first i want to know, what type of heliis MOST suitable for a trainer, and in the future, some aerobatics???.60 .40or .30 ive heard a .60 because of stability but that its bad bc of price.

1. if i go for a .60 what model is good to train on and is capable of many aerobatic manuevers??

2. ive heard that .40s are real good for aerobatics b/c of the power/weight ratio. is good. what model(s) do you guys suggest??

3. everyone says .30s are the best trainers. ive heard thats only becase of the low price.


im kind of leaning toward the .40 because they are somewhat more stable than .30s, cheaper than .60s and have a good power/weight ratio.

please help me in my decision thx

I personally started with a Hirobo Shuttle and it was a great begginner heli. Easy to build and easy to fly as well. I wanted to upgrade to the new Sceadu but decided to try a Raptor first since I have never had a crash the Raptor parts are very cheap and easy to get. I think the Raptor is the best buy for the money!

Heres the thing about this question. People will recomend what they fly, because it is what they are flying. All the current models out there are good for training. I would only stay away from the Kalt line since they are a little fuzzy on weather they are actually still in business.

Dont automatically fall into the "Buy what everyone else if flying in your area" crap. Everyone else was flying Hirobo when I walked in with my Ergo, and now they are all flying the Ergo's. Part are not a problem for most major brands, because you will soon find out that you wil mail order most of what you want, since most LHS dont know a tail rotor from the comb in their back pocket.

I personnaly deal 100% with Heliproz. They treat me good, and their prices are good enough for me. The support is where they shine. The only part they EVER had to back order was a piston sleve for a OS motor, other than that they hae always had it in stock, and shipped the same day. They even had the little o rings for the needle valve on my YS engine IN STOCK.

I am sure others will say the same for Ricks, and cyber heli, and heli hut.

When it all boils down you will get replies back for each heli stating that it is the best and cheapest, but in reality they are all pretty much the same, and all that really matters is that you have fun doing it.

So here is my plug for my prefered brand. JR Ergo line the 30 46 or the 60 will all do you verry well. I started on the 30, and upgraded it to the 46, but now I only have the 60 size. I have bought a few of them used, and have had good luck with them. Parts are cheap enough for me, and the fact that it is all metal, and has bearings everywhere is an extra plus. Sure they cost a few more bucks up front, but You do get what you pay for.

I think most will agree that the Raptor 30 gives you the most entry level bang for the buck. It flies well in stock form and will allow you to progress into 3D in stock form.
All of these benefits can be obtained at the lowest entry price and lowest parts/repair prices down the line. Parts availability is second to none for the R30 as well.

A 60 size machine is more stable and more expensive and a bit more complicated.

40 size machines seem plagued with engine problems as there appears to be no super reliable 40 size Heli engines around. This problem spurred the development of the newer 50 size engines and air frames so perhaps a good compromise between 30 and 60 size would be a Raptor 50 with an OS 50SX-H?

If you have the time and ability then, as mentioned above, building from a kit provides
a lot of valuable info and insight into how things go together and operate in unison.

I asked the very same questions back in July. In Sept I bought a used Hirobo GPH. Great helo.

I have no issues with my OS 46SF-H. It does have the carb mod that is needed though.

What I recommend is to forget about the parts cost. My reasoning is that you'll buy a heli for the cheap parts cost and end up having to upgrade the hell out of it. The Raptor 30 is an example.

Very good advice is to buy a used 60 machine from a local guy that you trust and can fly with. He won't sell you a problem machine if you fly with him each week.

My GPH is a great machine. Very stable in hover and solid in the air. A strong piece of advice is buy a good gyro. Don't skimp. The Futaba GY 240/401 are excellent gyro's.

There is no requirement or real need to upgrade a Raptor 30. It will fly well in stock form. I think many get carried away with expensive upgrades and later discover their money was wasted when they discover it flies the same. There are some reliability improvements you can make but many are fluff type upgrade items only make the Heli look cool and hi-tech.

In an interview Taya said that he designed the Raptor with enough strength to handle a 50, and the head is designed to be run up to 2500 rpm's(Don't know how long though).
Every heli has issues, that's one of the reasons to find someone in your area to help you or to see the heli fly for yourself and of course check here for information as you are doing.
A 50 size is a good comprimise between a 30 &60, but I personally stay away from hirobo products because of the shuttle parts pricing debacle. They were charging more for shuttle replacement parts than for bigger heli's like the GPH.Burn me once and chalk it up to experience, burn me twice and then it's my fault.
If you go for a 50 size, only get the OS as it doesn't have the carb issues that others have and doesn't require the break in time that an ABC engine does.
Whatever you get, the most important thing to do will be burn fuel. Once it is setup correctly fly it that way until you have the basics down.
A fury 50 basic is what I would recommend if you are serious about this heli stuff.
A Raptor 50 would be my second choice.
A Sceadu 50 would be my third choice.
A Century hawk 4 or Raven 50 would be my fourth choice.
YMMV
VD

The other night I pulled the engine to replace the clutch shoe that I broke myself, not due to a crash. My GPH was bought used and in excellent shape.

What I did find, though, is that the clutch shoe bearing was in need of replacing and that the fan had some cracks, so new parts were ordered. When I switched to CMT blades from the stock woodies, I found 1 of 4 blade grip bearings shot and needed replaced.

I am learning very quickly that even though a used heli could seem to be in great shape, there are just too many "wear" parts that could be in need of replacing. The parts that I have replaced are normal wear parts, minus my own breakage. Sometimes there is no way to tell until you pull a section apart to look.

Evan

ok,

my sister's boyufriend's boss's husband has a heli for sale .

my sis's bf says the guy flew it 3 times, had a baby and now doesn't want it

im in the process of finding out what it is first, then if i like it and the price ill have to ask ques. to find out if its in good condition

what do i ask????????????

what do i look for?????????

thx

I would start by getting the make/model, the name of the engine, Radio, Servo's, and gyro!

The raptor is a good first heli .My first heli was a nexus 30 and it was a good heli ,but thte parts are very expensive.I now have a nexus deluxe 3o ,and a raptor and to put one together the raptor is cheaper .I love to fly my nexus but take it from me dont crash to much .Parts will make u hate the heli lol

First thing you should do is decide how much money you can spend, often enough your budget guides you to your first helicopter.

Try to get the best radio that you can afford, with the features that pertain to helicopters. (eg: digital trims, gyro gain settings etc.) The JR8103 and the RD6000 are good entry level radios.

Buy a good gyro, Heading Hold is NOT mandatory! Most guys (including myself) do prefer them during 3D maneuvers.

Stick with good quality dual ball bearing servos, nothing too fancy for your first machine.

NOW you can start looking for a heli.
You can get the most expensive, top-of-the line heli. out there but with poor radio and electronics your limiting yourself before you even get started.

Best of all check out what HeliProz has to say for the novice, it is very informative:

http://www.heliproz.com/novadvice.html


Good luck!