Returning to the hobby. Where to begin? Information overload!!

[stvjeep]

Hey all. A quick background: I'm returning to the hobby after a 6 year hiatus. Back in 2008 I had a Honey Bee FP and trashed it by flying it outside. Then a blade 400 3d which I found way to twitchy and finally built a Trex 500 with a DX6i which I ended up crashing hard. SOLD it all and quit in frustration. Kept my Real Flight 4.5.

Forward to January 2015. I dusted off a Blade msr which I bought a two years ago, flew it and got the heli bug back!!

Now I've been practicing on Real Flight 4.5 and I'm able to hover nose in and do FFF with flips and rolls (what I call sport flying) along with a bit of barely controlled inverted hovers. I can hover the msr nose in pretty good and do BASIC slow circuits in a small area of the house.

I've been reading, and reading many threads on Helifreak. Talk about awesome info but major overload for me! I'm stuck as to the next move. So I have a couple questions for the forum....

1) Should I upgrade my RF 4.5 to the newer version or is my old version good enough physics wise for practice? (Only have windows xp so I think I'm limited to 6.5)

2) Planning on purchasing a DX6i or a DX6. Really struggling on what heli to get next from the following (budget is $200, flying in large living room with some outdoor flying. Long term training goal is FFF with sport flying, no crazy 3D stuff):

a) Blade 120sr: like the larger size, but concerned about indoor practice and that it looks like E-flite may be discontinuing it. Worried that FP creates bad habits/sloppy flying!

b) Nano CPx: like the fact its CP, perfect for indoors and damage resistant but concerned with twitchy handling due to size/weight and concerned with motor failures and main board failures. The fact that the BL upgrade cures one issue is nice, but why not just go to option c then?

c) Mcpx bl /Trex 150: Love the stability of high head speed and the fact I can fly in a little wind outside but are they to much of a step in power for an indoor trainer? Can they be dialed down enough with the Tx to make it a better beginner/intermediate sport trainer over the Ncpx?

So which would you guys recommend for an indoor trainer with some outdoor flying with the goal of sport FFF, not 3D?

I've been debating for a week and kind of feeling a bit insane over which way to go!?

[ArchmageAU]

Originally Posted by stvjeep

Hey all. A quick background: I'm returning to the hobby after a 6 year hiatus. Back in 2008 I had a Honey Bee FP and trashed it by flying it outside. Then a blade 400 3d which I found way to twitchy and finally built a Trex 500 with a DX6i which I ended up crashing hard. SOLD it all and quit in frustration. Kept my Real Flight 4.5.

Forward to January 2015. I dusted off a Blade msr which I bought a two years ago, flew it and got the heli bug back!!

Now I've been practicing on Real Flight 4.5 and I'm able to hover nose in and do FFF with flips and rolls (what I call sport flying) along with a bit of barely controlled inverted hovers. I can hover the msr nose in pretty good and do BASIC slow circuits in a small area of the house.

I've been reading, and reading many threads on Helifreak. Talk about awesome info but major overload for me! I'm stuck as to the next move. So I have a couple questions for the forum....

1) Should I upgrade my RF 4.5 to the newer version or is my old version good enough physics wise for practice? (Only have windows xp so I think I'm limited to 6.5)

2) Planning on purchasing a DX6i or a DX6. Really struggling on what heli to get next from the following (budget is $200, flying in large living room with some outdoor flying. Long term training goal is FFF with sport flying, no crazy 3D stuff):

a) Blade 120sr: like the larger size, but concerned about indoor practice and that it looks like E-flite may be discontinuing it. Worried that FP creates bad habits/sloppy flying!

b) Nano CPx: like the fact its CP, perfect for indoors and damage resistant but concerned with twitchy handling due to size/weight and concerned with motor failures and main board failures. The fact that the BL upgrade cures one issue is nice, but why not just go to option c then?

c) Mcpx bl /Trex 150: Love the stability of high head speed and the fact I can fly in a little wind outside but are they to much of a step in power for an indoor trainer? Can they be dialed down enough with the Tx to make it a better beginner/intermediate sport trainer over the Ncpx?

So which would you guys recommend for an indoor trainer with some outdoor flying with the goal of sport FFF, not 3D?

I've been debating for a week and kind of feeling a bit insane over which way to go!?

1) Keep with RF 4.5 it will cement in the reactions without extra cost. You can get the trial version of Heli-X for extra training modes (will work with the interlink and no need to register unless you find you are finding benefit). - I'd suggest working on From tail-in to all 8s and funnels in 6 months too to cement in orientations and flying (can be done in RF 4.5 and with any CP heli for IRL practice).

2) If you are planning on mainly flying indoors with some outside, go the nano CPX. Won't destroy the furniture. I'd still recommend flying it outside over grass when you can. It's fairly crash resistant, but tables, counters, bookcases, etc are pretty unforgiving (and do do real damage to a nano). With any micro CP heli, a programmable transmitter (like DX6 (preferred) or DX6i (less preferred)) is required, especially taming down for indoor flight. Initially don't worry too much about motor longevity. Multiple batteries and a good charger is worthwhile though.

2a) If you are mainly outside flyer, then the MCPX BL is more the way to go. Not for indoor (due to head speed and rotor diameter), but great small space outdoor flyer.

Sim and regular focused short practice sessions will be your best friend.

Best of luck.

[Imzzaudae]

Keep practicing with the sim u have!

Invest in a DX6 or DX6i transmitter first! Then learn how to use the transmitter!
No use having a computerized transmitter and not knowing how to use it.

That's why your Blade 400 was twitchy! You did not know how to use the Rate and Expo functions in the transmitter! B400 can easily be made very tame.

120 SR is a great indoor helicopter! A far better helicopter than most people give credit. Who cares if Horizon retire it your going to be learning how to take off correctly. Hover and fly around, after 30 days it won't matter. You will be hovering Nano. and bringing 120 out to play with when you want to play with it. This is called stick time. In short the helicopter will teach you more than I could possibly convey.
120SR SETUP, SERVICE & FLYING LINKS FOR NEWBIES
https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=496890


You will find that Nano is also a very good collective pitch trainer. But you must treat the helicopter with a little respect. Nano is designed to be an experienced pilots aerobatic helicopter not a trainer, and this is where learning how to use that nice shinny new DX6i comes in. Nano is very crash and fly. It can be tamed right down so it's a dream to fly even for very low time pilots but it's a helicopter and you must fly it. It's also fly bar less
and has a little different feel than your old honey bee. I have 2 and would not part with ether. Everything you here about Nano being twitchy is complete BS. This is a case of a lot of pilots not knowing how to use there transmitter functions and parrots doing what parrots do!
Nano is AS3X stabilized so it's got a great FBL system and flies great. 10 out of 10

NANO CPX SERVICE AND FLYING LINKS FOR NEWBIES
https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=596574


I really love MCPX BL but it's just a little much for small quarters indoor flying, even tamed right down
the helicopter is just a real hand full. But the helicopter would be fantastic as soon as you get flying outdoors.

Hope this helps you.
Ron

[puppydog_taz]

My honest opinion is to get a dx6 or dx9 and keep flying the msr. Until you can fly that in a decent size room, don't buy any other heli. People seem to be too impatient and buy buy buy before learning to fly. Once you can control the msr inside then look at something like the 200srx or 180cfx.