Knee-you-bee-pilot

First of all let me introduce myself. I'm Jose from Houston Tx. Well actually now i Katy Tx. This is my first real heli i own. (Other then a Blade CP a friend gave to me that only worked for literally one day.)

So i looked around for a heli that was belt driven because my co-worker told me that fixed pitch heli's and fixed pitch tail rotors are not for me and my skill level. (Like i have any, but he's a little jealous that i can out fly him. He tells me that he is going to break my fingers so that i cant fly anymore, but im sure all the rolls, flips and inverted hovers i do in flights on the sim will be alot more difficult on a real one.) So i found a used Falcon 3D. Picked it up from the guy and he flew it for me to show me it works. So i took it home and this was Saturday night (UFC 81) So i just took it down, opened the box and took it out and showed my wife and said "Ta Da". Wife was like "OMG!!! Thats going to hurt when it hit's you !! How much did you spend on it punk !!??" (We are a little tight on money right now, stupid taxes!! hence the attitude with the money question she had) and didn't touch it because i was busy with the PPV fight. Then Sunday, ofcourse the superbowl, so nothing that day. Took it to work on Monday to show it off to the buddy. Tue. my buddy taught me the basics of the heli mechanics, Wed. he taught me about centering the servo's and adjusting links. Took it for a small hover, but the tail would spin left hard, so i adjusted servo and links and got it almost near perfect. Small amount of trim was needed. Kept making adjustments and finally got confident enough to fly it outside. Let me say my heart was pumping and palms sweaty. I love it !!

So after further review of the heli, i noticed he has a blade grip ball end super glued. If that breaks I'm guessing I'm running for cover because it would go out of control. The rotor head has alot of slop in it and i have read and been told thats not good. Alot of little things i want to make better.

I want to buy some parts, but no LHS has any parts for the Falcon 3D. I have to order everything. I was wondering if there is any interchangeable parts from the more stocked/popular heli's @ the LHS that will fit my heli. I want spindle shaft, tail rotor hub and shaft, main blade grips, collective pitch arm, main rotor shaft, flybar, and bearing 10x5x2mm. Can any of that be used from another brand heli? or should i just suck it up and pay the shipping/time and get it from hobby lobby?

If there is any other falcon owners, if i could bother you with a couple more questions. I subscribed to RCGroup.com, but doesn't seem to have the "traffic" to answer questions quickly, so I'm ganna give it a shot here.

RaceCraftRC

hmmmmmmm the curse of the falcon 3d, parts are available @ ka-planes (great servce) and hobby lobby ( bad servce). I had a falcon for a bit as far as I know the only subsition was an easton arrow as a tail boom. The falcon3D is really a Robbe Spirt some shops carry robbe parts and can get these. ( Robbe used to make nice birds and are still popular with proper english peoples my LHS sometimes gets there nitro birds for one guy. LOL)

Knee-you-bee-pilot

Why curse?

Thanks for the parts info. What happened that you say hobby lobby is bad service? Send wrong parts all the time?

Yeah, i read about the arrow being a tail boom. Ganna have to try that when i crash.

RaceCraftRC

They uhhh well they sent me wrong parts, I got one from there my first bird they burnt me with wrong parts, faulty gyro's and exploding lipo's I guess the conplaning got so bad that now they test fly everone they sell before you get it, mine was junk I sank more into parts and spent most of my time waiting for them to send the right things, one of there sales people sold me a Dragonus ii I learned more on it in the first day than I had in 3 months with the falcon3D. So awhile ago one of Hobby Lobby's custermers LIPO caught fire in there home ( there is always this risk put your lipo on something that is not flamable) any way HL recaled the falcon's LIPOs and charger they sent me a box for mine and you send them in and they never sent mine back( it's been about 8 months maybe longer), but after 3 weeks i just gave up on it and tossed the falcon into the trash. I haven't even tryed to find out what the heck it's just a waste of time I spend way to much of my extra income on this Hobby and would rather give it to someone that is working with and for me.. sorry for rambling It still pisses me off I hate Hobby Lobby, I run a small Ebay bussines, and work a full time job I know how to treat the hand that feads you !! well good luck, If you don't have a sim get one, AX

Knee-you-bee-pilot

Wow, thats crazy!! Glad i choose Ka Planes for my order of parts. 70 bucks, not to bad. I just hope shipping doesn't take long

Well one thing i learned about the Falcon 3D in the few days i've had it and really had time to work on it. Next time i buy a heli, Get one that has parts everywhere online!!!! mainly LHS !!!! other then that i havent had this heli long enough to complain about it.

What do you place your lipo's on when you charge them?

RaceCraftRC

LOL I use a glass baking dish if the wife isn't looking, its a mid size job so i can get the charger and pack in there at the same time. Beware of heli crack no one has just 1 heli its alway 's betwean 4 and 100 birds. It will become easyer if you master the one you have before you add two many to the fleet. ok maybe 2 more wont hurt, LOL well Its l8 here good eving have a good one man. AX

Knee-you-bee-pilot

Well i played on the realflight 3.5 and thats what i think got me hooked big time. Addicting !!! I think im going to have to buy me RFG4 because my co workers doesn't want me to practice on it anymore. He says im to good. lol.

Yeah im going to have this Falcon for a while (i hope) and use it to practice everything. I have never flown one till a couple days ago (didn't crash my first or second time flight.)