FNG [Freaking New Guy] here!!

[crash test dummie]

I just got a great deal on a Blinged T-Rex from an old buddy of mine. The head is blinged out [450 SE] and it comes with a Align 35 AMP ESC. Align 430L motor, Wood and CF Blades and a JR G500T Gyro. All this for $150 bucks!!! I have only been playing with Helis for a couple of months. This might be like starting off [at 16 years old] driving a Corvette but I couldn't pass on the deal. I have been flying a lot of Helis on G3 and I have hovered [and flown around a little bit] my buddys MX 450.

What do you Helis folks think?? Should I have crashed up some smaller/cheeper Helis before jumping into the Rex? I have a CX2 and I can almost take a nap flying it, and the sim has really taught me a lot.

CTD

[r40734]

I say go for it! Welcome to the club...

By the way, what's wrong with having a Vette at 16? I did, and of all things that could have happened to it, an "adult" wrecked it for me.

[crash test dummie]

Thanks for the welcome. I can't wait to start flying Helis, 6 months on the sim has been great but the real thing will be so much better.

CTD

[frogbmth]

You're gonna love it! I started with a 450 rex and its an awesome heli, strap the training gear on and take her up - as soon as you feel you are in control, pull the gear off and enjoy :thumbup:

[Skarn]

Yep, fly the 450, you'll love it...it's a very stable heli and easy to learn on.

Good luck!
Skarn

[crash test dummie]

I handed the Trex over to Ray this AM. He will check out the sert up and get her trimmed out for me. Can't wait!!


CTD

[crash test dummie]

Thanks for the replys guys. Below is a short video of Ray's Mini Titan. He just put a new motor in her and you can see in the video it punches out like Mike Tyson is giving it an uppercut!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIWYIvxi73U

CTD

[crash test dummie]

Ray said he might have a chance to check out and trim my Trex tomorrow. If he gets her going I will maiden her on Sunday unless we have too much wind. I think I'll just hover her the 1st few flights. That is unless everything feels rite, then I may fly her around a bit.

Update to come.........

CTD

[JasonJ]

Well, you are better off starting out with the "Corvette" than if you had started with a "Chevette". Enjoy, and happy flyin'....

[crash test dummie]

Thanks Jason, I think you are rite. Ray has got her up into a hover but he said it will requite 4 or 5 more flights in order to be sure it can fly hands off or close to hands off.

More to come.

CTD

[crash test dummie]

Here are some pix of my Trex SE.

CTD

[Bone]

Nice bird... I am pretty new, too. I started with a blade 400, then got an offer to buy a trex 450se, so I bought it, then put a 401 gyro/9257 tail servo on it. Flies ten times easier than the blade and is more stable in the wind. Wish I would have just started with it! The 401 is a HUGE upgrade, too. I highly recommend it to start. One less thing to chase, while trying to learn.:YeaBaby:

Bone.

[crash test dummie]

Well boyz. Yeaterday I got my maiden in with the Trex. All I wanted to do was hover a bit. You know, so we could get to know each other a little bit. The winds were about 7 or so MPH. I got her up into a hover and it was FLYING!!!!! The wind was pushing me around a bit but not too bad. I hovered for only a minute or two and I thought........I'll put her down before the winds start to gust up. Live to fly another day.

I was flying on a dead end street of a new home subdivison that dead ends at a giant cornfield. The road was paved with asphalt and complete with curbs. The 8 inch tall grass [at the curbs edge] hadn't been cut in some time. Here is whare it gets intresting. I brought her into a low hover atempting to land. The Rex started to drift toward the curb and the tall grass so I set her down a bit sooner than I really wanted to and the right landing skid broke!!!! AAAUUUGGGGHHH!!!! I quickly closed the throttle to avoid the worst possible outcome. The DREADED DEAD CHICKEN DANCE!!! Somehow the broken LG got WACKED by the main rotor and went ZINNING past my head into the tall grass. She laid on her side with the rotor blades just barley kissing the asphalt with each slowing pass of the main rotor as the motor spooled down. I'll be changing out the main rotor blades with the 315 carbons. The tail rotors were destroyed but that was the extent of the damage!!!! Hoorah!!

I went to the LHS and got some new a set of tail rotor blades and some heavy duty LG made by JCS Hobbies. Looks like some rugged gear for heli newby like me. I put the new stuff on when I got home from work tonight and spun her up in the garage and all seems well. She is ready for flight #2 if the winds ever calm down around here.

http://www.jcshobbies.com/ (http://www.jcshobbies.com/)

Hey Bone,

Thanks for the encouragement. The floscent monocoat on the tail really shows up nice. You can't fly the tail if you cant see the tail, LOL!!

CTD

[r40734]

Git er dun!

[crash test dummie]

I'd like to Git er Dun, but the weather has been crap!! Tomorrow they are calling for high winds again. I"m hoping to fly her soon.

CTD

[r40734]

I'd like to Git er Dun, but the weather has been crap!! Tomorrow they are calling for high winds again. I"m hoping to fly her soon.

CTD

Let me guess... Cali?

[crash test dummie]

Nope, 50 miles west of Chicago. 16 to 26 MPH today.

CTD

[crash test dummie]

This morning it was dead calm!!! It's about time!!

I got to work about 45 minutes early so I went to a place that I can fly near the office and unpacked the Trex. I didn't do any thing too fancy. I just got her up into a hover and held it for a few minutes. Everything went very well, no crazy oops type of correction was needed. After a few minutes I thought to myself, good job now all you need to do is get her down on terra firma. I lowered the power and she came down, it was a picture perfect landing. Not even 1 bounce.

I powered her down and then waited for my heart rate to recover, LOL. After a few calming moments I powered her up again. I hoverd about 4 or 5 ft. off the deck for a few more miuntes. Then I wanted to see how well she would punch out of a hover so I advanced the throttle and it was like it was shot out of a cannon!!! Man this thing has a lot of power even with the stock 430L motor. After 2 punch outs I put her back into a hover and landed her. The second landing went as well as the 1st landing, relief!!

On the way home from work I stopped and hovered her some more, I know, I know, this if really getting boring. Well the wind had picked up this afternoon and it was a bit harder with the wind factor. I decided that I would do a little forward flight this time so I just nosed her forward and applied some power and she was off to the races. I only flew her around a little and the winds started to gust up all of the sudden. I brought her back in to land her. It was harder to get her back into the stable hover with the winds building. Well I was able to get her down safe and sound.

All in all I'd say I had a banner day!!! I think I'll stick to flying in VERY LOW winds until I get a couple of months of stick time under my belt.

CTD:)

[r40734]

Good job! Glad to hear the weather finally cooperated.

It got too hot for me to fly around here during the day. It was something like 110 today. Plus it has been getting windy as the day goes on. I went for one flight this afternoon and about baked to death. Interestingly enough, the battery and motor came down at about the same temp as always.

I guess I'm going to resort to trying to fly at 6am this summer, before the wind starts blowing and it gets too hot.

Keep up the the good work and patience and in no time you'll be flinging that heli around like you stole it.

[crash test dummie]

Thanks, It was good to get some stick time in.......finally!!!! I only burned up 1350 Mah on the early morning flight and I only put back 350 Mah into the pack I ran after work. So you can see I didn't get a lot of stick time. However it was quality time.

Thanks Again,
CTD

[Skarn]

Nice job bro! It only gets better!

Skarn

[crash test dummie]

Thanks Skarn!

I got to fly her again this morning. Again it was almost dead calm. I got a little more forward flight in with the Trex today. I havn't put her into idle up mode yet. The next flight I will go into idle up mode for my forward flight and I'll fly her around more. I"m just trying to take baby steps. Every time I lift off the ground I am getting more and more confortable with the heli. I also discoverd today that I have been flying on low rates, I think high rates will be fun. My buddy Ray set it up to be pretty mild in order to help me out in the beginning.

CTD

[crash test dummie]

Yesterday it was very windy in the later morning. I got 1 flight in with the Rex before the winds kicked up. I almost had my 1st crash!! It happened so fast I can't even describe exactly what happend. I just know Ray's advise to me about flying Heli's popped in my head in a split second [Like Yoda or Obwan speaking to Luke]. Never cut power like you do with a plane. Head speed and power are your friends. So as it was headding for Terra Firma I punched it and applied Right Aileron to level her out. The Rex jumped back up to a safe altitude and the drama was over!! I brought her in for a landing and that ended my Heli flying for the day. The winds kicked up to 20 to 25.

CTD

[crash test dummie]

I just got home from work and the flag outside is hanging limp. Why can't it be this calm when the sun is up!!!! Tomorow the weather says it will be very calm in the early morning. I can't beleive I might actually get a chance to fly the Rex. I think tomorrow I will put her into Idle up mode. I have been only flying in mode 1 so far. This is gonna be FUN!!:clappp

CTD

[Skarn]

I just got home from work and the flag outside is hanging limp. Why can't it be this calm when the sun is up!!!! Tomorow the weather says it will be very calm in the early morning. I can't beleive I might actually get a chance to fly the Rex. I think tomorrow I will put her into Idle up mode. I have been only flying in mode 1 so far. This is gonna be FUN!!:clappp
CTD

I hear ya bro! I use the flags at the entrance to my community as an indicator as well! It always seems like they hang limp whenever I am unable to fly.....8:00pm and I'm on my way somewhere....or 6:30am when I'm on my way to work! My family is so annoyed because I'm always saying "look at the freaking flags now!" LOL, they even say it for me now :)

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Skarn