First Timer, Need Some Help!

Hey all!
This is my first time in these forums, and I have a few questions about helis.
First off, my experience is limited to RC cars only. I have not flown planes or helis. Having said that, I need some advice on helis. I'd like a micro heli (Piccolo or similar) that is good for beginners. I'd like to fly it indoors as well as outdoors (I have tons of space outdoors). I want something stable, but good for a beginner. Something simple, yet upgradable. Something easy to assemble with clear instructions.

I like the Piccolo Fun, and it looks like it can be flow outdoors with the new headlocking module. It also is upgradable to collective pitch.

Any suggestions?

[sportygreg]

First off-I love your user name! I too am new to helis but flew R/C planes for years. I bought a cheap Dragonfly because I can afford to replace it if I kill it. Helicopters are difficult to fly even for experienced R/C pilots like myself. I can't advise on what heli to buy but go for better quality if you can afford it. The smaller the helicopter, the harder it is to fly-even a slight breeze will push it all over the place! A fixed pitch bird will give you less performance but will be easier to learn because you have less inputs to worry about.I hope you get off the ground soon and good luck!

First off let me say hello and welcome as for the heli well a piccolo is ok but they are hard to learn on a fixed pitch heli is the most difficult of all as for flying outside it is almost impossible because the slightest breeze will cause you all kinds of problems.Here is what I suggest first of get yourself a good sim like Reflex XTR or realflight G3 and practice because you will have a challenge controling your heli and crashes are something that you cannot avoid so it would be cheaper with a sim because there is no repair bills like with a real heli.Second save your money while you are learning and get a good radio and a good Nitro heli because they are large,heavy and easy to learn with one draw back is that they are more expensive to fix when crashed but if you take your time and learn with the sim then your crashes will be few and far between but you have to take it slow and not push yourself to do more than you are capable of doing you need to know your limit and not go beyond that.
I started on the sim and then went to collective pitch and never even tried fixed pitch until after I already had two larger heli's and it was just to see if I could fly it and now it is gone they were no fun after I had already mastered collective pitch.This is just a suggestion and you need to make the final decision but as for learning I know many guys that have gone the way I did and are great pilots and the little two motor heli's like the piccolo have many problems and they will not fly right out of the box without some added work and parts and the little tail motor burns out after a few hours and then you have to replace it,you can spend a fortune in just tail motors.
I know that this is not what you really wanted to hear but if you go the wrong way starting out then it can cost you a lot of money and headaches I have been down the road like that and have had Two Radios and as many as four heli's at one time and now after much money I am down to Two Heli's one nitro and one electric and one radio the Futaba 9CHPS.Take your time think about it and then decide which way you want to go,do not rush into it you could regret it.