YS-I-DO

My Feedback: (-1)

I'm considering the purchase of a micro heli. I'm into fixed-wing 3D flight, and would like something new and exciting to learn. No matter who I talk to around these parts, I hear the same thing...electric helis aren't worth crap. Granted, these are mostly seasoned heli pilots who are very proficient with glow choppers. Could be that their expectations are too high. One guy was convinced that the batteries cost $500, and that they took 10 hours to charge. I promptly dismissed his moronic rantings. I've never flown a heli before, so would I be getting in over my head? They couldn't possibly be as bad as the stories I've heard. Anyway, with a 1 month old baby, I'll be sticking around the house for a few months, and a micro heli seems like a good way to spend the downtime. I would appreciate any suggestions or comments. Thanks.

PalmSizeHeliMan

5 words of advice: Stay away from glo pilots , most of them are very arrogant when you talk small electric helis.

plus..

a good reason not to start with glo helis: Electrics are...

well take a look at this, it certainly has turned glow pilots heads around in awe.

http://www.micro-flight.com/videos/MIABBV5001.wmv

evil_nathan

I'm guessing that you'll get similar responses to mine from most ppl on this forum, but here goes:

Micro heli's are great.

You can fly them anywhere, upgraded components (from repairs to rediculously powerful motors) are simple to install & set up, and most, if not all parts are relatively inexpensive.

They are easy enough to fly - with practise - and they are awesome for those days where weather or other circumstances keep you indoors....

Ok - Ups and Downs:

Price = u get what you pay for.....

The dozens of available fixed pitch helis are great, but you will get tired of them after a while, they exhibit some behaviours that can lead the inexperienced pilot to several trips for more parts. Things like gaining massive altitude when you attemp to flare to stop moving forward. If you try to get off the throttle to avoid gaining altitude, you also lose a lot of control over the heli, and it can lead to some scary moments until you manage to get back into a stable hover, or level flight. Get one of these little helis caught in a medium/strong breeze, and you will be in for a wild ride.... and, unless you've had a lot of experience, you'll be off to the LHS for more spares...

Whereas these things can be dealt with over time, you will find that you have to compromise 'flyability' for budget.

Enter the low-end CP heli's....

I guess in hindsight - learning on a small, fixed-pitch heli is a good idea. Learning how to hover and fly one of these little helis can teach you some good techniques for stepping up to nitro helis. As a matter of fact - if you can fly a FP micro-heli - you have done 75% of the ground work for taking a nitro heli for a successful run.

Now - The next step up, electric CP (Collective Pitch) helis.

Helis like the Zoom400/ZAP400 are about the first sensible place to start looking into a CP electric heli. I've flown the CP versions of the smaller heli's (Hummingbird CP) - and they are AWESOME, but the added size, larger motor, and more substantial construction of the Zoom400/ZAP400 will win everytime. These helis are easier to hover, fly and land than a FP heli - and with a slight amount of modification (sometimes as simple as a bit of transmitter programming) they are capable of some incredible 3D performance that was once only in the grasp of nitro pilots.

They are still small enough to hover in your living-room, but can tackle outdoor conditions as good as the best of them (in the right hands).

There are obvioulsly more helis available to suit the most insane budgets (like the Voyager E running a Hacker brushless setup) but I'm guessing that that's not where you want to start, dollar-wise anyhow.

Anyone who says that electric heli's aren't worth crap.... has been out of the heli scene too long...

I've flown all types of RC helis .... (I only OWN a modified Dragonfly and a ZAP400)... and I've got to say that LiPo batteries have changed the way that even a lot of nitro pilots are looking at EP helis.

Just my 2c worth

Good luck anyway..!!

Nathan.

FlyingFish

My Feedback: (17)

The whole reason I use this Forum is so that I get my Heli problems solved without having to talk to the arrogant jerks on the field and the know it all hobby shop owners that know nothing!.................[>:]

marked23

Woah there. I thought I was being helpful.

I haven't bashed micro-helis. Heck, I got started on Micro-helis. My first was a Hummingbird v.II. Then I bought a Hawk Sport (a 30 sized heli). Then I bought two more micro-helis.. A HB CP and another v.II. I try to fly a micro every day so that I can improve my skills for when I get the chance to fly the Hawk (maybe twice a month).

I don't always say that I'm a glow pilot in my posts, because that's not germaine to the discussion. Please don't presume that glow pilots are arrogant.

I've been to three fun flys this year. At every one, when someone brought out a micro, everybody came over to look and ask questions and see it fly; not to laugh (at it).

-Mark
A glow pilot ... who also enjoys micros.

FlyingFish

My Feedback: (17)

...

ChopperMike

Micro heli's definitely have their place. They're obviously not going to be as stable as a much larger nitro machine but then you're not going to be flying a nitro heli in the house or even in your backyard unless you live out in the middle of nowhere. My first venture into micro heli's was with a Hornet, which IMO IS a piece of crap. Totally unstable, it made me believe that all micro heli's were a waste of time. Then I flew a guy's Aerohawk and I realized all micro's are not created equal. I bought a FP Hummingbird and have fun flying around the living room with it.

I'd look into the Zoom 400 I keep hearing about. Sounds promising. Definitely go with lithium polymer batteries right from the start. A sim is worth it's weight in gold.

Good luck,

Mike

lawnhawk

Please don't generalize glow pilots as being arrogant. I personally fly both, and am always happy to talk to anyone about either. I also like R/C cars and boats as well.

One for the field, one for the garage, both types have their obvious advantages.

YS-I-DO, don't be discouraged about what you hear. For about $300, you can be COMPLETELY set up with a descent micro heli, and let me tell you, mine has taken crash after crash after crash without breaking. Challenge the nitro pilots on that, there is almost nothing better to learn with than a micro, except for the simulator.

Also speaking as a dad, a micro is VERY handy to have if you get that itch but can't make it to a field.

On the downside, you almost can't take a stock micro outside unless the wind is 0-1 MPH max. Once you master a hover, you'll get an itch to buzz around your yard. In that case, you'll either want to add a nitro heli to your collection, or upgrade the heck out of your micro to fly outside.

YS-I-DO

My Feedback: (-1)

ChopperMike--My LHS has a Hornet 2. Are they better than the Hornet?

evil_nathan--It looks like the Zoom is the same as a Shogun. Is that correct?

lawnhawk--Which heli are you referring to, the one that can be set up for $300?

Thanks everyone.

Sabot

I think PalmSizeHeliMan was refering to the glo pilots at your Model Flying Club, who will always tell you to get a raptor 50 for your first heli.

YS-I-DO: if you have a garden you could go for a Eco 8 or something like that

cub2000

My Feedback: (14)

Is Zoom 400 much larger than Hummingbird CP Elite? Anybody have a side by side picture of the two?
Thanks,
Lucas

ChopperMike

I don't know what the differences are between the Hornet and the Hornet II, but I had no luck at all with my Hornet. My Hummingbird, while no where near as solid as a nitro heli, is ten times more stable than my Hornet and I was actually able to fly it. And I had about 15 years experience flying nitro R/C helicopters (plus 20 years of fixed wing) prior to attempting to fly the Hornet.

Like I said, the Zoom 400 sounds promising. I might look into getting one to fly where I can't fly my Sceadu, and it would still be light enough to fly in the winter indoors where I fly. I fly at a jr high gym where we have a 20 oz. limit.

Mike

evil_nathan

YS-I-DO: Yes - it's the same heli as the Shogun.

cub2000: It's slightly bigger - I put them side by side (rotor tip forward on both, and lined up) and the Dragonfly/Hummingbird is about 2/3 the length.

As for the ZAP400/Zoom400/Shogun/Microstar/Dolphin: For all those considering flying this machine with LiPo's..... THEY ROCK - I fly mine with a 3S 11.1V 1600mah LiPo and it's awesome. And you will be flying for ages on one pack - I'm guessing that you will be flying it around for about 20 minutes per pack. Considering its weight, and the performance, that's pretty darn good. And the increase to a bigger pack, like a 2000, or a 2200, or higher... , will only result in massive flight times - cos there's no doubt that this heli will lift the battery pack with almost no effort.

There are 3D pilots who rave about this helis performance (compared to what they were expecting from an EP 3D heli....) and they only reccomend flying with the lighter packs for extreme 3D flying, however - for the 95% of us beginners that get scared ****less just hovering nose-in..... the big packs are perfect.

I trained on a Dragonfly FP - and after flying various other helis (Raptor 30, HB CP) for a few minutes at a time, plus some sim time, I've managed to fly through several battery packs in the ZAP400so far without any incidents.

Getting used to collective pitch (after flying fixed pitch) is a riot, and once you've flown CP, you'll never go back...

Just a further 2c....

Nathan.

ps. For those who are interested, I'll take a pic of the ZAP400 next to my Dragonfly (and for laughs, I'll put the Raptor 30 in as well...) for a size comparison.... although I've only got the ZAP with me today. I'll post as soon as can.

evil_nathan

Ok - some pics....

Helis are REALLY HARD to photograph!

Anyway - these were taken last night - hope they give you some perspective on the size of these things...

And the Rappy 30 belongs to a friend of mine - it just seems to live at my place for some reason

The photos don't do the ZAP400 any justice - it's an awesome little heli (I should have put the canopy on....)

Nathan.

warren52nz

If you like that one then get this one.
8^)

http://www.helihobby.com/html/rc_hel...rs_videos.html

at the bottom, labelled:

"A beautifully flown Hornet II. This flyer has unbelievable skill Flown superbly.

File Size: 16.6MB
Duration: 3.25 M"

camra88

It is just amazing what these things can do! I cant wait till im that good

skyhawknut

My Feedback: (3)

Alan Szabo Jr. sure likes the new Logo 14 electric......

http://www.rccraze.com/logo.mpg