I just got my first helicopter tonight and I love it. It's a Havoc Heli, from Walmart...so it doesn't count as a heli at all, but it is tons of fun. I have been looking at an entry hobbygrade heli, but I don't have alot of cash to spend on it. Everyone has been talking alot about the new blade cx2, and it seems like a good buy. I was looking around and saw the Heli-Max RotoFly EX Mini EP RTF. It seems like a better buy, being that it comes with a carrying case and the training gear and is cheaper. How hard is the rotofly to fly compared to the CX2? Which one is a better Heli? Which one is best for a beginner? And most importantly, WHY?

Well, the CX2 is the easiest model heli in the world. The rotofly is the hardest model heli in the world.

That may seam like an extreme statement, but I assure you that it is based on fact and real world observations.
Oh, there are other counter-rotating models that might be slightly better or slightly worse than the CX2. But as a class, the counter-rotating models mostly fly themselves. I have given demos at our club meetings with Hirobo's version, and I literally took my hands off the sticks and let it hover in front of everyone with no control input.
And the Rotofly is not the worst. It is a Fixed Pitch (FP) micro heli, and these are the least stable, hardest to fly class of helis. Robust? Sure. I crashed my Piccolo, and older FP heli a thousand times. I needed repairs about 20 of those times. But it is the STEEPEST learning curve there is.

Vince

Well, I am not looking for something extremely easy. I want something that will be challenging and I will be able to stick with for a long time. I am afraid that if the CX2 is as easy as everyone says I will get bored with it realively quickly. The CX2 was the first heli I ever flew, and I was able to get it to hover, and turn to go where I wanted it to within the first 3 minutes of flying it. So if the rotofly is harder, is it too much of a challenge for someone who's new at it (like me). What I am looking for is something I can use, and see improvements in myself. So if it is too easy there will be no challenge and it won't be worth it, and if it is too hard I won't be able to get started and it won't be worth it.

Robust is good, I'm not afraid to crash in the name of learning. LOL

If you've flown the CX2, I would go with a helicopter that forces you to fly the tail. Maybe even a collective pitch helicopter like the HoneyBee CP2 or the Blade CP/CP Pro.

Hi all!
I got here for the very first time, I am very new at this, more than new I don't even have my heli with me yet, it's arriving just today. - It is a Walkera Dragonfly 22E 3D. I know it's not "inexpensive" and I might be off topic here, but please forgive me, I need some advice and talk about all this.

I had bought an inexpensive Dragonfly 2-channel heli. I finally got it yesterday, and when I tried to hover the thing went crazy spinning on its own axis, I managed to take off and the thing went far away real fast but without any control whatsoever. I couldn't go left, right, nothing it seems to have its own mind and do whatever it wants to! - What a piece of junk indeed. So, so far I haven't been able to have any fun, you can say that.

They say in the manual to adjust the pot on the receiver board, which I did, but that seems to have done nothing or very little. - What's more since I'm an Electronics tech, I opened the transmitter, and found that thing doesn't have potentiometers on the sticks but just switches, which I don't think that's right, they should be potentiometers for a smooth change. - Another thing I found too late, that you should stay away from 2-channel helis. Indeed I don't think anyone could learn how to hover (fly) with this thing, it is nearly impossible if not very extremely difficult to have any fun with it.

I think what I got is a rude copy of what seemed to have been a Syma Dragonfly, but it is not. This thing doesn't have a brand name on the manual, neither a year, date, nothing. All it says on the heli on a sticker on each side is "Fly Dragonfly 2005" and that's it.

The remote controller doesn't even have those trim adjustments I see on other contollers. So I guess that alone makes it simple to understand that this specific one more than a toy is a piece of crap...hehehe!

Well, enough said. I am glad I ordered the Walkera Dragonfly 22E 3D heli and I can't wait to have it today. - Later on I will post here asking for help to set it up, since I have read somewhere you need to adjust the blades and other things, which I am totally ignorant (or almost because I have read alot of things already all over the web) about so it's always wise to ask those "experts" out there before I go crazy and fly it right away.

Luckly I got it with a training kit included as a bonus, and a set of extra main blades, and other things I don't remember, all for $129 including S/H.

I'll post more when I get it....

I think the best way to go would be to start out with a decent simulator, and order a decent CP heli.
Blade CP Pro for smaller budgets, or T-Rex 450 for larger budgets.

Oh, I guess I should ask where you plan on flying your heli. If it is the living room, the t-Rex is right out. I do fly my 450 in the basement, but only for hover tests, and only because She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed does not come down there. I fly the 450 in my back yard all the time, over at the little-league park across the street (when no kids are playing) and at the club field. I also fly it at our [link=http://www.hermanbrothershobbies.com/indoor/]indoor fly-ins[/link].

I think I might put off getting a heli until I graduate and get a job...LOL A college kids budget doesn't lend itself to RC Heli's very well. After looking around, I think that a good simulator might help. I have heard the simulator can be discouraging though, because it can be even harder than flying the real thing. A T-Rex that I could fly outside would be great. I definately want electric, but outside would be nice. I think that a Blade CP Pro might be more affordable for me right now, but I think I'd be better off with something I could fly outside. I hate to have to wait though.

VinceHerman:

Well, that other heli is history by now, I'm putting it on the box and going to sell it soon.
I just got today via UPS (had ordered it last Wednesday) a much better heli, a Walkera Dragonfly 22E *2007*. This is a beauty, and this one does all what the other crap one lacks.

No, I am not trying to fly in the living room, neither inside the house, I don't even know how to fly yet, if I try inside the house I'd end up breaking everything including the heli...hehe. - I put it outside and already chip one of the blades. I need a much bigger area to fly, so I'll go try find a place in the countryside away from my city. - Meanwhile my place to fly will be.....on my computer! - This beauty comes with the cable to attach it to the PC and with the a flight simulator which I already had not one but three of them a week or two ago...hehe.....so once I "manage" to learn to fly and land save on the PC, I will ever try again the real thing.

I am in no hurry, I'm not a kid, so I have lots of patience,....and time to spend....I'll take it easy on this, if I've learned harder things in life, I wouldn't doubt I learn to fly these beauties....I just need space, lots of space, lots of practice on the PC, and a training kit that already also came with the package....but I found there is a missing part that goes in the center, Walkera calls it "the flying sauce pan", I already sent an e-mail to the seller asking if he could send me that piece....if not I think I can make one with a piece of plastic and drill four holes in it, that shouldn't be hard to make, but he's suposed to send me that piece.....even though it was a "bonus", well maybe he's not obligated to send it to me either...hehe.

For the time being, I am already about to hook up this beautiful controller (transmitter) to the PC and see how things go....I got the cable included in the package.

Take care.

Foxito,
It sounds like you could use some training lessons. Take a read through [link=http://www.dream-models.com/eco/flying-index.html]RADD'S SCHOOL OF ROTARY FLIGHT[/link].
Vince

Okay I will, thank you. I haven't connected the controller to the PC yet, I'm going to do it tonight, I've been busy packing up the crappy heli and taking pictures of it, I'm going to sell it on eBay, after all I bought it there...hehe

See ya'