R/C Helicopter
06-21-2011, 06:40 PM
#1
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R/C Helicopter
My boss is selling a nearly complete T-Rex 600GT heli with a brand new futaba tx/rx set. I don't know the exact details of it yet including price but am interested in maybe buying it.
Anyone into R/C choppers? What should I expect to pay for a new almost assembled kit?
I've been shopping around on hobbyking.com looking at some of their kits as I've heard a lot of great reviews on their products.. I'm kind of a n00b on the choppers, and I know I'm absolutely going to crash and fsck up what I've got but it sounds like a great challenge..
Anyone into R/C choppers? What should I expect to pay for a new almost assembled kit?
I've been shopping around on hobbyking.com looking at some of their kits as I've heard a lot of great reviews on their products.. I'm kind of a n00b on the choppers, and I know I'm absolutely going to crash and fsck up what I've got but it sounds like a great challenge..
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06-21-2011, 06:58 PM
#2
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Buy if you must, but invest in a sub $100 unit for practice, because you will **** up. Practice indoors so wind isn't a factor. Make sure you get one that's fully directional, so up/down, rotate left/right, and forward backwards. You can even get one with what they call a gyro, which stops rotation after you flick the stick left or right.
I had one with all those features, $80 I think. Ended up lasting less than two weeks. Felt really bad for my parents, who bought it for me for Christmas.
I had one with all those features, $80 I think. Ended up lasting less than two weeks. Felt really bad for my parents, who bought it for me for Christmas.
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06-21-2011, 08:40 PM
#3
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Do the thing where you make a big *** X out of 1/4"dia 4-6' long dowels and strap it to the bottom of the skids, and then don't fly very high. Practice basic control this way. Also: get a new tail and main rotor, you will need them 
I'm more into planes than helos, but I've watched a friend destroy more than one. That T-Rex looks pretty badass though.
I'm more into planes than helos, but I've watched a friend destroy more than one. That T-Rex looks pretty badass though.
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06-21-2011, 08:50 PM
#4
Fly it indoors only if you have a very large room. The heli will put a decent amount of wind down to the ground, if you're hovering and you accidentally get anywhere near a wall, you'll get a sudden and unpredictable positive pressure area under that side of the heli, which will add lift to that side of the rotor causing you to lose control of it.
Bough my dad a 3D heli with gyro/li-po/etc. for like $300, RTF for christmas one year - I think it was the most exciting present he had ever opened. Crashed it lots, and it spent more time waiting on replacement tailbooms/blades/etc. (because the stuff that comes on a $300 RTF heli, ready to fly, with included li-po/charger/gyro/etc is all entirely too flimsy) than actually being in flyable state. Anyways, he eventually got to the point where he had full aluminum/CF parts on it instead of the plastic bits. The li-po took like 4 hours to charge, and had like an 8 minute run time on it or something ridiculous (because it was a cheap lipo/charger) and eventually I think he stopped playing with it, and now has fun looking at it and knowing that he COULD fly it if he wanted to, but I think he figures that if he doesn't fly it, he won't break it!!
When I bought an R/C for myself, I said "to hell with **** that flies", and grabbed me an E-Revo, Brushless edition...Oh **** is that thing fast, and durable as **** too. I can run it straight at a tree at full throttle, it'll run up the roots and then up the side of the tree briefly. I think I've had it get over 15 feet of air doing just that - so yes, it flies.... and when it crashes back down to the ground, mother ****** is ready to do it again!!
Bough my dad a 3D heli with gyro/li-po/etc. for like $300, RTF for christmas one year - I think it was the most exciting present he had ever opened. Crashed it lots, and it spent more time waiting on replacement tailbooms/blades/etc. (because the stuff that comes on a $300 RTF heli, ready to fly, with included li-po/charger/gyro/etc is all entirely too flimsy) than actually being in flyable state. Anyways, he eventually got to the point where he had full aluminum/CF parts on it instead of the plastic bits. The li-po took like 4 hours to charge, and had like an 8 minute run time on it or something ridiculous (because it was a cheap lipo/charger) and eventually I think he stopped playing with it, and now has fun looking at it and knowing that he COULD fly it if he wanted to, but I think he figures that if he doesn't fly it, he won't break it!!
When I bought an R/C for myself, I said "to hell with **** that flies", and grabbed me an E-Revo, Brushless edition...Oh **** is that thing fast, and durable as **** too. I can run it straight at a tree at full throttle, it'll run up the roots and then up the side of the tree briefly. I think I've had it get over 15 feet of air doing just that - so yes, it flies.... and when it crashes back down to the ground, mother ****** is ready to do it again!!
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06-21-2011, 11:48 PM
#6
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I'll have more specific information tomorrow or Thursday from him.
He did mention that it does come with a Gyro, fwiw..
Are the skills learned on something small and cheap going to transfer directly to a larger more expensive chopper?
He did mention that it does come with a Gyro, fwiw..
Are the skills learned on something small and cheap going to transfer directly to a larger more expensive chopper?
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06-22-2011, 12:18 AM
#7
I just graduated through an asston of mini choppers, to a honey bee king 2, to a trex 700 arf, I got for a steal from craigslist for 350 dollars, still in box, debatably stolen. Anywho, yes, I have a semi tough time with it having flown a semi complex chopper before. So grab some crappy ebay 3-4 ch one for 30 bux. Fly it til it is ruined. Then you will not shoot into the stratosphere, then immediately smash into the ground at 100 mph.
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06-23-2011, 11:24 AM
#11
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Yes learning on a sim, then a cheapie, is good.
Graduating from a cheapie to that TRex is like going from a Honda Civic to an F1 car. Lots more ways to get into trouble. The bit TRex though is less sensitive to wind due to its weight and power.
Graduating from a cheapie to that TRex is like going from a Honda Civic to an F1 car. Lots more ways to get into trouble. The bit TRex though is less sensitive to wind due to its weight and power.
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06-23-2011, 03:48 PM
#13
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heli flying is ridiculously expensive. Not just to get into, but for the invaiably astronomical amount of spare parts you'll burn thru.
I did electric r/c planes before the baby was born last year. Still have a couple in my garage, 6ch controller, some lipo batts and a couple chargers. Kinda miss it but no time anymore to go to the field.
I did electric r/c planes before the baby was born last year. Still have a couple in my garage, 6ch controller, some lipo batts and a couple chargers. Kinda miss it but no time anymore to go to the field.
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06-23-2011, 10:53 PM
#14
Buy the t-rex. If its a complete chopper its probably easily worth 300-500 depending on equipment (servos, gyro, model receiver, Etc..). Your next step after buying should be to get a shitty one to learn on like the others said, you can get a decent set up for 150 that will be a nice size chopper and fly similar to the t-rex on xheli.com. Just look around and find a deal.
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