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backtomyroots

Rc Helicopter Choice ?

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Well, I'm looking to "get off the ground" so to speak. I need something to fly on a reasonable budget. I like the following twoas the LHS stocks them & parts:

Heli-Max Novus CX:

http://www.greathobbies.com/producti...od_id=HMXE0803

Heli-Max Novus FP:

http://www.greathobbies.com/producti...od_id=HMXE0802

My understanding is the CX is simple to learn to fly and is for indoors only. The FP is a bit more challenging to learn but can be used outdoors on calm days ?

Being able to fly outside would be great. No previous experience off the ground . Recommendations ?

Also, for a 12 year old would the CX be the better one ? FP for me ? Cheers.

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post-8889-1248354233_thumb.jpg

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IANAHE, but by the pictures, the left hand one looks like it has the twin rotor set up which makes it way more stable - once it's set up, you literally throttle up to go up, and power off to go down - it'll just hover. The right hand one will need a lot more work to just get it to hover. I've spent ages with one similar to the one on the right and never got very far with it. A mate came round a while back with one of the twin rotor jobs and we simply flew it round the garden.

Left = no challenge, but fun.

Right = major challenge, but you'll be well pleased when you master it.

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Hi,

i bought a Blade CX when they came out,totally amazing,i was able to fly straight away and taught me orientation a treat.

The problems with CX sized heli`s is you need a hall or very large room to fly and they do not like any wind or light breeze at all.

So outside is only an option for the very calmest of days.

When the Blade MCX came out i just had to have one,it flys nicer than the CX in some ways[more responsive and agile] and weighing in at 28 grams all up with lipo installed,fitting in the palm of your hand,it is so tiny,i flew it in the back of a Transit van with 4 blokes also stood in the back,no problem.

MCX for the living room,CX[or similar] for if you can access a large room or hall and once you have the hang of that maybe a Blade 400 or similar.

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Some people will tell you to start with a coaxial heli and grow in to a CP (collective pitch) heli. I honestly disagree since you could in theory fly a coax for years and master it and once you go to CP you will realize that very little translates over. I started with a CP heli years ago, in fact it was one that is known for being very twitchy and hard to control. I crashed A LOT, i learned to tear down and rebuild that heli with my eyes closed. Moving on I bought my T REX 450 V2, I also crashed it quite a few times. Once bad enough to have to replace the airframe (3D flight error).

I learned a lot of how to fly and great tips from here. Follow this advice word for word and you will be flying sooner than you think (no cheating).

http://www.dream-models.com/eco/flying-index.html

I also joined a club which granted me access to a flying field. The knowledge from advanced fliers was well worth its weight in gold.

I now have a AXE CP (hard to control for a beginner imo), a Blade 400 (great beginner CP imo), a T REX 450 SE V2, and a T REX 600

Basically the bigger you go the easier it is to control. If you haven't done helis before be prepared for some bank account drain, it is way more expensive than a car ever has been for me. You will crash, its never a matter of if, more a when, and how many times in the same day lol.

I once crashed evey heli i had in one weekend, it was a very expensive weekend (around $1200 in replacement parts and 4-6 hours in repair time).

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I heard Blade 400 or 450 is an excellent starter to intermediate. Very good value and replacement parts are availaible and doesn't cost an arm or leg. Down side is, it comes pre-assembled so self repair works would not be that easy. There are nicer models on the market, but the availability of replacement parts and costs will lead you back to Blade.

p.s. I do not fly RC heli. but the above was given by someone who has done countless hours of research in deciding which heli to buy.

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Thanks for the replies fellas ! I grabbed the basic CX yesterday and tried it out. Already broke it ! The tail is cracked at the frame and the thing has some kind of gremlin - as soon as the battery is plugged in it starts turning the top rotor which is clearly not supposed to happen. Soooooo, heli's were tried and failed - check your local garbage bins !

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Think Tamiya RC is expensive? Heli RC is truely the bottomless pit. The instructions and knowledge are hard to come by and best way to start is buy a simulator program and play on your computer before putting money down for an actual heli. My friend learned to fly on his computer simulator and on his first outing, he still crashed. Good thing was not a write off and got all the replacement parts for relatively cheap. He was not sure if the set up was wrong at the factory and the factory guys are just not the helpful/knowledgible. I think one got to hang out at a club or know someone whose been at it for several years and can give you advise and pointer, else is a long process plus lots of money for replacement parts.

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Thanks for the support fellas. After an email and telephone call to Heli-Max today it seems my chopper had a defective electronics board. They wanted me to ship them the chopper for warranty repair but I pointed out the postage there and back would be close to the whole value of the price I paid. So, after some light debate they decided to ship me a new electronics board. So in a few weeks we'll be flying again !

This doesn't of course include the new "rear cage" I had to order fo about 5 bucks from throwing it across the room in frustration :lol: . They wouldn't replace that one :lol:.

I'll be flying soon I hope.

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Soooooo, heli's were tried and failed - check your local garbage bins !

Pretty true.

Too often "All factory tested" really means "our guys who fly them every day could get them off the ground and back down again"

They are not "trimmed" and will not hover for a beginner. I spent more in spares than the original heli' cost before I had the reactions to "catch" the direction of the heli' and make the corresponding trim.

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Co-axial Heli`s are a dodle to fly,you do need to put your self in the correct frame of mind to fly even them though.

If you are having any problems flying,get a simulator and/or lessons and all will become clear.

Keep at it,it`s worth the hassle,it`s very satisfying when you can land them intact :P

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Co-axial Heli`s are a dodle to fly,you do need to put your self in the correct frame of mind to fly even them though.

If you are having any problems flying,get a simulator and/or lessons and all will become clear.

Keep at it,it`s worth the hassle,it`s very satisfying when you can land them intact :blink:

Thanks for the encouragement, as soon as the new electronics board and other bits arrive I'll have a go at 'er again. Plus, the wife has ordered some anger management courses after witnessing the "outbursts" during the "attempted flying" !

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My friend took his Blade out twice and crashed twice, dispite practicing on the computer and checked and rechecked all the equipment.

So far has set back around $50.00, trip to his LHS and testing his patience. It seem RC heli hobby is not as user friendly and relatively few help available.

But I think once you master heli flying the rest of RC is just a cake walk.

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