Not sure how much interest there is in toy micro helis here, but I thought but this might be helpful to someone else.

I got the "ThinkGeek Black Stealth" toy micro heli for xmas. (That's what Thinkgeek calls it but the box says "HummingBird".) See Michael Heer's review here.

I was never able to trim the bird properly and achieve a stable hover the first day. By the next day it was even worse. I then realized that the tail fin slid easily on the boom, and had probably moved forward in a crash or perhaps was never correct. I adjusted it, which helped, but it still refused to hover in place. To make matters worse, it would often develop a deadly unrecoverable wobble.

Finally I decided to pull the rotors off and found the source of the problems (at least the wobble). A small horizontal rod which limits the tilt of the bottom rotor is broken. I suspect this happened in one of my many first or second day crashes while I was struggling to trim the aircraft. The weird thing is, the nub seems very smooth, instead of rough like you would expect from a break in plastic. Almost as if it was manufactured like that. So maybe I didn't break it in a crash.

I just wanted to post this finding so anyone else who develops death-wobbles or inability to trim this heli can investigate whether they have this kind of damage.

TB

I'm still not able to trim it

Try the multi-rotor threads...they will probably be able to help you out:

http://www.rcgroups.com/multi-rotor-helis-200/

Originally Posted by jasonkc25

Try the multi-rotor threads...they will probably be able to help you out:

http://www.rcgroups.com/multi-rotor-helis-200/

Yeah... that doesn't help. There's already what... three threads about this thing? And you want them to go somewhere else and create more? Let's stop bashing the noobs when they post in the wrong forum, and just help them. It IS a micro heli...

I'm wondering if it has a gyro, and if there might be any information about how to properly initialize and fly the thing - maybe in the manual? Otherwise I'd say it's broken. This is a good example of why you should probably avoid "toy quality" stuff and go for actual hobby-quality stuff like the mCX, which costs about twice as much, but every part of it is replaceable, and 99% of them fly perfectly right out of the box. The others just need a little adjustment, and since it's hobby-quality, you can actually do that.

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

Yeah... that doesn't help. There's already what... three threads about this thing? And you want them to go somewhere else and create more? Let's stop bashing the noobs when they post in the wrong forum, and just help them. It IS a micro heli...

I'm wondering if it has a gyro, and if there might be any information about how to properly initialize and fly the thing - maybe in the manual? Otherwise I'd say it's broken. This is a good example of why you should probably avoid "toy quality" stuff and go for actual hobby-quality stuff like the mCX, which costs about twice as much, but every part of it is replaceable, and 99% of them fly perfectly right out of the box. The others just need a little adjustment, and since it's hobby-quality, you can actually do that.

It's micro junk....

I don't think it has a gyro, but I haven't taken it apart to see.

Not much instructions either. You just cycle the throttle after you power it up to intialize.

I pretty sure, however it's just a reciever and a couple speed controlers.

It seems the only way to control FF at least on a 2 channel was to twist the tail, but it was more or less out of control other than alt.

Yup, toy grade is just that toy grade. Enough to make an eight-year-old happy for a day.

If anyone is any more serious about piloting a heli seriously consider a real hobby grade heli.

Originally Posted by MakMov

It's micro junk....

I don't think it has a gyro, but I haven't taken it apart to see.

Not much instructions either. You just cycle the throttle after you power it up to intialize.

I pretty sure, however it's just a reciever and a couple speed controlers.

It seems the only way to control FF at least on a 2 channel was to twist the tail, but it was more or less out of control other than alt.

Yup, toy grade is just that toy grade. Enough to make an eight-year-old happy for a day.

If anyone is any more serious about piloting a heli seriously consider a real hobby grade heli.

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

Yeah... that doesn't help. There's already what... three threads about this thing? And you want them to go somewhere else and create more? Let's stop bashing the noobs when they post in the wrong forum, and just help them. It IS a micro heli...

I'm wondering if it has a gyro, and if there might be any information about how to properly initialize and fly the thing - maybe in the manual? Otherwise I'd say it's broken. This is a good example of why you should probably avoid "toy quality" stuff and go for actual hobby-quality stuff like the mCX, which costs about twice as much, but every part of it is replaceable, and 99% of them fly perfectly right out of the box. The others just need a little adjustment, and since it's hobby-quality, you can actually do that.

Yea I guess you're right. What can you expect for $30. False advertising all over the place though thats not good. I think I'm going to have to bomb them on youtube for this crap!

Can you recommend any links to some real helicopters? I was mostly looking for control. Obviously did not get it here.

Awesome $99 beginning single roter heli. Learn to fly this one up to circuits and fast forward flight.. you can go anywhere in the heli world! I did!

http://www.eflightwiki.com/eflightwi...tle=HoneyBeeFP

Originally Posted by morelefttrim

Yea I guess you're right. What can you expect for $30. False advertising all over the place though thats not good. I think I'm going to have to bomb them on youtube for this crap!

Can you recommend any links to some real helicopters? I was mostly looking for control. Obviously did not get it here.

I fell down the same rabbit hole with a 2ch and into a Mini Spark (Walkera 4#3 clone), for better or worse.

By no means a beginner heli and to a lot of patients, persistence, and perseverance and about $30 in replacement parts I few that little guy and been flying the heck out of it. It was well worth the first couple of weeks of broken parts, down time, ordering replacements, waiting, and crashing it about 200 times. I almost gave up twice, but I was bound and determined to fly this heli. It actually flies pretty well and the 4#3B is supposed to fly better. And it IS controlable and very durable.

If you are not up to that route there are some hobby grade coaxials that are easy to fly.

Originally Posted by Slyster

Awesome $99 beginning single roter heli. Learn to fly this one up to circuits and fast forward flight.. you can go anywhere in the heli world! I did!

http://www.eflightwiki.com/eflightwi...tle=HoneyBeeFP

I don't have one, never flown one, but I hear good stuff about this heli everywhere I go.

I notice it flies a lot better if i let it fly from my hand and not from the ground.

Still spins.

It just seems like the trim needs to be adjusted within the actual controller....... I wish I had any idea how to do that.

Originally Posted by morelefttrim

Yea I guess you're right. What can you expect for $30. False advertising all over the place though thats not good. I think I'm going to have to bomb them on youtube for this crap!

Can you recommend any links to some real helicopters? I was mostly looking for control. Obviously did not get it here.

Well there's a fine line between false advertising and marketing. In this case I think it's marketing, as in - they flew the heli for 100 hours in order to get 3 minutes of decent video of it.

What you need is the mCX I mentioned earlier - it's the new bling on the market, and is very nice. Very durable, and a great flyer. I would say you have to be probably 6 years old to fly it - so might not be great for a small child with less developed fine motor control. It is a 4-channel helicopter which means it has rudder and throttle, and slides forward/backward, and left/right.

Blade mCX Consumer Review (14 min 41 sec)

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

Well there's a fine line between false advertising and marketing. In this case I think it's marketing, as in - they flew the heli for 100 hours in order to get 3 minutes of decent video of it.

What you need is the mCX I mentioned earlier - it's the new bling on the market, and is very nice. Very durable, and a great flyer. I would say you have to be probably 6 years old to fly it - so might not be great for a small child with less developed fine motor control. It is a 4-channel helicopter which means it has rudder and throttle, and slides forward/backward, and left/right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRSEPCmzyi0

Yep thats pretty much exactly what I wanted. Something that I could actually control.

If you read the ThinkGeek entry on that page:

We have simple needs here at ThinkGeek. We would like artificially intelligent computers that can hold a real conversation, a manned Mars base with hyperspace travel to get us there quickly, burgers that don't make you fat... and small R/C helicopters that fly exactly where you want them to go.

Thats what made me want to buy it. After breaking my first 2CH after LITERALLY the first flight I realized it was all about control. The 2CH had the spin problem from the get go.

I guess 3CH is no better. At least not this one....... sadly.

I will definitely look into getting a mcX you can give me a rev code if you want. Won't happen for prob 1-2 months thou, I already had to save to get this one

Originally Posted by morelefttrim

you can give me a rev code if you want.

What? Huh?

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

Yeah... that doesn't help. There's already what... three threads about this thing? And you want them to go somewhere else and create more? Let's stop bashing the noobs when they post in the wrong forum, and just help them. It IS a micro heli...

I'm wondering if it has a gyro, and if there might be any information about how to properly initialize and fly the thing - maybe in the manual? Otherwise I'd say it's broken. This is a good example of why you should probably avoid "toy quality" stuff and go for actual hobby-quality stuff like the mCX, which costs about twice as much, but every part of it is replaceable, and 99% of them fly perfectly right out of the box. The others just need a little adjustment, and since it's hobby-quality, you can actually do that.

Bashing was not my intent, just organization. There are different sections in the forum for a reason. By all means, if you want to help them out, go for it. All I'm saying is that there is most likely a reason they are not getting any responses, they are in the wrong place.

J

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

Let's stop bashing the noobs when they post in the wrong forum, and just help them. It IS a micro heli...

Thank you. Not only is it a micro heli but it was also reviewed in this forum, which is why I chose to post about it here. But although I am new to helis, I take slight offense at being called a noob. I've been around for a while.

Originally Posted by jasmine2501

I'm wondering if it has a gyro, and if there might be any information about how to properly initialize and fly the thing - maybe in the manual? Otherwise I'd say it's broken. This is a good example of why you should probably avoid "toy quality" stuff and go for actual hobby-quality stuff like the mCX, which costs about twice as much, but every part of it is replaceable, and 99% of them fly perfectly right out of the box. The others just need a little adjustment, and since it's hobby-quality, you can actually do that.

There are a few reasons to have some hope for this little toy. Firstly the aforementioned reviewer, Michael, reported that he was able to achieve a stable hover and controllable forward flight. ThinkGeek claims the same, and while I realize they have a vested interest in saying so, they are generally pretty straight guys.

Another point in its favor is that this little toy is surprisingly well made for $30. Sure it's plastic and somewhat rough around the edges, but the construction methods aren't as bad as I expected. I counted something like a dozen screws visible without any disassembly.

Having said that, I do agree with your sentiments regarding "toy quality". For $30 it's always safe to expect that a good number of them will fail to fly out of the box due to poor quality control. There are no spare parts available, and the manual is a bit of a joke. But then again, if you get one that flies okay, it's a pretty wicked $30 toy!

Still, as soon as I can afford it, I probably will get a Blade MCX.

TB