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Any RC Helicopter Guys here?

R

Red97XJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Northern Indiana
OK guys, A buddy of mine has wanted a remote control helicopter since he was a kid, me and a few other guys are going together to get it for his birthday. I am "leading" the buy.

I KNOW NOTHING! Even reading the descriptions on E-bay is confusing. I have narrowed it down to battery powered, not gas. It must be brand new. It must be ready to fly out of the box (charging and minor assembly assumed, but don't wanna build it!) The MOST we wanna go is $275 shipped with batteries.

Where would you lead me and what do you recomend?

Thanks a million.
Jason

This is how my wife must feel when I start talking lockers and lifts!
 
I had a few over the years. Unfortunately, I would go the exact opposite of where you are going. I would go gas-powered and build it yourself. I know they have been advancing technology in the last few years and that some battery powered ones work reasonably well, but from what i have used, the build-it versions are superior quality and reliability as well as being fully servicable, and the gas motor gives much more power and hence control. People who have had them in recent years could speak better to advantages of modern electrics...
 
I think the gas is out as he is not a mechanical kinda guy.... It would hard to be a gas tech AND learn to fly.

Anybody else have any input.... any model your recommend?

Thanks,
Jason
 
i don't wanna rain on your day but i used to love driving my race cars when i was little and had a few gas powered ones they were fun but when it comes to difficulty flying a helicoptor is at the top of the list hanging in the hobby shops i saw few people that could do it further more as stated above it is one of those things that unless you shell out some cash at the beginning you are stuck with something that can't be built on or bettered in any way. Maby there is a place that teaches it and he can get lessons with somone elses helo. it is just one of those things that is well worth the money to get a nice one.

i beleive towerhobbies.com is another online hobbie shop you can check out.
 
I'd go for the Hirobo XRB Sky Lama if I were to get one for myself. I've talked to a few customers at the HobbyTown I work at about them (I'm it RC and plastic model cars/trucks and haven't gotten into airplanes and heli's just yet) and I always hear good things about it. The counter rotating main rotors are supposed to make it one of the easiest flying heli's you'll find in any scale, and you have no tail rotor to worry about (the one on it if there for show and that's about it). I'd go to your local hobby shop or airfield and talk to either the fliers or shop employees and find out what they know, have experienced, or have heard about all the heli's on the market. From what I've seen the Hirobo has good prices on repair parts (the main rotors are $11 for a pack of 8 foam rotor blades), the Hobby Town I work for is asking $330 for this heli with no complaints yet. If your friend isn't all that mechanically inclined this may be the only route I'd recommend, most fuel powered anything requires constant work to keep up their performance.

I try not to talk about how much I've spent, the ones who are familiar with the hobby have a good idea, and the ones who aren't are shocked, appauled, and want to know how I can waste that much money on toys, but are no better than I am on their "toys"
 
275 budget? Good luck. That will just about cover the Gyro for a good heli. LiteMachines 110 is a good small chopper... .049 powered(if you cannot get a Cox.049 to run...you need not apply) no Gyro, simple construction, and only a 4 channel radio required. Bigger=easier to fly. Smaller=twitchy.

I'd also get him an assortment of Crash parts too.....Heli's have about a 2 second lifespan in untrained hands....and crashes usually take out the main blades, tailboom, tail blades, and linkages. Leaving you with the frame, and guts. Look for a fixed Pitch head, and 4 channel operation......and a GOOD hobby shop that can teach him to fly it.
 
are these really THAT hard to fly? I doubt he will take classes. I am set on battery powered since he is not a mechanical guy and the cost is a factor!

Anybody have one they would recomend for around the $250-275 shipped. ($300 absolute max)

Thanks, Really appreciating the help.
Jason
 
Don't fool yourself, flying an RC Heli is not that easy....nor cheap. On a fuel heli, figure about $100 a crash if you're lucky. The small electrics are a littel cheaper per crash, but aren't as sophisticated.

Consider an RC flight Simulator like THIS ONE . It's pretty real for the most part, and crashes are cheap. Once you get a good feel with a flight sim, then you would be better prepared for the real thing. If you don't want to go that route, getting some personal training will save you a lot of money and frustration.

You want to see what years of experience flying a heli will get you, check out THIS LINK...

Ivan
 
What Ivan said, especialy on the Real Flight for anything you guys may try to fly. Heli's won't be cheap period, to purchase or fly, the cheapest right now is the E-Flite Blade CP http://www.horizonhobby.com/Shop/ByCategory/Product/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLH1100 , but the manager of the store I work at had problems getting our demo to fly well and tore it up. No matter what your choice is, GET A CRASH KIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
OK, so lets say you guys are talking me out of it..... how much of a 4x4 truck can I get him for the $250 range WITH batteries etc.


Thanks, I really appreciate all your input!
Jason
 
A-Tech Mini Monster/Leo X/Venom Mini Giant, $120 for truck and controler, It's got solid axles fro and rear, slipper clutch built into the trans, I use Losi Mini-T batteries and charger for mine (I've got a couple of those too, but they're only 2wd) and a few mods to make it better at crawling. It runs off of AA's but I recommend a battery packYour LHS should be able to get it through Schumacher America or HRP ( www.a-tech.cc and www.racing-cars.com )

Duratrax Mini Quake, $190 or so, Not a Duratrax fan at all, but this one is one of their better products. It's set up more like a touring car with 4 wheel independant long arms and big tires, it also comes with a pack and charger too. It can bought at your LHS or Tower Hobbies (Great Planes is the parent company of Tower Hobbies and Duratrax as well as a major hobby distributer world wide) (www.towerhobbies.com)

Hot Bodies Mini-Zilla, I think it's in the $160-$190 range (can't remember for sure, sorry) It's also a 4 wheel independant design, but is set up more like the HPI Savage (and I think it's sold as one in Japan). I hear A-Tech Mini Monster oil filled shocks shocks are a good upgrade (almost manditory) for it. (www.hotbodiesonline.net should be able to get it through www.towerhobbies.com and www.horizonhobby.com as well as your LHS)

Associated Electronics (www.rc10.com) sells the RC-18T and MT and those are around $190 for the 18T (can't remember what they want for the MT, but it's close.) These trucks are also 4 wheel independent, and are well featured for the money. I strongly recommend the aluminum outdrive collars or MIP aluminum outdrives since the truck has a habit of spitting out dogbones without due to flex in the plastic outdrives. You should be able to get them at almost any of the sources above as long as they aren't on backorder (so fair warning)

Tamiya TLT series (www.tamiya.com) those are about $170 new and are the only other ones that are solid axle and can use normal sized (1/10 scale) radio gear and electronics. These have also become pretty popular as scale rock crawlers and 4X4's using 2.2" wheels and tires with a wheelbase extension (also give the truck a much needed boost in ground clearance)

All of these trucks are 1/18 scale and all but the TLT's are available as ready to runs, and some you can get as Almost Ready To Run or Kits, while the TLT's are kit only, so they may not be the best for your buddy. Good luck and happy hunting.
 
Ivan said:
Don't fool yourself, flying an RC Heli is not that easy....nor cheap. On a fuel heli, figure about $100 a crash if you're lucky. The small electrics are a littel cheaper per crash, but aren't as sophisticated.

Consider an RC flight Simulator like THIS ONE . It's pretty real for the most part, and crashes are cheap. Once you get a good feel with a flight sim, then you would be better prepared for the real thing. If you don't want to go that route, getting some personal training will save you a lot of money and frustration.

You want to see what years of experience flying a heli will get you, check out THIS LINK...

Ivan
Click to expand...
awesome video, just how much does the one cost that he is flying. a guess if that is as good as you can do
 
It depends on who you talk to, the manager in the HTU's I work for has had a tough time with that one, but others have had really good luck with it. I checked in HorizonHobby.com , who is the US distributer for E-Flite, and they are out of stock right now. Both HTU's I work at are out of stock and these are pretty hard to keep in stock, they sell that well and there hasn't been too much demand for repair parts either! If you do get this for him get the crash kit AND training gear (basicly 2 carbon rods, 4 small ping pong balls, and a brace to hold them together to keep the heli from tipping from one side to the other).
 
Red97XJ said:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2563&item=5982907473&rd=1

What do you guys think about this one? There are about a zillion on E-bay..... way overwhelming.

Thanks a bunch for your input, I really appreciate!
Jason
Click to expand...

that one gives alot of bang for the buck.

Full collective(Means it can fly upside down...Maybe, and means that it is not as touchy to throttle changes.) fized pitch heads rely on throttle for height adjustment...needing tail rotor to compensate...needing more throttle to compensate..making it climb.......See the cycle?

Fixed heads ARE easier to get inot a hover, but harder to transition from there. Collective allows full helo controls...Harder to get off the ground, but more responsive once in flight.

Includes the Gyro, and spare blades....Parts availability would be the only downside to that one.
 
That's also supposed to be a good one too, and as long as your LHS caries GWS parts, you should have a good source for parts for it to when it wrecks. We've had a hard time keeping those in stock too.
 
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