Electric heli

[Labyrnth]

Hello everyone, Im definitely new to the site as you can tell.

Background:
Well, only thing i have done is help build a balsa plane from a kit with a friend and we barely could fly. Crashed every time :D
I have had grasshopper electric buggy i put together from a kit with a better motor and larger pinion. Also a RC 10 Nitro truck. I will be buying the Traxxas Rustler for my son.
But i have always wanted a helicopter, But money was the issue then and now im allot older and have my own family. This is no longer a problem.
Since there is not much good feed back from magazines, I found the site by browsing. It has very good and thought out categories and i took to it.

Now what my question is.
Im 100% new to any helicopter period, but i do not want a cheap/small/junk heli.
I want a great beginner heli that has available parts and training gear/videos/software simulator. The ones i have looked at are the Falcon 40 and the Raptor G2. Both look like the control will work with a sim.
I would like to know what you guys think, since im sure this thing will get crashed when learning. I want to know what chopper has more available parts and easy to fix/learn to fly.
I know falcon is 4 channel, but im thinking ill like the 6ch G2 better. Since i would not want to buy another heli for a while, because after that it will be a Raptor 30 Nitro Heli eventually.

Also i see some places showing how to setup the raptor G2?
If it is a RTF why would you need to adjust anything? Besides checking things.
Thank you for any replies, i am a bit long winded on this post since im introducing myself as well.

[TachyonDriver]

Welcome!
My guess would be to ask the questions about the Falcon and Raptor G2 in the mini/micro sections rather than the 3D section. Sorry I can't help you on either of those machines. I can't help you on 3D either seeing as I don't fly that stuff yet (will I ever? :D ). But I do have a Raptor 30. If you're going to move up to a Rappy with a view to flying 3D with it, then the suggestion from the majority is to go for the Raptor 50 - very similar in dimensions to the 30, but you have a big block motor in there instead of the small family car motor ;)

If it's RTF then you still need to adjust things...because you've checked them and found them to be wrong! :D The guy at the factory who's test flown the heli may be able to fly around with full back trim on cyclic and full right trim on rudder, say. The heli will still fly, but the settings are plainly wrong. Now, has each and every single heli which is marked up RTF been test flown to see if it's ready to fly? I doubt it...

Tach.

[3-D_HELIMANIAC]

Well, the Raptor G2 is a piecer stock, But can be made to fly somewhat well with major modification. There is a very large thread for it on www.rcuniverse.com

If you want to start with an electric heli, I would definately go with the Falcon 3D from www.hobby-lobby.com . Awesome begginer setup and is capable enough to grow with. Good pricetag for what it is too.

Well, Have fun and Merry Christmas,
Al

[Labyrnth]

Thank you for the replies, Wow that Falcon 3D looks very cool.
In the right price range and can fly inverted as well.

But it will be a long time before I can do that.
I been on a AeroFly sim for 2 days now, and hovering is even killing me at this point.
But I see this one comes with training gear, thats good.
Well, back to the sim fellas. I dont want to tear a new chopper up instantly.
Altho we all know it is going to happen, I would just like to postpone it a bit if I can lol.