Where to Start?

[Pipemajor]

Not that I can afford to jump into a full cyclic heli at the moment but that day will surely arrive.

My only experience with any heli is my tiny Blade mCX coaxial. I'm almost ashamed to admit it took me several days before I could fly the thing but now have a couple of questions:


What beginner heli would you all recommend? I prefer electrons to molecules at the moment.
I used to have a sim but sold it. Couldn't fly any of the helis very well at all. But, I also couldn't fly the airplanes as easily as I do the actual models.
And what is this flybarless thing I've heard about? I assume that's a pretty advanced setup?

[Ken]

If you're looking to get into an aerobatic heli, nothing can beat the blade 400 for the money. It is a great way to get your feet wet. The lipo packs are very common as well. (3 cell 11.1v 2000-2200mah). Here's a pnp version. Add a spektrum rx and bind to your 9303. Good to go! http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLH1475

The blade 400 also has enough power to lift rather large training gear if you feel you need it.

Flybarless was pioneered by Mikado Helicopters of Germany. Basically, a 3 gyro unit replaces your tail gyro and the flybar. The system allows longer flights due to lower rotating mass and weight reduction from ditching the flybar. Responsiveness is also improved. I have not flown one yet but I've been hearing a lot of good things. Other companies have come out with Flybarless systems as well which can utilize your existing tail gyro, thus reducing the price. Skookum Robotics and Gyrobot come to mind. Doug and Strobe are running FBL now, they seem to enjoy it.

[dickdahlen]

Ken is right on......actually Trex makes a very good electric too. I went with the B400 because I felt if was a better fit or my abilities. Parts are cheap and is fairly durable. I am still trying to get a decent hover down with mine, but than again it took a lot longer for me to figure out the CX2..

[BrokenRotor]

I fly the Blade 400 and the Trex 500. The 400 is a great little bird for the money, and it flys just fine. It will even handle the windy days when you get the nerve to try. If you have a tighter budget then the 400 fits the bill fine.:)

The 500 is much more money, but if you can afford it, it's well worth it. Except for rotor and tail blades, the 500 is cheap to repair also. The 500 is much more stable and smother flying.

[Brad W]

I have 2 helicopters that I am thinking of selling. One is a Blade 400 that I learned to fly without very much damage. I have some extra parts for it as well. The other is a T-Rex 600 that is assembled but never charged or flown. There is also fuel and a charger.

[MikeB]

B400 is nice and comes ready to fly. I really liked mine till I flew my T-Rex 450SA, the rex was more stable, better built and flew better hands down at the cost of a higher price tag.

I always thought my 450 flew better than the sim but I think it's all in the setup of the real model vs the setup in the sim.

Don't think I'd worry about flybarless till you've got a good handle on hovering and forward flight. Setting up flybarless seems to take a bit of finness to get it just the way you like it. Being new to heli's you may take a setting problem as being a natural tendancy of the heli. I'd put flybarless money into a nicer heli thats worth making flybarless. Not sure a B400 is a good candidate.

[Heli Fragmentus]

If you're going to provide web links to sources for the Blade 400, at least use this one:

http://kingkonghobbies.com/index.php?main_page=index&zenid=4a7c7c91b23a815148025d345b226661&cPath=1_4_5&sort=20a&alpha_filter_id=66
:D

[Eric Lewis]

thanks mark


boo to ken :P

[Ken]

my bad