RC Helis - best compromise?

[RRS_Staffs]

Hi

Im a total novice with helis but have decent RC car handling skills

Ive been away with friends one of whom had a 30 quid gadget shop special heli which was a lot of fun and has got me thinking

Surprisingly there doesnt seem to be much here but I have a feeling there must be a RC heli nut or two lurking

The obvious beginners choice has to be one of the 80 quid or so all in 4ch helis from Heliguy or Buzzflyer however I cant stop wondering what I could have for a few dollars more although Im not sure that as a beginner that would be a good decision!

Basically with winter coming it would make sense to have something that I can fly round the kitchen instead of something that can only sensibly be used outdoors so the Esky Lama has to make sense doesnt it?

As you can tell though in best PH tradition I am trying to talk myself into something more expensive and not at all suitable for what I need....
Plus the Lama just looks like a toy despite what the websites say

Budget is flexible however kits for 6ch models can be had for an amount I could stretch to but the issues here are:

Is a 6ch heli a dumb idea for a novice?
I have good modelling skills but are they difficult to assemble?
Are there any I could practice with in the garage or are they all huge?

I know the right answer is to buy an Esky Lama now then see how I feel in the spring.............

[dr_gn]

RRS_Staffs said:

I know the right answer is to buy an Esky Lama now then see how I feel in the spring.............

Correct.

I've got one and it's still great to fly indoors.

Consider the E-Flyte Blade MSR too, tail rotor configuration, extremely durable, and adjustable to be nearly as easy to fly as a coaxial.

[TackleburyUk]

I have a Trex 450 which i learnt on.

Crashed it so many times, in fact the second to last time i flew it, it lasted around 30 seconds before the speed controller died.

Spent 9 hours repairing frame etc.

First flight after lasted 15 secs.

Not flown it since.....

The small cheap helis are cool, but learning the setup on a large heli is a nightmare, they never balance like you see on youtube!

If you buy a 600 or 700 these fly much better but cost hundreds when (not if) you crash!

[Blakeatron]

Weve got a smallish chinook - great fun and can lift a fair weight.

Not proper heli, but great fun flyinga round and very easy. Even the wife can do it.

[7mike]

I've got a cheap (less than £30) simulator from a company called Reality craft. Just stick the disk in and plug the usb transmitter in. No idea how it compares to the real thing but at least it's fun, seems fairly realistic and has given me a reasonable idea of how to use the controls. Best of all, weather or space are never an issue.

[Boatbuoy]

One day, you might get to one of these (minus the dodgy cowboy hats):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC_MAev0eyk

[andrewrob]

If you are looking at spending around the £100 mark I'd definitely recommend the Blade MSR.
I've had mine for about a year now and have smashed it into all manor of things and have only spent £5 in spare parts. I think they were blade grips and one set of main blades.

They also come with a charger that can charge either 4 or 5 batteries at once (cant remember exactly) and you can pickup spare batteries for peanuts on ebay. Can be flown indoors and outdoors on a calmish day.

[nurburgring1]

andrewrob said:

If you are looking at spending around the £100 mark I'd definitely recommend the Blade MSR.
I've had mine for about a year now and have smashed it into all manor of things and have only spent £5 in spare parts. I think they were blade grips and one set of main blades.

They also come with a charger that can charge either 4 or 5 batteries at once (cant remember exactly) and you can pickup spare batteries for peanuts on ebay. Can be flown indoors and outdoors on a calmish day.

+1, I have had one a couple of years and they are great fun, get used to it indoors then take it outside for some 3D flying. I also have a Funcopter, also great fun and pretty robust.

[RRS_Staffs]

Thanks for the comments

I know small really makes sense for a novice

Any opinions on the Blade mCP??

Cheers

[andrewrob]

RRS_Staffs said:

Thanks for the comments

I know small really makes sense for a novice

Any opinions on the Blade mCP??

Cheers

The MCP is the next step up from the MSR. Still about the same size but 6 channel so you can fly 3D (inverted flight, full rolls etc).
If you haven't flown a four channel before I would buy an MSR to start with then upgrade to one of these.

The MSR can take a lot more abuse whereas these have a bit of a weak point with the blade grips. There have been numerous reports about the grips actually failing during flight (even without prior damage) causing the blades to fly out. I know they are only tiny but they still hurt!

Another nice feature with the ready to fly setup on the MSR (although the MCP might have the same feature too) is that you can press the right stick in and it will go into a more sedate mode which is great for learning.