new pilot - seeks bird advice

[rouillard]

Hey all -

came across these forums, and lot of good info and discussion here, really enjoy getting a feel for the hobby.

Contemplating starting up in the hobby - my aim is electric (mainly due to environment I have to play in, and limited availability of fuel).

So my question is, is the Blade CP Pro a decent 'start-up' heli to get in the hobby with? I don't want to start out too basic and grow out of a helicopter too fast, but I also don't want to wind up in a bird way beyond my capabilities.

I know the advice of 'get a flight sim' is sound, and plan on it, but a sim won't replace pulling out a heli and the feel of watching it hover (even if it is only about 3 inches off the ground).

anyway, any advice is welcome, if someone has a different bird to recommend - price isn't a huge issue, I don't like to throw money away (who does?!) but if there is a better recommendation I'm all ears

thanks!

rouillard

[SKMoss]

Rouillard,

I started with the Sim. And now have a small heli. Only been at it for a couple of weeks, so take what I have with a grain of salt.

At roughly $200 the Blade CP or the Axe CP are both good choices from what I've seen. Nice Ready To Fly kits with everything but batteries for the Tx. I have the Axe and it's a nice little bird for the money. The Axe comes with trainers, and a video. The Blade kit i just saw came with a "Crash Kit". Not sure if that's spare parts or an airline sized bottle of booze.

Note I do say "for the money." Both inexpensive, small, light, and very nimble. Both are affected by even a little breeze. I'm having a blast with mine, but am crashing frequently.

You will crash. With either of them be prepaired to spend some % of the original in crashes. Blades for them run from $15 to $20 a pair. Other parts, a few dollars each.

Another choice would be to go bigger, but the expense goes way up, very quickly to +/- $600 for basic radio/heli. Good gear will start at around $800 from what I've seen. What your trading here is money for weight/stability. But also, crashes cost more.

Hope this helps.

[hawkman]

Get a simulator for sure....they are a good idea for learning on...and a better idea...after breaking your first heli...while waiting for spare parts...you can get some practice!!!

Rob

[Aztek1701]

Hi there,

Like the hawkman Id agree that you should get a sim. If money isnt tight you could do worse that looking at a T-Rex 450 XL. This will run you about $600-800 all up but it will cope with a wind.(we stop considering flying 450s and start only flying heavy birds at about 12-15 MPH). I know many people consider the trex to not be a beginners machine however, if you learn to hover on the sim and put flybar weights on, the machine will be no more twitchy than the blade. It will be much faster in forward flight though.

Take care.... Azzy