Thinking about getting into Heli's or have questions, Let me know!

[Nitrohuffer]

Biff and Shortman pointed out that some of us are bi curious (Planes and Heli's...what did you think I was talking about?) If you have any questions or want to know if something is the way to go or how to set something up reply here. I may not always be 100% right so anyone can feel free to jump in with input. I'll start it off with a very common question:
What heli should I start with?
Answer: A sim. Reflex xtr is the cats meow for heli simulators. Real flight g3 is just about as popular. Me I don't have either, I keep upgrading my heli and forget to buy a decent sim. I'm using FMS just to get the idea of what to do for new tricks.
Most of you guys know how to fly already so maybe an hour or two on the sim will get you used to hovering. If you guys can hover a 30% plane, cut that down to 15 minutes. I'm a firm believer that you should go the simplest and most common route when starting in heli's. If you can tune an engine and set up a plane go nitro. Electrics are great, but are just too unstable for my tastes. My raptor 50 will stay is such a solid hover I can let go of the sticks for 5 seconds and it will barely move. My beef with beginners ( again I'm talking heli beginners, not new to RC beginners) starting with electrics is this. An indoor heli like a xrb is great for the living room, but that's it. Out in the field if you start with something like a blade cp you will want to upgrade it for stability and performance. If you go with a trex se you are in nitro $$ area and you have heli that is super quick and will stuff it's self super quick. A 50 size heli will be 100x more stable and easy to handle. The training gear will help the real green guys learning to hover. Well what about crashing a 50? A raptor 50 crash kit goes for $39.99 at Heliproz. That includes all the common parts that get trashed in a typical crash (Wood blades, main shaft, tail boom, tail boom supports, tail control rod, feathering spindle). Plus everyone and there grandmother owns or owned a raptor so it's easy to find help if you need it. Also with a nitro there is no wait to charge batteries at the field. Land, fuel, GO! I went flying the other day and flew 4 tanks (10 minutes each) in an hour. And that is what is needed for a new heli pilot, stick time.
Now why am I saying to go with a 50 instead of a 30? You will get hooked and you can turn a 50 from a floaty turd into a beast by getting some lighter paddles, carbon blades, and cranking up the head speed. An all metal head is not needed for mild 3d such as loops, rolls, flips, inverted flight. Once you start banging sticks, then yes.

[RightThrust]

Yea, I got the 50 last year and I'd do it again. Start with a basic 50 then add some upgrades as you get better like lighte paddles, blades, metal components, rev limiter/governor, etc... I just need to get new blades, the Mavrikk blades from heliproz are good sport blades but I want some SAB's or something. Heli's are alot of fun and keep your reflex's up.

-Kelly Gerber

[Biff]

Thanks nitro, great job! So the Rappy fiddy is a good starting point. How much of a pain is building one? I know there's not a bunch of sanding and covering, but what's the skinny? Dude I'm feeling this thread. Keep it up as it's certainly helping me! The more basic the better. Like in the airplane 3D thread, there's still basic questions from some pretty experienced dudes.

So here's one Nitro,, what the hell do the paddles do? They must be important as Jason Kraus spent a bunch of time getting those things just right in Tucson.


Thanks for your help Nitro, great info. I'll appologize in advance for being a pain in the rear with my questions,,, Biff the chopper newbie

[Neogenesis]

ok...here's one for you. I don't really want to get into a nitro shanker.....so I was thinking a Shogun v2 or TREX. The micro's are too dang small for me.....and I've had a horrible experience with them in the past. Just no luck in ever getting the thing to fly right. So.....in your honest opinion, which one would be the better heli to pursue? Also, with these smaller heli's, which gyro is the best to use without breaking the bank.



Thanks,

Neo

[JeeUm]

Neo, I just flew my T-Rex for the first time today, while it's a cool little heli it's also a real twitchy sucker compared to the nitro birds. They're gonna be alot harder to learn on then the nitro's will be.

[Neogenesis]

I wouldn't mind a nitro Shank....but the whole idea of this adventure is to make it flyable in my backyard. With 3 kids....I don't know how often I will make it to the field in the future. My neighbors wouldn't like it too much to hear a nitro humming around. Any suggestions for a little larger electric....if they are available? I'm guessing the nitro's are more stable due to their larger size.




Neo

[Kevin Y]

Nitrohuffer

The only thing I want to know is does it suck to be JeeUm brother. I mean I am around him all the time but I could not imagine 30 something year of him. ouch

[Nitrohuffer]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Kevin Y
	Nitrohuffer The only thing I want to know is does it suck to be JeeUm brother. I mean I am around him all the time but I could not imagine 30 something year of him. ouch

That's messed up. The only time it sucks bad is when I am around him after he has eaten a egg salad sandwich. Matter of fact, I would recommend anyone withen a 1/2 mile radius to head for the hills.

[ConRadical]

LOL!

[Nitrohuffer]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Biff
	Thanks nitro, great job! So the Rappy fiddy is a good starting point. How much of a pain is building one?

Thanks and it was great talking before. If I seem a little off tonight it's because I went to a benefit pub crawl today (jello shots are not breakfasts of champions ).

Building these helis is a piece of cake. A lot of heli's will come in an arf or kit form. If you are in a rush to get it flying get an arf (I have a stinger 90 build thread around here if you want to see pics of the process). If you really want to know your heli get a kit, and spend some time building it just like a plane. This way you learn it inside and out for when you have to tear it apart. Once you see how the sections go together you will realize they are not that complicated. I can split the frames in half on a raptor 50 in about ten minutes with a screw gun.

TOOLS NEEDED:
Metric hex wrenches (your new best friends)
screw drivers
pitch gauge
measuring tool or ruler for links
ball link pliers (optional)
blue and red loctite
Triflow lube(not the spray)
white lithium grease


When you first open the box on any heli it looks like a ton of work, but it goes incredibly fast. I remember Jeeum building plane kits back in the day. If you have ever built one of those you have more patients than I ever will. The trick to building a heli is to follow the directions to the T and blue locite just about everything, and red a few things; Fan, head bolts minus spindle nuts(blue), and tail bolts. Triflow the main shaft, tail slider. Lithium grease the head bushings, feathering shaft(what the blade grips are mounted to), and auto rotation hub. The directions will give you pictures of how to set the links and to what length. Just make sure there is no binding, and they are not too tight on the balls(never comfortable, heli or human) Many heli's you will want to set the pitch at negative 10, minus 10 using your pitch gauge. You adjust the pitch curve for flyng style in the radio later (super easy) That's about it mechanically. You're good to go get you radio and electronics and power plant. Everybody grab that credit card! Lets go! And lunch is on Biff, he just doesn't know it yet

[JayB]

I got 2 a questions, 1: is there and new RTF nitro helis out there that are not junk.

Second: On a turbine heli, how does the turbine run the blades. I'm guessing theres some kind of fan behind the turbine or something. and ideas?

P.S. This thread is sweet.

[JeeUm]

How did a heli thread turn into a thread about me eating egg salad?

[JayB]

I dont know but egg salad SUUUUCCKKKKSSS!!

[Nitrohuffer]

I believe that the paddles and blades are the most important parts to heli in terms of affecting the way it flies. Don't cheap out on paddles, get a few different sets. They all fly differently and when you find a pair that fits your style it's like wearing your favorite shoes. Ok, enough with the clothing references. This isn't "what not to wear". Thanks to my wife I now know the name of that awful show. But I degrease
These little thing are half of the heli's control so it is a good idea to get a grip on what makes a good set. I first thought that lighter is better when trying to make the heli quicker. I had a set of home made carbon paddles that had to weigh about 10 grams. I had to dial in expo and thing was all over the place in forward flight. It rolled like a profile though. So the first factor is weight. Stock black raptor 50 paddles weigh in at around 25+ grams. In sequence of slowest to quickest for the Thunder Tiger Raptor 30/50 paddles are black, white, and green. The blacks are great for learning as they make the heli super stable. The whites are the middle of the road weighing in at 20g. The greens are the lightest at 17g. I love the green for my style of flying(stick banger).
The next important thing to take into consideration is the length, more surface yada yada you guys know how this works. The last thing to consider is shape. While the green paddles are the quickest of the group because they are light, they are also have a very thin leading edge. This knifelike shape gives it the bite, but also makes it a little "pitchier" when in fast forward flight. For some reason this doesn't seem to affect underslung head heli's as much as it does the raptor. There are some factor that affect the carbon paddles made by V blades, Mah, and the others. It has to do with how far off the flybar they place the weight in the paddle.

[Biff]

Perhaps I should read the whole thread before I ask what you just answered!!