Tractors4u

I recently have been bitten by the RC Chopper bug. I started looking at the Skylarks and Dragonflys first. Then I was thinkinking maybe I should look at the Piccollo. My thinking was you get what you pay for. Don't take that as a flame against the Skylark or Dragonfly, I have no experience with them or the Piccollo. I am just basing on price. I was thinking that it would be great to sit in the living room or kitchen and learn. Then I hear the mini's aren't that good to learn on. Last week my LHS demo'd a LMH Corona and I thought this is it, bigger and electric. I have had a nitro powered plane and I have a nitro T-Maxx, but I thought that an electric heli would allow me to concentrate on learning to fly and not having to worry with the engine. Now I am reading more and more about the electrics and maybe they wouldn't be the best to start out with. The more I am reading the more confused I am getting. I don't won't to be an RCFIREWINGS but I am looking for a little guidance here. I keep hearing that I will have as much money in an electric as I would a nitro. I already have glow warmers and a starter, but I also have a charger and a battery too(6 cell 7.2).

flmgrip

My Feedback: (2)

piccolo's etc. are very hard to fly and really not recommend for learning to fly helis... and unless you have a huge house you will not fly inside as often as you would think... electric gets good when you look at 20 cells or more... but you need a special charger etc.. for that... i believe the general consensus is to start with a 30 or 50 size, if you got the money, go 50 and it will last you a long time... and since you already know about glow engines a bit, it will be a piece of cake to deal with glow and tuning, which isn't that hard anyway...
i know there is electric fans out here as well, but if you have a field where you can fly glow and noise is not an issue, go glow... you will not regret it and if you want get a piccolo or hornet or logo as your second heli... good luck

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

I would go gas and look to a raptor or something similar. Flying an electric in the house sounds fun, but if you think about how fast one move, you would be hitting lights, walls, tvs, cabinets, chairs, and everything else in the house. Not a good idea. Gas is a lot better to learn on and from what I have seen of the electric helis so far, they are not worth the money. My boss had the piccolo and it was not a great heli. He sold it and bought a second raptor. Way better machine. You would be a whole lot happier.

If it is price that has you worried, look at a used raptor 30 on ebay or RCU and you can get a pretty good price. you should be able to find a flyable 30 for under $250 for the engine and airframe. A good radio should be a computer radio and can be had for about $150. Then it is parts and flight box. If you don't like to pay that much, I would suggest not flying helicopters. A crash can cost you a bunch in a hurry.

Rawlie

Brent

To add my 2c, the I/C engine smoke smells absolutely awesome! The mix of fuel and oil burning is addictive. (Smells similar to offroad motorbikes.)

I know this is a really stupid and emotional way of looking at things, but I suppose the whole pursuit of flying helicopters in the first place is also not a logical decision!

Good luck

Tractors4u

The mix of fuel and oil burning is addictive.

Yeah, I know. I have a T-Maxx and can't imagine what it would be like electric. Of course getting the dirt and grass clippings off of the greasy underside isn't that much fun

gaanel

Hello,
I learned to fly on the Piccolo. If you don't have anyone to help you learn on nitro copter then I highly suggest getting a Fun Piccolo.
There is an advantage. When you learn to fly on a small electric copter, when you wreck, most of the time nothing is damaged or damage can be repaired with CA. The piccolo is a little touchier than a larger helicopter but I recommend it. If you have a two car garage where you can learn to fly it that will help. The piccolo has a very large support group and a forum such as this. If you want more information go to Paul Goelz website. Just type his name in Google. The Fun Pic can also be cheaply upgraded to a better flying helicopter as you learn. I fly it outside in my front yard often. You do need calm conditions outside.
Now, just so you know. The piccolo is a great learning tool. But it will never do what a nitro helicopter will do. I have a Fun Piccolo, but I have now bought the Hawk Sport.
For me using the Fun Piccolo to learn was the way to go. Every night I went out into my garage and flew a few flights. I learned hovering, nose-in hovering, piroulettes, etc.

Crawler

My Feedback: (1)

I agree going with the Nitro Heli as a first heli. I tried to learn on an ECO. I liked the challenge of trying to get it to fly! I learned a great deal piecing it back together . I seemed to be tinkering with it instead of flying. So last summer I bought a used Raptor for $325 I must have spent that in parts keeping the Eco in the air. Well crashes do cost money, no matter which Heli Nitro or Electric. My Raptor is a far more stable and easier flying machine than the Eco.

Some of those Micro Heli's are fine flying machines but if you want to fly in doors spend that $200 and get yourself G2 and learn in doors on that. IMOP that would be money well spent
Getting a Electric Heli as a second is a great idea I wish I would have read this thread last summer. Man the money I would have saved.

Brad

Chopper Bill

Brent... First, I am definately not an expert on the subject, but I have done a ton of research and decided to go with the LMH Corona with some moderate upgrades. I like the idea of not having to deal with the noise and mess of a gas heli... I also like the size. It's small enough to fly indoors and even in the backyard, but big enough to handle some wind and it won't be a huge jump to upgrade to a larger heli after I move along the learning curve. In terms of upgrades, I bought the basic kit and went with a Mega brushless motor, a Futaba Gyro and ordered a good 8 channel radio for future upgrades. Roffeetvhobby.com has the best price I could find on the heli and most of the stuff to build. Mike, the owner was very helpful walking me through the massive choices available for components out there.

Good Luck,

CB

gaanel

As I mentioned in my other reply. I agree, an electric is a good way to start in the hobby. I learned on the Fun Piccolo which is a fixed pitch helicopter. You can put the helicopter together in one evening. Very simple and a large support group on the web. Also, you can crash the heck out of that thing without damaging much.
Once you learn, then you can step up to a collective pitch (Fun Pic is upgradable) electric or go into the nitro powered. I tried learning on the nitros back about 15 years ago. One small wreck and I was out of action for a few days and out a few bucks. Learn on the cheap Fun Pic (or Corona), beat it up, wreck it, get all of your practice done on it. The repair cost is low. I have wrecked that poor thing into the wall, lawnmower, bushes, ground, with little or no damage. Also, with the new batteries flight times are into the 15-20 minute range. Go to the Ikarus Forum and read some of their inputs.
There is a place in the heli world for both Nitro and Electrics, I will always have both.

painly

My Feedback: (4)

im also at this debate whether to do 30 size or mini. i was thinking the new century HB looks like a good mini and for a good price.