[Mange]

This is my first post here.

I have decided to buy my first RC helicopter. I have been looking around a little and I think I am going to buy a http://www.dreamhobbies.com/cart/customer/product.php?productid=1175&cat=0&page=

I don't really know anything about RC and internet ordering, so tell me, does this kit include everything I need to fly or do I need to buy a radio transmiter or something?
Is it really expensive to ship a package that size to Sweden?

Thanks,
Magnus

[rohan]

First of all read the EHBG (electric helicopter beginner's guide) (http://www.swashplate.co.uk/ehbg/index.html)

Next, the heli you chose does not come with a transmitter. It says ARF (Almost Ready to Fly). Look for RTF (Ready To Fly). This one is RTF and it is the one I have: http://www.dreamhobbies.com/cart/cus...cat=366&page=1

I like it a lot. However, after you read the EHBG you will learn of fixed pitch and collective pitch. Collective pitch is easier to learn on, but it is a tad more fragile and when you crash, it costs more to fix. I started off with collective pitch and I like it, however I am still waiting on a few parts before I can fly again. Also, what is your budget?

[GWS4CEO]

Read the EHBG (electric helicopter beginner's guide) is a great start cost zero!

Use a FMS flight similator for free, may down load from:

http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/down.html

Just get a GWS flight similator cable for less than $10 to plug into your old TX. if you are a current RC flyer.
http://www.gws.com.tw/english/produc...ircuit/fsm.htm

If every thing is new to you, just buy a GWS TX only pack. which cost you about $50~60. The GWS TX will be used for real stuff after you get skill on FMS.

You'd better find an RC club, joint with them to get advise from experience flyers.

[Mange]

Thanks, guys.


I could probably spend, say US$ 200.

So that's what ARF is... hmmm I didn't know that.

What is GWS TX?

[raz]

First off get one that is easy to find parts for and that are not expensive. Also don't let people tell you a cp cost more to fix than a pf, it's not true and cp helis (most) are no more fragile than a fp. A good cp is easier to learn on than a fp and then when you are ready to try some 3D you don't have to buy a new heli. The Blade cp looks pretty good and is RTF out of the box, you just need batteries for the tx and charge the heli battery and you're off.

[fh64_lucky]

i agree,i purchased a blade CP 12 days ago,nvr flew heli's b4,last night,and today,i was outside,flying it all over,took bout 4 days to get hover down,then a lil side hover practice,went outside,4 days ago,flew it,in and outa control,few ruff landings,and now 2 full flights,with no problems,flying figure 8s,all outa the box,only parts replaced,2 sets of main blades,1 main shaft,only cause i didnt like the minor tweak i put in it,and repaired 1 leg of landing skid,with glue n string....outstanding heli,very tuff,as a few landings were kinda hard,ok very hard,lucky i thought ahead,and chose a field with tall grass,that saved me worse in sure,if i do ever hurt my blade bad,i will buy another blade,as it has proven its self to me...

[Mange]

What are collective pitches and fixed pitches?


I don't really care so much fore the specifics, I just want a helicopter.


Here is the one I am thinking about buying (It's in swedish, but there is a image). I get the helicopter + a training set + shipping for 1400 SEK (that's about US$ 185). Is it a good deal?
http://www.blocket.se/view/4604677.htm?caller=bkl_s&l=0&c=1&city=0

[Headspin]

Fixed pitch means the blades stay at the same angle, you only need a 4ch transmitter so are generally cheaper. Collective means the angle of the blades change, usually mixed on the transmitter with the throttle.. so the throttle actually does two things.. increases rotation speed and blade angle. There are usually more expensive and require a transmitter with (usually) 6 channels or more.

What you are looking at is a clone of a very good heli so you should be ok with that. It will fly well indoors, and ok outside on very calm days.

GWS is a manufacturer of Radio control models and parts and made the original Dragonfly. Here is a site that sells them and spares, compare to your model, see if anything is the same.
http://www.modelflight.com.au/rc_mod...onfly_heli.htm

[Mange]

Is the price right?

Can I only fly when it is really really calm or is it like that it does not handle ruff weather?

[Headspin]

Flying is tricky enough withour a wind factor... the wind will make it buck and bounce all over the place.. trust me, practice floor flying until you are instinctive on the controls.. by floor flying I mean spin up blades until it gets light and then keep it in one place.. make it turn right 90 degrees.. then back.. then left 90 degrees.. sounds easy doesnt it

Price is ok, I have seen cheaper but remember it is a clone, the originals are more expensive. Make sure you can get cheap parts because you will need them, broken blades and burned out tail motors being the main items but you will break most things.

The EHBG thread at the top of the forum page is a good source of information. Also Radds school of flight is essential..

Good luck, and keep asking questions.. NEVER GIVE UP!! most of us were close at some time, but we are still here.

[Mange]

I guess i'll take it.


I read this rewiew
http://www.rcgroups.com/links/index.php?id=4512
and I thought the helicopter seems nice.


Is this the one I am about to buy or is it just a simuluar one?

[Headspin]

It's similar, most micro's are basically a copy of each other and fly equally as well if set up right.
I got an Aerohawk as my first heli and it took me a long time to master it.
Whatever you get, just make sure you can get spares cheaply and easily and you won't go wrong.

[rohan]

the one you are going to buy is a similar one. Have you looked one ebay or something like that? The heli you are getting looks like a clone of the GWS dragonfly and the GWS dragonfly is $150 RTF. You can get a "dragonfly" (not GWS) for about $89 on ebay RTF. The one you are looking at looks like that one and if you pay $185, it seems as though you are getting ripped off.

[rohan]

try these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...980979705&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...982640282&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...982032495&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...982378943&rd=1

[Tonystott]

Originally Posted by raz

First off get one that is easy to find parts for and that are not expensive. Also don't let people tell you a cp cost more to fix than a pf, it's not true and cp helis (most) are no more fragile than a fp. A good cp is easier to learn on than a fp and then when you are ready to try some 3D you don't have to buy a new heli. The Blade cp looks pretty good and is RTF out of the box, you just need batteries for the tx and charge the heli battery and you're off.

It is a shame when people give misleading advice.... a CP heli has a higher head speed, which means that if you bring it down any way other than on the skids, the rotors will likely still have lots of energy left, increasing the impact to the blades and the head. Also, because of the more complex design of the CP head, there are more parts likely to be damaged, AND the main shaft is longer, increasing the chance of damage due to the longer unsupported length. So claiming that repair costs are the same is a big stretch. Maybe Raz's personal experience suggests they are the same, but I suspect the wider experience as posted in the forum points otherwise.

Don't also forget that while you may buy a CP heli in "ready-to-fly" condition, just one crash will put it into "WTF" condition, where you will be really lucky if you can reset it up so it works well. On the other hand, most crashes with a fixed pitch heli only require a quick realignment of the main rotor, and you are off again. This is a huge difference if you are not lucky enough to have an expert on hand. (I am still only on my second set of main blades 6 months into learning with a FP heli)

I would hazard a guess to say that most beginners would find the equation ease of flying vs damage costs and difficulty of setup works in favour of fixed pitch. In addition, there are many many posters here who started out with fixed pitch, and when they bought a collective pitch heli, kept their FP heli, and still gets lots of low-cost enjoyment out of the FP one.

So my advice would be to start with an FP, learn to fly it in all possible situations (eg tail in, side-on, nose-in, forward flight, circuits, stall turns etc), so that by the time you buy your second heli, your familiarity and skills are up to the job of getting the most out of CP.

Also, if you decide that fyling helis is not as much fun as you hoped (not likely but! ) you won't have dropped so much $$$. If you are pretty sure you are in this for the long haul, you are best off with a good 6 channel radio, rather than relying on the basic no-frills sort offered in heli packages, as none of these radios is up to moving further in the hobby.

Good luck!