sent you a PM.

Mark

Rafael23cc

My Feedback: (6)

I know that you already said that money is not a problem, but in reality every suggestion that I have seen listed here steers you towards cheap helis. Before the "electric revolution" everybody had to start with a nitro powered 30 size helicopter (550 in electric terms). There was no electric option. I'm not really suggesting that you start there, i'm just impying that you can start WHEREVER you want to start given your finantial situation. I would definitely suggest that you find an experienced pilot to guide you if you go with the bigger options.

Now having said that, bigger birds are much more stable and easier to control. Also they are much more expensive and hit harder on the wallet when they crash. As a learner, you will be crashing quite often. So it might be better to have a helicopter that costs $30 per crash, than to have a helicopter that costs $150 per crash. Here is where we get into the interesting part. Be brutally honest with yourself, and put a number to your own statement "money is no problem". That statement means completely different things to different people. Unless you put a number to your statement, you will get suggestions that might not really be what you are looking for. What is your starting budget? And what is your expected crash allowance? Keep in mind that you might crash 5 seconds into your first flight, 5 seconds after your last repair, or you might go thru the whole learning process without crashing. i've seen it several times.

The one great suggestion is the one about the simulator. You cannot go wrong with that suggestion. Since you did not have a problem with Phoenix or RealFlight, I'm going to assume that the number of your statement is going to be somehwat high (if you did your homework). The good simulators are not cheap. To answer the question about the radio needed, we go back to the money statement. Buy as much radio as you can afford. The bare minimum I would suggest for helicopters, is a 7 channel radio. Can a heli be flown with less channels? of course! But programming is a lot easier as you go higher in channels. If you can afford 9 channels or more, it is just icing on the cake. Now you are really talking that money is REALLY not a problem.

Good luck in your search, I hope I provided a lil more info. Reply here or send me a PM if you have any additional questions.

Rafael

Goran619

My Feedback: (2)

I started with a Raptor 30 V2, it was a good helicopter, fun to fly. I crashed this thing twice the first time it was nothing suprisingly it just put a small ding in the tail boom and still flew perfectly fine afterwards. The second was the tail went crazy rotated 180 degrees and started going backwards when I was giving it forward elevator. I am new and I know I don't have the proper reaction to incidents like this but I know for a fact I was giving it forward elevator, but then the tail fin hit the ground slowly pushing back and bending the tail boom up until the blades struck the boom, shadered the blades, boom, tail fin and bent the main and feathering shafts. Was a cheap fix as there is a site that sold maverikk rash kits for $68.

This spring I bought myself a new heli, I went with the Trex 550E 3G flybarless set up and this thing is awesome. However it was a pain getting the electronics set up and the radio programmed, at first the tail didn't want to hold and there was a vibration in the tail really bad. Got it all figured out and now she flies great. If I were to do it all again I would go with either a Trex 500E or a 600E. I'm not sure on cost of parts but the ease of electric is alot easier than nitro. As for radio I started with a Spektrum DX6i that came with my trainer plane, it worked alright (I do believe the spektrum was the cause of my seond crash). Which is why I switch makes of radios and I went with a Futaba 10CHG. Honestly as far as high end radios go, imo this is the best bang for the buck for me. The Aurora 9 looks really nice and looks like it is a great deal, but I don't know anyone that has Hitec so I didn't want to get into something I or anyone I fly with doesn't know.

Like is stated before you need to figure out what "money is no problem" means as this hobby if you let it will make money a problem as it will suck every last dollar you have out of you. Sorry if I ended up rambling just trying to share personal experiences to try and help you make a better choice.
Jordan

Timm102859

Thanks for all the responses! I guess I should clarify a bit... Spending a couple thousand to get started on the right foot and a couple hundred bucks here and there when needed/crashed is not a big issue for me. With that said, I don't want to be stupid either. I know flying helis takes a lot of practice and skill and I don't want to go out and buy something that Ihave little or no chance of being sucessful with without crashing the first 5 seconds after leaving the ground.

On the other hand, Idon't think buying a heli that is so stable a 2 year old could fly it would benefit me much either. I know that Iwill have to get most of my skill/experience by flying on a simulator. That is why I want to buy a top notch controller that Ican get comfortable with and that can transition from the simulator to actual flying. As far as my first helicopter goes, Iwould like to buy something that is considerd requiring beginner to intermediate skill level to flyand is fairly durable (if there is such a thing). I certainly don'twant a bird that pieces bend or break with little force. Somerhing that can withstand hard landings and a bump or two without doing too much damage.

Keep the advice coming as Isure need it. Thanks!

Rafael23cc

My Feedback: (6)

Good news here. Whatever helicopter you get, the first and second things to do would be to get the simulator, and then get yourself a flying buddy/experienced pilot to guide you along.

Now, knowing that you are willing to spend that kind of money, I would suggest a 50 sized nitro or 500 to 600 sized electric to start with. I will not suggest a specific brand as that is better determined by what is most popular at your location. At my neck of the woods, the TRex, the Raptor, and the Sceadu. are pretty popular.

As I said before, get as much radio as you can afford. 7 Channel would be the minimum I would suggest. If you can swing a 9 channel or better would be much better. Again, brand is better determined by the favorite at your area. I am a JR guy but Futaba, Hitec, and Airtronics are very capable radios.

Good luck in finding that perfect helicopter! Feel free to ask more questions or send me a PM.

Rafael

Aframomum

My Feedback: (10)

Tim, are you still having issues with your PM?

Mark

Timm102859

Nope, I'm all set. I somehow registered with my wifes email address and she was getting all the responses on her iphone. When Itried to change the email address it said Ineed to send a trouble ticket. Long story short I got it fixed and all the mail is going to where it's supposed to be. Sorry about missing you guys Sunday. Hopefully you will invite me agian. I responded to your email you sent earlier this afternoon for when you get a chance to look at it. Thanks again, Tim

I'm on a couple car forums for yearswith my cars so you would think Iwould be pretty forum savvy, but Iscrewed this one pretty good.

Aframomum

My Feedback: (10)

No problem then. As always your definitely invited next time we get together. I also sent you another PM to see if everythings working right.

Thinking of doing something Sunday afternoon if its not too hot and windy.

Mark