I am new to the world of rc helis,I am learning on a blade 120sr and its not going to bad. my question is when it is time to upgrade what brand do you choose?Ive been reading some different reviews but you dont ever seem to read a bad one. and if you have never built one before is that the way to go for a beginner

Welcome!

What is your budget?

I went from the 120SR to the V911 then to the Blade mSR X.  I really didn't need the V911 because it flies very much like the 120, just much smaller.

I've been flying the mSR X for about 3 months and can now fly without crashing very often.  It's a real handful but I can fly indoors or outdoors as long as wind isn't over 10-15mph, then it gets difficult.

You can't go wrong with Align for a first real heli. Realistically it's the best value per dollar, you get something very nice without breaking the bank. Also EVERYONE carries Align parts and pretty much every heli pilot has experience with Align, availability and knowledge base make it a great choice for a beginner.

Don't get a clone, it seems like a steal at the prices some are offered for but from what I've seen you can easily end up spending more than an Align kit and driving yourself crazy getting the thing flying halfway decently. Some work out great but as far as I'm concerned it's just not worth the risk...also I'd rather use my money to support a company that's developing their designs rather than one that's just copying someone elses work as cheaply as possible.

So yeah, Align is the go to recommendation for a beginner. If something else really catches your eye just do a little research on/ask around about it, there are a lot of nice helicopters.

Takeshi...I almost agree with everything you post...except your view on clones.

I have both a 450 and 500 EXI clones that are fine helicopters. And if I add up what money it took to build them both...it still would be less than the cost of buying 1 500 Align kit.

I know you said "some work out great" and maybe I am in that "some"category. But, from what Ive seen first hand, as well as what Ive read from others across the globe...there are more than just "some" of us clone flyers that work out just fine.

I will say that a person really needs to do a lot of homework if buying a clone. There is a lot to learn about what electronics are needed in order to get a nice build done. I used upper end servos on my 450 from HiTec. I built a 2nd 450 plastic version (sold it at swap meet because I dont need 2 450's)out of all cheap 900g transparent blue servos and they both flew pretty identical. I could definitely tell a difference on the rudder servo...but otherwise I couldnt tell much of a difference between 3 dollar servos and 36 dollar ones.

Im getting of point here. I just wanted to give the "other sides" opinion on clones. And that is that if you carefully plan out a clone...you can get a good result. My 450 has been flying for 2 seasons now and my 500 almost as long and Ive not had the first bit of trouble that I didnt introduce from crashing.

I will say this. I am sure the higher cost of the Align helis arent because they use better materials. If I were to bet...Id say most of the higher cost comes from them (Align) having to pay to publish a manual (clones dont come with any documentation) as well as the man-power it takes to QC their helis to a point that getting a "dud" one is fewer and further between.

If Align would only have patented their design...we wouldnt be having this discussion. As the only way to buy a clone would be from the back of a van in some dark alley somewhere in NYC...like the guy that sells fake Rolex's from inside his trench coat. LOL

I understand what you're saying and you're right, but you did kind of touch on some of the issues that would keep me from recommending a clone. I should mention that one of the guys at our field has a Tarot 450 and he can't tell the difference between it and his Trex when flying them.

You hit it on the head though, you can make a clone work great if you're willing to do all the legwork and research. I think for a beginner it's worth going Align just for the comparative ease of getting it together and set up, it's stressful enough just learning to fly CP in the first place! Then again one of my friends has been having a pretty lousy time getting his trex450 set up...I guess it's just six of one and a half dozen of the other really.

You know what I changed my mind, get a Logo or a Goblin

It really is "6 of one, half dozen of another".

You are always going to have 2 types of people...ones that like building and tinkering, and then ones that like it already done and just want to take it out of the box and go fly.  Unfortunately with the "non toy" helicopters...there really isnt much of a "RTF" offering out there...unless you count some of the Blade helis (and even then I would probably only class their 450 heli in with anything else we are talking about here).

I feel that if people shy away from the clones, that will take some people totally out of the picture of getting into this fine hobby simply because they cant afford it.

But, if they do their homework and buy a clone kit...such as the EXI or even Copter X, they could get themselves a very decent heli for a nice price.  Like I already said...Ive built both my 450 and 500 for less than the cost of a single 500 Align.

Id had bought an Align if I had the money to lose in the beginning.  I knew helicopters were expensive to buy.  And also knew that helicopters werent "easy to fly" to someone brand new.  So, it was hard for me looking at the price of an Align helicopter and all of the stuff to make it go.  Then I found the clones and found that the most "raving" about them came from the EXI camp.  So I bought one.

Anyway...now that I somewhat know how to fly and not afraid of killing an Align, I still probably would go with my frankenclone EXI/Align bird just because I still can save money to spend elsewhere in the hobby.

Not all people have the same outlook as me or try to stay within a certain budget in this hobby...and thats fine too.  But my point was, and still is...that clones can be just as good as the original.  If you shop wisely and do your homework.

Im also kinda of a newbe to the helis , Ive been flying my 120sr for about a year now, and wanted to go with somthing bigger and a club member says just make the leap forward w/ a nice new Goblin 700, so im nockin it around... I think money one minute and then I look at them and they sure are pretty, ... I would imagine they fly really nice, but who am I to say... I know with my bigger planes the fun factor is greater so I would imagine it would be the same w/ a heli as well.... thoughts ??

If you have the money...sure, go with a 700. BUT, not only does a 700 kit cost a lot more...so does operating cost. It will have to run on 12 cells so be prepared to spend at least 130 bucks for a pair of "cheap" batteries....all the way up to 150 or more a piece if you buy the higher priced "brand name" batts.

If you ask me...which you didnt, lol...but I'll give you my opinion anyway. If you want a large heli that wont break the bank, go for an Align Trex 550 or a clone of it. The 550 is a large helicopter that will run on 6 cells. Will cost less to repair when crashed than a 700 too.

I just bought a clone and am building it now. Its almost as big as my 600...just shorter blades and boom. I really like my 600 size heli, but since its a Nitro I dont fly it as often because fuel costs.

If you just have money around burning a hole in your pocket...by all means get the 700. But if you want a nice large heli that wont break the bank to build, crash or operate...Id go with a 550.

goodluck.

Since you asked for thoughts, I agree with ATV. Going from a 120 to a 700 is a HUGE step with repair cost over 10 fold. I also recommend something as a stepping stone, 500 - 550 area would be a good place to step and you can buy used one fairly reasonable.

I know seeing the larger 700 would be something very nice to have but not only is cost involved but safety also. Your 120 you can fly about anywhere, but a 700 you better have room because they can kill people and do lots of damage to property.

Hope you guys can help. I have a walkera 180Z and there are not too many posts for these heli's. I just replaced the rudder servo and I can't seem to stop the heli from spinning around in circles. Everything looks OK but I have no clue.

I've replaced 4 main drive gears since they loose teeth very easily. Maybe I bought the wrong heli. What do you think?

Verify your gyro is sensing the correct direction and your blades are moving the right way with the rudder stick. If it was a different brand servo it could be rotating opposite the old one.

If you are just at the hovering stage or beginning stage, a clone will work just fine. If you are more experienced, you will find the faults in a clone and want more. A 450 works great and isn't too hard on the wallet. It can also be tuned to be more stable as well. If you can afford the extra cost, I like the 500 a bit better. It is a tad bigger and is a great flyer and the cost difference isn't huge from a 450. When you get above a 500, the cost difference really jumps in buying in and crash costs. Also the most popular beginner gyro is the 401 clone or Futaba. I have used the GA250 which is a clone gyro of a spartan gyro and works fantastic. The big heli's are more stable, but crash costs can be absolutely horrible. I recently experienced this issue on my 600 and I am up around $800 before I finally fixed all the issues. Switching to the Beastx did add some of the cost as well.

I agree...the 500 would be better than a 450...and a 550 I think would be even better still.

Only thing I dont agree with is saying the 500 is a "tad bigger than a 450". The way I see it...its almost TWICE as big. And the 550 is close to being twice as big as the 500 without costing that much more.

I really think that the 550 is probably the best all around heli. I say "think" because I am still building mine and havent flown one yet. My opinion might change after I fly it. But as far as costs go...the 550 hasnt cost that much more to build thus far than the 500.

The 500 is obviously bigger, but the blade span for each blade is only 100mm longer. The 550 is an awesome bird and each battery alone is $70-100 a piece. One thing nice about the 550 as well is that you can expand it to a 600 if you want to do so later on.