Newb question

On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 17:26:14 GMT, "Simon" wrote in :

I haven't got any good advice for you. I've flown a Lite Machines electric perhaps 15 times. It's a handful. I may have gotten something bent or broken in some of the early flights that I haven't yet figured out and repaired. :o(

There is a newsgroup devoted to helicopters:

Marty

Look for a Honey Bee II at a good price on eBay. It's fixed pitch, but it will give you a taste of hovering. Not much good for anything else.

Ed Cregger

E-Flight Blade CX is a good beginner's helicopter. The dual rotors provide extra stability and allow the novice helicopter pilot to adjust to new angles of orientation before moving on to more challenging aircraft.

I just don't have any idea who the UK distributor is for E-Flight

Good luck!

I'm looking at buying the Trex 450. It's not fixed pitch. They have standard collective, Hiller, and CCPM versions. Here's a link:

a suggestion, if you haven't done so already, suggest logging some simulator time first. It cuts down on the bill for replacement parts.

I'm learning to hover and practicing the different orientations with Snelflight's Hoverfly.

You can read a previous related post at:

I just can't stress enough that my first two weeks were spent with a few seconds of flight followed by a crash and shattered prop replacement. The GWS props work well enough and are _much_ cheaper and easy to find over here ... don't know about there. At some point after two weeks (and about 30 props), I developed the proper reflexes and could hover for short periods of time. It took _all_ of my attention and concentration.

I've been very happy with the Hoverfly and believe it is preparing me well for the transition to an outdoor electric heli. I can now tail-in hover indefinitely (no batteries to drain) and have begun +/- 45 degree orientations and fast pirouettes (to practice regaining tail-in control). +/- 90 degree and nose-in practice will start soon. After mastering the orientations and transitions between them, I'll move outside with a QJ-8 probably.

Whatever you get, don't give up. It's not easy learning to hover and the crashes can be frustrating. Once _you_ are in control of the heli, it's a blast!