NagRuTan

Greets,
Well, here is another noob getting ready to make his first steps. I would like to learn how to fly an RC helicopter. I would like suggestions from those in the know. First thing is first, I have absolutely no clue on how to start. I would like to know what your options are and how I should approach this. The key factor is that I would like to stay within a $300.00 (for my first setup if this is possible). I have looked on eBay and have seen several kinds of electric kits that seem to fit within these criteria (esky, eflite, etc…). So my fist question would be which one? What heli would offer the best beginner experience and is there anything that I should be looking into specifically? Thanks ahead.


Nag.

B4Freak

I just bought a walkera hm5#10 and it rocks only sucky thing is that run time is about 7 min. but is very stable so u can get a hang of it soon.
and its only around 120. u can get much batteries for it and should be a great one to get.
just my 2c
im a noob in this so let others guide better but for me its been so much fun that im running it everytime i have a chance

NagRuTan

Greets,

From searching i see a lot of posts that have to do with the esky belt cp and the costs on ebay are relatively ok.


Nag.

inv|s|ble

the Esky Belt-CP is a great helicopter, just make sure to plan on upgrading the ESC, if you plan on doing lots of flying. a descent ESC will run you between $30-50 USD, the Belt CP is roughly $189 USD. there are many deals on ebay for spare blades(which you will need), they arent the best quality, but do great for learning, since they are really cheap.



EDIT:

if you plan on any 3D flying be prepared for a radio, and receiver upgrade also, but it will most likely take you a while to get comfortable enough to fly upside down, and what not. http://www.ushobbysupply.com is a great place to shop, if you prefer to not go ebay for the helicopter.

Henry Bowman

My Feedback: (2)

To start, look at a Honeybee Fixed Pitch. Also written as HBFP. and a decent simulator. The Collective Pitch helis and smaller helis are more difficult to fly and can be more expensive to fix (more moving parts). The HBFP can be had for about $100. It takes crashes well and is a decent stable beginner. Once you get the hang of it, move to a LARGER helicopter for more advance flying. Larger is MORE STABLE and somewhat easier to fly and work on.

Keep reading and looking around.

Also take a look here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/nuttcaze

and

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=826446

Skarn

Nothing against a HBFP, but this statemen is NOT true. The CP heli's are NOT any harder to fly than a FP heli....the FP's are less expensive to fix, but are just as hard as a CP heli of the same size.

ALL micro heli's are very hard to learn on since they are so small and twitchy.

Skarn

Druss

I'm with Skarn on this one, in terms of flight there is no difference between a CP and FP when you're first learning. In terms of setting up and fixing definitely the CP is harder. Also, there are very few helis smaller than the 300 size (some 200 and a couple 100).

Henry Bowman

My Feedback: (2)

Allright gents ! Sometimes I think folks just browse the forums looking for someone to stub their toe.

There IS a difference, for one, the stunt mode. For someone starting what's the advantage?

Second there are a plethora of smaller than 300 size helicopters; Walkera's, Venom, and Microns that come to mind immediately ! I know there are others

Would you recommend to a friend that they go purchase a helicopter that has more parts and is technically more difficult to tweak and work on ? The CP helis may be as easy to fly in "normal mode" but as a cost, are they worth spending the money on for a beginner?



NagRuTan, I wish you good luck in your search, you should continue reading and researching.

Take Care
I'm out on this thread !

Skarn

Henry, why so defensive? Just because some of us disagreed with your assessment doesn't mean we are as you put it "just browse the forums looking for someone to stub their toe".

Personally I felt you gave a false impresssion to someone that is just starting out and knows nothing about these heli's. You specifically stated that the CP heli's are more difficult to fly. I respectfully pointed out that is indeed not the case, they are both equally difficult to fly!

Anyway, to answer your question of: "Would you recommend to a friend that they go purchase a helicopter that has more parts and is technically more difficult to tweak and work on ?" Absolutely! As do many veteran flyers that have been throught the "ropes". My local heli field starts beginners out on a Raptor 30! Yes, the CP heli's are harder to setup but for a beginner pilot, I recommend they don't buy ANY micro heli FP or CP. I recommend a heli at LEAST in the 450 class. If one really wants to delve into this hobby, it's a disservice to them to recommend a micro. I've seen it too many times....they try to fly it, crash get frustrated and give up. I did this for a year prior to discovering the TREX 450. Yes, I could "fly" my micro Blade CP, but not very well and after many crashes. The 450 and up size heli's are SO much more stable, which makes is SO much easier to learn on which makes is SO much more fun.....

Skarn

Druss

Again, I have to agree with Skarn to a degree. Forums are for the exchange of information and if you plan to participate then there are going to be those that disagree with you.

As to HOBBY GRADE helis that you can actually get parts for, there are very few of them in the single rotor variety under the 300 size. There are lots of co-axials and toy grade helis but that's entirely different.

I did not disagree that if you're going with a 300 size electric the hbfp is a good choice for a beginner, as I stated CP helis are more difficult to set up and fix. That said, I started out on a 300 size blade cp and hated the little bugger.

I personally believe that one of the best starter helis is the Hurricane EP550. The kit with motor and esc is $320, add a radio, servos and gyro and you're at around $700. That's a lot but less than a Trex 450SE costs.

I personally skipped the FP stage, I went from a co-axial and 40 hours of sim time, directly to the blade cp (which I got rid of after 2 months) and then the Belt CP. From the Belt CP I went a little crazy and now own 10 helis.

NagRuTan

Greets,

Ok, i think that i will be going with the esky belt cp. I see that it was suggested that i upgrade the ESC? what other improvements should i look into and if i don't want to use ebay, what place should i purchase from that i would get the best bang for my buck? I figure that i would like to get several larger batteries and a better charger along with common parts that i will be crashing / breaking. Basically what would be a good wish list of items that i would need? This will be a birthday present from the ole' lady and i could always toss in more cash from my end.

Nag.

NagRuTan

Greets,
Ok, so here is a list of what I’m putting together so far with prices. Please feel free to make suggestions.
2008 Model Esky Belt CP RTF 6-Channel RC Helicopter:

Main Rotor Diameter: 680mm (27 inch )
Tail Rotor Diameter: 130mm (5 inch)
Length: 650mm (26 inch)
Height: 230mm (9 inch)
Flying Weight: 670g (24 oz)
Drive System: Esky 450 3800KV brushless motor
Rotate Ratio: 12:140/10:22
Servo: 4x 8g servos
Gyro: Esky Professional Gyro
Speed Controller: 25A brushless ESC
Battery: 11.1V 1800mah 20C 3-Cell Li-Polymer
Control system: 6CH CCPM Multifunctional FM Transmitter and Receiver
Radio Control Range: 2500 feet (762m)

Package Includes:
Helicopter (100% Assembled)
6 Channel CCPM Multifunctional FM R/C Transmitter (8 AA batteries included)
100-240V Wall Battery Balance Charger with Auto Cut-Off
Esky 11.1V 1800mah 20C 3-Cell Li-Polymer Rechargeable Battery
English Manual

$ 196.26 Shipped

CNC Main rotor and tail assembly
Comes with a set of main blades

$42.00 Shipped

HobbyWing Pentium 60A Brushless Speed Controller ESC
Output: Continuous 60A, Burst 80A up to 10 Secs.
Input Voltage: 2-6 cells lithium battery or 5-18 cells NiCd/NIMh battery.
BEC: Pentium-60A: 3A / 5V (Switch mode).
Max Speed: 210,000rpm for 2 Poles BLM, 70,000rpm for 6 poles BLM, 35,000rpm for 12 poles BLM.
(BLM: BrushLess Motor)
Size: 70mm (L) * 31mm (W) * 14mm (H).
Weight: 60g

$47.00 Shipped

3-Cell 25C 11.1v 2200mAh Li-Po Rechargeable Battery X4

3-Cell 25C Li-Po rechargeable battery for RCCapacity: 2200mAh
Voltage: 11.1V
Size : 105mm x 32mm x 22mWeight: 170g

$104.00 Shipped

2 - 6 Cells Digital Lipo Battery Balance Charger / Discharger
Model Number : rcps51317

Independently controlled charging for each battery pack cell
Non-interference between battery pack cells during charging
Adaptable to various type of lithium battery.
Auto-cut off when battery cell fully charges
Fast and storage mode of lithium battery.
Maximum safety.
Automatic Charging Current Limited.
Capacity Limit.
Temperature Threshold.
Processing Time Limit.
Input Power Monitoring.

$45.00 Shipped


Main blades (5 sets)

10 pcs EK4-0009

$21.00 Shipped


Tail blades (5 sets)

10 pcs EK1-0502

$22.00 Shipped

Walkera rc helicopter pitch gauge.

$17.00 Shipped

Ok guys, what else should I look into getting? Looks like my budget for this first purchase can go as high as 600.00 and some change and it’s just shy of 500.00 now. Any suggestions or changes? Anything else I should pick up? TIA


Nag.

Druss

You don't need that 60amp esc, at most you only need 35amps.

I don't know that charger either and what kind of batteries are those?

That cnc head and tail are too cheap to be genuine esky products, I'd say they are a knock off and people have been having trouble with them.

I sent you a pm about an Esky CF and CNC heli I would be willing to sell you.

inv|s|ble

dont go with the genuine esky cnc stuff either, its just 6061 aluminum...

you dont need all that stuff to start...just the helictoper, ESC, and possibly blades...ushobbysupply.com has some plastic blades that are good for learning too, or ebay for blades...


if you have to have a cnc head, get this one, they also have it in blue, if you check the site.

http://www.cnchelicopter.com/servlet...-CP-CNC/Detail