Tell me about those 2 channel elcheapos on e-bay

[BowerR64]

I know you get what you pay for but talk me out of one.

Im seeing several with a $30.-$45. shipping and a penny wins it. Are these real? do they even fly? How can the picooZ cost $40. and a full size 20" be a similar cost?

Are they made from recycled compaq computers? melted down 1980 toyoa dashboards?

[hawkman]

The picco is a popular little heli.....its aimed at a niche market....and its worked.....its tough and you cant go wrong for the price of it.

The other cheapo helis are ok but you get what you pay for.....limited endurance and some can be quite frail....

I would look for;

spare parts availability
is it a popular heli? this way if you get problems...others might be able to help you.

Bang for buck? I like the picco z....its cheap, tough and lots of fun.

No point getting a heli thats delicate and costs loads in spare parts.

Rob

[BowerR64]

I must be the only one curious about these?

I bought 5 of them to check out. Maybe ill be the only one to shed some light on them.

I bought the 5 that were under $50.

why? i think i can control well enough to keep them off the ground and i dont really care about tricks or the 3D stuff at this time. Maybe ill get into that in the future but for now im more interested in the mechanics of helicopters, lift, flight and not really into crashing. LOL!

Im sure im probobly wasting money but hwy i earned it right?

[Aztek1701]

Hi Bower,

Welcome

Sure its your money and you can spend it how you like.

You will find though that whilst the dynamics of flight and lift similar,
the mechanics of a small fixed pitch 2 channel model heli are completely different to a 4 channel fixed pitch or even a 5 channel Collective pitch machine. For example a 2 channel model will have no swashplate, therefore no control linkages etc. A cp machine has even more complexity since the blade roots move the straight blades to achieve pitch rather than simply moulding a blade with pitch on it.

These differences also make flying them completely different experiences as well, a 2 channel model can be learned in a few minutes whereas a 4+ channel heli will take much longer to learn. Have fun with your machines, Im sure you will get the bug the same as the rest of us they will give you a taste of the bigger machines but they dont prepare you for the jump in difficulty of flying them.

Take care.... Azzy

[BowerR64]

Originally Posted by Aztek1701

Hi Bower,

Welcome

Sure its your money and you can spend it how you like.

You will find though that whilst the dynamics of flight and lift similar,
the mechanics of a small fixed pitch 2 channel model heli are completely different to a 4 channel fixed pitch or even a 5 channel Collective pitch machine. For example a 2 channel model will have no swashplate, therefore no control linkages etc. A cp machine has even more complexity since the blade roots move the straight blades to achieve pitch rather than simply moulding a blade with pitch on it.

These differences also make flying them completely different experiences as well, a 2 channel model can be learned in a few minutes whereas a 4+ channel heli will take much longer to learn. Have fun with your machines, Im sure you will get the bug the same as the rest of us they will give you a taste of the bigger machines but they dont prepare you for the jump in difficulty of flying them.

Take care.... Azzy

See i dont know what you just said there.

I want to dabble with how the weight shifting affects the hover. Maybe change the motor, try and balance the rotor blades, build a larger battery pack.

I think if i got into a 3D machine and if somthing broke or fell off the machine i would have no clue whats missing or why it isnt flying.

I think i just need to keep reading and playing around. Hanging around here is helping alot. Ive learned alot so far messing with the picoos and reading about those.

[Aztek1701]

Hi mate,

If you want to learn how they work, get a proper unassembled model rather than playing around trying to modify something that is unlikely to take kindly to it.

If you shift the centre of balance on a 2 channel model, it stops hovering and moves in the direction of the weight however there is only scope to put wieght on the nose or tail.

Changing the motor might be a bit difficult because these machines are built to accept one motor and unless the replacement is identical, it wont fit. And balancing the blades on these machines is difficult and doesnt result in much advantage because they are small and slow moving.

Hope this helps.... Azzy

[hawkman]

I agree....if you get into larger helis its best to get a kit....you get to build it then which is handy if you crash and need to replace things....there are various shortcuts and you will have a much better understanding of the heli too.

I think that Centurys instructions are a bit vague...Kyosho and Hirobo do decent instructions though....I would think the other makes are the same....I got a gasser some time ago and it was a kit....it was a nightmare trying to find the finer details to get it up and running....a beginner could tackle this kit but not without help either through a website like this...or an experienced heli builder in person.

Its good that you are playing with the smaller 2 channel helis...they are fun and its only a matter of time for the picco to evolve into something even better.

I always say that this hobby has something for all...be it the tiny indoor helis right through to the gas turbine monsters.

Rob

[BowerR64]

What is the difference between 3,4 and 6 channels.

What is it the other channels are doing actualy? They change the pitch of the blades? rotate the head?

I dont quite understand how these move forward if the weight isnt being shifted.

I know that if the body is tilted then the blades will then pull up and forward but how is this being done with more channels?