Not really in my budget right now, but I have been going through Hobby King, and looking at this:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...x_Compat_.html

I would be interested in opinions on this helicopter and these parts:

ZYX-S 3-Axis Flybarless System
Turnigy 9X 9Ch Transmitter w/ Module & 8ch Receiver
TP 450-Size 2415-03T Brushless Heli Motor 4850kv
Turnigy AE-45A Brushless ESC
Turnigy nano-tech 2650mah 3S 25~50C Lipo Pack


http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...dproduct=24522
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...idproduct=8992
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...idProduct=6261
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...hless_ESC.html
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...Lipo_Pack.html

Any servo suggestions? Is that about it?

keep saving dont get a 450 and DO NOT GET A CLONE
save up get a nice radio and a sim get a used DX6i and a copy of PhoenixRC
then save some more get a T-rex 500E
you will thank me in the long run

I also found this Tarot clone:

http://www.oomodel.com/tarot-450-pro...4-p-63022.html

And this one with a Walkera Tx/Rx

http://www.oomodel.com/tarot-450-pro...f-p-62696.html

Is the Walkera TX a better one than the Turnigy 9x? I know they are both cheepies.

no really get a good radio and sim trust me on this
if you still think your going stick with it get a T-rex 500E

+1 on sim I started with real flight 6 a month two so ago.. then got a blade MCPX...and now a tarot 450. Sim was best decision ever. ( unless you already have all that then ignore this )

I like my tarot, I am fresh noob and just finished building it I have not flown it yet. Friend finished final touches on it last night.

see my recent thread. http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1735021

The last page has my final thoughts on the build.

Also I recommend just saving and getting a DX6i, it will work on every Blade heli..and I bought a $4 orange RX from hobbyking for my Tarot.. that works great with it.

I dont know anything about those other radios.

Also I will Highly Reccomend if you'r thinking about tarot Dave @ http://www.tarot-rc-heli.com stocks Tarot parts is in San Diego ( so not china ). Replys to emails very fast!

I ordered my kit from oomodel, but had I know about tarot-rc-heli I would have paid about the same to order a kit from him. ( shipping from oomodel is over $40 )

I have ordered a few orders since from him and got them the same week i ordered and he answered all questions i had via email within 30minutes usually.

A larger heli is easier to fly, so the recommendation of a 500 is certainly viable. I've had a number of 450s and still have two Thunder Tigers, but the Century Swift (550 size) I had was a better flier than any 450. The issue with a heli this size, and to a lesser degree a 450, is where do you have to fly it? A larger heli requires an organized club field with insurance to minimize risk of damage, injury and lawsuits. In my case, flying even a 450 meant joining a club and would restricted my flying to only a few times a week in the summer and a lot less when it gets dark earlier. I can fly in my yard, with smaller helis and quads.

Since you live in Kansas, this is probably not an issue for you, but in general it's something to consider.

Get a simulator, a good transmitter, and a blade nano cpx.

Practice, practice, and practice on the simulator. Then when you feel ready take the ncpx out, take it and learn to fly the snot out of it. Fly over grass, hit throttle hold if you feel in danger of crashing or if you're about to crash, and there is a 99% chance it will be undamaged unless you slam it into the earth, and even then if it's on some nice grass it likely won't be damaged. For $140 you can't go wrong. It's like a simulator, but better. A real life simulator if you will. This will save you a ton of money.. I hear if you can fly a ncpx/other cp micros, you can fly a bigger, more stable 450/500/600/ect no problem. I don't hesitate one bit attempting anything with the ncpx, because if I mess up, I hit throttle hold and it floats back to earth. Can't do that with bigger heli's.

Just my 0.2c. I quit r/c heli's a few years ago because I was in fear of crashing the 450 I built way too much to do more than hover. But now with these, there isn't really an excuse. Very lucky to have tools like this to your disposal.I also agree on skip the clones. While you learn to fly on the sim and the ncpx, save for a nice trex or something of the likes. I went the clone path a couple years ago, I wouldn't do it again. The chances of having a prefectly flying clone is slim to none unless you really, really know what you are doing. And by the time you do you could have afforded the 'real deal'. It sucks to learn on a clone that doesn't fly 100% correct.

Originally Posted by Elios000

keep saving dont get a 450 and DO NOT GET A CLONE
save up get a nice radio and a sim get a used DX6i and a copy of PhoenixRC
then save some more get a T-rex 500E
you will thank me in the long run

Whats wrong with the Hobby King clone, and the Turnigy 9x

KTMDirtFace: I have been following your thread. I hope your flight goes well tomorrow.

Balr14: I have heard that the larger heli's are easier to fly, and I do have a sizable amount of room, but cost is going to be the determining factor, maybe I will just have to settle for a smaller flybarless fp. I don't really care about the 3d flying, I am just interested in something a little bigger than my 328, that will handle a bit more breeze.

quadracer111: Thanks for the advice. I had a similar experience a couple of years ago with a Honey Bee V2. By the time I figured out how to mod it so it was even remotely controllable, I hated it.

Originally Posted by livingword26

Whats wrong with the Hobby King clone, and the Turnigy 9x

Been there, done that, wouldn't do it again.


Buy a simulator, and a nano cpx, in the meantime while you learn to fly save up for a good heli. You could skip the sim and replace it with something like a msr as well. All depends, do you have any flying experience?


B

Edit: Regarding the Honeybee fp, it's one of the heli's that made me almost give up helis. So hard to fly it's stupid. Waiting two weeks for one part also sucked. Honestly, the nano cp x has taught me things in 10 minutes that the honeybee couldn't have in a year. The difference between a POS like the hbfp and a properly set up CP heli is rediculous.

I flew the Lama V4 for quite a while, then the Solo Pro 260, on and off for about 3 years. for the last few months, I have been flying a Solo Pro 328, 2 - 6 packs a day, been doing mostly figure 8's lately. Nose in hover needs some work, but making progress.

I don't have any experience with the solopro line. But if they fly like the msr and you can fly around well with that I would consider picking up the nano mcx. Fly it 6-10 feet high over some grass and if you get in trouble hit the throttle hold and let it fall to the ground. I find it better than a simulator. Can't do this stuff with a 450, so progress is a lot slower. Once you can fly something like the ncpx you should be able to hop on a bigger, more stable rig no problem, again, just my 0.2c. This ncpx has progressed me in heli's more in 10 minutes than 4-5 years of messing around with hbfp's, clone 450's, and other crappy platforms. The simulator is a big part in it as well. Buy a used dx6i and look into clearview flight sim. It's about $50 (iirc) and it's great. You can use the dx6i with it and for any other cp heli/plane in the next five+ years.

Originally Posted by livingword26

Whats wrong with the Hobby King clone, and the Turnigy 9x

Very little is actually wrong with it... it's a combination of little things adding up to occasionally be a big problem for a beginner. This is particularly true of the flybarless stuff. To get FBL to work properly, you need good electronics all around - the servos, the ESC, the FBL controller, and the helicopter needs to be mechanically sound. When you add up all the problems, it can result in an unflyable machine - sometimes it doesn't, though, and that's where you get the advocates of the clones. Keep in mind those people usually only have experience with one helicopter and can't keep things in perspective. If you challenge them on it, they will typically try to explain how great their clone is by listing all the problems they had to fix - it's a very strange response, but I see it all the time - "No, it's fine, I only had to fix this and this and that"

SO, I highly recommend going the no-nonsense route and getting a quality Spektrum radio and a micro helicopter like the mCPx or Nano. I have both, and while the Nano is a little better quality, it is also much faster and harder to control.

Even I have trouble affording a 500 sized heli, I would not recommend it as a 1st heli unless $$$ is not an issue. If it was not a issue I doubt you would be looking at clones. Getting started is the real trick, a good computer TX is the best way to go, i would also go with a BNF like Jas suggested mCPx or nCP and a SIM. Then you can start piecing together a good 450 clone kit.

Spekrum is probably the best way to go for a TX, then you get all the BNF eflite (helis) and Parkzone (airplanes) solutions from Horizon Hobby. Also, where do you fly in Wichita? A calm day the wind blows ~20 mph and it goes up from there. That typically means flying inside a gym and a 500 size would be too large for that. I grew up in Wichita and I sure don't miss the wind

good luck

one other thing to consider when going to a ccpm heli that is 450 or larger. crashes cost money. you will crash, no ifs ands or butts. I have crashed my 450 twice. first crash cost me $25, the second was $75. if you get a ncpx or mcpx, crashes might not cost a thing. if it does, its will be a $3 set of blades or a $3 shaft.

as for clones. if you are mechanically inclined or experienced with tinkery, go for it. the people that had to fix "this, that and the other thing" at least knew what was broken and fixed it. cost 1/2 as much up front too