New to RC Choppers

Insomniack · Fully Charged Joined: 04 Jan 2012 Posts: 4

So i recently went out and got a Sky King 8501 with some xmas money i had. All ive had is problems with the charging packs overheating and frying themselves, and boy this thing is a bitch to fly. I got it hovering off the ground after 2 charges. But it likes to tip sideways alot when it tries to take off. Its a nice looking heli. But this charging problem has rendered it useless to me. Im in the process of perhaps getting a refund off the seller on Ebay, as he has offered it to me.

As im new to RC flight, even tho i caught on to the 3ch Sky king after a while, what do u guys suggest i go out and buy.
The 8501 i have is like 32" long or something, its massive.
Im after outdoor flight, also want the option to be able to fly it in little winds, apparently the sky kings hate wind, even the slightest amount.

So to sum it up
Outdoor helicopter, decent size, decent distance that it can fly. Decent speeds, not some slow sloppy newbie thing thats no fun.
And yes im a beginner as i mentioned above.

Cheers and thanks heaps, any info is welcome.
Smile

celticveil · Extreme 3D Joined: 04 Mar 2010 Posts: 282

I would suggest a large coaxial 4-channel, like the Big Lama. But be aware they too do not like much wind. All coax helis seem to dislike wind. You can also go the route of collective pitch 450 sized helis, but then you run into learning curves which can be quite expensive.

Also get a good charger. The ones that come with the helis are bad for long term use on the battery and tend to die fast. I use the Thunder AC6, available form xheli.com, decent price. Got mine a few weeks ago, couldn't be happier. But watch youtube videos on how to use it as the instruction manual is confusing.

I found another post where you described flying with a battery right out of the box...don't do that. If a lipo battery drops below a certain voltage, it will not recharge again, thereby killing the battery. Its always best to fly around 5-8 minutes tops, then recharge. On the Thunder AC6 you will be able to see exactly how much voltage your battery still carries and adjust flying time from there.
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E-Razor 450 + Air Hogs Pocket Copter + Radd's School of Rotary Flight = Teh Awesomness

nick_onelove · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 11:41 pm Post subject:

As celtic mentioned, over-discharging LiPos can damage them and so can over-charging them.

If it's prone to tipping over in the air, I suggest taking a close look at the flybar and making sure that it's not bent and that it can rock freely in place.

As far as a recommendation goes, no co-axial likes the wind; that second set of rotors essentially acts like a kite/parachute.

Collective-pitch helis handle wind the best, but going from a 3-channel to that would be a massive learning curve with lots of repairs.

Take a look at the Blade 120 SR. It's single-rotor so it handles the wind much better, but it has a co-axial-style 45° flybar that lends it self-correcting stability.
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Align: Trex 250 3GX + Trex 450 Pro with Vbar
Blade: 450 X, mCP X, 120 SR, mSR X, CX3, mCX2
Esky: Belt-CP X and V2 - Futaba: Heli-Max Axe 400
Walkera: V500D01, M120D01, V100D08, DEVO 8
Spektrum: DX8 - AMA #967873 - IRCHA #4095

Insomniack · Fully Charged Joined: 04 Jan 2012 Posts: 4

Thanks for the feedback

To clarify things in my other post where i mentioned about me running my heli flat, it wasnt what u call dead flat where it does nothing. When i said flat i meant it cant accend from a stationary position for example. Both my 380 motors were still spinning. Both sets of blades were still spinning with quiet a decent speed, but not enuf to take off.

I got my full refund from the ebay seller for this charging issue with this one. Its the plug pack cable between the mains power to the balance charger. Its full of cheap/light chinese (excuse my language) crap components. So now i have my money back, going to go out to the local electrical store and buy a replacement, with heavier duty components.

Least then i have my sky king as a learning heli, crash and break it all i want, its effectively free.

I have since managed to get it hovering nicely and level with the ground, once i get the total hang of this, ill be able to give it more lift and see how i go at higher altitudes.

Then i can look into the 120Sr, or better ones.

pjdog · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:57 am Post subject:

Don't run your Lipo batteries below 3.0 volts per cell. I try to never go below 3.2 per cell. Over discharging will destory the battery. They will not recharge or they will give very short run times if over discharged.

Get a good balance charger like a Thunder AC6 or a B6 or the like. They will do the job. You can spend allot more money but the ones I mentioned will do very well.

Also if your into flying out side get a 6 channel collective pitch and don't waste your money on co-axels or small 4 FP helicopter. They will not fly in wind.

If you can afford a real T-Rex get that. If you on a budget like most of us get a T-Rex clone or a good RTF Blade B450 or B400. I have a B400 and two T-Rex clones. The B400 is my favorite. It also came with a Spektrum DX6I radio which is the best lower priced radio you can get (Me Thinks).

Before you do anything get a good simulator like Clearview and a training box with 6 channels. Helicopters will cost you allot of money in repairs. A Simulator will help solve that.

Good luck.

Jack