Hello Everyone,

I am looking to purchase my first helicopter to have fun with and learn with. I think I have it narrowed down to two diffrent models, The Double Horse 9116 or 9118. I was wondering what you expericed people would sudjest. For what I can see the 9116 is a 4ch and has a better controler with the LCD screen. The 9118 is a 3ch and seems to be about the same and a little cheepr just not LCD screen contorler. I was wondering is there anything I should know about these models to make my choice or am I looking at the wrong heli's all together? Thank you all for reading this.

It all depends on your past experience and what your objectives are. Both of those models have significant reliability issues with motors and PCBs. If your objective is to learn to fly more advanced helis, there are much better choices. But, if you are just looking for something to play with, the DH9116 has a pretty good following.

Hey Balr14, What would your recomend to get that would allow me to learn and move up to a more advanced heli in the future?

You are comparing a 9116 4ch fixed pitch single rotor with a 9118 3ch coaxial. Two totally different helis.

I can't speak to their reliability but the 9116 can handle some light breeze outdoors while the 9118 not so much. You will learn a bit more with the 9116.

My suggestion, however, is to forget about 'big' right now and look at something like a V911 fp or even a v929 quad.

regards . . . g

Thank you both for replying to my thread. I did some research in to the V911, I decided this is the one I am going to go with for my first heli. I ordered it online now I just can't wait for it to get here. Thank you again

Originally Posted by gordonzo

My suggestion, however, is to forget about 'big' right now and look at something like a V911 fp or even a v929 quad.

regards . . . g

My 9116 was a tree-seeker. It took me three months of learning to break it. The killing blow was a dive into a metal filling cabinet. I have a 4000 square foot office, so I do a lot of indoor flying. That said, I've never even heard of the 929 before. I just picked up an mqx, but I am wondering if the 929 would be good for a coworker who is ready to move up from my old three channel.

try to buy a smaller heli with a length about 20cm like syma s107 first if you are a beginner !

Originally Posted by Balr14

It all depends on your past experience and what your objectives are. Both of those models have significant reliability issues with motors and PCBs. If your objective is to learn to fly more advanced helis, there are much better choices. But, if you are just looking for something to play with, the DH9116 has a pretty good following.

Balr,how many 9116 do you have in your fleet? You seem to know quite a bit about the 9116,(or at least have a lot of Negative opinions),as I've had mine for quite sometime and haven't had any problems at all. You don't seem to like these little Heli's,, but I can't say enough good about them at their price point. After some 70 lights on my blue one,and over 50 on my orange one I haven't even changed a tail motor yet,(But I am running them stock). Anyway,,I think you should fly one before you condemn them as they are a pretty good little bird.

JMHO

I had one and sold it. I guess it depends on your point of view and past experience. I found the 9116 to be heavy and lacking in movement authority. It resists any form of aggressive movement. It's easy to blow out the tail. Climb-out is poor. It's over-stabilized and won't teach you very much. If you fly it like driving a bus, you will probably be happy.

I do not access durability and reliability based entirely on my experiences. There is a large thread on the beginners forum that documents many issues with motors, transmitters and PCBs. I find these issues are below what I consider acceptable. People are willing to put up with a lot if the price is right; I'm not. It seems to trending downward, too.

While I do not have a very high opinion of any of these over-weight, 45° offset flybar helis, I appreciate that I can't stop people from buying them. So, I have still helped many people who own them with issues and advise. For the most part, experienced pilots ignore these helis and the people who fly them, like the plague. I guess I don't think that's quite right.

No Offense Intended,(and a very Good Reply on your part) as well. I do fly mine and they are Fun,but mine are more for just getting outside and flying something besides my 3 450's. I was more Curious to see if you had any problems like the ones I have read about.
I am also wondering if they have made Improvements since then as mine's been Great so far.
I fly them in the evening while my 450's are charging and find them to be a Fun little Heli to just kick back and fun fly,lol.
I guess I wouldn't mind if they did blow a motor as I keep 3 spares,(but have yet to use one),but that's the way it is,When you have parts they seem to last forever,,but if you have none,then they Blow out,lol.
I still fly my 9104 once in awhile,just for a change,,They're all fun,,but each in their own way I guess..

Happy Flying

Part of your success (especially with tail motors) is due to you not being a beginner. Beginners hover a lot, which is particularly hard on tail motors. When you are moving forward the tail motor gets some airflow and the tail will tend to weather-vane and follow the nose. So, it doesn't have to work very hard.

I flew my ESky Lama V4 for relaxation until it finally gave out after several years. But, I don't fly helis very much any more. I fly quads mostly now.

You are probably Right on the Money. I also am very inquisitive about the Quads myself,(but I'll never be able to quit Heli's),lol. Which Quad do you Recommend as one that would be Dependable. Thanks In Advance as well.

if you have a DX6i, DX7, or other Spectrum transmitter, a Blade MQx is hard to beat. It's lots of fun and incredibly durable. I've bought a set of new blades and one motor in 5 months, plus some extra batteries. If you are feeling a little more adventurous, an MWC X250 is nice. It's heavier, a lot more powerful and loaded with features. You have to assemble it and do a little soldering, but it's a good value. You can have auto-leveling, altitude hold and virtual orientation for $160, another $40 for GPS.

im about to buy this dh 9116 and after reading many comments about this heli,most if not all dh 9116 owners have tail motor problems, which held me back on buying one. is there any better 4ch 2,4GHz heli of this same size out there?

There are few 4 channel FP helis in a size above micro that aren't toys. The best of the lot is the Blade 120SR. But, you have to recognize that the tail motor is the main source of problems for any beginner, for any heli; for the reasons I gave. The Blade 120SR tail will last you a lot longer, it's a simple plugin replacement and you can get them from your LHS. Walkera also makes several flybarless FP models that are about 9116 size. I can think of two that do not have tail motors. But, these helis will be more difficult to fly and not nearly as durable as the 120SR.