Getting Started

[ATR76ers]

Fully agree.....Thanks for all the advice.

Any potential meet ups in Woodlands areas, kindly keep me posted....will try to catch up and learn from all the Gurus...

In the mean time, any lobang for a cheap 500/550 (RTF) heli unit....please keep me posted...

Thanks

[blueangel]

Please check the marketplace - Helicopter folders.

There are a few members who are willing to sell their 500 / 550.

[PaulDT]

Seriously bro, don't even think about getting a heli yet until you get proficient enough with flying in the simulator. I know that you're all excited and all that with the real thing....until you get your first crash. Learn how to hover tail in, nose in, sideways, make nice turns, figure of eights, etc. first within the safe confines of the simulator. The skill you gain, particularly the orientation and throttle management parts, are practically the basic requirement whether you will eventually proceed with helis, multi, or planes.

[sharkfin]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the feedback. Really appreciate all your respond.
Yes, fully agree that there is no one single path to start off a new hobby...thus the topic in this forum.
Would be great if any of you guys are flying around Woodlands area over the weekend for me to catch up and learn from you gurus here.

I think that meeting up with several established groups would help. I don't know of any groups in woodlands, but 2 I know of are in Tampines, and the other at Old Holland Road. There will be folks at OHR weekend mornings. The others in this thread should be able to help you chime in on the other meeting locations.

Have to agree that heli is a lot more complex compared to the rest.
Anyone can give an idiot proof explaination to some of the common terms used for RC heli to help me understand what they are and their function?

Things like:
FLB
Gyro
Channels on Transmitter
Servo
Vbar
Just to name a few...

I think a good place for you to start would be to take a look at http://www.rchelicopterfun.com

Am setting a stretched budget of around $700 for a decent Heli (thinking of either size 500 or 550 (max) heli) with a decent Transmitter (cum receiver). With minimum upgrades down the road (as I learn along the way).

Will be be possible with this budget?

The other challenge that I am facing is time. With young kids at home, the amount of time I have to venture into this hobby (as well as meeting others for advices) are limited to weekends only.

I used to see a group of people near my place flying heli and planes...but not sure where they have moved to since the field have been fenced for construction.

Any kind soul willing to guide this newbie along the way?

Most guys only have the weekends like you ;)

If you're going to go solo and self teach - I think its best to start with a micro CP heli like a MCPx and a simulator. You basically want something that is crash proof. with something like an MCPX, you can very quickly pick it up again and get it back in the air in no time. The other guys in this thread would be shouting at me saying that 500 would be best to go with - but with a 450/500, you would be spending lots of time crashing and fixing the heli instead of learning how to fly. I'm not sure what kind of person you are, but I personally enjoy flying more than fixing - especially at the start.

Reason why I say a sim + a heli is that you can learn both flying on the sim and in real life at the same time. They are different.

Also watch lots of videos posted at the following locations, and then try on your sim.

http://www.helifreak.com/forumdisplay.php?f=242

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtPOIOJYOXkhglShoCbtfTStj4tHnL6bb

If you have a coach, then yes, go with as large a heli you can afford.

And be prepared to spend 2 to 4 times of the initial cost of the heli - whatever size you choose.

Lastly, I would not go with a pre-owned heli as there could be small things that could be broken on the kit which a newbie might not be able to detect / fix at the start. You might end up not being sure if its your own skill or the kit thats at fault.


Hope this helps!

[ATR76ers]

Wow....greatly appreciate all the advise given....Sound more logical to learn the ropes of RC heli via simulator than the crash and burn ($) way.

Anyone can recommend / direct me to where I can get a simulator (model/ cost/ anything else that a newbie needs to know)?

Thanks....

Please continue to flood me with all your advises and knowledge....

Thanks.....

[ah_liang]

I use realflight, pheonix and heli-x but find myself going back to realflight time after time.

[blueangel]

Im using Realflight too.

Besides the training, there's fun for the kids too.
You can let them play during their "official" leisure time. To them, its a computer game.
To you, training.

Someone advise me though, no doubt is training, but dont forget the fun part, which is what hobby is all about.
Sit down, plan what you want to learn today, set a mini benchmarck, for example,

I want to hovering for 2 minutes without crashing
I want to hover and fly from left to right and repeat that, for 1 minute, then land without crashing.
I want to hover head-in and maintain for as long as I can without crashing.
etc..

Do that, achieve that. Then 15 minutes after, whether success or fail, nevermind.. go on and select any other heli, aeroplane etc and whack the fun out of the simulator. Crash it, spin it around, invert it. etc..

Subconciously you may slowly get the hang of the heli's behaviour.. althought not realistic, but somewhere close.

If you also plan to get the heli and transmitter soon too, then use the same transmitter that you will fly to link to the simulator. Then the feel of the controller will fit nicely into your hand when you try it on your real heli.

[ATR76ers]

HI Guys,

Thanks for the recommendation.

Can advise where to get Realflight and the expected damaged ($).

BTW, does Realflight comes with any hand held "transmitter" or do I have to purchase it separately?

[ah_liang]

You can try one of the basement shop in Fook Hai. You can buy with and without transmitter. With transmitter I think is 200+.

[sharkfin]

The most raved about and updated sim right now is AccuRC. I haven't tried it though, but updated is good as it means that it supports latest models, etc.

You won't go wrong with Phoenix (I've had free upgrades since version 4), Real Flight, and Accu RC.
You can get Phoenix from http://radiocontrol-sports.com (1st floor Fook Hai) or AccuRC from http://www.saintpassion.com. Both local stores.

You should get your own Radio Transmitter to pair with each of these sims because you should then use the same transmitter to fly. That way, you'll be familiar with the transmitter when flying in real life also.

[ATR76ers]

OIC....didn't know they have this option.

Any idea if I can use the Specktrum DX 7S for this (Realflight)?

Saw someone selling it and since I have the plan of getting a Heli down the road, was wondering if I can use the DX7S for both (Actual Heli and Simulator)

[Faheem]

Download fms.its free.just buy the cable,with the 200 you can buy a lot of stuff.you just need to get use to the orientation only.however its up to you(:enjoy the hobby bro!

[Super-Hornet]

Do note that, there are 2 types of flying style.
One is 3D flying.
The other is scale flying.

Those who fly 3D usually prefer heli in the typical "Pod and Boom" heli and they will be flying heli in a 3D orientation style (normal, inverted, forward, backward, flip and so on).
Those who fly scale usually prefer heli in the typical scale heli (or like miniature size of the full size heli) and they will be flying heli in more graceful flying..like in a full size heli...and normally do not do inverted.

If u are into scale heli, then u can actually skip learning to fly inverted or fly reverse direction in fast speed. But u will normally interested in the look and the stability of the heli more than in the performance (agility) that the heli can do.

So, somewhere after u learn how to fly heli, u normally either go for 3D style or go for Scale style.

[blueangel]

Ya.. I lean towards scale flying.. So i "excused" inverted and tic tocs and funnels haha!

All i want is heli motion is fluid, gentle, no jerky movements, smooth acceleration and stops, no "choot pattern"...

But to go scale, still need to master proper stick controls. In fact sometimes in much difficulties, as it is still not easy to hover nicely even in calm days.

Check out a video i made, some tips for beginners like myself.
The tips are sourced from website, not from me. Just putting it there to share.
I hope this would poison more members to come fly scale haha !
As you can see, even flying slowly also poses difficulty for me as the heli dont want to listen to me. Anyhow go up and down, lef and right. So it is still very important to learn orientation and fine motor skills.

[Murdanny]

Come to northlink at admiralty st near the lorry car park. We make sure we poison you. ��