Hi Everyone. I'm John and I'm new, I was wondering as I get ready to purchase a heli what to get, maybe a co-axial because they are OK for beginners and they come quite large and when you take it out you don't look like an over grown kid ( if you get my gist )

But the trouble with most of these RTF open the box and fly is that they do not have much distance from thr heli to the transmitter now is that down to poor quality transmitter or something else, I do have a Futaba trans that was hi tech a couple of years ago when I used to build and sail RC yachts and only yachts. Now would I be better off buying a kit heli to build and use my futaba? remember the size thing.

I'm sorry that there are lots of questions here but learning from others is the only to go, as I learnt about rc yachts. I would like to thank you in advance, I have read a lot of the posts here and they are all very interesting and contain so much experiance of others.

regards
jonthecourier<br type="_moz" />

Depending on what Futaba radio you have will determine if you can use it for helicopters.

If you are serious about wanting to fly RC helis...I recommend that you skip the co-axial and possibly the FP (fixed pitch) helis all together.  While a FP can lend you a hand in learning to fly a somewhat unstable heli...a FP is way more stable than a CP (collective pitch).

If you really want to take the hobby serious...just go straight to a 6 channel (again, this is where your radio may not be up to the task).  With the newere micro CP helis on the market, the Blade mCPX to name just one...paired with a decent flight simulator will get you where you need to be.  Having someone that is already a heli flyer will be even better, as they will be able to show you all of the ins and outs and save you some money and time on getting your skills.

So...to go it on the "cheap" to see if heli flying is for you or not.  I would go with a Blade mCPX RTF model (Ready To Fly) as it comes with a radio and is pretty much ready to go out of the box without needing to know a lot about setup.  Also, at the same time buy a Spektrum/JR sim cable as well as a SIM (I use clear view...but Real Flight and Phoenix are very good too...just a lot more money).

Once you can fly on the SIM...get the real thing out and go for it.  This will let you know if heli flying is "your cup of tea" or not (sorry, no pun intended LOL).

Goodluck!

@ATVAlliance
yea and as soon as his first crash and repair he'll be thinking about a FP to help hem learn to fly his CP
@jonthecourier
get a SIM and a sim controller don't ware out the gimbals in your transmitter running the sim
the sim will pound the intentions to stick movements translations
and orientations it to your head don't expect to learn amy more from a sim than this just starting out

get a good 450 one with a carbon fiber frame and metal main and tail rotors
put it on display to remind you that you want to learn to fly it
get the cheapest FP that you can get parts for
expect to get board with it when the FP gets boring tack the 450 out side and learn to fly it
in terms of coast and frustration you will be way ahead
stick time on the FP will help you learn to minimize the damage caused by a crash of the 450
and maybe even help you prevent some crashes

An FP won't teach you anything about flying CP except how to drill it into the ground and destroy it when you get into trouble rather than hitting the throttle hold. It's a waste of time and money, especially if you have a simulator.

With patience you can start out with any CP heli on the market, all you have to do is drill everything on the sim until it's completely dialed before attempting it on the real thing. Training gear will help you get over the initial fear factor with learning to hover, but once you're past that point you'll be able to tell when you're ready to try something you've been practicing on the sim. The mcpx is the most commonly recommended first CP heli these days because the thing is ridiculously robust. As long as you remember to hit the throttle hold when you start to get into trouble you'll find that 90% of your crashes requiring nothing more than flipping the heli right side up and taking off again. Bump that up to 95% if you're flying outside over soft grass.

Now on the other hand, if you're not worried about flying CP helis then by all means start out with a CX or an FP or whatever makes you happy. Just know that if you're watching videos of 3D routines and all that thinking you'd like to someday, that learning curve doesn't even begin until you're flying a CP.

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You know, I used to share your same viewpoint of using an FP heli as a stepping stone (so to speak) to get into CP helis. This was when the only small/durable heli I owned was a Blade mSR. Boy was I wrong!(sorry to those I recommended a FPheli to as their starting point in threads past).

A FP heli just doesnt fly the same as a CPone, and Im not even talking about inverted flight or stunts. They just dont turn exactly the same and they are less sensitive. But, I was giving this advice when I was basically just hovering my larger CPhelis...so, I was talking a lot about things I didnt fully understand. My bad.

Really, the only thing a FP heli is good for is getting your thumbs moving in the right direction. At least that is better than a co-axial heli, but being able to fly the rotor off a FP heli only will give you a false sense of security that you are ready to handle a CP one.

I wish I had gotten into helis a year later, as by then the mCPX would have been on the market and I would have started out with it. However, dont get me wrong here. Ive had a lot of fun with my toy coax helis as well as my mSR. But I just feel that I really didnt start learning till I got the mCPX. And Ialready owned a 450, 500 and Raptor 50 at the time. Its just I couldnt progress with those helicopters because they were so big and intimidating. The mCPX is small and you dont have the worry that you will lose it and kill someone with it.

At the end of the day, the only thing that should keep you from starting out with a CP heli (if you are intending on flying the best helicopter type out there) should be budget. Some simply just cant afford to put as much money into this hobby as others. And that is understandable, I have my own budgeting limits too. But, with the mCPX and now the nano CPX on the market...Blade has brought a good durable micro CP heli to the masses that just about anyone can afford.

Even though Ihave a bunch of helicopters now...I still find that I fly the mCPX the most just because I can fly it best. And that is all because I am more confident in flying it because I dont have to worry about tearing it up or hurting myself or bystanders with it at this stage of the game for me. Sure, I can fly now and do some light aerobatic manuevers...but Im still very much a n00b and I can still get disoriented and lose the heli on occasion. The mCPX takes all of the nervousness away and I can actually enjoy flying it more than anything else I own at this point.

I'll get off my soapbox about the mCPX now. Just know that if you want to progess your skills...start out with a CP. And if you are on a budget, or not...the mCPX is a GREAT starting point.

<span style="font-size: large; ">Hi to You All. First I want to thank you all for so much information, I have been sitting here out in the Sun thinking and re-reading your suggestions. I have just ordered earlier a Honey Bee Belt CPX to learn with plus I hasten to add loads of spares and also to make durning our winter a Copter X CX 600E Pro in kit form. I have been into RC during the past 10 years building 2 clas 1 yachts that stand about 2.25 metres (2ft 6inch) from tip of sail to keel and have that made from a kit a Cesnae fixed wing plane, and I nearly forgot the American Fire Boat (power) I hope that I will have as much enjoyment with the helicopters, once again thanks and keep in contact.

John from Sunny Cornwall<br type="_moz" /></span>