1st Heli what should I get?????

[notorious_benny]

Okay, until very recently I was not at all interested in shankbones. But I have just recently joined a new club where there are quite a few of them buzzing around and I am starting to get the itch to get in on the action.

What I want to know is if one of these new small electric choppers like the TREX are any good too learn on, or should I be looking at a glow sized model for my first one.

I have heard many opinions on which is easier to learn on and want some advice from you experienced heli blokes out there.

Is there any online forums, or the like that explain the very basics of helis as I have absolutely no idea how they are set up.

Also how acurate is the AFPD sim for helicopters?? I muck around heaps on that sim and have got the hang of the control inputs, I can hover, fly backwards and forwards and hover around inverted, but this sim also makes tourque rolling a fixed wing a non event so ..........................??????

[Shortman]

Evo 50 with OS 50 Hyper, or Raptor 50V2 with OS 50 Hyper. If you can afford a .90 size, then I would suggest Raptor 90SE.

The Trex se is cool and all, but nitros are just so much nicer IMO . The stability factor is huge too, and cannot be matched by a smaller bird.

[JeeUm]

Well, if your serious I would go the glow route with either a Raptor .50 or Evo .50 . They're actually easier to fly then the smaller electrics and you'll have it for a long time before your ever able to outgrow it. The pro's to the Raptor are it's a little less expensive then the evo and has alot of aftermarket"bling" upgrades and flies really well. The Evo in my opinion fly's just a tad better and smoother then the raptor, but is a bit more money. You can't go wrong with either heli for sure.

I've got a Trex on the way and am still not so sure about it. I read alot of good, but also alot of bad about it so we'll see how it goes.

I wouldn't bother with the other electrics, such as the blade, hummingbird types if you can already fly the sim with confidence. You'll outgrow those types very fast.

[notorious_benny]

OKay, to be honest here in Australia it dosnt look like it would be much more expensive to purchase a glow heli than getting a good quality electric jobby going.

I found an Australian website selling the Raptor 50, is the motor that they sell it with a good one?? Or would you recommend OS?

Is there anything in particualr wrong with the JR helis???

[JeeUm]

besides the vibe or vigor the JR's just aren't popular. Why, I can't say cause I've never flown one. If your gonna go raptor. Go with the OS. The hyper is a monster, but the regular .50 is awesome also. You can always upgrade the regular .50 to hyper down the road with the carb and head.

[notorious_benny]

I cant find the hyper for sale on the regular Australian retailers websites but there looks like there is plenty of regular .50's

[notorious_benny]

Who makes the Evo?? PLease forgive my ignorance, I know virtually zero about helis.

[chrisbchips]

Hirobo, Ive flown one once, and while i'm not really into helis, i thought it was very stable in the hover but thats about as far as i went

[notorious_benny]

Ayone out there successfuly learned with a TREX or similar???

[DKjens]

I'm sure there'll be people out there, who has learned with a TREX or similar, but it is much harder than with a larger glow helli. It's not just about learning to hover, once you move into forward flight and fly the heli some distance from yourself, it will be really noticeable how much harder a small electric is to see, than a .50 or .90 sized glow heli. When you see pilots flying a TREX like it's a .90 sized super ship, i.e. tic tocs, funnel and all the other cool 3D stuff, I can assure you they learned that on a big ship, and now they're able to pull it off with a small TREX. The TREX will cost at least (probably more) as much as a .50 sized heli, but parts (which you WILL need many of) will be more expensive, yada yada yada. I hope you get my drift he he - glow helli - glow helli.

	Quote: Originally Posted by notorious_benny
	Ayone out there successfuly learned with a TREX or similar???

[Got Smoke?]

if money really isn't an issue then the .90 or .50 raptor would be a good choice, but keep in mind just like with planes you will crash sooner or later. and rebuild kits aint cheap for those puppys!!
the route i choose was to get 2 hawk .30s' one for spare parts, with the .32os which is a very good running motor and easy to tune, but not very powerful.
the raptors do fly a little better.
http://www.centuryheli.com/products/...?currentid=302
my goal here was that i was sure that i would crash it at some point and replacing parts on the hawk was cheaper.

[Got Smoke?]

almost forgot, this is the best training gear for the money. youll need the 60" size for gas and it attaches easy.
http://www.heliproz.com/rotopod.html

[Huckeneer]

Raptor .30

[trent collins]

Hey notorious benny,
Check out www.archeli.com its an australian based heli forum similar to this site. Its very well suported, everyone that flies helis in australia is on there.
Personally i would recommend the raptor 50 v2. The best place to purchase is from powergrunt hobbies (check them out on archeli) as he has the best prices for everything you'll need.
Hope this helps,

Trent

[Kiwi]

Benny,

Maybe you should try some councelling first. Maybe it cheaper.

Seems like a painful experience coming up man.

Just kidding. If I could find the time and someone to teach me I would be on them like a flash. No need for big fields, they pack and travel easily. Lots of advantages. Flying on the beach etc etc.

Kiwi