What to buy for small and micro heli's?

Welcome to RCTalk

Come join other RC enthusiasts! You'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I started flying mine with the DX-6i and upgraded not long ago to the DX-7s with a LiPo pack in it. The LiPo gives the radio a longer life between charges and it's easier to program than the -6i. I use my DX-7s to fly all of my helis: mCX, mSR, mSRx and mQX.
 
First off I want to thank every one for helping me out. A lot of great info was given. I went to the LHS today (Superstition Hobbies) to look at the helis again in person and watch them fly. so with every ones opinion here on RCNT and my LHS I think I'm going to buy a Blade MSR to get the flying basics down. and then I'm going to start my collective pitch training on the Blade MCP X BL. I'm also going to get the dx6 to fly both heli's. along with a new charger and many batteries!. after that I will step it up to a blade 450x or something of that nature.

I like the blade series because my LHS has every part for them but also I like how their all Spektrum compatible. and starting with these small of helis I wont feel bad when I wreck them!

Thanks for helping me get started in the right direction for my new adventure in to rc heli's!

Just remember that the brushless MCP X will break more parts in a crash, and be jumpier / twitchier when learning. They also sound like they're going to inhale everything around them on spool up for a tiny little heli. :hehe:

If you're getting a FP, I'd just get the MSRx over the MSR. The flybarless setup really lets it handle winds better than the MSR, plus the X is about $10 cheaper. I have the MSRx and really enjoy it, it handles the wind okay (I'm sure a more experienced pilot can do much better), but flying in stronger winds seems to be taking a toll on tail rotors.

Maybe HPIguy can give some more insight on this, but I was told that if I planned on getting a bigger heli (anything above the 450) it would be better to just get a DX7 or 8. Something about the gyros on the larger helis needing the extra channels.

More to do with being able to fine tune every parameter of the setup than the gyro / gyros needing the channels. You can literally make any heli feel docile with a good computer radio. Even the MSR X IMHO needs a computer radio, and every CP heli definitely does.

That is cause you run around the room in your shorts holding it in the air going WHUP WHUP WHUP WHUP :p

What HPIGUY said +1, he is a much better pilot then I am, I know him from another forum, get the coax and have fun with it, I still do on days when I can't fly outside, it is just way too much fun indoors plus it will start to teach you muscle memory. Skip the fixed pitch and go for a mCPX once you got the coax down, I have crashed mine so many times yet it still fly's. Once you get control of that got for a 450 or bigger bird. Note: My 45 still scares the poop out of me from time to time.


wwdragon

Ha ha, since when is crashing while holding a remote called being a pilot? :D Which forum? helifreak? SMJ? Sorry man, I'm getting old and have CRS.
 
Ha ha, since when is crashing while holding a remote called being a pilot? :D Which forum? helifreak? SMJ? Sorry man, I'm getting old and have CRS.

Helifreak, I go by the same username there as well :)
 
Helifreak is another great forum. I've gotten lots of great ideas and info there.
 
More to do with being able to fine tune every parameter of the setup than the gyro / gyros needing the channels. You can literally make any heli feel docile with a good computer radio. Even the MSR X IMHO needs a computer radio, and every CP heli definitely does.

I was talking about a DX6 vs a DX7/8. I was told that if I was going to buy a trx, I'd be better spending a little more on the 7 or 8, because you can "outgrow" the 6 once you get into the 500+ sizes. I'm not sure how true it is though, I haven't really looked into helis too much, I fly my MSRXs, MCX2 and Nano CPx with a busted up DX6.
 
Helifreak, I go by the same username there as well :)

Figured it was one of the two :D

I was talking about a DX6 vs a DX7/8. I was told that if I was going to buy a trx, I'd be better spending a little more on the 7 or 8, because you can "outgrow" the 6 once you get into the 500+ sizes. I'm not sure how true it is though, I haven't really looked into helis too much, I fly my MSRXs, MCX2 and Nano CPx with a busted up DX6.

Ah gotcha. Larger helis tend to run a governor to keep head speed consistent, that requires a 7th channel on the radio, along with anything else you might want like lights, etc.
 
The extra channels also allow for the use of a gyro switch as well.
 
Hey every one, I'm looking at getting into flying heli's.

I have a blade MSR that I bought on here used for a decent price. I've replaced quite a bit on it from breakage or wearing out. Mostly tail rotor's, flybars and landing gear. I did replace the tail and main motor once as it was really starting to drain (or false dump) my batteries and now it's like a whole new bird. Honestly haven't flown it except once or twice since the last round of new parts went on as I bought it for rainy days and winter to have something to do in the house.

It cannot handle wind very well, at least with me flying it.

I still don't have the hang of using the tail for directional changes. I almost always keep the thing pointing from me and pitch/yaw to whatever direction I want to go and just adjust the tail so it's always pointing the nose away from where I am.

I clearly have no coordination, but I can fly it around my house now without crashing. Unless the ac kicks on when I'm in front of the vent... then it's like it hits a hurricane.

The new tail rotors I bought (couple months ago) were updated from the originals. They are a bit larger and more rigid and seem to hold control much better.

I bought the landing gear from a guy that makes it out of 4 delrin (I think) pieces in canada. I broke 4 or 5 stock landing gears and I have smashed into everything since the install of his and still have yet to even hurt the new ones. If anyone needs his info, I'll dig it up.

I've almost pulled the pin on a msrx, but until I figure out how to get the bird where I want it by steering properly... I'll hold off on buying another.

I can say that upgrading from the stock radio to just the LP4DSM was a night and day experience regarding handling. I can't imagine how much better it would be if I picked up a spektrum DX6 or better. Maybe next winter...

With an upgraded flybar, landing gear and the latest tail rotor, it's a much more stable/crash resistant rig to fly than when I got it.
 
Radio's can and do make a big difference

I know how different radios feel, and how they can outperform others a swell.
The sock Tx that comes ith the RTF QR1 fo example is so limited o wht can tuned or adjusted, aside from the tweaking of minor adjustment.

The difference between the DX6i and the DX8 besides the extra channels is pretty evident just by looking at them in comparisen side by side. Yes, they are very noticeable. The weight alone... They feel slightly different in use as well.

What I love about the DX8, In jest:
I love the comfy heated leather grips, backlit screen with video on demand, Am/Fm reciever, USB 3.0... And my favorite_the Can/Cup holder! Smile

Chas
 
Well, I've been flying for about 9 years (if hovering only counts :D). Seriously though, been flying for about 3-4 years, and here's my take, for what it's worth. A coaxial is great to learn orientation with, and even once you have that down cold, you can still buzz it around indoors and do really challenging stuff with it to still make it fun, so IMHO it's not a waste of money at all.

As far as fixed pitch helis go, no two will fly alike, ever. Size, weight, powerplant, flybar design (or no flybar at all on some), etc will make them all feel differently in the air. There's was once a time when if you wanted to get into helis, you dropped $2500 or so on a large nitro CP heli, and took baby steps (literally) forever until you could actually fly the thing. Those days (thankfully), are long gone. My personal advice now that we have micro collective pitch helis that are super durable (like the Blade MCP X, which is my personal choice for a CP trainer BTW) I would skip a fixed pitch all together.

Now, before everyone freaks out; here is why I say this.

1. Fixed pitch helis depend on pitch that is preset in the blades, and throttle to determine how much lift you get. On a perfectly calm day, that's just fine. But one gust of wind, and a fixed pitch heli will balloon or shoot upwards on the wind. So, you drop the throttle, right about the time the wind dies, now you're falling like a stone, so you jam the throttle, then the wind blows again.......... Get the picture? The wind blows a lot here, almost always at least a 8-10mph wind, and I crashed large 200 sized fixed pitch birds A LOT for this very reason.

2. Modern flybarless CP (collective pitch) helis are no more complicated really in the head setup than a fixed pitch bird. You have exactly two more links to adjust, that's all. And thank god, flybarred helis take for friggin ever to adjust all those tiny linkages, that gets old when you're learning and crashing. And YOU WILL crash, count on it. Don't let it bother you. Go home, fix it right mechanically and get back out there, soon. Not to mention, they "feel" different in the air also, they track better, like they're on rails, and they're also slightly more efficient. There's also less stuff to break in a crash, meaning less parts cost.

3. Collective pitch helis can pull themselves down out of the wind under power, making the heli stable rather than an RC kite that a fixed pitch becomes. They also handle the wind better overall, and IMHO are just easier to fly because they are more stable, and smoother when climbing or descending.

I have a Blade MSR X flybarless fixed pitch that's almost the same size as my MCP X, and it just flies weird once you're used to a collective pitch heli and will tech you some bad habits once you move on to a CP heli to be honest. I never fly the thing, it just sits here in it's box.

Moving on, I have literally beat my MCP X to death over and over, including landing inverted under power on grass, and kept flying all day long. Notice I said flying over grass, this is important when learning, you want a soft surface to plant it on. Also, if you truly know you're going in, KILL THE POWER! More damage is done when all that power has nowhere to go with the blades bound up against the ground, than from impact most times. If you could put a brake on the rotor head, and stop it immediately, you'd probably rarely break anything, but all that energy has to go somewhere.

My advice, go buy an MCX2 RTF. Learn to fly it in all orientations, especially nose in. Once you have all that down cold, if you're still having fun (this is important, I've quit helis completely twice because it just felt like work, and no fun at all) go buy a DX6 or DX7 computer radio and MCP X. Learn about proper setup (always do your own setup on every collective pitch heli, never trust any RTF or BNF collective pitch heli, just ask me why) of both the mechanical aspect of the heli, and the programming of your radio. A good computer radio makes all the difference in the world. You can tame down the hottest fire breathing 3D monster to feel like a big oversized MCP X, literally.

Sorry the post is so long, but I hope it helps some. Just what I've learned with 3 goes at RC helis in 9 years. Otherwise known as my worthless $.02 :D
I ended up after trying blade helis which are real nice small craft. I chose v911. Ebay and amazon 39$-50$. There tough with minimum upgrades but rugged. I believe wl toys makes them. I've been using them for about 4 yrs now. Buy kit comes with chopper and rx and replacement parts 2 batt and charger. U can get 5 more batt on ebay less than 10$. Head unit cnc is available less than 15$ and if u destroy chopper you can buy new craft only bnf 25$. Well worth it. I have 4 or 5 now and they last. Like my blades as well.
 
Back
Top