OK.......heres the deal. I've always flown fixed wing but decided to try something different. I've gotten to the point of almost hovering and the Hobbico gyro I have decided to keep the servo locked with tail rotor in the full pitch position. I've swapped servos so I know it's the gyro. Gyro was bought new and has very little time on it. My question for those with far more experience than me is...........what's the best gyro for the money out there. Keep in mind that I don't plan do do anything elaborate anytime in the near future so I don't want to put out big bucks in case I just can't learn to fly these things. Also I am having to teach myself without the help of someone that actually knows what should be happening. Last of all..............I fly using all JR equip! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated and if it doesn't work out....................you guys will get first dibs on the "remains" of the heli!!!!!!

I think the biggest bang for the buck out there is the Futaba GY401/9253 combo for $200 in the grey market and $250 at HeliProz. You can't go wrong with it. You can of course buy only the gyro and run it with a normal non high frame rate and/or digital servo, you just won't get the benefit of the matched performance of the 401 with the 9253 servo.

If your budget does not let you stretch it as far as the 401 (anything less will be asking for upgrade later) I'd recommend the Futaba GY240. It has the same sensor, no high frame rate or remote gain on this one but it will do the job. It costs a little less and probably a good contender in your book.

JR is years behind Futaba on the gyro market, they have nothing that compares in price/performance to the Futaba 401 or any of their gyros. I am a JR guy but I use the 401 in my Sceadu 50 and I love it.

Good luck with your decision!

From what I have seen its the only entry level gyro out there that has the abillity to do hard 3D .
The 401 is the only gyro that gets recommended at are field to new heli guys. the 401 is so solid for a newby they can work on other controls other then the rudder. very quickly they learn to hover because there not fighting the tail all the time.
cheap= long learning curve
$$$$$=shorter learning cuvre

i would not recommend leraning with a tail lock. you will start to develop bad habits. that's just my opinon.
regardless don't save money in the wrong spot. if you plan on flying for years to come, why not pay another $50-$80 and get something which will keep you happy for years?

You have received some good advice above. I have been flying planks for years and just got into helis. (1) GET A SIMULATOR if you don't already have one. It will get you into the hobby crash free - I swear. Just do it. (2) I have the GY401/9253 combo and believe me it's what you want to get. Definately the best buy. Works like a charm and you won't grow out of it any time soon. It is not a high end gyro and is much more afforadable than the comparable JR. I fly with all JR equipment and both the gyro and servo have worked great. Finally, I fly both with and without heading hold. I respectfully disagree with those who discourage the use of HH by beginners on the grounds that you will develop bad habits. The hh makes the initial process of learning hover easier, and there is nothing wrong with that. Once you are comfortable, just remember to take of HH and also fly that way. You will not form bad habits unless you choose to.

I agree with the above post. I learned with HH and found that it helped not having to worry about the tail at first. When I had hovering down good I started taking it out of HH and learned to use the tail.

I now fly about 95% of the time in HH and have learned that you really need to manage the tail in FF and circuits. I use the rudder much more in HH mode than if I was flying in normal.

I guess it is all what you get used to. I would recommend using both modes and getting used to both at some time.

I really tink if your looking for somthing cheap that works good you my want to try the CSM 400 its cheap and it holds pretty good or you could find a used CSM 360 and I think it holds just as good if not better than the 401

well what can i said i haven't buy a gyro yet but i will ...i'm trying to fly with out it but it's really hard..i'll tell you when i start hover

Looks like the Futaba has a good reputation out there. I don't have a problem spending that dollar figure if it's the best to go with. I do have the Realflight G2 sim and have been playing around with that some to try and make the transistion easier. Guess I'll be in the market for one of these gyros now! Thanks for all you guys taking the time to offer up some advice!

hawkptor: Did I hear (read) that right? You're learning to fly helicopters without using a gyro at all? Dude....give me a break. Of course it's hard! Do yourself a favor and wait until you can afford a gyro. You're gonna crash it for sure!