Will520

I just got into the wonderful world of flying and would like to know what would be the best electric heli for a beginner. I have a Firebird Commander and would like to get into helis. If any of you have any ideas for the best electric heli please tell me. I don't want to spend to much money but can spend up to $300. That would be the MOST I would want to pay. Thanks

rc_lurker

Hmmm... Well, unfortunately, about the only heli I would recommend for that price would be the Hirobo XRB SR Silver Lama. The reason this is unfortunate is that it is virtually impossible to get into the R/C helicopter hobby in any real way with only $300.00 to spend. You can buy one of the cheaper micro helis you see on the various web sites but you will get what you pay for. Unless you are a first class, highly experienced, fly in your sleep R/C helicopter pilot, it is very, very unlikely you will successfully fly one of those cheap micro helis (at least not without investing a lot more money into it in the form of separate, quality electronics modules and other upgrades etc.).

For that price, the Hirobo XRB SR is by far your best bet - just remember that it is an 'indoors' only helicopter. Fly it around your house, not outside your house unless there is absolutely NO WIND blowing and you have become very adept at flying it. The thing to remember is that flying one of these helis is very similar to holding a large piece of flat glass in your hands while trying to balance a marble in the very center of the glass - it is a never ending battle for control and positioning.

If you can afford to spend a little more than $300.00, then I would strongly recommend that you start with an LMH Corona from Lite Machines. If you stick with brushed motors (like the Kyosho Atomic Force is about $25.00), the stock ESC that comes with the kit and you already have your own 4 channel transmitter, then all you will need is a decent 'Heading Hold' gyro such as the venerable Futaba GY240 and a pretty basic receiver to start flying (both probably available on Ebay for less than $100.00 combined total). You can likely start flying for as little as around $400.00 or so if your careful and selective about how you configure your LMH Corona. The big advantage of the Corona is that it is nearly indestructible, well, as nearly indestructible as R/C helicopters get anyway. Since it is a certain fact that you are going to crash your heli many, many times, having a nearly indestructible heli is very, very important. Most Corona crashes will cost you little or nothing in repair costs. Other helis can cost you quite a lot of money in repair costs for each crash, particularly collective pitch helis.

Hope this helps...

Will520

Thanks for the tips, I'll look into more expensive helis.

Will520

Do you have any idea if the Zoom Shogun 400 with a brushless motor is any good?

VinceHerman

Are you looking to fly indoors or outdoors?

Donnie7

Hirobo XRB is the best bang for the bucks. Comes with brushless motors. The only thing I've had to replace is the blades. About 50 cents each. I bought a rotofly and its been nothing but problems. Can't keep it in the air for more than a few days without having to drop 20 bucks or more for parts.
Donnie

rc_lurker

Yes, the Shogun 400 is a pretty good heli. I have a friend that owns one. Still, it isn't really a beginner's heli - particularly if you have limited financial resources. Because the Shogun 400 is a collective pitch heli, the rotor head speed is much higher than it is with a fixed pitch heli and this means much higher repair costs every time you crash. And you will crash. Over and over and over. And then you'll crash some more which will soon be followed by more crashes. This simply is the inevitable cycle of learning to fly a heli. The question is, how much money can you afford to spend on every crash? $10.00? $20.00? $30.00? $50.00... More? All of these dollar values are very possible, no very probable with a collective pitch heli, even a collective pitch micro heli. The smaller the heli, the harder it is to fly and the more frequent the crashes.

Sorry, this is simply the way it is... Though flying a good sim will help quite a bit, at the end of the day, you'll still crash a few times...

Will520

I would like to fly outdoors if possible.

VinceHerman

If you are looking to fly outdoors, then you should rule out most of the micro helis that fit in your requirement for under $300. They simply are not big enough for outdoor use, and get thrown around by even the slightest breezes.
The best electric outdoor heli for a beginner is the Lite Machines Corona. I do not have one myself, but post after post after post confirms this to be a great trainer. Robust is a term often used.
Other options like the Shogun you mentioned are more advanced helis. Doable for a beginner, but really only if you have a good sim, lots of practice time on that sim, and preferably an experienced pilot to help you set up your heli.

Donnie7

I have heard you can get the corona120 in the air for 500 bucks. I realy don't see how unless you have access to used parts. I have a grand in mine and it isn't off the ground yet.
Donnie