RC Helicopter pilots. What was your line of progression via models and would you change the line up?

[karlo888]

Hi all,

 

sorry if asked a million times but I am restarting my rc helicopter flying which did not far well tbh way back in the years.

 

i would place myself as a new beginner and having  little to no knowledge.

 

i am at the moment trying to repair my S107 and waiting for batteries to arrive.

 

what was your line of progression via models and would you change it with your knowledge now?

 

I do not have a computer, only iPads and work laptop so sims will, I guess, require me to purchase a full computer and find a place to setup.

[Stormbringer]

Mine were mostly Blade/Eflite helis

MCX a coaxial fixed pitch

Msr fixed pitch

MCPX  collective pitch

NCPX collective pitch

130X collective pitch

450X

230S V2

150s

There were some others in the mix but as i got better with fixed moved onto collective pitch

but generally they as i progressed got bigger as well

Although i had the 450x for years it only got flown 2-3 times as it intimidated me a bit lol

But last 2 years its got flown quite a lot now and i have 2 in scale fuselages

[karlo888]

That’s a lot of helicopters 😱😱😱

better start building my collection and then give up again  😜😜😜

[Stormbringer]

And its not all of them i listed either lol 

[Nitroholic]

Started with a Blade mCX .... then mSR then micro CP and a 120SR.

 

Haven;t gone up sizes from that as I was a bit restricted in terms of where I could fly.

 

Have built up a collection of mCXs..... Have a stocker, one S300 version plus the Tandem Twin. Well, actually, I have 4 mCX in flyable state plus a load of spares.

 

Got 2 mSR's and an mSRx plus spares. I bought a few job lots off E-Bay, so I have frames, booms, boards, landing gear, bodies. Most of the fixing they have needed to get flyable was cleaning up or replacing servos. I have a decent sized garage to fly indoors, which is handy when the weather is bad. I have a couple of cardboard 'heli pads' that I put in various locations and fly circuits. It's good practice for flying 'nose in'

 

Got my first mCX not long after they came out. Saw one in the local Hobbystore, and the guy had a demo to try. He lifted off, put it into a hover....then put down the control and it stayed put. That level of stability was perfect to learn the basics. OK...he was just showing off really, but the thing was, trying to learn on a twitchy heli might get you better skills, but it won;t get you flying quickly.

[karlo888]

And here I was thinking it’s only cars you all have 😂😂😂😂

 

I have read that the s107s for training is not good and getting one that is like the MCX but of course these are discontinued so looking maybe for something similar before I use my MSRX  🤔🤔🤔

Edited March 12 by karlo888

[Stormbringer]

the msrx shouldnt be to bad it wont have stability of mcx or mcx2 but being fixed pitch you should be ok

funnilly enough the bigger the heli the more stable and usually easier to fly

but when you crash you cant just pick it up like a nano or msr and try again and they cost a helluva lot more to repair

just looked up the s107 is the tx left stick throttle/rudder and right stick forward/back ?

[karlo888]

On instructions says

 

left stick = throttle

right stick = left/right/forward/backward rudder control lever.

 

hope that makes sense to you. 

[karlo888]

Sorry @Nitroholic, but think I recognise your profile photo from years ago. Hope you are well 👍👍👍

[Stormbringer]

i think so 

your msrx is mode 2 left stick tforward increase throttle left stick left/right is rudder and right stick is forward/reverse and to the left/right is slide/bank left/right

its best to try to stick to 1 setup as you need to react instinctively and not have to think or youve crashed 

[karlo888]

Ok, I quit now…..

[Stormbringer]

I noticed i made an error in above post hope it makes more sense now 

[karlo888]

So not the same modes which is not going to help me.

[Stormbringer]

probably not 

[karlo888]

All comes down to use the MSRX for training 

[bertberr]

My heli journey is similar to much of the above, though influenced significantly by what I was lucky enough to be gifted by a generous and enthusiastic parent.  I've only ever bought three heli's myself, an E119 FP and two XK 110 CP's.

 

Started with the MCX co-ax, the yellow Mk1 version, remember those?  Then MSR & 120 SR (never keen on the jerky flight characteristics of the little flybar equipped blades), then an MSRX - a very squirrely / tricky little bird, then my first XK 110, prob a bit much for my small indoor flying space at that stage in my heli learning curve.  Then an E119, which whilst having a really rubbish transmitter, was a very stable and easy to fly little micro FP heli, great for practicing all the orientations.  Then a 120S & 200 SRX joined the fleet, again gifted to me, and then more latterly, another XK K110, but the S version this time.   In between these have come various quads including a La Trax Alias, a Blade 200 QX and a XK X251.

 

What would I do differently if starting out again?  Well, assuming I wasn't gifted anything this time, I'd scrub round all the FP stuff, and go straight for a little micro CP bird like the XK K110 or a Blade Nano.  Both have full 6G stability modes and can also be dumbed down considerably when used with a decent computerised radio (DR, expo, Throttle Curve etc), making fairly early 3G / agility flying a realistic target.  They can be flown, or at least hovered in most peoples front rooms, and can even be flown outside when there's little breeze.

 

My job means I spend a fair amount of time in front of a screen, so I specifically didn't go down the SIM route, hence the little K110's, live SIM as I call it.  Numerous lawn / carpet darts and almost no damage to speak of, well nothing expensive anyway.  I try to practice most lunch times in our training room, and now no longer fly in 6G mode at all, and can fly the little K110 around my lounge without stability mode, doing basic circuits and figure 8's.  I can't over emphasise the value of a small bendy 1S CP trainer if you intend to go all the way and just fly CP unaided or even progress on to mild 3D.

 

My next chapter will probably involve selling some of the FP birds and either getting myself a 120-150 size CP like an OMP M1, Goosky S1 or Blade 150S, or just go for it and get a 380 size bird like a 450X, Align 470 or maybe even an OMP M4 kit.  Who knows, but what I can say is the heli side of the hobby really is addictive, and a hell of a challenge for those of you like me that have left starting this journey rather late...  Happy flying whatever you choose to do.

 

My next 

[Stormbringer]

Yep i remember the old yellow MCX 

I still have mine somewhere but its kind of knackered now tho lol(no shame to it tho as it trained 3 pilots )

Also have the MCX2 which i still fly about the house especially if ive partook of a beer or few 

I could never get on with my 120SR tho and ended up selling it 

[karlo888]

Hmm, maybe I could build a mcx🤔🤔🤔 lol

[Nitroholic]

 

I think I might have an addiction .....

[Stormbringer]

Is that the full collection ?

I fancied the Chinook type tandem but they discontinued it before i could get 1 😞

[Nitroholic]

That's the micro collection. I have a 120SR, plus some non Eflite helis and a Nano-CP.

 

The tandem was a bargain. Came as part of a badly dezscribed job lot on E-Bay along with a construction set of those cast your own blocks to build model houses. Normally they go for around £80 when they show up on E-Bay, but that is rare.

Left to right....

MsrX , Msr, Msr with an S300 canopy modded to fit, mCX2. 3 mCX, mCX S300 and the tandem twin. Have the boxes for most too.

Probably have enough spares to put another few together. Have a white body set and stickers, which might go on one of these.

[karlo888]

1 hour ago, Nitroholic said:

 

I think I might have an addiction .....

Very nice collection 👍👍

[Stormbringer]

Nice collection tho mate 

If youve got an addiction what have i got!!!!!!!! lol 

mine

MCX2

S70

F150 (the newish Fixed pitch)

NCPX

Nano v2

MCPX v2

MCPS

130x

CFX180 trio

150s

230sV2

230s Smart (in scale fuses)

2x 450x (in scale fuses)

[karlo888]

lol, think I will leave you guys to compare……..collections😜😜😜😜

[Nitroholic]

we just want to let you know how it can start with asingle micro heli..... and....grow.

 

quite a lot!