nwguy

I have been interested in flying an RC craft for a very long time and I feel that now is the right time to jump into it. I am a 23 yr old Canadian guy and I would like some advice from anyone who can offer it to me.

I have been searching online to do some price comparisons (of rc helicopters), features and specs and specifics.
I am interested in an electric one over the nitro/gas powered ones. I would like to spend no more than $350 usd on a helicopter.
Is there anything in particular that I should be looking for; such as a flight simulator, how many channels the transmitter has, gyro, wooden blades, battery??

I know that i dont want a crappy helicopter, and not one that is small (or a micro), but also not one of the over large full size ones (because i know they can get pricey).

From my search so far I am interested in this product:
http://hobby4less.com/prod_heli_hb5.htm

Can someone help me out with my first helicopter purchase.

Any help at all is apprecited,
Thanks.

n(e)wguy

-pkh-

My Feedback: (2)

The heli you linked to is a small/micro heli. For $350 that's all you'll get RTF (a micro heli). If you want to get into a good .30 - .50 size heli to start with, you're looking at at least $700-$1000+ RTF...

nwguy

Okay, then.. It appears that my price range is for the small/micro helicopters. Does anyone have any good sites for micro helicopters or even the 0.30 - 0.50 helicopters. I have been on a few websites, but most of them have limited models/variety.

Oh i forgot to mention -- I am not afriad to assemble the helicopter myself. I would probably prefer to build it myself to get a better understanding of the hobby.

Anymore suggestions??
(Thanks pkh for your post)

-pkh-

My Feedback: (2)

http://www.helihobby.com
http://www.heliproz.com

nwguy

pkh -- which type of heli do you prefer nitro or electric?? or both.

radobahn

Have you thought about a Trex? I'm sure there are others, but its the only small electric I've flown that compares to the handling a 30 size nitro machine.
Heres a link to one in action... http://www.duzi.cz/duzi_trex_2005_01.wmv

Also.. if interested you can find a ton of trex info at http://www.runryder.com/ (over 50,000 trex posts) and a good tech site... http://trextuning.com/

-pkh-

My Feedback: (2)

I started with a nitro... a Raptor 50V2, I got my micro electric helis after that (2 Shoguns & a Blade CP)... they are much harder to fly. Of all my helis (see the list in my signature), the Raptor 50s are my favorite... but I can only fly those at my club's field. The electrics are fun to mess around with at home and at local parks.

rusirius

The problem with the T-Rex is that for a semi-decent setup you've got every bit as much in it as you'll have in a .30 size raptor... In fact, I had less money in a full hawk sport setup than I did on my rexxie... If I remember right it was actually within about $100 of my raptor setup...

To the question "do you prefer micros / nitros" the question really becomes WHERE you want to fly. If you want to fly indoors, then you want a micro. If you want to be able to fly outdoors at all, you want a nitro... Yes the hornet and/or t-rex can fly outdoors in light winds, but again we're talking about setups that are close in cost to a nitro setup and at the end of the day, if your gonna fly outdoors, why fly a little micro that's hard to see?

If you are looking for a micro and your price is below $350, I'd suggest looking at the Hirobo XRB Lama (Skyrobo version which is wireless).... you can pick the complete setup up from Ricks RC (www.rcheli.com) for $299... It includes the heli, lipo battery, a blade balancer, training gear, radio, charger, lots of extra blades, etc... You won't need to purchase a SINGLE extra item. Everything is in the box... It's also a BLAST to fly.. I still fly mine through the house all the time. I've owned hummingbirds, honeybees, hornets, and t-rexs.... I haven't had NEARLY as much fun with any of them as I have with the XRB... It's not collective pitch, but for a beginner that's better anyway, and honestly, anything your going to do that requires collective pitch is going to be TOO MUCH for you to do in your house... Large gymnasium maybe... House no.... It's cheap, it's hella-fun, and it's good quality too.

If your looking for a nitro, then you'll need to raise your price a bit... You can get a pretty decent setup cheap... The two that come to mind are the Hawk Sports (now the Hawk Pro) and the Gohbee stinger... The stinger is a little more money (not much), but in my opinion is a bit better flying. Century (makers of the Hawk Sport/Pro) do however have a nice package with just about everything you need except fuel for around $750 with a GOOD radio... Something to consider to say the least. I myself like the raptors (what the stinger is based on), but they are a bit more pricey...

credence

My Feedback: (2)

You can also go electric if you want to go into the .30 to .50 size range, but they're more expensive than their nitro counterparts. I've got about $1200 or so sunk into my eco-8, which is about the size of a .30 chopper. If you want to go even bigger, you could try a logo 20. The powerplants for these helicopters are about double the price of a nitro one though, and will cost you about double what nitro will intially.
Of course, you can fly them anywhere without bothering people, and theres no messy cleanup, and you don't need to worry about fiddling with the engine and you never need to buy fuel, which is always nice .

Have to agree with everyone here, with your budget, you won't get much except for a RTF micro. Even a micro kit like the t-rex or X400, or even shogun, will end up costing you close to $1000 all up with semi decent parts and a transmitter.

nwguy

Wow.,., thanks again to everyone who has posted so far. You guys have given me alot of insight to this wonderful new hobby.

I will be looking at all of the models you guys have suggested. I have read alot of good reviews about the Raptor 50, not just from this post but from other forums as well, and it appears to be quite a good choice for beginners aswell as the advance pilots. If i end up going Nitro i will probably pick up this model.

But before i go Nitro i will probably want to purchase a model that i can simply fly outside at local parks and empty football fields; i wouldnt mind having the option to fly it around the house (but i will sacrafice the inhome flying for a decent outdoor electric heli) --- so a micro/electric heli may be the first buy.

Thanks radobahn & rusirius for your heli model suggestions, i will be carefully comparing and reading reviews about them.

Oh, another question --- are these micro RTF heli's better to operate indoors or outdoors?? What are the optimal conditions?? Sunny days no wind? I have never seen (except for web videos) and of these RTF heli's in person ever. I dont want to buy a RTF heli fly it a few times and have it break on me...

(I think i may need to move my price range up a little more for a decent heli)

-pkh-

My Feedback: (2)

The micros fly best with no wind... with 5-10mph winds they're OK, 15+ mph winds starts to become no fun, at least for me!

It's hard to fly much indoors, unless you have a very large area like a warehouse or gymnasium. These helis may be small, but they are very fast, and they will get moving on you very quickly! I hover in my living room on occasion, just to check out a change in the setup, but usually get outside even for that.

You probably will crash a few times starting out, so be sure to get a heli that you can easily get parts for. Get training gear for your heli and practice using a good simulator, and you will help minimize your crashes as you learn to fly...

thecheatscalc

if you want to get a heli to just start out on then up grade to a nitro (i'd reccomend that as the parts are a bit cheaper) you could go the walkera 36 route. (ducks flak) they're really a decent heli and will fly fine, but, not break the bank and parts (TRex) will work and are cheap. The learning curve is much steeper with a micro and will save you money on nitro heli's as they it doesn't take as fast of reflexes and you'll be able to be flying excellent in no time.

nwguy

Alright, so basically i'm looking for a decent RTF micro. I have researched into some of the models that were posted.. the XRB is too small for me, and the other seem like i have to buy alot more parts in order to get them up and running. I am new to this so I wont have the knowledge you all possess with the buying the 'best' parts to upgrade with -- not until i start logging in some flight time.

I am willing to go up to $400 for a decent RTF heli. But i would rather pay for something because of quality not because a higher price tag means better heli (although this might be the case -- i;m not sure).

Please feel free to post anymore comments or suggest that will help me find the right RTF heli.

nwguy

thanks thecheatscalc, i will research on the walkera.

What is the average flight time with Nitro heli's?? I have noticed that the electric ones average about 10-15minutes... will i have to upgrade the battery on the heli for longer performance?

Dezynco

You could go with something like the Shogun, which seems to be a pretty decent heli. I like the fact that it's collective pitch, not fixed pitch like most of the micros, which means it will be more versatle in the long run. Parts seem to be reasonable. You could also check ebay, or ask around and find some good used stuff to help you get started, especially for a computer radio, which is a necessity.

I have an Eco 8 that I'm proud of, but it will blow your budget. The TREX and Shogun will probably go over your budget, but not quite as bad.

Lets see: Shogun - $150.00
Gyro - $40.00
Battery - $40.00
Charger - $50.00
Speed controller $50.00
Radio w micro servos $200.00

Comes out to be about $530.00 - could knock off $150.00 by shopping for used or closeout stuff - which would put you around $350- $400.00

thecheatscalc

So i'd suggest a 36 with a brushless, 25+A esc, abs blades, and that'll get you off to flying in no time, plus it's well within your budget.

nwguy

Thanks thecheatscalc, i will definatly take your advice and most likely get the walkera 36. I have done a few reviews done alot of price shopping for this heli and it seems to be in my range with the features i am looking for.

Now as for the brushless, and 25+A esc.... what site should i go to do buy/ do some more reading. I just want to know which parts are compatible with the 36. I will be doing some more research on extra upgradable parts, but if anyone has first hand knowledge of compatible parts and sites for this heli please post.

Thanks again all!!

thecheatscalc

well the 36 is a clone of the TRex so almost all parts are interchangeable, such as blades, gears(I hope), motors, and so on. I've heard that the align 420LF is really strong engine and will lift a TRex with ease (TRex's are known for being overweight) so it should do fine if the 36 is not as heavy as the TRex. ok as for a site look under www.grandrc.com they have the lowest prices I've found on TRex stuff, so look under the TRex XL not the 450XL for parts. ok?

nwguy

thecheatscalc, there's section under parts for Trex 450X and Trex 450XL... is it one of these ones??
Also, i have noticed that the package doesn't come with a simulator -- i know it would be best if i got one so i can practice and crash before i make the real run. Are there any simulators that mimic the flight of the Walkera 36??

Dezynco

You can download FMS for free! It's not the best sim in the world, but the price is right. Do a search for Flying Model Simulator and you'll find several sites to download from. If you want to buy a simulator, Aerofly Pro is good, available from ikarus.net