nitram38
|
 posted on 28/4/09 at 09:30 AM |
|
|
OT: Electric RC Helicopter
Now the MotaLeira is nearly roadworthy and there is little to do on it, I am getting bored!
I've held off getting back into flying helicopters (did it when I was 14....now 45) but now I would like to dabble again.
I am after an all in one package to start off with and I am not sure what to go for.
My budget is £200 max to include everything to fly out of the box (don't mind small amount of building).
If I am competant I might then progress to better models.
Any help/advice or helicopter kit recommendations, gratefully recieved.
Cheers
Martin
|
|
|
|
|
tegwin
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 09:44 AM |
|
|
I have been there... done that and spent a fortune...
My advice... get a sim (there is a free one with thousands of open source models).... Use an RC transmitter and plug it into the PC so you can learn
to fly the heli without spending lots on crashes...
Once you are competant I would suggest getting a larger (80cm-100cm diameter) outdoor electric heli... they are MUCH more stable than the little
indoor ones...
Having said that... if you want to learn to hover without the hassle of battereies etc try the
Hirobo Lamma (click) Its contra rotating rotors make it pretty good
trainer...
I had an Ikarus Eco8 for flying outdoors.... was a bit of a nightmare and expensive if you fully plant it in the ground...
That is a very old design now... there are some VERY nice electric helis......
http://www.modelhelicopters.co.uk/acatalog/HeliKits_Electric.html
I have also had a couple of Ikarus Picolo micro helis.... good fun, but unless you have a big lounge they are a bit tricky..... I guess they would be
ok if you budget on lots of spare parts for the rotorhead etc (there are good alloy upgrades to make it stronger)...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Would the last person who leaves the country please switch off the lights and close the door!
www.verticalhorizonsmedia.tv
|
|
|
Mr Whippy
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 09:47 AM |
|
|
beginners guide linky
my advice not to buy a small indoor heli as they are not easy to fly indoors, easily damaged, crap in the wind outside and don't give you proper
experience needed to move onto the larger heli's.
I been flying r/c heli's for a long time now, was out flying last night 
|
|
|
nitram38
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 09:51 AM |
|
|
Thanks for the advice guys.
Unfortunately I can't open any of your links!
Just upgraded to Internet explorer 8 and when I click on your links I get a new window with "about blank" in the search bar.
$^£&ing Microsoft!
|
|
|
nitram38
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 09:54 AM |
|
|
Explorer works if I right click on your link and click open......go figure.
How would you rate this or
this
|
|
|
Mr Whippy
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 09:54 AM |
|
|
From midland helicopters -
BEGINNERS START HERE!
First may I say that I would not recommend anyone to try and learn to fly helicopters on their own. Although it can be done, it is generally a very
expensive and sometimes dangerous way of going about it. The best way to get into the hobby is to seek out a local club and talk to them about joining
the hobby.
There are of course many different helicopters on the market, which as a novice gives you an almost impossible task of choosing your first model. I
will make some recommendations below, but rest assured whatever model you choose from ourselves we back them ALL up fully with almost 100% of the
spares in stock and on the shelf. We also offer a free set-up service (See below). If you are not in a position to travel to us then I would advise
you get somebody experienced to check it over for you and to give it its first flight. A local club should be able to help in this case. Also included
in any of our packages is a free training undercarriage (Normal price: £13.57) this is essential whilst learning and it gives a much wider landing
base that allows you to make those less than perfect landings :-) whilst learning.
Free Set-up Service (1 hour)
• Pre-flight check to make sure the assembly is correct.
• Balance Main Rotor Blades
• Set-up Main Rotor Pitch & Servo Settings
• Set-up Gyro & Rudder Setting
• Set-up Engine & Carry out Initial Test Flight
• Trim Helicopter for learning to fly with.
Most people are at a stage where they can carefully practice on their own with the training undercarriage fitted. Whilst learning, the biggest thing
you need is patience, you will not be up doing aerobatics overnight, this generally takes lots of practice. If you have the need to learn to fly as
quickly as possible without the risk of accidents I would strongly recommend you look at purchasing a Computer flight simulator. These are getting
ever more realistic and will generally get you most of the way there without ever risking your model or worrying about what the weathers doing. Whilst
on the subject of the weather, it is important as a beginner that you avoid flying in gusty/windy conditions. Although modern helicopters are capable
of flying in some pretty extreme conditions this makes learning infinitely more difficult.
What Model do I choose?
There are 3 sizes of helicopters generally used these are the following.
30 Size: These are a very popular choice for learning with that they are also capable of doing a lot of the different styles of flying. They also keep
the running/repair costs to a minimum. 30 sized models are as follows.
• Thunder Tiger Raptor 30
• Hirobo Shuttle
• Kalt Baron 30
• Century Hawk
• Kyosho Concept 30/Nexus 30
• JR Ergo 30/Voyager 30
• X-Cell 30
46/50 Size: These are a mid sized model, which are normally a little more expensive to set-up with than the 30 size. The overall running costs are a
little higher, although repair costs are very similar depending on the model chosen. The major benefit is their stability in the wind. Both the 30 and
46-size fly very similar on calm days, but in the wind the 46 size is a lot more stable. 46 sized models are as follows.
• Robbe Moskito Basic or Sport Version
• JR Ergo 50/Voyager 50
• Century Falcon
• X-Cell 46
• Morley Maverick/XR
• Morley F1-46
60 Size: These are generally the biggest models on the market. These have much higher running costs and are normally a lot more expensive to set-up
with. They are also a lot more expensive to repair. The stability of course is the best of the bunch, but the costs of repair generally out weighs
this benefit. 60 Sized models are as follows.
• Robbe Futura
• Robbe Millennium 60
• Miniature Aircraft X-Cell 60 Series
• JR Ergo 60/Superio/Vigor
• Hirobo SST Eagle Series/Freya
• Kyosho Concept 60 SR-II/Calibre 60
• Morley F1-60
• Thunder Tiger Raptor 60
Another increasingly popular option is electric flight. These are generally categorised into 2 sections. 1 for indoor flight and the other for outdoor
flight. The 3 indoor flight models are extremely affordable models to experiment with, due to being very light they have very little inertia to cause
damage to themselves. The major down side to the indoor flight models is their stability, they are a lot more difficult to master, although if you do
moving up to a bigger model will not be a problem. For initially learning with either of these models you require a little more room than you average
lounge (This comes later!) Ideally seek out the use of a sports hall/garage or somewhere similar.
The remainder of the electric helicopters are generally a little too large for indoor use, and their flight stability sits somewhere between the
indoor electric & the 30 sized models. The current electric helicopters available are as follows.
• Ikarus Piccolo (Indoor Helicopter)
• MS Hornet (Indoor Helicopter)
• Snelflight Hoverfly (Indoor Helicopter)
• Ikarus Eco Series
• Kalt Whisper Sport
• JR Voyager E
• Kyosho Concept EP-SR
• Robbe Moskito Sonic
Coming back to the Simulators I mentioned earlier, there are many on the market (See below) These offer you the ability to learn to fly & progress
by using your PC and not risking damage to your valuable equipment. Most modern simulators are extremely realistic and require Windows 95 upward and a
Pentium spec PC. (Pentium II + Recommended) All the simulators, unless stated, simulate both helicopters & aeroplanes.
• CSM V9 Simulator (486/Pentium Spec)
• CSM V10 Simulator (Pentium +)
• Truflite 3D (Pentium +)
• Realflight Deluxe (Pentium II +)
• Ikarus Piccofly (Pentium II +) (Only simulates the indoor Piccolo Model)
• Ikarus Aerofly (Pentium II+)
• Ikarus Easyfly (Pentium II+)
If anyone has any further questions regarding getting into the hobby then do not hesitate to contact me. There are a good variety of books/videos
which can assist with your choice of equipment and also which will offer help as your flying progresses. See these on our website.
Good Luck
Trevor Wallinger
|
|
|
tegwin
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 09:59 AM |
|
|
IMHO... Dont buy any helicopter from ebay etc unless you are 100% sure you CAN get spare parts for it.... you WILL need parts for the rotor head,
tail boom, rotor blades etc...
This is bad... very bad... I sold all my heli gear a few years ago... but looking back at that website... urgh... sooo tempting.... might go for a
plane instead though.... Damn you Nitram
(nitram... have you thought about learning to fly the real thing?... its a hell of a lot easier than a model!)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Would the last person who leaves the country please switch off the lights and close the door!
www.verticalhorizonsmedia.tv
|
|
|
nitram38
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 10:01 AM |
|
|
Wow, that is some info!
I used to fly an old (huge!) Bell 212 helicopter nitro engined hele when I was 14.
I'm fully aware of how difficult it is to fly.
I don't want to go into the model building scene fully, but just want to be able to fly occasionally.
I know that you can get counter rotating blades and gyro helecopters, but I am looking for something that is not super easy to fly but is better than
my old non-stabilised version.
Somewhere to pick up where I left off but not a childs toy!
|
|
|
Mr Whippy
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 10:02 AM |
|
|
as for those heli's in the links...hmm small toys to me and would end up gathering dust on top of the wardrobe very quickly.
Yeah they'll get you into it but I'd stick to a good model like a Raptor that will last a long time and you can get spares everytime you
smash it into the ground (will happen alot when your learning btw).
Don't rule out engine powered ones as I've used the electric versions of mine and would never convert as they cost more in the long run
and are more hassle charging and replacing worn out batterys. Don't go on the claimed run times, as in hovering heli's use considerably
more power than in forward flight so you'll probably see about a third of that in reality till you get into flying circuits
[Edited on 28/4/09 by Mr Whippy]
|
|
|
nitram38
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 10:04 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by tegwin
IMHO... Dont buy any helicopter from ebay etc unless you are 100% sure you CAN get spare parts for it.... you WILL need parts for the rotor head,
tail boom, rotor blades etc...
This is bad... very bad... I sold all my heli gear a few years ago... but looking back at that website... urgh... sooo tempting.... might go for a
plane instead though.... Damn you Nitram
(nitram... have you thought about learning to fly the real thing?... its a hell of a lot easier than a model!)
I've flown a Piper Tomahawk fixed wing for real (no take off landings!) and abused Flight simulater to death with proper pedals and yoke.
It's just very expensive to maintain a license plus getting time to do it.
Otherwise my "toy" collection would be huge!
[Edited on 28/4/2009 by nitram38]
|
|
|
tegwin
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 10:09 AM |
|
|
If you want something you can just play with occasionally and have the space indoors... I would look at one of those contra rotating jobbies.... the
one on that page with the blue alloy rotor heads looks good.... If you just want the occasional flight without the stress of setting up the bigger
stuff.... give it a shot.... its not stupidly expensive and spares are easy to get hold of....
If you ever up this way..... you can have a go at flying a small heli for real...it IS easier than flying a model
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Would the last person who leaves the country please switch off the lights and close the door!
www.verticalhorizonsmedia.tv
|
|
|
nitram38
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 10:11 AM |
|
|
tegwin, as soon as the MotaLeira is roadworthy, I'll be up!
|
|
|
Moorron
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 12:15 PM |
|
|
This is one of my newest hobbies. Im currently flying a Trex500 and find it a really good challange. I moved up from a Belt CP and before that a
Honeybee CPV2.
All i can say is £200 is a struggle for a nice sized heli, the standard chargers take 4 hours so unless you just want a quick play or 4 batteries (£30
each) then your going to need a £100 charger to start with.
I think the toy ones will bore your to death after a week or so.
My Trex500 cost me £700 + a few extra batteries and the charger and ive been flying for 18 months now. I do recoment a flying buddy, mine has helped
me when ive lost control and vice versa.
Check out www.heliguy.co.uk and the Belt CP, King or honeybeeCP, these are what you should be aiming at to start with and dont cost too much to
repair.
i will send you a U2U in a few minutes regarding other info.
Sorry about my spelling, im an engineer and only work in numbers.
|
|
|
Mr Whippy
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 01:07 PM |
|
|
^ good on you, stick with it as its well worth all the work and pain. Wait till you start doing aerobatics with it, mind boggling  if a bit scary
no other r/c model type comes even close to the thrills of a heli
|
|
|
cloudy
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 01:30 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by nitram38
tegwin, as soon as the MotaLeira is roadworthy, I'll be up!
I have an ECO8 electric that I flew quite often, I've had it years, so not sure what's better out there now...
Tegwin - I'd love to do that too!
James
[Edited on 28/4/09 by cloudy]
www.warnercars.com
|
|
|
tegwin
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 01:48 PM |
|
|
Then eco8 is still a pretty good design... even better if you add a brushless motor and some alloy rotor head components..
Haha... il have a little queue....... If you can fly the model...the real thing is a piece of weewee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Would the last person who leaves the country please switch off the lights and close the door!
www.verticalhorizonsmedia.tv
|
|
|
thepest
|
| posted on 28/4/09 at 01:54 PM |
|
|
For fun on a budget I recommend the:
Walkera 1B
Its one of the best flying helis I ever had.
If you have some more money then I would go for the Align's Trex 450, you may find all in one packages on the bay of E.
I have both, Align is far better in quality. But given its limitations this walkera model holds its own quite well.
|
|
|
hicost blade
|
| posted on 29/4/09 at 05:58 PM |
|
|
I have one of these:
http://www.buzzflyer.co.uk/Sub-Micro-RC-Helicopters/BuzzFlyer-Buzz-Fly-2.4G/p-97-747/
Mine is the Walkera version from ebay and is exactly the same so spares are not a problem.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Walkera-4CH-4-3-Micro-RC-Helicopter-Extra-main-blade_W0QQitemZ160325691391QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ToysGames_RadioControlled_JN?has
h=item160325691391&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A3%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
and I love it to bits.
Twitchy but a real living room job, the dog hates it!
and its sooooo small
|
|
|
WanchaiWarrior
|
| posted on 30/4/09 at 05:52 AM |
|
|
I got one of these :
Cant fly it though  
|
|
|
nitram38
|
| posted on 30/4/09 at 09:43 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by WanchaiWarrior
I got one of these :
Cant fly it though
Do you want to sell it then?
|
|
|
thepest
|
| posted on 30/4/09 at 04:35 PM |
|
|
Ah the walkera 4 I loved that heli and has thought loads of people I know how to fly.
Throttle is on the wrong side thou, should be on the left (for most people that is).
This heli is an indoor one or outdoors in a very slight breeze only. It can hover and do forward flight quite nicely when setup properly... and dont
believe that it flies right out of the box either.
|
|
|
rf900rush
|
| posted on 2/5/09 at 07:44 PM |
|
|
HI Martin
Have you sorted you heli choices out yet?
As I did some heli flying a while back.
Morley Bell 47, Cyclone II, then a concept 30.
recent;y took it up agian I the manner you suggest.
So I bought the E-Sky King 2.
Cost £105 deliverd from china.
although I sold some old models to fund a Futaba Computer Radio for it.
If you flew at 14 then one of these should not be a problem.
And they will do 3D flying.
They have loads of upgrades.
I think the E-sky King 3 is link my upgraded King 2.
If you wan't to see one in the flesh U2U me.
as I just down the road.
|
|
|
nitram38
|
| posted on 2/5/09 at 07:49 PM |
|
|
I'm still a bit confused as to which way to go.....I'm tempted by gyro assisted and the larger heli's.
Price and spares also are considerations too..........
Still looking!
I'm off most of next week (except sat morning), so I wouldn't mind taking a look.
[Edited on 2/5/2009 by nitram38]
|
|
|
rf900rush
|
| posted on 4/5/09 at 06:03 PM |
|
|
If I get some spare time in the week. usuallyt Thursdays I'll let you know.
Martin
|
|
|
nitram38
|
| posted on 4/5/09 at 07:33 PM |
|
|
Cheers Mate!
|
|
|
