which rc helicopter to buy

[Aviation Man]

Hi Im looking at buying a model rc helicopter and was wondering which one would be good to start with? I do own a palm sized venom micro rescue helicopter so I have had a bit of practice in flying. Im looking at the Blade CX2 as its simple to fly and comes rtf but Iam very limited to space indoors so im mostley looking to fly outdoors as well. Also im looking at the Falcon 3D as the helicopter is more for outdoor use and has two modes one for beginner, the other for 3D flight as ive been told by a few people have flown it but if there are any better helicopters I will welcome all suggestions thanks.

[silhouette015]

Hello Aviation Man,

First of all welcome to the forum and to the hobby! You're going to love flying.

Before recommending a model, can I ask you what kind of helicopter the venom micro rescue helicopter is? I'm not familiar with it? Is it a co-axial helicopter? 3 or 4 channel?

The reason I ask is that I think it's best to start with a Co-Axial helicopter like the blade CX2 or the Lama. Other brands are ok too but those two will just have more parts and support for you when you need it. They're both also very well made.

However, if your previous heli (the venom micro rescue helicopter) is already a 4-channel co-axial helicopter then that's already in the same class as the CX2 and the Lama. And since you already have had some practice then the logical step is to go up to a whole different class of heli which the Falcon will be a good choice.

You might want to try your hand on a simulator first though to get a feel of what it's like to really fly something like the Falcon 3D. They feel quite a bit different from co-axial models.

Once again welcome and enjoy your stay

[Aviation Man]

Thanks. The venom micro rescue helicopter is a palm sized infared helicopter designed for indoor use. It has a tail rotor motor so much more difficult to hover. It has a lipo battery and is chraged through the transmitter. Its probly the best palm sized helicopter out there as you can buy spares. I have flown a 3D helicopter on mfs but I dont have a transmitter so I could only use my keyboard. I know my LHS does stock the Falcon 3D so when I get a chance this week I will go and have a look to see how much they cost although I saw one on the net for $395. I did see the Honey Bee is it a good to fly outside as I am very limited to space inside my house thanks for your help.

[madmax22]

I think you should start with the blade CX2... i'd rather crashe $150 then $400..... ya know? and once you get good on the CX get a blade 400 or the falcon! good luck with your choice!

[hound15]

[warpnine]

I started my helicopter flying career on the small, cheap, "Havoc Heli" which is also a palm sized, IR, fixed-pitch bird. When I moved up to something bigger that could fly outside, I wanted something with a real CCPM control system - like real helicopters have.

I was advised to avoid tail motor helicopters like the Falcon and go with a belt drive, so I chose a Honey Bee King2 as a reasonably priced ($129 RTF) entry level RC copter. I like the fact that there are tons of spare parts and upgrades floating around for it - from many different manafacturers and suppliers - and that because it is a little smaller than a CP Belt of T-rex, just about everything for it is a little cheaper. (Many will recommend the bigger 400 class helis, to fly more stabily, etc. - but these cost more for initial purchase and all the parts, batteries, etc. for them cost more too. The HBK2 uses many of the same mechanical parts as the CP Belt and is only a little smaller).

In the six months that I've had it, I've learned enough to upgrade just about everything on it - resulting in a helicopter that is more capable and much easier to fly. I probably have a total investment of just about $1,000 in it now - but have a state of the art 2.4GHZ radio system, one of the best Heading Hold gyros available, a very fast digital tail servo, CNC rotor and tail parts, a CF frame, upgraded Xtreme plastic rotor blades, and upgraded tail drive pulley (faster tail speed), heavy duty landing skids, a 3900kv brushless motor with upgraded 25A ESC, and some nice 1800mah high-discharge batteries (with a new charger too). I even have a wireless camera for it too, for after I learn how to fly better! Through all of this, I've learned tons of things I had no clue about when I got started - and made many new friends all over the U.S. and Canada - through forums like this one on RC Universe.

The basic RTF Honey Bee King 2 "works" out of the box, but everyone upgrades the motor to a brushless one pretty quickly - and then other things as time and money permit. You don't have to try to do all these upgrades "at once" either. Evolving your helicopter is a process, one that you should take the time to enjoy as you're learning how to do it - that's my attitude anyway!

Suggest you get a good flight simulator, such as the ClearView Flight Sim ($39 shareware - but worth it compared to the free FMS one) and a USB flight controller too (the Esky one for about $20 works perfectly with ClearView right out of the box). ClearView has photo-realistic flying fields, many freely downloadable models and fields, and the $39 cost is good for all future upgrades too. You can try it before you buy it also. Hard to beat for the price!

Above all, I hope you have fun with what ever bigger bird you try next!

[Aviation Man]

Thanks for all the help is been fantasic. I went to my local hobby shop not much help in deciding which helicopter to start with. I am considering the Honey Bee King 2 as its only $10 more than the original Honey Bee and can be used for outdoor and 3d flight (if i ever get that good) but im more looking at the Honey Bee King 2 as its rtf and good value for money. Thanks all for your help it has made me think alot about which helicopter im going to buy.

[The Blade]

My experience initally was with a Blade Mcx .I love this little machine for indoors.Its a stress buster.I can fly it almost blindfolded now forwards backwards figure 8s.Spot landing on coke cans.
Progressed to CX2 really just a bigger faster version of the McX great fun and on a still day can fly out side.
Now own a Blade 400 ,after the practice with the siblings the learning curve with the 400 was nt so hard.Orientation was easy after the experience with the smaller helis.
Now looking to buy a rex 450SE V2 or the 500.The only thing holding me back is i have to build it and set it up.Mmmmmmm

You dont learn to drive on a ferarri .Have fun ,Im hooked.