OK What heli should I buy next ???

[frich01]

OK I got the Blade CP pretty much under control ( no 3D yet ) now I want for bigger and better things, I think I would like to move to either a nitro machine or a high end electric. BUT I'm not sure where to go at this point I do have 20 years exp with nitro planes so the engine part dosen't bug me, It's just that there are SOOO many machines to chose from I am lost. Maybe if I go nitro I just need something I can hop up as my skills demand.
So if anyone has some good suggestions please feel free, I'm all ears, I just don't want to run out and buy some turd of a heli without a little input from someone who has been at it a while and knows what works.


Thanks in advance for any help
Fred

[edm3]

Welcome to the hobby, heli side that is.

I know there are many opinions out there but this worked for. I bought a Raptor 30 V2 with an OS32 from www.heliproz.com. The whole kit cost just short of 400 dollars. Parts are cheap and plentiful and the helicopter is stable enough for a novice like me.

I took my time building and flew the sim, Realflights G2 in my case, during the building process. If I had one thing to do over I would have bought a Raptor 50v2 but the 30 is a good machine and it works because I am still in the learning phase and I think 3d is a ways off for me.

You came to the right place to ask your questions lots of experience here, and it seems on this site anyway that the only dumb question is the one not asked.

Have fun!!!

Ed :glasses2:

[DebianDog]

Yeah if you cat afford a 50 then a Rappy 30

[Seeker]

I grabbed the raptor 50 with the engine. It came with a set of wood blades as well as a set of carbons too as well as 49 ball bearings. (under $500 new)

From what I hear the 50 should be a lot more stable than the 30 as well as take me into some stuff I'll need the extra engine for.

I went with the Futaba 9CHP with the 9001 servos and the futaba 401 gyro with the digital servo. (another $700)

I figure a few minor upgrades to the heli and the set up could last me a few years and get me into some advanced stuff (as long as my fingers can do it).

I think I got the most "bang for the buck" I could'a gotten.

Also, parts are available locally for the raptor 50. That had a lot to play in the model brand.

[Whirly-Girl]

If $ is not an issue, definitely go with the Raptor 50 over the 30. You'll out grow the 30 if you have any desires (right now) of doing aerobatics. And I also HIGHLY recommend HeliProz.

[ClayK]

I did the same as previously mentioned. Got a Raptor 50v2 w/ OS engine, wood blades and carbon blades kit from HeliProz. Was only a little more than the 30 kit when I bought it, worth it though.

[flyinfool]

You may want to check out the prices and featurs of the Gohbee Stinger 30 / 50 helies.
They have many parts that are interchangeable with the Raptor from the swash down.
The Singers repair parts are roughly 2/3 the cost of the same raptor part.
It is the opinion of many, including myself, thet have owned both the Stinger and the Raptor that the Stinger head design flies better than the Raptor head design.

[ProFlight]

Yeah.......I was in a similar situation as yours. Bought a Esky Honey Bee CP2 first to give me a taste of what helis are about after flying fixed wings for several years. The HB2 is a great little heli but you find yourself wanting something a little bigger and more stable so you can go on to learning heli flight a bit more seriously.

There's allot of good suggestions on here so far and all are worth you checking in to. I recently purchased an Audacity Models Tiger 50 after much research. This is a great heli for the beginner and will carry you through to some major 3D action when you are ready. If you have never put together a glow heli, this one is perfect for the noob (such as myself) and has been a total blast to build. Many of the parts are already put together for you and the manual is very easy to follow. There are many mods and upgrades available for this bird and the costs are very reasonable. Did I mention that the customer service is great! Check 'em out at:
http://audacitymodels.com
:D

[Gunner]

I agree with Proflight. I started in the hobby by getting the G3 sim. Then went to the Eblade. I did a ton of research and decided to go with a Raptor. When I talked to Heliproz, they urged me to go with a 50 over the 30. They said I would outgrow the 30 but I could live a long, happy life with the 50. And the additional cost wasn't that much. Now unfortuneately for them, since I decided to go to a 50, I stated looking at the Tiger from Audacity. Very impressive chopper. They basically took the Raptor 50 and improved it in a number of areas. The Raptor still seems to be the most popular but definitely get on the web site and read the white paper and the magazine reviews. They have over 75 dealers around the country and even if one is not close to you, you can order the Tiger and parts directly from Audacity. I have received them in as few as 3 days. I'm still new so I don't have any other choppers to compare the Tiger to but I'm real impressed with it and there's a lot of favorable press about it on the forums.

[tnreefguy]

I would seriously look at the new heli from Gohbee. Its a 60 90 version with a metal head belt driving tail. Like 499. Start out with a 60 in it and as you progress put a 90 in it.

[RAV50]

I trust that you have a standard radio with the required heli software in it. I believe the one that comes with your Blade CP is for small field flying and may not have the range for use with the larger helis.

So considering the fact that you may need new radio gear, and for sure a new Gyro, IMHO the helicopter becomes secondary, as most helis of consequence today can bring you well into the realm of the more extreme 3D. Most 30's (Hawk Pro, Sceado 30, Raptor 30) using an OS37 or Toki 40 can easily do so. So can many 50's with the OS50Hyper engine. But some may require spending a varied amount of money on uprades to be able to take the extreme G's of continual 3D flight.

So I believe that if you are on a budget, spend as much as you can on the engine (eg. in a 30 size, go for the OS37 or Toki 40, not the TT36 or in a 50 go with the OS50Hyper and not the TT50). Spend as much as you can on the radio (e.g. go to the Futaba 7C or 9C instead of the 6EH) and as much as you can on the gyro/servo combo. (e.g. go for the Futaba GY-401/9254 instead of the GY240/S3001).

Spending as much as you can on these more important items will pay off much more later then scrimping on them initially to go to a 50 heli right away.

With good equipment, a relatively inexpensive heli like a Hawk Pro ($200.00) with an OS37 can take you from hover and on into some pretty extreme 3D. And later when you go into a 50/60 or 90, the better radio/gyro can go on with you.

On the other hand, going to a 50 (e.g. Raven 50, Sceado 50, Raptor 50SE .. all 50 size helis that will not require any upgrades to take on hard 3D for 100's of flights without prematurely wearing out important components) now and skimping on the radio/gyro, will mean that you will quickly find you will have to spend money upgrading these in order to get all you can from the top 50's.

In larger electric that are great outdoors and can take you well