New to Helicopters

[rawtry]

Just a question....I have been reading these posts about different helicopters and decided I wanted to start off with a Shogun. But I have yet to read a post about someone putting one together and just having fun flying. Everyone has tbl just getting the thing to work. Is there a helicopter out there that you can just fly?

Bob

[Jungle Bob]

Hi Bob
Part of this wonderful hobby is the involvement in the mechanics of the heli. Most heli's will fly straight from the box if that is was the manufacturers state but there is always something that needs upgrading, adjusting or repairing. After your first build, rebuild or upgrade you will find it hugely rewarding when your bird lifts gracefully back into the air. Enjoy the challenge! I fly two Shoguns and love them to bits. A well set up Shogun is a good match for any Trex and will give you hours of enjoyment. Part of that enjoyment will be the time on your desk trying to work out what goes where and how can I get the best out of my heli?
Welcome to the 'hobby'
Bob

[rawtry]

Thanks for the reply....I will try the Shogun.

Bob

[spork]

I'm curious why you would choose the Shogun over the T-Rex. I don't mean to talk you out of it, but there sure is one heck of a huge knowledgebase for the T-Rex (as well as cheap and plentiful parts).

[BlenderPilot]

I have a Shogun V2, and i'm also very happy to fly one. Didn't try a T-rex before, but it's all the same, when you get used to it. You'll love to fly it eventually no matter which one you've got.

Just don't make a mistake on Gyro's and motor and ESC. If i would be using GY401 from the start it would be so much easyer to learn to fly it, not to mention at least 3 crashes wouldn't happen. Brushless motor is another matter. It really pays out to buy a bit expensive but high quality motor and ESC, it'll last a lot longer, will not overheat and you have a lot of power in store for when you need it.

Welcome to the hobby!

[rawtry]

Rick
I thought that by going with the shogun would be more of an entry level as opposed to thw trex?

Bob

[spork]

I thought that by going with the shogun would be more of an entry level as opposed to thw trex?

I'm certainly not an expert on the Shogun. But to me it's very similar to the Rex in size, complexity, etc. At least around here though the T-Rex's outnumber the Shoguns 50 to 1. So if the helis are equal, I go for the one with tons of parts, support, etc.

Please don't anyone get the wrong idea. I'm truly not trying to disparage the Shogun. I'd be curious to hear if there are plusses on the Shogun side (is it cheaper than a similar Rex?).

[rawtry]

I'm interested in learning Rick, which of the Trex do you feel is good...SA or SE,
Price, setup etc.

Bob

[spork]

I'm interested in learning Rick, which of the Trex do you feel is good...SA or SE,
Price, setup etc.

I can't profess to be the expert here either. I will tell you what I (think I) know.

A) they're all good.
B) the parts are interchangable. So no matter what you start with you can end up with basically any of the models after enough crashes and parts replacements.
C) There are two basic swashplate approaches, "regular" and CCPM. Some would describe them as "mechanical-CCPM vs. "electronic-CCPM". Each has their advantages. I like the eCCPM because it has less slop, fewer links, etc. Servos basically connect directly to the swashplate. The downside is that this puts the servo gears at greater risk in a crash (gear sets are typically around $3). Also, it requires a transmitter that supports eCCPM; and some feel the setup is more complicated. Finless has an excellent free video describing the eCCPM setup. So this is my preference, but both are good.
D) You can get it with plastic frames or carbon frames. I like the plastic because they're cheap and robust. Carbon frames may be stiffer (I don't know). Many people complain about glitching with the carbon frames. There's no question that you can hunt down the glitches, ground the frames, use CCPM, route wires carefully, use a ferrite, etc. For me the plastic works great. I think there are after market G10 frames. They seem like a good compromise to me as well.
E) You can get the SE with the Align metal head (which is nice) or start out with the plastic head. I think most like to upgrade to the metal head, but you can certainly upgrade as you go (after each crash).

So on the model, I think you're perfectly safe picking the one that's at the right price-point for you. The only significant choice here is whether to go eCCPM or "regular". And this only really matters to the extent that you need the transmitter to support eCCPM (most do - I suspect the Hitec may not). Even if you get a "regular" you can upgrade to eCCPM later. Many have (including myself).

Just as important is the choice of motor, batteries, ESC, RX and TX. Here are my personal opinions on those:

Motor: Align 430L. This is a very popular motor. Most seem to like it. There are plenty of others out there that are good as well. But you won't be going far wrong with this one (and it's pretty inexpensive).

Batteries: TP Pro-lite 2100's. These are pretty darn popular (and well supported) too. They aren't the cheapest available, but you won't go far wrong with them. Again, there are plenty of other choices. Get something that has at least 1900 mah capacity and 15C discharge rate (with 20C burst rate).

ESC: Seems like lots of people go with the Castle Creations (or CC) escs. I personally think they seem to be responsible for more than their share of glitches. I use an MMM 32amp ESC. Don't get a 25 amp ESC.

RX: I like the Futaba R146ip (PCM micro) RX. Some people feel you should start with an FM, get your bird glitch free - or close to it. Then go to PCM. I don't feel this is necessary personally, but I understand their thinking. The hot new item on the market is the Spektrum RX. This lets you fly without worry of glitches OR anyone else on your channel. But this requires a Spektrum TX or a Spectrum conversion.

TX: I like the Futaba 7CHP. It does PCM, has all the features you're likely to need for a long long time, and is inexpensive.

None of this is "the right answer". But I'm confident you'd be on very solid ground with these choices. It's always worth reading other opinions as well.

[rawtry]

Thanks very much Rick for taking the time to put that together. Alot to digest and I'm sure I'm going to refer back to this quite alot. I guess I have to really think this out, and I'm sure there is quite a learning curve.
Hopefully I get to have fun doing it. I'm sure you you will hear from me again.

Bob Awtry
Valencia, CA

[spork]

The learning curve continues as long as you're in the hobby. That's at least half the fun. Don't take any advice too seriously - particularly mine. You'll learn and have fun no matter what heli you get.

The fact that you're on the forum in the first place suggests you want to do a little research, get a head start, and minimize the "mistakes". That all makes sense.

[PABLO2001]

IS NO IMPORTAM

[PABLO2001]

The learning curve continues as long as you're in the hobby. That's at least half the fun. Don't take any advice too seriously - particularly mine. You'll learn and have fun no matter what heli you get.

The fact that you're on the forum in the first place suggests you want to do a little research, get a head start, and minimize the "mistakes". That all makes sense.IS NO IMPORTAM

[spork]

IS NO IMPORTAM

Sorry, I only speak english - and not all that well. Can someone translate for me?