XXT-CRer

hi guys.

im a long time rc guy, but ground models only. i began in the hobby in the mid 80's, and within a year was racing at ethe club level with great success, but as ive gotten older, the desire and involvement has wained somewhat.

enter the last week:

i dont know what happened. after seeing a small electric heli a few days ago, i have become completely smitten. the bug has bit me, and i am feeling like i havent felt about anything in a long, long time. just in the nick of time too, as my work and family life has been taxed as of late. i really need this right now.

now to the fun stuff.

i have decided to get my first heli, and im giddy as a kid in a candy store.

i would like to go with a small electric, rtf model that has everything i need right out of the box. maybe something in the 12-22 inch range. something small enough that i can hover around in the garage (about 16x18ft) after i become capable enough, but maybe somehting that can grow and be upgraded should my skill level ever allow. i can practice in my backyard, which is fairly wind protected by large trees and foilage.

i am torn on which platform to start with. i began looking at the honeybee fp, but have since have looked into co-ax, and cp models.

as mentioned, my finances would be grateful if i can keep this venture reasonably affordable. maybe 200ish and under.

i would like to be able to upgrade, as my skill allows, but am open to suggestions of less capable models if they are much more affordable. i can always get a better one if this sticks with me (which i am sure it will.)

i feel like i will become a decent pilot, maybe not a 3d wiz, but capable of steady hover, and locomotion.

i have looked seriously at the honeybee fp, the cx micro, or mCX, the cx, and the cp.

am i on the right track?

owneroppie

New guy here but just picked up an Eflite cx2. Just starting to get it up for a decent amount of time after 5-6 charges. Heli seems to be a great pick so far. Very easy to control once in the air. toughest part is getting it off the ground (fear wise).

Training gear is about $10 and I have it on

Hope the info helped a little
Jeff

racemaxx24

Same here... CX2 seems to be a great heli.. I also grabbed a set of training gear to help me learn and I have been learning in a room much smaller than that..


Hope this helps

kruser495

go with the cx2! great heli with ability to grow with it to some exctent. DO NOT get the blade cp. EVER! horrible piece of junk. the mcx isn't something you can grow with but is sure fun as hell to fly. cx2 to is a little more challenging and will have to upgrade the aluminum swash plate and lower rotor head once you crash.go cx2!

XXT-CRer

lol. really?

i dont mind a long learning period, and the concentration and intensity is actually something i was looking forward to.

im a very patient person (im a dad, raised my boy to adulthood all by my lonesome, without so much as an assault charge (and he needed it, lol, joking)

if it takes me a week to master hovering, im ok with that. if it takes a month, even better, years, better still.

ive seen vids like this where the cp looks very stable for a mini.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2j36...eature=related

like i said, i dont mind learning at a snails pace, but wouldnt mind being able to train on whatever i get for something a little more serious in the future.

i am still considering all the ones i listed though.

the mcx, the cx, the cp pro, and possibly even the hbfp.

i do know where to get the cp pro with the spectrum and lipo pack for less than 150 bux, and i dont want to let it get away, if thats the one i end up choosing.

valuable input so far, keep it coming.

p.s. how long did it take to get good enough to manuever the cx, and the mcx, wherever you wanted it to go?

systemlord

I would buy the CX3 which is the same as the CX2 except for it has a new body with LED light blinking and a better heading hold gyro that make flying even easier, comes with a 2.4GHz radio. [X(] You can definantley customize it just about any way you want, the CX3 comes with LED light on the CHP helicptor body. Here are some pictures of some other members custom CX2/3 upgrades. By all means get bit.

XXT-CRer

very nice system.

i really like those.

what kind of flight time can i expect from one of those?

kruser495

unless you are willing to spend triple the cost of the cp pro on replacement parts. it has a tail motor witch are the most unstable and will easily burn out. ask anyone, they never fly it.if anything, get the honey bee or belt cp that has a belt drive. the larger the heli, the more stable it is. no matter how long it takes you, you will give up! period. NEVER GET IT! ask JPEE. any you can serousily hurt yourself or others if you try flying a blade cp without any other experience.

it depends on how much you fly the cx2 a day. i was flying about 5-6 flights a day and i got the hang of it in about 3 weeks. trust me, you will regret it. get the cx2 and you will love it. then once you get good you can move up to a blade 400.

kruser495

6-8 minutes. i have heard of people getting 10-15 minutes.

9sec240

I have a couple MCXs and an older LMH Corona 120. Here is my take on it.

The coax copter is ultra stable. The way to best describe the flight would be if you had a marble in a shallow bowl. You can just hold the bowl and the marble wont move much. You want the marble to go to the right so you tip the bowl to the right and the marble will continue till you stop tilting the bowl. The coax is the same way. You can just hover (and if trimmed right) it will only move around due to air currents. You want to go right, you move the stick right and it will continue in that direction till you return the stick to center and it will stop going right.

A single rotor copter is like having a marble on a piece of glass. It will take your attention and constant corrections to keep the marble in the center of the glass. If you want the marble to go right, you tilt the glass to the right. To stop going right, you cant just tilt the glass back to level. All this will do is stop the acceleration of the marble to the right. You actually have to tilt the glass to the left to stop the movement.

For ease of learning and flight enjoyment right off the bat, the coax is the way to go. You want a lot more challenging? the single rotor is the way to go.

When it comes to your budget, $200 will buy you a nice setup but you will have no money left for extra batteries and repair parts when you crash. Something else to consider.

evdreamer

Drake,

The CP can be a stable helicopter if setup properly, but the tail motor is just annoying to me. I can fly inverted with it, but it isn't fun compared to my belt and shaft driven tail helicopters. The coaxials are fun, but it doesn't take long before you will want more performance out of it. I hear the fixed pitch helis are a pretty good trainer helicopter, and you won't quickly out grow them. Then if you want a helicopter you will never out grow go with a 400-450 sized heli. They are more expensive, but they are built stronger and can do almost every move you can think of. Some people have had good success starting with this size, but there is an intimidation factor with the size and headspeed.

Nick

soloboss

Drake-ula,
I've been down the path that you are just starting. I went to my local hobby shop (LHS) and looked and asked for advice. Then I went to ebay and bought what they recommended that I start with. I got a Blade CP.
Pure mistake. I had not the faintest idea of how to set up a collective pitch helicopter. I hadn't the faintest idea how to fly it. So I broke it. And broke it. And broke it. And sold it - and purchased a new CX (that was prior to the release of the CX2).
A year later I bought a Falcon 40 fixed pitch. And I've done some mods to make it more fun. It grows along with me - and the upgrades are cheap.

I put training gear on the CX (the CX family is all similar) and bumbled around the garage until I found that the coaxials are way better balanced without the gear. Get the gear, install it, and remove it in a week.
I learned some things that I'll pass along here.
>>If you fly a CX in the house, the area that was large enough for a take-off is not nearly large enough for a landing.
>>After flying a CX for 10 minutes, you're tired and your perception is whacked.
>>After flying for 2 minutes the CX will have a fair maelstrom whipping in your living room. You're gonna run into stuff until you get pretty good.
>>If you get within a foot of a wall, the CX will be drawn to the wall due to uneven rotor wash. You'll hit the wall.
>>If you get within a foot of large furniture you'll find that it's as bad as a wall. You'll hit it.
>>It's really hard to fly through doorways.
>>The MCX is far easier to fly in the house around furniture and through doorways.
>>When you hit stuff the blades break. Blades are cheap. Better to break a blade than the more expensive stuff down inside.
>>The MCX is amazingly durable. It survives most crashes damage free.
>>Landing on tables is tough. The heli will sit on the ground-effect air cushion at about 2" above the table. Then it will slide off the table. As soon as the skids pass over the edge of the table, the heli drops breaking most of the blades.
>> The CX is a very good learning tool. Stock it works very well. A mod can be made at no cost to add significant performance enhancement.
>>For use in the house, the MCX is perfect. For the garage and outdoors, the CX is better.
>>Some will say the training gained with the CX is not valid. I say that when you know nothing, it's a good place to start. Most of us who started with the CX still have it and fly it. And many of us also have the MCX for indoor winter use.
>>If you get a CX2 or CX3 and later decide to get a MCX, get the BNF. The CX2/3 transmitter will fly the MCX very nicely - and save $30.
>>The fixed pitch helicopters are awesome. Honey Bee FP, Falcon 40, Walkera #4 are very similar. Falcon 40 and Walkera #4 are identical. They are stupidly tough and excellent trainers. And cheap - delivered for $100 RTF.
>>Fixed Pitch helicopters are harder to hover than a good collective pitch. But when you fall outa the sky, the Fixed Pitch just flies again. The Collective Pitch will need $40 worth of parts and 90 minutes of repair/adjustment time.
>>I'd still get the coaxial first for orientation training. Then get the fixed pitch and mod the FP as you get better. Go to the Eflight forum, Struggling with Single Rotor Basics thread and ask for directions to the amazing Fixed Pitch youtube videos.
>>A good Collective Pitch helicopter is a wonderful thing. Get good radio gear. Get a good helicopter and don't cheap out.

And finally, if you get a CX2 or CX3, read the articles in this Wiki for a good understanding of how the darned thing works. [link=http://www.heli-wiki.com/mediawiki/index.php/HOWTO_Wiki_Overall_CX_and_CX2_Setup]CX Setup tips and tricks[/link] The author is simply brilliant. And modest.

Soloboss

systemlord

If you upgrade to a ball bearing A/B motors () CX2 uses 2 motors A & B) and a high quality Lipo like Thunder Power's 7.4V 910mAh 20C continuous discharge 40C burst rate batteries, then you should see flight times past 10 minutes. Thats what I have been getting with just the Xtreme ball bearing motor upgrade along with the Thunder Power Pro Lites V2 910mAh 20C battery.

XXT-CRer

ive made part of my decision from all the posts so far.

im going with the cp pro.

just kidding.

im going with the cx design.

i really like the idea of being able to fly in the house, so its most likely going to be the mcx.

i think the more durable the better, and from what i gather here, the best chance of crashing and just flipping it over and taking off again will be with the mcx.

one thing i didnt mention in my first post is that i have a bad ankle from a motorcycle crash a few years back, few plates and screws, and while i can walk just fine, the less miles i put on the ankle, the better. if i get the mcx, i can sit back, relax, and learn to fly in my ez chair.

a few questions.

1. if i get the mcx, and later decide to get the bigger cx, can i use the bnf model with the tx i get with the mcx?

2. will the basic controls of the larger cx be the same as the mcx?

3. will the experience i gather with the mcx be beneficial when i get a bigger collective pitch model, or will it be like ive never flown before again?

4. what if anything should i get with the mcx, like training gear, simulators, extra bats?

5. how long does it take to charge the packs with the charger included with the mcx?

6. should i try to get a better charger, or is the one included fine, at least for a while.

i cant thank you guys enough for helping me. i fully entended to post these questions, and use the experience of folks who had been there and done that. you guys make this too easy.

XXT-CRer

and now im off to ebay to start getting an idea of whats out there.

systemlord

The nice thing about the mCX is you can bring it into a hover when its laying on it side, I saw this on a You Toob video and thought how cool! I will be harder to brake parts only weighing in at 1.5 ounces, a great choice if you don't want to be buying parts all the time. Another thing you should check into is this 3 way multi charger for the mCX, [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8377830/tm.htm]Multicharger[/link]. Theres even an upgrade for the mCX, called the [link=http://www.xtremecx2.com/servlet/the-209/MIA-Edge-Pro-Upgrade/Detail]MIA Edge Pro Upgrade Kit for Blade MCX[/link]

XXT-CRer

i know it sounds crazy, but what if i were to get a mcx, AND a cp pro.

i could get the cp pro with the spectrum, and just get the bind and fly mcx.

would that work, or would i need to get both models with the tx?

i would be able to cut my "pilot teeth" on the mcx, and tinker and get a feel for the cp pro at my own pace.

just a thought.


ps. system, i love that little black bodywork upgrade kit. it looks menacing, lol.

kruser495

1. the mcx tx cant be used with any other helis, but the cx tx can.

2. the controls are the same for the mcx and cx.

3. the mcx can basically hover on its own. so it will be a tought time learning a fixed or collective heli.

4. get some batterys and blades. definatly no simulator needed. its easy, and i mean easy to fly.

5. 30 minutes.

6. the stock one is fine.


watch some vids on youtube, it will help a lot. if you have the cash. do this. get either the mcx or cx2 first, or both then go for a 400 size heli like the blade 400.

9sec240

The MCX is a fine choice. It is very small and for inside flying it is awesome. It does not have the "pimp factor" that the other helis on your list have but it is a ton of fun and you will enjoy it right out of the box. The learning curve is quick with this heli and you will have a lot of fun with it. I suspect that it wont take long for you to master it and be looking for more of a challenge. Modded MCXs are quite fun and challenging. I am personally looking forward to stepping up to the CX3.

Answers:

1. Yes, I believe, but the controller in the CX2 / CX3 is supposed to be better.

2. Yes. I have not flown a CX2 / CX3 yet. The CX3 is not out yet but due to hit the market soon. Mine is on order.

3. The biggest benefit to flying the coax will be in getting used to controls when the heli is in different positions like nose out. This will cross over. Actual heli control will be somewhat different. See my above post about the marbles.

4. Extra batteries, and an inner shaft. Hard crashes into objects can break the inner shaft. Look into charger mods / upgrades. The multi charger thread in this section of the forum looks very promising. I have two MCXs and 8 batteries.

5. With fresh AA batteries in the charger, it takes about 20 min.

6. My modded stock charger uses a 6v DC output AC wall charger. Also see #4 answer.

kruser495

no no no no no no no no no!!!!!!!!!! no cp! at all. NEVER EVER EVER! Just NO!

XXT-CRer

hey kruser, i see in your sig you have both.

which one do you fly more.

what kind of forward speed can you get out of them?

kruser495

no. you can not use the mcx tx with any other heli.

kruser495

well, i fly my mcx and cx2 about the same. i love both. the mcx you can get some speed for its size, but once your good, you can tune it for fast flight. the cx2 has great speed. you can adjust the servo linkages to achieve even faster flight. i have a big living room, and it is big, and i cant even go 25% of its speed before i will hit the wall.

9sec240

I have yet to be able to get my MCX to stand back up when its on its side. I do however fly over carpet most of the time. It looks like you need a smooth flat surface to get it to stand back up.

My bone stock MCX weighs 26.5 grams, so less than an ounce with battery.

XXT-CRer

lol, ok, the mcx it is then.

by the time i get good enough to need more (if ever) i will know a lot more about this whole heli game.

probably sound advice.