What do I need to get started?

[hawkman]

is it a Century Hawk??? I have one...they are great little helis..tough and easy to fix....and easy to fly too.

Sims? if your PC is not very powerful then try TruFlite 3D...I have this and its good.....if your PC is nice and powerful then Reflex XTR sounds to be very good.

Getting a sim is a wise move....it will reduce your learning time and save money too....helis are difficult to fly at first...but with practice you will wonder what the fuss is about....its an awsome hobby:-)

Good luck

Rob

[Daz(DJLFlapper)]

I have to agree with hawkman,

Though these days all the sims that are available are good. I use the Reflex XTR, it is solid and has great flight physics. That is to say that the way the heli's and aircraft fly in the sim enviroment is as close to real as you need to be without being at the feild.

There is one thing that is very important though when you want to go into the sim world. This is your PC, Make sure that your PC at least meats the minimum requirments. If that is no problem then you will get a great time out of your simulator.

The hoverfly is actually cheeper than any simulator that is worth having. and is going to give you the fun of flying for real though. A lot of the students that I have actually prefer there lessons on the hoverfly because they can actually see themselves flying for real. It does help there enthusiasum for the hobby.

Simulators I would recommend.

Reflex XTR,
Realflight G3.
Easyfly Pro,
Trueflight,
Easyfly/Piccofly,

Their are lots to go and view. If you go to most good model shops they have one set up so that you may try one before you buy.

Hope this helps.

[hawkman]

I used Easyfly and FMS for my first sims....they gave a good insight to heli flying and certainly boosted my learning experience....I had many frustrating hours getting the hang of forward flight....but they were hours that were fun and very rewarding.
The biggest problem with these two simulators was the lack of idle up and throttle hold facilities....they were already set up in Idle up 2 mode....so you can go ahead and do inverted flight etc; once you get good enough....I certainly didnt rush into that upon flying my first ever real model heli;-)

They are 'cheap n cheerful' sims which are a good introduction....but as I said, the lack of those all important 'functions' is what lets them down.

I ended up buying TruFlite 3D...not the best sim but my computer is a feeble machine compared to those required for say...G3 or Reflex...I would love Reflex.

Sims have an important place for established flyers, I regularly use TruFlite to keep up with practice...plus being able to do autos without wrecking the real thing is a bonus.....or at least you can condition your reflexes accordingly...rather than watching your real model plummet to disaster...becuase the engine has died out. I like trying inverted autos, fighting those 'natural' instincts so the blades dont slow etc...then flipping the heli over....and conserving energy so you can land the thing...is an interesting experience.....and its a skill that could save your machine should you get caught out in real life.

The Snel flite looks a good heli.....I would have gone that route as well....but cash was short and I was saving to get a nitro heli.....I can see your point about beginners wanting to fly straight away...I did....but had to wait.

All in all....its flight time that is crucial....whether its on a simulator or using a heli like the Hoverfly....if either can generate a keen interest in RC helis...ie going on to larger machines be they electric or nitro (or turbines or gassers.....hmmmmmmm....gassers...I want one).

This is a great hobby, I like seeing people being encouraged into it.

Rob

[LLOYDY]

Originally Posted by Daz(DJLFlapper)

STOPnow you have seen a list of some of the stuff that you need. what you need now is a good bit of knowledge and a plan of action that is going to help you learn to fly heli's. Your going to want to do this as cost affectivly as you can.

First thing you should do is decide what you want to do.

1:Fly a heli: Are you the sort of person that is too eager to listen to good advice, That just wants to get a heli and start flying?

IF you are this person, Then my advice is to purchase a helicopter that can stand up to crashes very well. A heli that is going to allow you to fly for as long as you can handle it. A heli that will react the same way as the bigger nitro/electric heli's, that can outfly any fixed pitch heli. But most of all is going to cost you very little to Keep in parts. I personally reccomend the HOVERFLY, See www.snelflight.co.uk
INFORMATION about this heli: It is mains powered, Very long flight times. It has an umbilical that does not interfear with its flight ability. It flies just like the other collective pitch heli's. It is safe to use in your home. It is very strong, If you shut the power off when your in trouble you can have many crashes and not need to replace a blade. Just put it all back as it should be and fly some more. IT IS THE BEST starter heli for the money out there. NO settup just open it plug the bits in and your ready to fly. IF you purchase the transmiter that the site has on offer the flight control is fantastic. I know this because I have 2 of them and teach many people to fly useing them.

2:Learn how to fly first then choose the heli you want?

IF you are this person, You should look at learning to fly useing a flight simulator. The advantages of a flight simulator are that you can start to learn to fly as soon as it is on your PC. You can learn to fly for as long as your brain can take the accute concentration. The flight simulator is not just somthing that is there for you to learn to fly with. It is there to help you throughout your flying hobby. I myself still fly my flight simulator almost every day to prctice many different stunt moves and keep in touch with my autorotations as well as my basic skills. It will allow you to fly and crash as many times as you want without costing you a penny more than its purchase cost. Something I tell all my students is to just add the cost of a set of blades + 20 bucks each time you crash. (make a note on paper) You will soon see that a flight simulator pays for itself in no time as your flying skills improve. There are a few very good flight sims on the market today the tough choice is to make your mind up weather you want one with a Dummy transmitter or you want to purchase a radio and get the simulator together. The advantage of this is you will get to learn how to use your radio and learn to fly at the same time. So when your ready and confident about your skills you can then think about the Helicopter you want to start off on. I am sure that you will be able to fly it well enough with your new found skills.
One word of advice here is to take as long as you require on the simulator and be honest to yourself. Kidding yourself will only lead to repair costs on your first helicopter. REMEMBER We all crash, I still crash today and I do this because I choose to push myself on the flying field. The difference is that I do it a LOT LESS than I would without the simulator. Mine have saved me thousands I say MINE because I have 2. One that I bought when they first became popular to use, The Easyfly/Piccofly. The second is the Reflex XTR, I use this with my FF8 futaba radio. I can use the radios features and see thier affect on the aircraft I am flying.
Simulators are excellant DON'T under estimate there importance.

3: If you want to learn, Also have a heli to fly:
DO BOTH OF THE ABOVE
If you want to fly a heli and learn on the sim try useing the hoverfly above it is like haveing a sim in your front room. Only you can actually fly and see it three Dimensionally with the added benifit of learning on your simulator. This way you can actually learn and see yourself progress for real.

Now if you have read through to this point, Well done.

The information I have given here is the best advice that I can give to anyone thinking of starting this fantastic hobby. I know it to be good advice as it is what many of my good friends and people that I teach (and have become good friends) are doing very succesfully at this presant moment.

The advice is Here now you have a choice, Use it: Don't use it:
Which ever you choose to do, Have fun and be safe.
I wish you well in this fantastic Hobby of ours, Yes that includes you.

see ya,

HI...Q....I have just bought a trex450se...with a futaba 7 tx from rc-expert.
I have only had 2 months flying experience with a e-sky 4ch heli...which I found ok to fly...Now opening the box of a fully assembled RTF t-rex with a complex Futaba 7 tx...all of this looks scarey....I don't even know where to start.....can you advise me??

[Helepally]

A new book is available "R/C Helicopters: A Guide For Beginners" from Traplet Publications covering everything the beginner needs to know, including choosing/building the right model, installing the components of the radio, electric power as well as internal combustion engines as well as learning to fly safely. https://sslrelay.com/s84068217.onean...B%3D28MHB%3D29

[Raptorpilot]

Can you buy a hoverfly in the us? My dad really wants to fly but he just isnt patient enough to use a sim. He told me the other day that he was capable of hovering so he tried my blade cp pro and shortly after taking off he lost controll and handed me the controller and thankfully i recovered it. He convinced me that if i let him fly again i could always take over just like before and save it, so i let him. Anyway he didnt hand me the controll until he was 5 feet from the ground and i broke my tail boom. I think one of those hoverflys would be perfect but i notice that on that site you linked theres no info on pricing delivery etc. Any suggestions on getting one?