firefox
Senior Heliman
Location: Thailand
| Big electric helis mean big things, namely the ESC (huge, high-voltage, $$$), the batteries (huge pack, $$$), and the motor (pretty darn big, again $$$). The price difference for these components, going from a T-rex450 to a 50-size, is not insignificant, and that's an understatement.
I started on a Raptor Titan. In more than a year of flying, I only crashed it once, and that was because I was trying some new 3D move without practicing on the sim first. It was expensive, but it happened only once.
I wanted to try out electric, since I convinced myself I wanted to fly at any place. I bought a T-rexSE ($$$) and put the best components on it ($$$) so that I couldn't blame the parts quality. End result is that I ended up crashing nearly every other flight, doing fairly basic moves. The repairs were relatively cheap, but since it happened so often, I ended spending a fortune on repairs. My friend also started on the T-rex, and never got beyond simple hovering, if that, and also spent a fortune on repairs. Once he gave up on it and moved to the Raptor, he progressed very rapidly. He hasn't crashed the Raptor even once.
Can you clock up 500 flights in 8 months in a nitro heli? Why not? You can clock up 50+ flights in a single day on a nitro heli, if you're so inclined. Can you clock up 5 flights in a single hour on an electric, with 3 battery packs, like a nitro? No.
Yes, there are advantages and disadvantages to each. Nitros can be messy, but not as people like to exaggerate... I only give my Raptor a cursory wipe after every flight day. Nitros can be loud, but if you compare it to a 50 size electric, the difference isn't earth-shattering. Engines need tuning, but for electrics you need to match the motor to the ESC and battery and pinion. Etc. etc.... |
