choosing

[va3sax]

Hello everyone
I'm just trying to get into things and I'm looking at a recommendation for a nice heli to start with. I've been working a little bit on hovering skills in a simulator. I'm on a student budget for this so my primary choices are in the price class of $200 or less. this is my list so far
Esky LAMA V4
Eflite Blade CX2

Eflite Blade CP

from what I've read here the Trex 450 is a popular choice however from what I've seen its far outside of what I can afford at present

[TheBum]

I started with the Blade CX2 and it has benefitted me in my initial RC-Tek Diablo flying. The latest version of the CX2 has a few enhancements, such as the CNC upper hub and separate ESC and receiver.

[Gimbal Lock]

Welcome to the freak!


I don't have enough experience with the helis you're contemplating, but you'll have plenty of help here soon.

73

[JasonJ]

I have a Lama V3, which is basically the same thing ans a V4 mechanically, just has a different body. I personally would go with a V3, because if you fly it outside, it won't be as bullied in a mild breeze as the V4 because it has less body work. There is a conversion kit for the V3 that makes it look like a pod & boom style.

You can get the Lama V3 on sale at Hobby Lobby pretty cheap. Any coax you get, the first thing you need to get is Xtreme blades. They do not break, unlike the stock blades which break if someone in China farts. I have had some awesome crashes with my V3. One was a full speed run into the side of my truck. You can get these coaxes going pretty fast if you are doing large clockwise circles. Mine hit the truck and bounced a solid ten feet. No damage other than the canopy was pooched in. The tail on the V3 is pretty fragile though. I have had some high speed air/ground interactions and the tail has broken several times. They do sell a flexible tail for the V3, but I ordered the Xtreme sport conversion so it will look more like a pod & boom.

I like my little V3, it has helped enormously in my orientation and stick use. My crash rate dropped to nothing flying my Falcon 3D after getting the Lama. They are very durable, parts and upgrades are cheap, and they are fun. They are not intended for outside use, but they work great outside if there is no wind. It gets you used to looked up at a helicopter. I tend to fly mine about 20-30 feet up and about 30-40 feet away.

I would not get a Blade cp. It has a seperate motor for the tail (they burn out and you are stuck fixing when you should be flying), and it can be a handful for a new pilot. The coaxes are great for beginners and will give you the basic understanding of radio controlled helicopter flight much more quickly than the Blade CP will.

Some will say to get a sim, and I would agree for the most part. The one thing about a sim though is you are not outside actually flying anything. Its a good tool to learn, but in my opinion, this hobby is about having fun and being outside in the fresh air. I would much rather take my coax outside and fly around in the nice weather. Of course, the sim will always work, rain or shine....

[kygirl]

I'm just a beginner too. My boyfriend flies Raptors and I recently started hovering the Axe CP. It costs around $200.00 which we've changed a few things on it. Some people say that the smaller the helicopter the harder it is to fly but personally, I would rather start out on something hard and work my way to a bigger/easier heli. I LOVE my Axe, it's pretty good for now. The best way to start is on a sim though. Even though actually flying and flying on the sim is very different, it helps prepare you. If I were you I'd go for the Axe :-)
Good luck and God bless!

[dmulligan]

I started out on a Blade CX2 as well. The Lama is way cheaper and you can afford a lot of the parts that you invariably will need. However the Blade CX2 is supported at your LHS (local hobby store) where as ESky products are not.

Some more helis for you to consider @ under $200:
- ESky Honeybee FP - arguably the most durable learning bird out there. Mine is ready to maiden as soon as I fix up the battery hanger. They are made for NiMH packs but LiPos need to sit further forward.
- ESky Honeybee King V2 - One of the most popular CP helis out there. It is an outdoor only bird though.

If you decide on the Lama V4.. www.dealextreme.com has it with free shipping for give or take on $85.

No matter what you do make sure you save enough money to buy an adapter or an ESky USB TX so you can run at least the FMS simulator. Personally I use Clearview.

[DebianDog]

Save your money and practice more on the sim. Buy a used 450 if you have to. My 2c

[va3sax]

My Lama V3 an extra battery and the computer interface cable for it have all been ordered. I expect them to show up here in a few weeks depending on what customs chooses to do. Thanks to you all. The Trex will be next on the list once I've logged a few more sim hours as well as hours the Lama.

[JasonJ]

Here is my Lama V3 with the Xtreme sport conversion and Xtreme blades. I prefer the pod & boom look to the stock yellow Lama bodywork. The stocker always looked toy-ish to me. My front yard/driveway has plenty of room for the lama, not as much room for the Falcon expect for hovering about.

[Mercuriell]

Nice pic Jason - very pretty little heli - almost lose the top rotor in that photo! I'd agree with getting a co-ax for FUN - they bounce well and use the same controls as the bigger helis and are very useful for getting orientation - much more fun than the sim which is just another computer game and lacks the 3D and overall spatial orientaion needed to fly - I think the sims are useful when experimenting with control mixes safely eg seeing how much negative collective needed to prevent ballooning when pulling up hard from FFF or practicing aerobatics.

[warrengrob]

Yeah I agree with DebianDog (http://www.helifreak.com/member.php?u=2380). I had the axe for about a month and didn't progress much past hovering tail in. I got an hdx450(which in my opinion is just as good as the T-rex) yesterday, and this afternoon I was hovering nose in and doing FF all over. I'm probably going to test the dirt breaks on her pretty soon.:lol: I don't have a simulator but it can only be a great help.

Good luck