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Futaba-RC . A Main Hobbies . Boca Bearings

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Beginners Corner > Taking off....or starting off?
 
 
musicgu7
Heliman
Location: Stockholm - Sweden

Hi,
My name is Ryan and I am considering trying to fly a R/C helicopter, for many years I wanted to do so but I think only now financially I can consider it....

The problem is I dont know where to start...
eg:
what to buy?
where to buy?
Should I buy second hand?
Particular company?
Prices?
online store?
which online store etc...

basically i'm lower than a newbie here....

ANY help appreciated.

Have a nice day,
- Ryan A.
05-26-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Twobeers
Key Veteran
Location: Toronto, Canada

Where to start.

Well musicgu7 the majority of new flyers at my local club start off with the Thunder Tiger Raptor 30. I would suggest that you start off with a computer simulator 1st off, such as the Knifeedge Softwares "G2" program with the controller. Available at most hobby stores that sell RC airplanes or helicopters. Albiet it is considered a little bit on the pricey side, but the majority of users of this software will tell you that it is worth every penny of its cost. It will save you a small fortune in repair costs to what ever helicopter you decide to go with. If you can fly it in "G2" you can do it in real life. At first go you will be totally disenchanted and convince yourself that there is something wrong with everything other than your lack of experience and untrained fingers. Secondly you can enquire at your local hobby stores as to the location of the local flying fields and take a few trips out there to talk to the flyers and watch them do their stuff.
05-26-2002 Over year old.
 
 
musicgu7
Heliman
Location: Stockholm - Sweden

Re:Taking off....or starting off

Hey,
Thanks for replying,
The problem with your suggestion is where I am located there are no flying schools/fields etc!!
Thats why i'm so ignorant on the whole subject....
CAn you tell me roughly how much it will cost me for the sim/actual radio/heli/etc?

Cheers,
-Ryan
05-26-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
RaptorCop
Senior Heliman
Location: Visalia CA

Ryan,
First of all, if you have not already check www.p-locate.rc-helipad.com to see if there are any other heli pilots within a reasonable distance from you. You can teach yourself but it will be more expensive than if you have somebody set your chopper up and help you learn.

As far as prices go, expect to pay somewhere around $1,000 give or take.
- heli kit and motor/muffler 350.00
- gyro/servo 200.00
- radio 350.00 (better off finding a radio/receiver without the servos, hard to get decent ones with out buying top of the line radios)
- receiver battery 25.00
-servos (two on cyclic, one on collective, and one on throttle) 150.00

And then there are the misc. tools such as: pitch gauge, allen bolt drivers, screwdrivers, etc.

You might be able to find some things used at a lower price.

The advice on buying a heli simulator is very good, and I would consider it a must, especially if you cannot find anybody to help you. Go with realflight because it comes with the transmitter type joy stick that you must become very familiar with.

I hope this helps and does not discourage you because flying heli's is a lot of fun. It can be kind of expensive however if you are starting from scratch. Go to www.heliproz.com and browse around, you will see what is available and their prices.

C. McLain
05-26-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
musicgu7
Heliman
Location: Stockholm - Sweden

Re:Taking off....or starting off.

Hey Dude,
Thanks for the advise,
1000$ is pretty steep and with the sim i'm lookin at something like 1500$? looks like I'll have to wait a bit more...I'll check out those links you posted.

Price was a major concern as I'm not in the U.S or Europe but in Asia, and the only aircraft that i've seen flying by remote is a 20 year old damn plane that pollutes more than it flies!

I'm shifting to Europe in a couple of days and thought i'll finally be able to do this....but didnt have a clue on what the price would be.

Thanks again,
-Ryan
05-26-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Twobeers
Key Veteran
Location: Toronto, Canada

Ryan, why are you afraid to tell us what part of the world you are in. In the location thingy you left it blank. Who knows maybe one of your neighbors might be a heli addict. We have people here from all over the world. I had a fellow join me during a multiplayer session less than a month ago. He picked himself up a Raptor 30 in California while visiting from Israel and was asking us all sorts of questions for his setup ect. I told him of about another fellow who logged in from time to time from Israel who flew heli's. It just so happened the next time he logged the other fellow logged on as well. Well won't you know it, they live less than a couple blocks away from each other. Just because you don't see one flying in your backyard doesn't necesarily mean there might not be somebody else close to you with the same interests. You say your in Asia, that wouldn't be the fellow flying the Cub near San Miguel, Iloilo would it? There are a number of heli flyers and clubs in Manila, Cebu, Palawan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia ect, ect. What I am getting at is let us know where your from and someone might post and say hey neighbor I am only 10 minutes away from you. As to the cost of starting out, expect to pay about $1200-$1700USD to get started, but then again things are sometimes cheaper in Asia. A lot of these models come from that part of the world
05-26-2002 Over year old.
 
 
Doug
Elite Veteran
Location: Naples Florida....

One thing that no one has mentioned, is to get a good radio or you will be buying twice
05-26-2002 Over year old.
 
 
musicgu7
Heliman
Location: Stockholm - Sweden

Hey,
No big secret really except I HATE THIS PLACE!

Anyway, am present in India right now but should be leaving for the U.K in 10 days and then will be based in Sweden, Stockholm to be exact, never been to either place before so dont know the terrain.....

Hope that helped.

Cheers,
-Ryan.
05-26-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
musicgu7
Heliman
Location: Stockholm - Sweden

Hey Doug,
Thanks for the radio advise, but after all this I dont think I can afford a heli now, I just dont have and it does not look like i'm gonna get 1200-1700USD.

God does this a lot, he either gives you lots of money and no looks ............ lets just say i have great looks!

I did write to heloProz and asked them how much a whole kit would cost me and i did tell them that price is a problem, so basically my future with a R/C heli depends on their answer.

Cheersall and thank you for your great and helpful advise.

Have a great day,
-Ryan
05-26-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
rcpilotsteve
Senior Heliman
Location: BC Canada

"God does this a lot, he either gives you lots of money and no looks ............ lets just say i have great looks! "
_________________________________________________
Dang it, you mean I'll never have any money Do people look at you funny too? Always a threat or lack of money, don't know which ones worse
05-27-2002 Over year old.
 
 
musicgu7
Heliman
Location: Stockholm - Sweden

DAmn! you sound like my long lost twin brother.
The only reason he would have good looks would be coz he was my twin and since you too say you dont have money, maybe it runs in the family bro????!!???!

Hehehhahahah
Peace,
-Ryan

------If ever you see me getting beaten by a cop....put down that %#$@ing camera and help me! -------
05-27-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
tommytee
Senior Heliman
Location: NorthEast UK, Newcastle

Hey,
Why not buy a heli kit now, then spend some time building and realising how everything works. This wont cost you big bucks and the next addition to your armery could be say the engine, then a radio, then gyro and servos etc,etc. That way you can fool yourself into thinking you arn't spending a fortune and at the same time accumulate a great setup. Also this is a great way to be present at all steps of the build, and not end up spending $1500 and thinking "mmm I wonder what thats for"
This is kinda the way I did it. God only knows what the total cost is but all I remember is the last thing I bought and think "heyman was that cheap"
Also get rid of any **** you have lying around and replace it with cash, its amazing what people will buy off you !!

05-29-2002 Over year old.
 
 
musicgu7
Heliman
Location: Stockholm - Sweden

Hahahha

Thanks dude, that sounds like pretty good advise, am heading to england in around 10 days, I hear the english are pretty heavy on this stuff, lets see when i get there.

Have a cousin there, lets see if I can "borrow" 2 or 3 hundred and start what you suggested.

Cheers,
-Ryan.
05-29-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
Raymond
Senior Heliman
Location: Northern Ireland

Dont wait until you get to the UK, we pay the same figure in £ as the US do in $ !!!!!

I think in Scandinavia they pay double again !!!!!!!!!!!!
05-29-2002 Over year old.
 
 
oldfart
Elite Veteran
Location: Vancouver, Canada

What to buy

musicgu7

Check out forums on the different brands and models here to see what issues various types/models have (you can access them from the lower right hand area of the runryder mainpage) and find what people think of the brand/modles they have of heli, engines, radios, gyros etc. in the "showroom" section of www.rchelicopters.org

After doing the research you will have a lot betteridea of what to get.

Phil
05-29-2002 Over year old.
 
 
musicgu7
Heliman
Location: Stockholm - Sweden

Thanks for the advise guys,
But will have to wait till I go to the UK as am not in the states, spoke to heli proz and its REALLY expensive to UPS here.
looks like i dont ahve a choice....

cheers,
-Ryan
05-30-2002 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
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Beginners Corner > Taking off....or starting off?
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