RC Planes and Helicopters
 

After seeing my brother's RC helicopter, I had to go out an buy one too :rolleyes:

Anyone else into these "toys", can you recommend some good websites?

My wife is "officially" sure we don't need to have kids now as I double up for both husband and child :D

Shut up, Shut up, SHUT UP!!!!! If I can't hear you, it didn't happen...LALALALALALA....

You are going to get me in so much trouble with the wife...my toy budget is out of sight right now.

RC Porn: http://www.horizonhobby.com/

I have many "pieces" of r/c copters in my garage.:D After spending about a $1,000 in rotor blades I gave up!

I have flown planes before...am on a hiatus right now. Never tried a chopper but I think they are tougher than planes.

I've been doing it for 24 years now. Helicopters have come a long way and are very tempting to me lately but I just have too many planes in the build process right now.

Maybe next year or later this year...

www.towerhobbies.com

www.horizonhobby.com

www.rcgroups.com

www.rcuniverse.com

If you get one of those ready to fly helicopters and have money to burn get one of the dual rotors first as they are super stable.

Then, once you're good with that go to a collective pitch model. DON'T GET A FIXED PITCH BIRD. As once you advance past hovering they become quite a handful.

Also, an rc simulator will pay for itself in uncrashed birds. I use RealFlight but MRC's REFLEX is extremely nice looking as well.

PM me if you have any questions or post them here - I'll do my best to answer them.

Electrics have also come a very long way and with brushless motors and lipo batteries seriously long flight times are becoming normal.

Vinman, do you know Gary Q? Used to fly choppers with him, I think he lived in Howell also. I quit about 12 years ago shortly after my first porsche. Flew airplanes first, then helicopters. Shuttles, Excels, concept .30s....still have a few collecting dust in the basement.

Back then, to learn I would bring two or three choppers to the field, fly until they all broke, fix them weeknights, and be ready again for next weekend. After a few weeks, rarely crashed.

Just like racing, practice, practice, practice.....

I like tower hobbies too. But if you get into airplanes don't modify ANYTHING! I was talked into a modification that would do away with the rubberbands. Well the first flight the wings came off and my plane crashed.

I enjoy real flight, although I don't fly the real RC helicopters, I do enjoy seeing what I can pull off in real flight. I mostly fly with the collective.

Real ones are more money then I would want to spend right now. I run RC monster trucks already. I've ordered a JR XS3 from HOrizon, and they had good service and no hitches.

Had a HeliStar years ago...used the teather method just to learn to hover. Damn they're tough. Always good to have a buddy with a radio on the same frequency and a trainer switch.

My heart is still with C control. Did that for years as a kid.

As you've probably been told, for ANY flying RC hobby, GET AN INSTRUCTOR. Particularly for the helicopters. I built, learned, soloed, and was stunt-flying my planes in the same time it took our local 'copter guys to hover 6" off the deck without crashing... I hear they're difficult. :D

i've got a ton of rc plane stuff.......haven't messed with them in years though.
i did however just buy an rc mini sub for my fish tank......kinda funny to watch my 12" tiger oscar chase it then bash it into the glass :D

Thanks for the info guys. I bought one of the new "ready to fly" collective pitch electric helos (Venom Nightranger) and a training undercarriage. So far I'm just "hopping around" and having some fun... very addictive though :)

I'm in a bit of a quandry though... over here in Australia we fly choppers in "Mode 1", but I know you guys generally fly in "Mode 2". I think I'm going to have my TX converted to mode 2 as it seems more natural to me.

Nah, dont know him. All my copter flying was in my yard. never wanted to do it in public view.:D I still have my first Schluter 60 I bought 20 yrs ago. and I have a Hirobo Shuttle, that I wrecked about 80 times. Was thinking about picking up one of those small electrics they have out now.
Most of my r/c flying was up in staten island. when i moved to Nj I got out of it and got more into r/c boats.
Hard to find places to fly, and I'm not big on the r/c club scene.

www.radiocontrolzone.com

welcome to the only hobby as addicting as modifying p-cars.

Hobby Lobby has some specials on beginner type stuff...

I picked up a fixed pitch electric heli for $160 a few weeks ago. Got it to hover pretty nicely in my living room.

Crashed it the first time I had it outside... within like 20 seconds! I just need a few little parts, and it will be flying again. Just got stuff in the way of that now. It's fun as heck, and yeah, you need to PRACTICE!!

This is exactly what my wife is worried about :D

No, but it's best to hang upside-down so as not to get controls confused :p

I have a brother-in-law who was into the RC helicopters. I went with him one time to fly his latest and that thing scared the p**p out of me. It was like a flying buzzsaw with hard maple blades randomly flying whichever way it tilted. Be careful.

Nice one.

Re: RC Planes and Helicopters
 

There's Rick's. figure on spending about $1000.00 if you stay small and simple, $1500.00 for large and complex, or more.

They're much harder to fly than fixed wing, buy several sets of rotor blades.