Which helicopter?

[Daz(DJLFlapper)]

I leave the choice of helicopter to you I am not going to say that you should buy any helicopter. I can only give you advice about the helicopters I have experience with.
I will tell you what I beleive is worth you knowing and if you ask the right questions then I will give advice again.
I do know that the Hummingbird is now in its new form and I have not yet had the pleasure of flying that model.
It does look nice and they do have a good reputation now, The parts are also known to be of good quality. As are the piccolo Pro parts, The thing with chosing is that you and I want the best we can get for our money.

Do research, Don't just rely on what I may write. Go and look at the model. Try to find an article written on it and if it seems like the sort of model that you would be happy with, Great.

Read the advice. choose read more and make your own decision. OH and good luck.

Which helicopter-you start and die with a fixed pitch(eletric)-I now have 2 walkera #4which are the best heli from my garage(my fleet as some say)-you can fly it anywere,do anything to it-I even fly it in windy condition!true-you can slam them on the wall-they are just incredibles-all fixed pitch ones(any brand)..........I mean everybody shoud has to have one-they only have about30 parts!+their parts are so cheap!!......There so small they fit everywere....you need no fuss with them-just charge them and fly!!!!!-for me there simply the best!-Step 2 buy a50-(A raptor is great-A TIANZI TZ 50 with metal head from.jsmodel.com-is even better-it's 1/2 the price!!!!-also the parts are so cheap---so it will take along way(if you want)-Put a good engine(os)& gyro(gy401)and before you know it-----you start inverted-----------NO-----------------Yes,--These tz's are a copy of the famous raptor with a hirobo like metal head,-so there you are -no complication all easy & cheap FUNDIMENTAL FOR ME!-parts so cheap,,,,,,,which will hopfully take you to the MAX.................................A90.....wowwwwwwwww-lol
fabcat

[Daz(DJLFlapper)]

And this dear readers is exactly the type of nonsence that I am trying to discourage you from listening to.

For a start lets talk about quality.
The walkera range of helicopters is so poor that if you chat to our freinds in Hong Kong about them. They actualy laugh, Yes laugh. This heli is a dream for these guys that are makeing them because they have acheived what they wanted to acheive. WHAT?
well they got a few good walkeras out and said look how well these can fly and look how cheep they are. Then they proceeded to push out heli's that have realy bad quality parts that will fly but are actually poor. You'll not learn very much with one of them except how to get fed up and leave this fantastic hobby.

As for buying rip off copy heli's. Well this is what I think of them and why.
They are called copies because there has been no design that has gone into it. They are simply the product of a company that has seen an opportunity to produce a heli that they can make cheap. Again with cheap parts thus earning themselves a lot more profit with your hard won money.
They continue trading while the going is good and as has happened in the past. When it gets tight they collapse into receivership and leave you with a product that has no parts support and a great big pile of shaped plastic that nothing will fit.

Sorry if this seems a bit of a rant but guys I speek from experience of my own and other fliers that are good freinds of mine.

Save money and do it the right way. Buy from reputable companies, You'll be able to tell them from the badies. They got reputations.

[moonsnake]

I can't agree with you AT ALL, I bought a Walkera 4 2 months ago as my 1st heli, to date I've only broken one tail blade.

I have learned to fly it with very little trouble at all, everything about it is stock, I am now in the process of upgrading to DD motors and GWS micrco servo.

Considering that they can now be bought for less than £80 and that spare parts are VERY cheap, I at least am very happy with the Walkera 4.

I must say reading your posts is a bit hard at times, your spelling is awful.

[Daz(DJLFlapper)]

I am glad that you have found a walkera 4 that is flight capable. I am also glad that you are happy to own one and get along with it. I am also glad that you are happy enough to point out that you disagree with what I wrote.

That people is what a forum is all about.

Whilst there are going to be those people that disagree with what I may write somtimes I am happy to write what I write based on the knowledge I have gained over some years in the hobby. The fact is that I DO have a responsibility to point out the obvious and in this case it is that the walkera is a heli that until it is made more for the pleasure of the person buying it and not for the amount of profit a company can get out of it. Then unfortunatly there will be those that fall foul of this kind of model.

Now if you where to steady your mind and actualy purchase a heli like the hummingbird made by century, The Piccolo by ikurus Or one of the many other Heli's that actualy do the job they where created to do. Then upgrading might be somthing that you may choose to do, Rather than being forced into it.

You enjoy your walkera 4 I am happy that you are getting what you wanted from it.

One last thing, I make no appologise for my lack of grammer or my inability to spell certain words correctly. If you don't like the way I may write somthing. TOUGH, If you wish to critasize (like that one?) my writing. Go ahead you may do this as much as you wish. I hope you feel BIG for it.

[hawkman]

Hi Daz....is there quite a heli community around Gwent? wish there were more flyers here in the Islands.....I quite enjoy flying as such but wish there was a bit of 'competition' . It would make bulk buying of fuel a bit cheaper too.

Rob

[moonsnake]

Hi Daz,
I agree with what you are trying to say - a friend of mine bought a Trex 450 SE as his first helicopter as he had heard bad things about the Walkera #4.... he was advised by someone like you to "get a decent one" so he did, after a few weeks on a sim, he took it outside on a calm day, confidence he could at least fly it in "lazy loops" etc.

He was hovering quite well, when it suddenly went out of control and was smashed to bits he had paid over £280 for it.

he worked it out that it would cost £180 to repair it - so he decided to scrap it and bought a Walkera #4, for £69.

He has now mastered the Walkera and like me is in the process of upgrading all of the stock parts, and doing it as part of a hobby.

BTW it was pilot error that caused the Trex 450 SE to hit the dirt.

The point I am making is there are a lot of people out there who want to start their new hobby the same way as you do when you get your first car, that is replace a lot of parts, do a bit of welding on it, give it a good polish etc.... then after a while get a newer better car - upwards and onwards.

I subscribe to this 'mentality' as unlike a car that has the road as a anchor a rc helicopter has no such 'anchor' once up there, it's up to you to control it, hence the Hesitantly of many neebies to fork out mega bucks on something they may not really find is 'their cup of tea'

As for your recommendation of the 'Hummingbird' well Daz I have searched a lot of forums and again I have found they are not perfect either, to quote from one forum "the batteries are crap", " there is not enough lift" etc.... you pay your money and make your choice.

As for your final remark about me maybe feeling 'Big' then I'm sorry Daz you feel that way NO I do not feel 'BIG' I used to teach computers, and design and print annual reports, flyers, etc... and any spelling mistake GOT my attention, that was my job.

So Daz that was the reason I mentioned your grammar, old habits die hard.

If in any way you were unhappy with my comments then I apologise, I enjoy reading your contributions and in no way was I trying upset you.

As for the Walkera #4 Daz I still love it, and I'm buying a new one soon, simply to use as spares, they are so cheap now.

Thanks Daz

[Daz(DJLFlapper)]

OK,

So so.

Here is a clip of my son flying the hoverfly and when this summer he is flying the Nitro heli I will try and borrow a digital video camera and show what he is doing with other heli's as a result of starting off on the path I have given advice for. Yes advice, I am not saying you must do it. If you want to start off with somthing that is going to cost you just to get it to fly decent, Then go and spend again to move to a better model. Be my guest,

I am concerned with giving advice for those that are really hard pressed for money that want to start, Learn and progress as cheap as possible with the best equipment they can possibly use.

First here is my son: http://home.comcast.net/~nidshouse/Connor1.wmv

Like I say if you are happy with the heli you have great. I want everybody to enjoy the hobby. What I hate seeing is good money thrown at a bad cause.

The path you choose is up to you. Even I started off ignoring advice I guess thats just the way it is.