tdog 0 #1 December 21, 2006 So here was the plan... I purchased a RC Heli for Christmas. http://www.e-fliterc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=EFLH1250 I was going to give it to my mom to wrap and put under the tree for me of course. (It is always more fun to shop for yourself.) But of course on Christmas day I wanted the batteries to be charged. So I opened it then charged the batteries. Well - remember when you were a kid and you broke into Santa's closet and played with your toys before they were wrapped... Well... I have the will power of a 3 year old. So, I flew it... I broke a blade and a upper rotor arm in a special ops mission that went bad into the side of my sofa. Went to hobby store - purchased and installed parts. I got the upgrade from plastic to Stainless upper control arm and new blades. I flew it again. Crashed. Fixed. Charged Batteries. Repeat. Here are the stats: 7 Broken Rotor Blades ($8) 1 Broken upper rotor assembly ($17) 1 Broken lower rotor assembly ($6) 1 Scratched to Sh*^ picture frame (Crash into wall) ($99) 1 Scratched Door Jam (Oops) (Paint) 1 Broken String of Christmas Lights (Crash into tree, wrap up in string of lights) ($4.50) 1 Important paper blown into dog bowl full of water (Priceless) The training video suggested keeping the maneuvers low and suggested a large indoor area like a high school gym. I am a bit more "adventurous". And my loft seemed like a gym, just much smaller. My last mission - take off from the kitchen counter, fly across the loft, land on the eating table. Take off, turn 180 degrees and fly over the "cliff" and skim across the ground. Fly across the loft - down the hall, right turn into bedroom - fly up side of bed and land on unmade bed. Take off, fly to ceiling over fire sprinkler pipe, over half wall, back into hall - and to kitchen. Fly next to faucet and land on stove. It was not until I started to lose battery power (and sluggish controls) that I crashed this time. That is a big improvement. Can you see with "flight plans" like that why I am into 4way. Anyway, who else has a RC heli? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gawain 0 #2 December 21, 2006 Dude, even with all the damage that seems like an awful lot of fun...I'm tempted... So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright 'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life Make light! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
porpoishead 8 #3 December 21, 2006 QuoteDude, even with all the damage that seems like an awful lot of fun...I'm tempted... no shit I want one too, going to e-bay now!if you want a friend feed any animal Perry Farrell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bazelos 0 #4 December 21, 2006 HAhahahahaha dude, you suck I got myself a heli a year ago, not a twin motor, it's a normal heli, leccy one of course, was around 300euro, now I managed to sort of fly it in my living room, for a first time flyer that was pretty cool But then I broke itHe who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #5 December 21, 2006 Flying 7 hours a day at a cost of $25-35 just for fuel. From hover to sickness in one month. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tdog 0 #6 December 21, 2006 So I was flying this morning. I was working on my accuracy landings. Going from the floor to the counter and back... The the heater came on, and I was not paying attention. The vents are those commercial ducts across the ceiling that really blow. It almost became the worst crash ever - but I somehow flew it at full throttle forward to the kitchen and caught it mid flight... Preflight checklist now includes "turn heater off"... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LisaM 0 #7 December 21, 2006 My son is getting one for Christmas from my folks. It is an indoor so I best secure my pictures. And the batteries are NOT rechageable so who knows how long it will last. The kitties ought to enjoy it. ~ Lisa ~ Do you Rigminder? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos340 1 #8 December 21, 2006 Just got a litle Picco-Z in the mail yesterday for my Nephew. Cant wait to help him fly it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ffejdraga 0 #9 December 21, 2006 My neighbor and I have one. Actually three. We built a cockpit around the radio, so that you dont have to fly it with your fingers and thumbs, but rather fly it like a real helicopter complete with all full size, real scale controls - collective, cyclic, and anti-torque pedals. It is lots of fun, plus the knowledge will transfer into real helicopters, specifically R22s. The biggest pain about it though is that the batteries dont last long, even though they are LIpros. One day will we get a gasser. jeff D-16909 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freefal 0 #10 December 21, 2006 I'm really thinking of getting one of those 2-channel infrared Micro helecopters like this one http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/rc/8d19 They're only $40 from a place at our local shopping mall. I'm thinking about getting the bigger 3-channel RC version for $80 instead, but I foresee crashing it into everything in my house and spending twice as much on replacement parts, so maybe I should just get the little one instead. From what I understand the 2-channel only goes up/down and turns inplace and you have to weight it to fly forward. The three channel one can also fly forward/backward and hover, but it's much bigger (around 24" long) so the damage it can do in my house is much bigger as well Has anyone here flown one of these little micro ones? Do you think I should just go ahead and get the big one instead? Our cat is going to hate either one... but it will just be payback for all the times he tried to sleep on my head at 3:00 AM! "Ignorance is bliss" and "Patience is a virtue"... So if you're stupid and don't mind waiting around for a while, I guess you can have a pretty good life! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos340 1 #11 December 21, 2006 That link is to a Picco-z. It is a styrofoam body and comes with replacement Rotors. I will know more about how they fly soon as my nephew opens our I mean His christmas present. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kevin922 0 #12 December 21, 2006 I have a blade CP.. i can fly it without crashing but i'm still learning.. I went to the hobby store and bought an aluminum rod which was the perfect size for a tail boom... lighter, stronger, cheaper. Also have a wireless camera for it. They're fun, they get expensive quick though! (just ask Skymonkey1) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mostly_Harmless 0 #13 December 21, 2006 A jumping buddy of mine just purchased a gas powered one (without the counter rotating blades) for a few hundred bucks. While the thing was being tuned by a professional he got his hands on some heli training software (which also had a radio just like the one he would be using) for his computer. He probably put about 40-50 hours on the simulator before ever flying his heli. He said it has helped him out a lot and probably saved him a bunch of cash._________________________________________ www.myspace.com/termvelocity Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LisaM 0 #14 December 21, 2006 I am not sure what ours is. It's from radio shack. That reminds me I have some wrappoing for my mother to do. I will let you know how it flies. ~ Lisa ~ Do you Rigminder? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,590 #15 December 21, 2006 If I PM the GPS coordinates to you, could you fly it over to the grocery to pick up some items, then fly it over to my house? "There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #16 December 21, 2006 QuoteI'm really thinking of getting one of those 2-channel infrared Micro helecopters like this one http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/rc/8d19 I have the other one from ThinkGeek (the little yellow one they show on the bottom of that page). I think I paid $47 including shipping. It has coaxial rotors, but there is a ring around each rotor preventing them from "intermeshing." It's meant for indoor use only because it is REALLY sensitive to any little wind. It's a lot of fun, but pretty hard to fly smoothly. Forward flight is VERY slow, sometimes I can't really get it to fly forward at all really, at least not under much control. There's a vertical tail rotor that just gets it to tip forward or backward a tiny bit for forward or backward motion. Haven't gotten it to go backward under any control yet... it's pretty sensitive in yaw. The biggest problem I find is that it gets sucked toward obstacles and walls. Get too close to anything big and solid and you're gonna hit it. That includes the ceiling... it can get stuck up there, so you pull the power back and it falls like a rock... you catch it before hitting the floor by adding power and bam you're back on the ceiling. So I try to keep it low and slow and far from anything. I've crashed it many many times and it has mostly survived. I've even tried some sling loads, but it gets really hard to control since it's just a 2-axis control. I've broken the tips of a few blades, causing the carbon fiber ring around them to come off... a little shoo goo I had sititng around fixed em just fine. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fast 0 #17 December 21, 2006 QuoteI have a blade CP.. i can fly it without crashing but i'm still learning.. I went to the hobby store and bought an aluminum rod which was the perfect size for a tail boom... lighter, stronger, cheaper. Also have a wireless camera for it. They're fun, they get expensive quick though! (just ask Skymonkey1) I recently bought a blade cp pro.... Having read quite a bit about the stuff on the net I know I should have just pony'd up and bought a bigger helicopter like a T-rex or a nitro cause they are much easier to fly. Regardless of that, I have owned the thing about a week, have replaced 2 parts, added a heading hold gyro, and need to replace the tail boom. I also put plastic blades on it so im not burning through the wood ones so fast. On the positive side, I am getting better at hovering. I can keep it in a 10ft box and can almost do full battery hovers. Its getting a bit fucked up but im just going to buy one of these in the spring anyways. (Clicky) or something similar provided I am learning at a good pace with the electric. I have been flying every day 2-4 batteries worth. I have been told if you can fly the Blade CP you can fly just about anything.~D Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me. Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,108 #18 December 21, 2006 Quote Anyway, who else has a RC heli? I have three, two electric and one gas (glow). www.iit.edu/~kallend/heli1.jpg www.iit.edu/~kallend/whisper.jpg... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freakflyer9999 1 #19 December 21, 2006 My local hobby shop just got one of these in. http://www.hobby-lobby.com/cocolama.htm I'm going to order one after Christmas. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
voodew1 0 #20 December 22, 2006 One of my buddies has a gas one he bought for fun. He then strapped a still camera and a Sony HD camcorder to it. Last weekend he shot aerial video for Extreme Home Makeover. He is now purchasing a turbine to reduce smoke -- he has been offered jobs from both NBC and ABC Who the fuck would have thought The pimp hand is powdered up ... say something stupid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 10 #21 December 23, 2006 QuoteAnyway, who else has a RC heli? I have: Blade CP Shogun Trex Sceadu .50 Going to buy a Raptor .90 SE, or a regular Raptor .50 Titan next week. In addition about 10 planes."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ncfitzge 0 #22 December 23, 2006 I always wanted to get one. But I bought an RC Monster truck instead (HPI Savage SS). I thought it would be cheaper than a heli. I was wrong. I already put enough money into it that I could have bought a real car... Fitz#148 Sonic Scrat "Have you ever kissed a rabbit between the eyes?" Woodpecker pulling out his pants pockets to the waitress Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brains 2 #23 December 23, 2006 QuoteWho the fuck would have thought Yeah, i never would have thought that you had a buddy either Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #24 December 23, 2006 My Raptor Titan is a gas hoggin, battery zappin, UFO like, work of art. Just bought the AXE Cp. Not bad. Broke the tail blade walking out the door with it. Damn! Kallend's pic of the pop bottle floats has me doing boyancy tests with 2-litre bottles in the lake today. I love this hobby. PS do you use a govener on your 50? I'm fighting the need for one, but i think i might want one as mine revs up too much sometimes in stunt mode...so i just do continous flips or go into normal mode and start over. The O.S. 50 hyper is the best engine i have ever owned. 10 gallons and not a ....ok, I'm not going to jinx myself. Thinking of putting them on my planes. I caved and ordered a case of 30% last night. Ya know, for special occasions. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lastchance 0 #25 December 23, 2006 We have a RC airplane and chopper strip in town and I've gone out to watch on several occasions. Incredible. One guy in particular is phenomonal with his chopper. Outside loops and the like. Never seen any thing like it. When he finally bring her down his hands are just shaking from the adrenaline rush he gets, and i suppose from the possibility of crashing his megabuck chopper. Its a sight to see everytime. So good luck with your new toy. Have fun. Merry Christmas. I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
