New to flying

[Mr.Clark]

Hey as some of you might know i am new to flying and was I was wondering if you could help me with some things...I plan on getting the realflight 4.5 simulator. Is this a good decision? Also i have heard that it is beter to start with planes before jumping into helicopters...does this really matter? Would it be fine for me to just get really good on the sim and then buy a helicopter? Mainly I just wanted to get your opinions on what i should and shouldnt do, maybe some advice on the things you would have done diferently when gettin ginto the hobby. Thanks!

-Tom

 

[marauder]

Yes, the simulator will be the best investment you make to the hobby as far as heli/planes are concerned. Crash the virtual stuff while you're learning. There are also great instructor tips, customization to your heli/planes, etc...There's a great value for money with the Real Flight sims, you can't go wrong.

 

[Rolex]

Absolutely, get the G4.5. I've been into planes for many years, and when I stepped up to a big nitro heli, I was panic stricken on the first hover.
On the way home I got RealFlight G2 and spent many hours and many wrecks learning how to fly a heli. It sure paid off. I now have G4 and am about to upgrade to 4.5. It's not a video game, it's actually a simulator and learning tool, so you'll soon find out that there's a lot involved in flying a heli.
I would also recommend that you get a plane like the Avastar just to fly and get used to being in the air. Helis require a great deal of attention and maintenance, and if you have a plane you can fly any time you want.

 

[Maxx]

My buddy JUST bought the newest version of realflight with the expansion pack, he paid $170 at the LHS....It is really cool I ran it for a little....Getting a new plane is awesome everytime you hit that little red button

He wants to start on a $140 auto gyro heli and then get the $250 heli after he has it down pat.

 

[Mr.Clark]

Thanks for the great advice! Last question does anyone know any really good sites to buy from other than tower hobbies? I did a search and found a few but was wondering if their were any others.

 

[Rolex]

HobbyTown U.S.A.

 

[Mr.Clark]

Thanks!

Oh and hey is this worth buying http://www.xheli.com/esho5cp26rar.html It seems like a good one to start with but I'm not sure.

 

[diozxlive]

if your aim is getting into helis... might wanna consider the phoenix sim. its the most realistic sim plus the dynamics of the model lets you feel that your flying the real thing. G4 is more fixed wing friendly. i too started with planes thinking that it will be cheaper and will make the transition to heli easier. only thing you get from a fixed wing is the orientation other than that its a totally different ball game. throttle stick is diff you don't have negative and positive on an airplane and turning requires diff inputs on the collective and cyclic. Buy a sim and Join a club rather than doing it on your own.

helis don't come cheap. you might wanna buy something cheap now but soon you'll regret it controls are sloppy and mess your learning curve, invest on something like the align trex450, mini raptor rave and check your local hobbyshop as you want something that you can repair, i never seen any heli flyer that did'nt crash.... if budget allows then go for the bigger nitro 50s they're more stable and easier to see.

 

[Mr.Clark]

Oh looks like i just missed this, I actually jsut purchased the realflight 4.5 last night from tower, I'm sure it will be fine, I think i will take your advice on getting a quality rig from the start, it just seems like a good decision. Thanks for the help! Ill keep everyone posted on how everyhting goes once i start flying and when i actually get a heli to play with. If anyone has anything else to add please feel free to share I need all of the info i gan get.

 

[rc madness]

if i were you i would by the duraplane its cheap and they make tons of replacement parts thats how i started off

 

[Jeff4318]

You can't beat hands on training from a qulified instructor make sure any radio equipment you buy has the buddy box plug that way you can hook up with an instrutor and he can keep you out of trouble I have never been into the sims all my learning came by real flight time if i got in trouble the instructor bailed me out as far as trainer airplanes go you would be better off to get at least 60 size that way when your ready to move up the options for nicer planes are plenty. Good luck,Jeff