RC helicopters?

shotgunner11

shotgunner11

Joined
Dec 17, 2005
Messages
7,809
I've always wanted to screw around with one.

Anybody here mess with them?


What's a decent, inexpensive brand or type (I know nothing about them) that I can play with for awhile and not break the bank if I destroy it or loose interest?
 
My father in law has one, but cant remember what brand it is. He's been thru a few of them.

For beginners it is best to get one with the two counter rotating props for stability, they are much easier to fly and less prone to crashing. His also has a metal tail frame, the plastic ones snap off far too easy.

He does say to stay away from the Airhogs product though.
 
I have this one and bought one for my nephew for Christmas yesterday. A buddy of mine is into Hobby RC big time. Has tens upon tens upon tens of thousands of dollars in planes, truck, cars and helis. Even hand built rockets.
This is the heli he got me into and of of his favorites to still play with. It's cheap and one of the most accurate and responsive helis I have played with.
http://www.amazon.com/BLADE-Hubschrauber-Blade-mCX-BNF/dp/B001D55DXA
 
RC is a big black hole that just sucks up money. If you enjoy it you will end up putting so much money into it but you will have one of the coolest toys on the block.
 
freedoom said:
RC is a big black hole that just sucks up money. If you enjoy it you will end up putting so much money into it but you will have one of the coolest toys on the block.
Click to expand...

Oh lord I know it.

I did cars for a long time, dumped so much money into metal parts for Traxxas trucks it wasn't even funny but had to sell it all off in tough times.

Finally have a little bit of surplus cash (a very little bit :D) so I can afford to have a toy again.

Honestly, this is a bit of a substitute for the real thing. Always wanted to learn to fly copters and it never happened so.......
 
My older sister gave me a cheapy one for x-mas and I've fooled around with it a bit. It's a Propel Microcopter and despite it being extremely hard to control, it's a freaking blast! I have a very small house but crashing into things (like the christmas tree) and watching everyone in the house duck and cover is half the fun. It's meant for indoor use only but I reeaally want to take it outside. I didn't realize how badly I had wanted an RC helicopter until I was given one. Quick tip if you get one: tie up the dog. My pup was frantically trying to eat my chopper every time it was even remotely within reach. Here's one like mine:
51OA40AAK4L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
 
shotgunner11 said:
I did cars for a long time, dumped so much money into metal parts for Traxxas trucks it wasn't even funny but had to sell it all off in tough times.
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These days people are all about the plastic parts. i learned recently that the RC community decided plastic parts were better because they were flexible. metal parts bend and stay bent. plastic parts will either return to close to their original shape or they will break and plastic parts were cheaper to replace. I was into RC real big when metal parts were the rage too.
 
I'm a huge RC nut. I've flown all sizes of RC helicopters, electric and nitro. RC planes, gliders, etc. Even was sponsored by Mikado for a while.

So, the coolest thing about RC is it's fun whether you're working on your gear or flying it. I'll suggest an E-Flite Blade CX to start out. They come in kits with everything you need, ready to fly, between $150-200. They're pretty indestructible, safe around people, and can be flown indoors. Most importantly, they offer true four channel control, so you'll get the real experience.

The toy ones at Radio Shack are junk. They don't teach you anything about flight.

If you really enjoy using something basic like the Blade CX, the next step is saving up for a flight simulator. Real Flight G5 will cost you $200, but it's literally worth it's weight in gold. You'll be able to fly all types of aircraft in realistic environments, truly gaining hours of stick time without ever putting an aircraft or person in danger.

If you can get the hang of more advanced forward flight, and are no longer content with an amazing video game as your only source of flight, it's time to join the big leagues.

I've flown .50 size nitro helicopters, but I'm currently down to a Trex 450 Pro electric heli. It's tiny enough to fly in front of my house, but it hauls ass and can do any trick I can throw at it.

If you buy any helicopter that doesn't come ready to fly, prepare to research and learn a lot. Helicopters are the epitome of murphy's law. There are a million things all waiting to explode. That said, the most fun part of the hobby for me is taking the time to set my helicopter up correctly, making it fly silky smooth and super reliably.

I'll post photos if I have time! I won't be able to fly until the snow goes away!


Decked out Trex 450 Pro by quattrokid73, on Flickr
 
I just got ahold of this one... http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.42116 and it worked OK. After a bunch of crashes a couple pins left the stabilizer, and I had to make a couple new ones out of some TIG rod. It isn't that high quality, but parts are available for pretty cheap.

I am looking hard at the Revell Proto Max, as a local dealer stocks parts for it. It seems to have good reviews, and can be found for $70 online. They also have coaxial model that is 4 channel as well, but it is said it can only be flown indoors or in calm conditions because of the dual rotors.

The E-flite stuff looks good, but I figure I could buy and wreck a few cheap choppers first before they added up to parts cost on the Blade and similiar. Maybe someday when I can keep crashes to a minimum. For now I just like the idea of these things buzzing around the house.
 
Any Cal. said:
I just got ahold of this one... http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.42116 and it worked OK. After a bunch of crashes a couple pins left the stabilizer, and I had to make a couple new ones out of some TIG rod. It isn't that high quality, but parts are available for pretty cheap.

I am looking hard at the Revell Proto Max, as a local dealer stocks parts for it. It seems to have good reviews, and can be found for $70 online. They also have coaxial model that is 4 channel as well, but it is said it can only be flown indoors or in calm conditions because of the dual rotors.

The E-flite stuff looks good, but I figure I could buy and wreck a few cheap choppers first before they added up to parts cost on the Blade and similiar. Maybe someday when I can keep crashes to a minimum. For now I just like the idea of these things buzzing around the house.
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You'll crash less on the Blade CX! :D

Nothing is easier to fly than a well made heli. If you get fed up pouring money into one of the off brand ones, see if the local hobby shop has a Blade CX to test fly. Usually hobby shops demo them. Also, when they say these helis can go outside in moderate winds, they mean 1-2mph max! You need a heavier heli with very high rotor speed to really deal with any wind.
 
School me a bit please. I have been thinking about one of these for a while now. I see 3.5 and 4 channel units on ebay, whats the difference?
What I have in mind is maybe building a largish unit, electric with some extended flight time and maybe mounting a camera on it, do some aireal pics.
It doesn't need a fancy body or graphics or any of that. So, what do I need?
 
Blais said:
My older sister gave me a cheapy one for x-mas and I've fooled around with it a bit. It's a Propel Microcopter and despite it being extremely hard to control, it's a freaking blast! I have a very small house but crashing into things (like the christmas tree) and watching everyone in the house duck and cover is half the fun. It's meant for indoor use only but I reeaally want to take it outside. I didn't realize how badly I had wanted an RC helicopter until I was given one. Quick tip if you get one: tie up the dog. My pup was frantically trying to eat my chopper every time it was even remotely within reach. Here's one like mine:
51OA40AAK4L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Click to expand...

My daughter bought me a Propel Execu-copter (basically the same one you got with a different paint job). You're right, it's not easy to control but it is a hoot. The dogs don't know what to make of it. It doesn't have hover capability and constantly wants to move forward once up.

I haven't had an R/C since the cars I had as a kid and a small "canned heat" car I got to play around with at the office.

Between the Christmas gift and this thread, I'm thinking this might get expensive. If this little one is fun I can't imagine what a blast a real one would be.

Chris
 
I've actually been thinkin about gettin one of these myself my intrest peaked when i seen a a flying personal drone that can be controlled by an ipad the drone also is equiped with an onboard camera which sends a live video feed back to the pilots ipad this might be an option for some even tho it not an actual helicopter, i have no idea the name or brand of this product i seen it in a magazine at work and then on the jay leno show a week or so ago
 
Anyone have any experience with the 4-rotor, X-shaped doohickeys? I saw a neat video of one and they seem really fun but I don't know anything about them.
 
I just bought an iWave Dragonfly at Marshall's. It was a total impulse buy and only $27 so I figured that even if it's junk, I can let my son play with it when he's older without fear of destroying a $200 RC Heli.

It is, in fact, junk. It can be described as having 3 speeds. As you increase the throttle, it jumps from one power level to the next which leaves you with hardly any control whatsoever. It goes from grounded, to careening skywards, to careening back to the ground. The trim is a PITA to adjust. Basically, don't bother with this piece of junk. I should have saved the $27 to put towards a Blade CX mentioned above.
 
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