Which Aeroplane/Heli for starting off?

30-6shooter

Ive being threatening to buy 1 of these things since, i was a nipper. Ive loads of fields around my house for it. Shud have got 1 yrs ago.

Where do i start. Is a plane or Heli better for starting? Are the Helis way smaller than the planes in general? Does the plane fly furtther and faster than the Heli.

Which is easiet to learn. I dont want a real beginner yoke, something inbetween maybe thats easy enuf to fly. If it crashes it it fooked completely, or have you some leeway. Does the radio thing come with the plane.

Lol,,, lot of questions there. I did say "beginner"

How much am i looking at?

Fobia

Hi,
well, first off, a plane is best to start on.
I shuddered when you said "Ive loads of fields around my house for it" . It really is essential to join a club and have someone instruct you, unless you want to spend lots of money on repairs/new planes!

Both heli's and planes are capable of flying for around equal lengths of time from what I can see (not being too knowledgable on heli's). When talking about beginner planes/helis neither are exactly huge, both are around the same scale to the full size 'models'.

If it crashes it's *generally* repairable but if you're not good at fixing things then you'll have to ask someone else to do it for you.....

The radio question, yes, generally. Most people start off buying a "beginners bag" from a model shop, this includes a trainer, a transmitter, receiver, crystals and servos - all you need to start flying. Last time I checked, these usually set you back about 400-500euro. Make sure you buy from a reputable model shop - I've seen several cases of people buying transmitters on the wrong frequency, even in Ireland!

To start, visit your local flying club, you'll have to join one to learn anyway so might as well get to know the people their first. They'll also be able to advise you on what trainer to buy and where to buy it....look here for a list of irish clubs, if a local one isn't listed then give us your approximate location and we might know of one nearby.

I'm going to write a sticky entitled "how to get started", hopefully tommorrow.

Good luck and don't hesitate to post if you have more questions / just feel like talkin'bout models

Fobia.

lomb

i tryed planes but wasnt sucessful. crashed many. then decided to go for a heli. bought and used a pc sim first. once u can fly the sim, heli flying is second nature. my advice is buy a jr 3810 radio set or the new jr equivelent, or the sanwa 8ch set is a very good cheaper alternative that will last 'forever.'

for helis buy a raptor 30 or 50 v2. parts are cheap and widely available and they fly very good with loads of online forums devoting hugh space to them.

for engines buy an os 30 or os 50 or buy the matching tt engine with the rap.

gyros-buy a csm540 or futaba401

sim-there are free ones available online although u will need to build a interface or buy one for 150euro.

u wont get any change from 1000euro for a good setup. crashes with the rap will be 50-70euro although u might get away with 2 or 3 per year of flying-depends how much u push it and mechanical integrity.

helis are great fun but need money, dont attempt them unless u have some spare and are willing to spend it.

oh and hirobo, jr helis and kyosho have very high parts pricing avoid them unless money isnt an object.

coolwings

If you want to get flying, begin on an RC model aircraft.
Planes are made of materials that are cheap to repair, while you are in the "bashing the hell out of it" stage.
for example... take the propeller, break a aircraft prop and its € 3-4 , but for a heli that could be € 50-60.
this price comparison applies to everything when comparing aircraft and helis.

My sugestion is learn on an aircraft, then after you can fly, get a heli and then learn how to hover.
You will then have both a plane and a heli to enjoy.

On the other hand, if you get your heli first, you also must buy a computer simulater and other training aids. Your full budget goes into the inevitable repairs, and later, if you stick the heat, you have a heli, (much repaired).

The mind blowing moment that happens to many wannabee heli pilots is a €1000+ spend, followed by a 10 second moment of power, followed by a really big crash that going to add €€€€ to the bill. This is quite common especially with budget heli.

If you want to only do helis and not touch aircraft then get a cheapo electric heli for about €300 (the lot), use it indoors until you can hover, then buy heli number two, the outdoors nice weather heli. Make it a 50 or 60 size that can handle Irish windy weather on twice as many days as the smaller 30 size helis. The extra budget of the 50-60 size is justified by the fact that you can already hover and fly basic circuits, already know how to maintain it, and really know by that time that heli flying is for you.

By the way the Graupner Starlet 50 is the lowest cost 50 heli with eccpm controls that I know. It already has the 60 size chassis. Many other well known names don't have eccpm even though it was discovered years ago, and they are unnecessarily complex as a result.
Most other 50s are bumped up 30s, with the smaller 30 chassis, just bigger rotor and longer tail boom added.

It is really up to you and what you really want from the hobby.

:cool:

lomb

coolwings wrote:

If you want to get flying, begin on an RC model aircraft.
Planes are made of materials that are cheap to repair, while you are in the "bashing the hell out of it" stage.
for example... take the propeller, break a aircraft prop and its € 3-4 , but for a heli that could be € 50-60.
this price comparison applies to everything when comparing aircraft and helis.

My sugestion is learn on an aircraft, then after you can fly, get a heli and then learn how to hover.
You will then have both a plane and a heli to enjoy.

On the other hand, if you get your heli first, you also must buy a computer simulater and other training aids. Your full budget goes into the inevitable repairs, and later, if you stick the heat, you have a heli, (much repaired).

The mind blowing moment that happens to many wannabee heli pilots is a €1000+ spend, followed by a 10 second moment of power, followed by a really big crash that going to add €€€€ to the bill. This is quite common especially with budget heli.

If you want to only do helis and not touch aircraft then get a cheapo electric heli for about €300 (the lot), use it indoors until you can hover, then buy heli number two, the outdoors nice weather heli. Make it a 50 or 60 size that can handle Irish windy weather on twice as many days as the smaller 30 size helis. The extra budget of the 50-60 size is justified by the fact that you can already hover and fly basic circuits, already know how to maintain it, and really know by that time that heli flying is for you.

By the way the Graupner Starlet 50 is the lowest cost 50 heli with eccpm controls that I know. It already has the 60 size chassis. Many other well known names don't have eccpm even though it was discovered years ago, and they are unnecessarily complex as a result.
Most other 50s are bumped up 30s, with the smaller 30 chassis, just bigger rotor and longer tail boom added.

It is really up to you and what you really want from the hobby.

:cool:

I personally would shun the electric route. i bought a piccolo and to put it mildly its a piece of junk.
get a sim, i have a csm jobbie, not bad but only runs in dos these days. like i said there are free ones available that will do fine.
imho i would steer clear of the graupner starlet and its ilk like the plague. i bough a robbe moskito and regretted it for many reasons. main considerations are parts costs, modern reliable design, +/- 10 degrees of pitch, avoid eccpm as one needs expensive servos due to the resolution problems.
the raptor v2 50 is the BEST heli out there. The few minor flaws are well documented in forums. parts are VERY cheap like 3 quid for a flybar, fiver for a tailboom or main shaft, clutches for 12 quid, no other heli has this kind of parts pricing.
learning to fly a plane isnt alot of use to heli flying EXCEPT u get familiar with tuning engines, adjusting links etc and get into the scene. they are great fun too in their own waY

coolwings

lomb wrote:

I personally would shun the electric route. i bought a piccolo and to put it mildly its a piece of junk.
get a sim, i have a csm jobbie, not bad but only runs in dos these days. like i said there are free ones available that will do fine.

No arguement ... you can fly an electric micro heli indoors in the winter, you can the sim indoors too.
But the CSM sim is REALLY basic IMHO. Aerofly is far more realistic.

coolwings

lomb wrote:

....the raptor v2 50 is the BEST heli out there. ...

To judge from international competition, this is incorrect.
My guess would be that JR, Excel or Vario or Hirobo would be more popular among top competition heli fliers. If they want to win, and I assume they do, it stands to reason that they would pick what they believe to be "the best heli".
The Thunder Tiger (I assume you fly one) is undoubtedly a good reliable heli, and popular on the club level. But other helis are good too

lomb

coolwings wrote:

No arguement ... you can fly an electric micro heli indoors in the winter, you can the sim indoors too.
But the CSM sim is REALLY basic IMHO. Aerofly is far more realistic.

CSM is very poor these days for sure wont even run on xp despite what their website says.
eccpm has its advantages- linkages not complex so quick assembly and repairs but need expensive servos alot of vibration would be fed from the rotor head directly into them.
the electric route may be better now but avoid the picollo for sure.

lomb

coolwings wrote:

To judge from international competition, this is incorrect.
My guess would be that JR, Excel or Vario or Hirobo would be more popular among top competition heli fliers. If they want to win, and I assume they do, it stands to reason that they would pick what they believe to be "the best heli".
The Thunder Tiger (I assume you fly one) is undoubtedly a good reliable heli, and popular on the club level. But other helis are good too

of course other helis are good, some are way better than the rap but i have found parts on top flight machines to be insanely priced, ie mill an xcell fury and expect a bill of 400 euros.if one mills a rap60 the only thing that is dear are the blades.
for what they are raps are the best u will get in their price range the rap 30 and 50 especially and have the lowest parts prices and wide availability of any heli.
anyone who says buy a hirobo sceudu hasnt seen that parts are twice 2 three times dearer than rap parts bought online. and the sceudu is no better a machine.

Fobia

Lad's, back on topic, moving the posts to a new thread and resurrecting the flight sim thread.....bear with me it has to be done lest we want to confuse the guy looking on starters tips....I'll have that starting guide done in about an hour

Fobia.

30-6shooter

Just to let ye know,, ive decided against buying a plane/heli for the time being. The price of them is way more than i had thought. Dont think ive the patience to join clubs (theres none relatively near me) and start learning thru lessons and all that lark.

Im gonna take up shooting instead. :cool: