FMA CoPilot Versus Spartan AP-2000i

[blade400user]

Does anyone have both?
I am trying to decide if the FMA CoPilot is the same, a little better, or a lot better than the AP-2000i, which I have. Is it worth the upgrade?

[nightflyr]

Can't comment on the AP, only use Helicommand and now CPII, works very nice and then some...haven't heard a negative thing about it since it went out to the public a little over a month ago

https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=138304

[cogito]

I have both. and both work very well. I've had the Spartan since 2005 and have never had a problem with it. Hundreds and hundreds of flights. It's a bit more expensive, looks like in the US, $220 for the Spartan and $43 for the necessary IR sensor.

The FMA is about $200. I had the old FMA Co-Pilot (FS8) which wasn't reliable, multiple glitches and then total failure resulting in the complete loss of a helicopter. FMA seems to have a heartier product with the new CoPilot which seems solid after 20+ flights. Also much easier to set up/program than the old CoPilot.

[tracerbob]

I too have both. I started with the FMA FS8 co-pilot. Set up was easy but I found the calibration to be cumbersome and inaccurate. I also had a problem with glitches being that the FS8 reciever is FM only. Frustrated, I switched to the AP2000i. Set up was a bit more complicated but I can use my own reciever. Flying and caliberation is sweet. To calibrate, all I have to do is put the bird in a stable hover, hit a switch for a couple of seconds and its set. Personally, I like the AP2000i alot better.

On a side note, the AP2000i is also a very good electronic CCPM mixer with phase adjusting and......you don't have to use to infrared sensor. You can also set it up with gyros on the pitch and roll axis.