Pretty off topic.
I am looking at getting an RC helicopter to maybe start me off with a new hobby.
I've done a fair bit of reading up and I fully understand its a tricky skill to master and not to rush into the big expensive models.

And as an engineer I have taken a lot of pleasure from seeing pictures of these models and seeing the complex mechanisms inside them.

I know how fragile they can be and so there must be loads of crash damaged helos in cupboards that I could have a look over and have a play with.

So, anyone got a cheap, and probably damaged helo I could have?

I'm looking at the Align T-rex 450 (or clone) as a long term goal, but short term, something smaller like the T-rex 100. But I can't afford to get one of those fully RTF yet, but if I could get a broken one to look at, play with etc then that would maybe keep me occupied for a month or so while I save up for a proper flying one. Just to get to know how they work. More out of interest then wanting to repair it.

Yes I know it sounds odd asking for a broken RC helo that doesn't fly, but at the minute I can't afford one with all the extras that would be needed.

And yes I have seen the £40 Syma 3 channel ones in the model shops, possibly thinking about getting something like that to start me off, but they all look a bit... too Chinese crap?

Anyone got something that may fit the bill?
Did I mention it must be cheap?

Steve.

Not got anything sat in a cupboard but I have a Thunder tiger titan 50SE that I'm learning to fly and it isn't an easy thing to do. My best advice would be to get hold of a simulator first (I have Phoenix RC) and its very realistic.

If you want a 'Clone' of the TREX 400 you should look at the HK450 version (www.giantcod.co.uk) . Its an exact Chinese copy but I've seen both close up and its a very good copy (parts are interchangable). I'm thinking of getting one myself for lunchtime relaxation. The only issue with the smaller heli is the fact that they react very quick and hence it can all go wrong very quick.

My advice find a near by club and go visit them to see the various options.

Hope this helps.

quote:

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Originally posted by wescottishmatt
My advice find a near by club and go visit them to see the various options.

Hope this helps.

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Why not built yourself a tricopter... can be done really really easily with 3 gyros, 3 motors, 3 speed controlers and some bits of dowel/carbon rod...

Controled the same as a real helicopter, but slightly more stable... even hang a camera under it if its big enough


see here:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1142429&page=255

go for a second hand concept or raptor 30-50 engine size, they have been making them for years and second hand ones can be bought very cheap. The raptor is aerobatic ready but is a pussycat when set up for learning. Join a club, one that has heli flyers, it is a must and will save you years of expensive grief. If badly set up a heli is dangerous and can really hurt people. Check the blades that they have not been repaired (always throw damaged blades away) but best first join a club and get advice from them, there will be flyers that will sell you one anyway

wouldn't get a trex to learn on they are way too twitchy for a learner. as suggested get a raptor or a knight. the bigger it is the easier it is to learn on. get a flight simulator phoenix is the best one i have found. its £90 but will save you thousands in repairs to your heli.

to find a second hand one look on here.

http://www.bmfaclassifieds.co.uk/

oh and join a local club you will learn at ten times the speed and tuition is almost always free.

budget about £100 for every time you crash it (its not a cheep hobby) think i spent about 4k on models one year.

Get yourself an e-flite MSR RTF (ready to FLy) for a little over a hundred quid or start of with a coaxial like the MCX2 or CX2 parts are cheap as chips get some spare blades and shafts and enjoy flying it inside.

I had the MCX MCX2 CX2 and MSR the MSR is a little more challanging to fly and there all indoors copters, For outside Ive got a Blade 400 3D and after a month I still cant get it off the ground.!

try a micro heli to start with, there a hoot/

quote:

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Originally posted by tegwin
Why not built yourself a tricopter... can be done really really easily with 3 gyros, 3 motors, 3 speed controlers and some bits of dowel/carbon rod...

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I have two electric Helicopters gathering dust at the momeny if you are interested.
The first is a HoneyBee CP2 God knows I have tryed to fly this thing !
It is very twitchy and apears to have a magnetic atraction for inanimate objects !
I dont want you to get this Heli and expect to fly it easily straight away
To help I also have a simulator ,which definetly helps and gives you at least a
feeling for what the controls do before trying to fly the real thing.
There is also a set of trainer attachments which cable ties to the skids giving a wider base on landings
Helps on poor landings.Also some spare blades in there as well

Heli 1

Spares

Spares2

Second Heli is a little indoor type identical to the Syma but it doesnt have a gyro
It means the tail rotor doesnt follow the nose automatically and you have to
control it manually.
Its been flown very little and hasnt been crashed at all .
Also got a spare set of blades for this somewere.

HeliSm

Looking for £40 for the Honeybee
£10 for the simulator
£10 for the small Heli
+some postage
Or make me an offer

All I can say is avoid playing with helicopters like the plague, I literally wanted to kill people after trying to learn, the single most pointless and fustrating hobby on earth.

I am (was) a really good electric touring car racer and have been playing with RC since I was about 5 but RC helicopters broke my will to live.

I'd offer you mine but somebody above has kindly already done it.

quote:

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Originally posted by David Jenkins

quote:

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Originally posted by tegwin
Why not built yourself a tricopter... can be done really really easily with 3 gyros, 3 motors, 3 speed controlers and some bits of dowel/carbon rod...

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They look like fun! Probably cheaper to fix after a crash too...

Are plans available? Or are they only kits?

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Couldnt agree more Doctor Derek Doctor ,
why do think Im selling mine?

Thanks....I think.... for the comments above.
I do understand its a hard discipline and I realise its going to cost money, which is why I wanted save up and for now just have a look at one before I even thought about trying to get one off the ground.

Lurch, the Honey Bee is one of the ones I had my eye on too, let me have a chat with 'er indoors and get back to you.

No worries
Just let me know

quote:

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Originally posted by tegwin

quote:

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Originally posted by David Jenkins

quote:

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Originally posted by tegwin
Why not built yourself a tricopter... can be done really really easily with 3 gyros, 3 motors, 3 speed controlers and some bits of dowel/carbon rod...

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They look like fun! Probably cheaper to fix after a crash too...

Are plans available? Or are they only kits?

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This guy has done a lot of R&d into it..

Infact, he has done such a good job I am currently adating his designs and ordering bits to build one :-)
http://rcexplorer.se/projects/TriV2/TriV2.html

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they are great fun, I love a challenge

I have raced RC cars, boats and bikes at all levels, all over the world, tried flying a plane, first go at it I got it off the ground, managed to get it round and back to me and a bumpy deadstick floaty landing, trainers are a pain

so I thought why not try a heli, I learn things, or at least the basics very very fast

so Trex 400 heli, large sports hall, started out just "driving it around the hall ie skimming and sliding along the floor, ok so I had the general gist of the controls

tried a hover, on about my 3rd attempt, still the first night of trying a heli, I had a hover and could hold it

thats as far as I ever got LOL I can get them to hover, and then I can crash them, I gave up and went back to racing RC bikes.

helis are the most rewarding and yet the most annoying of all the things I have ever tried, I raced 1/5th scale touring cars and never really worried or paniced about it, near on £4500+ of model flying round a track, crashed or hit by anohter, oh ok, time to repair it, but every time I got that heli into the air, ie 5 or 6 foot up, I just knew it was going to end in bits LOL

the biggest bit of advice I can give is to try a simulator, phoenix probably one of the best, and get a good pilot to setup the radio etc, its all in the setup

a guy at my work couldnt get his to fly, total pig and unstable, he went to a club, a guy there spent about 45 minutes checking the heli, but mainly playing with the radio settings, the difference afterwards was like night and day, he could actually fly it.

[Edited on 12/5/11 by tony-devon]

Agreed, all in the set up in my opinion. Also depends how quick you expect to learn, i expected to pick it up straight away, and did so on a t-rex 450, but i wouldnt reccomend this to someone less confident, i had plenty of aeroplane experience which isnt directly transferable but helps massively. If your expecting to be a slow learner, i would get a bigger ic powered model such as a raptor 30. Parts are slightly dearer but there stronger and more stable so you wont break them as often, and you can pick up whole models cheap enough for spares on ebay if needed but raptors are still current so mail order places will stock them too. Id go IC as flying time is the only way youll learn, its no good trying to learn with 2 or 3 battery packs that last 10 mins then need a few hours charging, you want to just keep filling it with fuel and flying as much as you can concentrate for. Simulators are superb now, but still different to the real thing, but if youve never flown rc models a simulator is a must in my opinion for helis. Also as said above join your local club, you cant learn just from reading everything needed to set one up. I got a lot of advice from a member on here before i started which was a big help but once i got flying i found myself setting other peoples models up too. If youve any questions just ask.

I have a fixed pitch Dragonfly somewhere in the loft which was relatively easy to fly, mainly because it was so unresponsive to the "pseudo collective" control. However, it was scary outside as a breeze would make it rocket upwards and it was very difficult to get it down safely. It survived dozens of crashes, mainly because I used to fly in a field with long grass.

I then bought a collective pitch version, and found it way more difficult to control - the gyro was very poor, there seemed to be no middle ground between unstable (oscillating) and minimal effect. That said these were cheap (toy) helis. I used to watch the Alan Szasbo Jr videos in utter disbelief - hard to believe just how skilled and how fast his reactions must be.

To be honest I've probably had more fun with a tiny indoor infrared controlled heli then either of the Dragonflies. Certainly It's the only one that I can guarantee to keep in the air until the battery is exhausted, and the cat loves it!

balidey
I Take it er in doors said you couldnt have a helicopter then?

Hi,

I've got one on ebay at the minute. Its in ok nick. Its a little Hirobo Shuttle take a look at this link:

Hirobo Shuttle Nitro / petrol r/c Helicopter ARTF on eBay (end time 22-May-11 13:23:26 BST)

I,ve got a Dragonus 11 pro ( trex 450 size )in the shed.I dont think i'll fly it again.
Make me an offer

Thanks to everyone for the advice and offers of helos, but I have now bought one.
Not allowed to have it until my birthday, thats the wife's condition to letting me get one.
Although it will give me plenty of time to get down to my local club and do some research before I crash it..... I mean fly it.

What did you get in the end ?

I have a mini titan, that is probably going back on ebay

i can hover, move about gently and than crash, these helis are difficult !

ive been flying R/c planes for nearly 40 years and just been selling most of the big stuff recently
as you can only fly one at a time, and when there £500 per model, and you have a garage full of them, no wonder im broke!

This is not helped when i crashed my favorite 1/6 spit last year (my mistake) it was worth about £600

all that survied was the pilot !!

this hobby can be real depressing after a couple of prangs

ive also not even been to my club this year,

1 i cant be bothered,
2 its been to bloody windy,
3 its given me time to put my 7 back on the road
4 ive saved loads of money on r.c stuff
5 my garage now has a car in it,
there is 6-100 but im tired, so wont put the all here

Steve

Getting the honey bee offered by Lurch.
More importantly, the simulator software too.

I am also really really tempted to make one of the tri- or quadrocopters mentioned further up the thread. I love the idea of making stuff, hence my original request for a broken rc helo to play with. So making a homebrew copter sounds like fun. And they are much more stable and easier to fly aparantly

quote:

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Originally posted by steve m
1 i cant be bothered,
2 its been to bloody windy,
3 its given me time to put my 7 back on the road
4 ive saved loads of money on r.c stuff
5 my garage now has a car in it,
there is 6-100 but im tired, so wont put the all here

Steve

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Helicopters are the spawn of the devil Of course it could just be that I've tried flying helis and I'm shite at it

Give me a fast plane anyday. I can throttle back and mooch around just chilling and then give it the beans when I want an adrenaline kick. Helis need constant input- definately more of a challenge but too much of one for me...

And it's true that it has been blooming windy recently so it's all a bit hypothetical until some good flying weather turns up. I'll fly in any temperature (-10 up to 30s) but my flying stops when the wind gusts are much above the mid to high teens, it just stops being fun.

good luck with the honey bee. i had one for a giggle and they are a nightmare to fly even for an experienced pilot. way way too twitchy for a learner. Get a raptor or you will have a real hard time learning. been there done it got the t-shirt base ball cap shoes and jacket. the raptor is the way forward. if you are dead set on the honey bee the first thing you need to do is dump the gyro and put a decent one on it or you will never have a chance of achieving stable flight and being a learner you wont know if its you or the setup.


[Edited on 18/5/2011 by ashg]