Coming back after a long break, advice needed

[jdfelosi]

Ok, I've been out of the hobby for a few years and have flown nothing but quads for the past few years. When I was doing heli before it was 450's and 500's and to be honest they were a bit twitchy/sensitive for my ability, parts were cheap but got tired of crashing nearly every time I went out. Got to fly one of the new 600 dominators with the gpro and gotta say I really liked it.
My question is, should I go 600 or 700? Initial investment isn't an issue but parts / battery costs is to an extent. 700 isn't really that much bigger by the numbers but it is in the air from what I've read. Nearest LHS is nearly 3 hours away. Wanting to make purchase while 10% sale is still going, thoughts?

[KiloXray]

I would definitely go for an 800, that is, if you think a 500 is twitchy.

The reality is that, you should buy a sim, if you are feeling like a 500 is way too fast for you, not a bigger heli.

It sounds like you are trying to jump into something that you are not ready for and that is extremely unsafe. A 600+ heli can kill you.

[svensson_bo_l]

Originally Posted by jdfelosi

Ok, I've been out of the hobby for a few years and have flown nothing but quads for the past few years. When I was doing heli before it was 450's and 500's and to be honest they were a bit twitchy/sensitive for my ability, parts were cheap but got tired of crashing nearly every time I went out. Got to fly one of the new 600 dominators with the gpro and gotta say I really liked it.
My question is, should I go 600 or 700? Initial investment isn't an issue but parts / battery costs is to an extent. 700 isn't really that much bigger by the numbers but it is in the air from what I've read. Nearest LHS is nearly 3 hours away. Wanting to make purchase while 10% sale is still going, thoughts?

IMO when you go beyond 450 and 500 there are three sizes
I would recommend you to consider:
– 550. Can typically fly on a 6s 5Ah LiPo.
– 600. Can typically fly on two 6s 3.5-4Ah LiPo.
– 700. Can typically fly on two 6s 5Ah LiPo.

There are many aspects to consider when choosing size and model.

I'm just trying to get the 550 into the picture too…

Regards,
Bo

[BladeScraperz]

If you've been out of the heli game for awhile, you're going to be suprised what the recent fbl systems can do for even a tiny bird nowadays. My T500 was initially a FB heli, now converted to fbl and it's super stable now. Can be dialed up or down easily, very versatile. If I had to do it over again I would consider getting the 180cfx or Oxy 3, the big birds can be very intimidating and are dangerous.

[Nelsonisms]

I usually feel like these kinds of threads are more for moral support since it sounds like you've kind of made up your mind already. Only you can know what you're ready to take on and I'm not going to try to persuade you one way or another. I do agree with BladeScraperz that the flight controllers these days are pretty nice and can easily tame down a 450 or 500 to make it less "twitchy". So if that's the only thing pushing you toward a 600 or 700 then you might reconsider there. However, larger helis are really fun if you give them the respect they deserve. If you're dead set on a T-Rex 600 or 700 with GPro then I imagine either one would do fine. Just do your homework and learn how to set it up properly. I've heard good things about GPro versus their older 3GX, but I've heard a lot more about some of the others on the market today. You might look into some of the controllers with "rescue" or "self-level" functionality that can help you recover if you get disoriented while re-learning. Good luck!

[jdfelosi]

I've been using pheonix sim the entire time, it's not that my skills are lacking, not liking 450-500 isn't the issue, I can fly them both just fine, I just want something bigger that is more stable

[Nelsonisms]

I do agree that a 550 should be in the running too. They're nice because they're the biggest size that can still run on a single 6S pack. A big 12S 600 or 700 is nice, but the cost of batteries is double. I'm not a huge T-Rex fan, but the latest T-Rex 550 is a pretty big heli. It actually has a 600 class head and boom on it, so it's really pretty much a 600 with shorter main blades that can run on 6S.

[KiloXray]

Originally Posted by jdfelosi

I've been using pheonix sim the entire time, it's not that my skills are lacking, not liking 450-500 isn't the issue, I can fly them both just fine, I just want something bigger that is more stable

Well in that case, if cost is not an issue and you are only going to have one big heli, I can't think of any reason to not go with a 700.

If your'e gonna go...go big. If you're gonna be a bear, be a grizzly.

[FlyBri3]

Between a 600 and 700 I would go for the 700! Both 12s and both will fly very stable. There is just something about throwing a 700 around! LOL I have only had mine for a few months but I am loving it and am saving up for another 700 already! My 550 is great to fly as well, but just not the same as the 700! That being said, which ever you decide you will be very happy for sure over what you flew a few years ago! Best of luck.

[Puttputt maru]

Which ever size of helicopter that you end up with if you are concern about crashing and parts costs than get a FBL with a rescue feature. I am partial to the BD3Sx personally and the first avoided crash will pay for it.

I think the new FBL with rescue will take away a lot of $ from the helicopter producers, they are so good now at saving you, your helicopter and your $.

Enjoy the new technology.

[3D Dave]

If this is correct...

When I was doing heli before it was 450's and 500's and to be honest they were a bit twitchy/sensitive for my ability, parts were cheap but got tired of crashing nearly every time I went out.

Then I would probably get a SIM and a micro keep practicing on those. If a 500 was twitchy, it's because you have to slow it down and/or slow yourself down. My best advice ever... "take baby steps" It will help you stay safer and help build confidence and a solid skill foundation.

If you're set on getting a 600 or 700 (they are more stable) then I'd recommend the Protos Max V2. The heli and parts are very reasonable and I'm sure online orders would get to you pretty quick.

If it were 6 months from now I'd say the Logo 700SX but it's not going to be available until late this year or early next.

Either way, put a V-Bar NEO w/Rescue on it and you shouldn't have to worry as much about crashing.

I'd honestly decide if you're really ready for a 600/700 though. If you're not quite ready, the repair bill for you might not be worth the risk if you know what I mean. Repairing helis is nothing compared to repairing the pilot.

[BladeScraperz]

Originally Posted by Nelsonisms

I usually feel like these kinds of threads are more for moral support since it sounds like you've kind of made up your mind already. Only you can know what you're ready to take on and I'm not going to try to persuade you one way or another. I do agree with BladeScraperz that the flight controllers these days are pretty nice and can easily tame down a 450 or 500 to make it less "twitchy". So if that's the only thing pushing you toward a 600 or 700 then you might reconsider there. However, larger helis are really fun if you give them the respect they deserve. If you're dead set on a T-Rex 600 or 700 with GPro then I imagine either one would do fine. Just do your homework and learn how to set it up properly. I've heard good things about GPro versus their older 3GX, but I've heard a lot more about some of the others on the market today. You might look into some of the controllers with "rescue" or "self-level" functionality that can help you recover if you get disoriented while re-learning. Good luck!

The intimidation factor can get you too if you're not used to that size. I remember crashing a few times just from being nervous and locked up but not really having that feeling with the smaller birds. Thats one thing the sim won't teach you. It took awhile to get used too but there is no other size that compares to a 700 imo

[myxiplx]

If you're concerned about costs a 550 size is a good option, and any modern FBL can tame it down so its not twitchy at all. And if you want, there are plenty of FBL's with bailout making crashes even less likely.

And then if you like that, and find crash costs aren't a concern, you can step up to a 700 size and share packs between your 550 and 700.

[Braydubya]

Goblin 700
I've seen killer deals in the for sale forum

[ThePhoenixxxxx]

I'll be that guy I second all the rescue recommendations! If you had some past crashes and hate the down time and repairing, then look into a FBL system with some form of rescue. On a 500 and up if it saves one or two crashes a season it's likely paid for itself. That said I've been very pleased with the Bavarian Demon 3SX, though having started on Beastx units I'm interested to see how well there rescue works as I could be swayed to make the switch back.

[svensson_bo_l]

Originally Posted by jdfelosi

Ok, I've been out of the hobby for a few years and have flown nothing but quads for the past few years. When I was doing heli before it was 450's and 500's and to be honest they were a bit twitchy/sensitive for my ability, parts were cheap but got tired of crashing nearly every time I went out. Got to fly one of the new 600 dominators with the gpro and gotta say I really liked it.
My question is, should I go 600 or 700? Initial investment isn't an issue but parts / battery costs is to an extent. 700 isn't really that much bigger by the numbers but it is in the air from what I've read. Nearest LHS is nearly 3 hours away. Wanting to make purchase while 10% sale is still going, thoughts?

I have read through this thread again and…
If 450 and 500 are, I quote: "a bit twitchy/sensitive for my ability",
the solution is not to get a bigger heli.
If you can handle a 450 or a 500 you can handle bigger helis.
If you are uncomfortable flying 450 or 500, moving to a bigger
heli is to take a big risk.

For your own and everyone else's safety I suggest:
1. Get a good sim to practice on.
2. Get a 450 or possibly a 500 and fly with it until you become
comfortable with it.

How long that takes, expressed in time or flights is hard to say.
There is also the possibility that if a heli is hard to handle it
depends on heli or setup, rather than on your abilities. If
you believe that is a possibility, have someone else look
at it, as a second opinion.

Regards,
Bo

[FailureToFly]

Too twitchy/sensitive generally means you have the wrong setup or you simply lack ability/experience.

The solution is tuning the heli so it's less twitchy/quick and practicing more on the sim so you tune the sim and RL helis similarly and move forward in unison.

A 450 is very stable with a tuned FBL unit and a bucket load of fun. The modern 6S ones are basically extreme 3D machines nowadays. Care free and absolutely crazy IMHO.

A 700 is very dangerous, still extremely quick and whilst easier to see and more 'stable', they are much faster and far more expensive to crash.

If you are in any way afraid of the smaller helis, you should not get a large heli.

IMHO you should not start with a bigger heli.

If you cannot perform a move on a 450 sized heli, you cannot do the move. It's not the size that counts...

The bottom line is that if you want a big heli and it's just fun money, go buy it. But, there are many, many people that have trod the path you are considering and most of them generally are not in the hobby any more. A couple of crashes like this (which is part of learning unfortunately) and you quickly decide that forking out $500 in repairs isn't worth it.

Now reduce that down to $50 for the same crash and you start seeing things differently.

Once you are flying well, get a 700. But honestly, you really don't get more 'fun' out of a 700 than a smaller heli unless you fly comps...frequently people own them simply for the wank factor. These toys essentially do the same thing but buy what you like with a strong consideration for what is sustainable enough to keep you flying.

If nothing but a 700 will do then go for it but again, you may be better off with another hobby if only a 700 is it as you can't fly them as much and you are far more limited.

[rb30cory]

700's are awesome.. but I will second the danger factor.. I even get surprised by mine after 100 flights - it covers a lot of space very quickly.. I'd save them for later as you progress.. just my opinion from personal experience.

I'd say 500 range would be a good start, even a Stretched X3 is a great heli.

[TheBum]

550 is one of those iffy sizes. If the airframe is light enough, it's a nice size, but many 550s are hard on packs. My Logo 500 swinging 550s was one of those. A 500-520 that can use 6S 4000+ packs flies great and doesn't stress the batteries nearly as much.

[jdfelosi]

I may have stated the "ability" thing wrong, I can fly 450-500 just fine and I usually hit the SIM everyday. Keep in mind when I was flying before FBL was just staring to come on the scene and to be honest the heli's I had were 2nd hand and pieced together. This purchase will be my first real new kit. Reason I didn't consider the 550 is because the 600 is only 80$ more. I feel like I'm being shamed out of buying a new one. I realize there are a lot of idiots that jump in and buy big Helis and hurt themselves and others. I'm 39 years old and have been doing RC since I was 12. If I didn't feel safe with a big Heli I wouldn't have wasted your guys time with the question.