p113

hi
im interested in a RC heli petrol is this ok to start on or would a small electric 1 like the honybee be a good place to satr and then progress
how do these things reaspond to wind and are the very hard to fly or just take a bit of getting used to
ive had a number of years with RC cars and know them well but no flying experiance

thanks

p113

wisdom-seeker

Small electrics are better flown indoors as they do not respond well to the wind. However, you would be best served by getting a flight simulator first. Helicopters are "no foolin'" hard to fly and the smaller the heli, the harder it is to fly. Be aware that even if you go the "cheap" route, flying helis is an expensive hobby. If you can live with this, then welcome to the madness.

Flaps2012

Not doubt expensive, but definately worth the trouble. I just got all the stuff for my 2 year old Ergo 60 project, and it all came in at just under $1600. There is nothing like taking your madly spendy machine, putting it through an aerobatics session that is next to insane, and then setting her back on the skids in one piece. I thinki I'll be flying my Ergo 30 a little more just so I can admire the beauty of the Ergo 60 while it is still brand new and shiny, and in one piece... LOL I say go for it... the learning curve is steep. Probabally the steepest of any R'C hobby, but once you do it you'll never get a car again!

WhtBronco

I would certainly go with a glow powered heli first. Most of the 30-50 size helis on the market now are good machines. Check out what local heli pilots are flying and what the local hobby shop(LHS) stocks parts for. This will alleviate many headaches for you. I personally am flying a Raptor 50, it’s a nice heli. Mind you that is not the heli I had thought I’d buy. I wanted the JR Venture 50, but a few things changed my mind. The only local heli pilot, well in my club, flies a Raptor 50, the LHS stocks all the parts for the Raptor 50 and the LHS owner flies this heli. That being said parts and help would be easy to come by. I am very pleased with my decision, but get the heli that you like best. Just be sure to consider the reasons I got what I did it will make your heli experience more enjoyable. I like the 50 size helis better as well, but they are a bit more expensive and the 30’s are fine machines. Heck my Raptor 50 is really a Raptor 30 with bigger main rotor blades, a longer tail boom and a bigger, 50 size engine. Good Luck.

rusirius

I agree, if your just starting out I'd highly recommend the nitro over electric. The electrics are great for flying around the house on those cold winter days (better get good with it first though, the wife goes mad when your heli accidently smashes through the china cabinet.. A sim is definately the first step. Not required, but certainly a lot cheaper... Not to mention even after you can fly reasonably well, it's always a LOT nicer to be able to practice things like inverted flight, etc... BEFORE trying it in real life.. As for the sims, Realflight G2 is pretty good, and what I used to learn on (no crashes in real life yet!! I just ordered Aerofly Pro Deluxe too, it's supposed to have better physics and has very sweet graphics (not that the graphics matter, but it does make it a little nicer when your "virtual world" looks more real. As for the Heli, if you do go the nitro route, take a look at the Century Hawk Sport or the Raptor... (.30 size). Both are very cheap, and MOST importantly, VERY cheap to repair.. Well, let me restate that... NO heli is cheap to repair.. but the Hawk Sport and the Raptor are probably the cheapest of any of the nitros out there to repair. After you have a nitro, and a sim, then when you get some spare money to burn you can pick up one of the mini electrics to crash through the china cabinet..

tanasit

If your experience with the RC car is GAS, then you already have the basic knowledge of glow engine and won't have to deal with what I think is not for the beginner. I myself started off with gas fixed pitch Mantis about 25 years ago. I flew gas RC from size 10, 30, 60 and 90 and learned a lot from crash after crash. I remind my mistake by hanging the broken rotor blades from crashes on the walls.
If you have the money to spend, you can try gas one otherwise I think the electric is a cheaper way to learn and won't give you as much trouble as gas. If you have a club nearby and can get some help, the gas may also be a reasonable choice but if you're on your own, the electric will not scare you away.
I like the idea of rc electric helicopter for quite sometimes but the technology wasn't there. Now is the time, I have a Esky 3D HB2 for a week and like it so much, I ordered the brushless T-Rex 450 which is bigger and more suitable for outdoor.
Again, there is nothing wrong with gas one but I just think that it has many factors to be understood and you have to fine tune them well to be successful otherwise you will be discouraged before time.

Moe3754

My Feedback: (14)

I am just starting out but have used the sim for a month before going to my Piccolo V2 and have no problem hovering,have been at it now for just about three months total and already built my Trex 450x for when I get really good at it but not until then,as for repairs the Piccolo is not bad allot cheaper than fixing a CP heli and especially a Nitro Heli and believe me you will crash you can bet on it even with sim time under your belt.Also just for the doubting thomas out there this is a picture of my Trex 450x that I custom painted and built from a kit.http://www.rcuniverse.com/gallery/ga...emberId=83983;)