Is a bigger heli more dangerous to a noob?

[rdlohr]

Originally Posted by seanh

, So you have been watching me!

Just because you are paranoid does not mean he is not watching you ...

Rick

[desertstalker]

Originally Posted by rdlohr

Just because you are paranoid does not mean he is not watching you ...

Rick

Yep I got some really powerful binoculars, can see you all the way from Australia

[Spogatz]

I know from experience that learning to fly a small cp heli like a nano and being able to fly it well, can be applied to a larger heli. Plus it is a big bonus that when I crash the nano I can just pick it up and fly some more as I am less likely to cause any real damage.

[Silverexpress01]

Checkout how they demonstrate the new Torque Tube gears on an Align.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KZtdMapbL1s#[/ame]

Now imagine bone matter in place of wood and concrete!

[ticojon]

I got hit in the knuckle with my MCPX; I was in paid for about 10 minutes. Also had a scar on my face for two months from being hit by the MCPX. My 200 size heli (Master CP) hit the wall and sliced 1/2 way through solid 5/8" wall board; 2 major gashes. I don't fly my 450 anywhere near where I stand and I usually have a plan for where to duck & cover if things go bad. I’ve heard stories of solid rods flying through the air and I’ve seen videos of mid-air malfunctions so bigger is more dangerous!

[Sabre1285]

My experience is I started small. I started over a 2 years ago with a MCX2. Flew it for 2 months obviously got bored with it. Then as a noob bought an Mcpx haha big mistake, but I learned to respect the power of CP helis. Let's just say if it was a bigger bird like a lot of people would suggest I my cheek might not be here. So stopped for a month then got a 120 sr and flew that for a long time now. During that time I picked up a sim got a lot of sim time in and did research. Now about a month ago I have a Nano cpx and am front flipping and hovering inverted in my living room just fine. I also flown blade 130s and 450s that friends own and they have no problem giving me the sticks cause I am cautious and respect what they are able to do. I will be getting a 300 this summer but I will be careful and not push myself past what I can do in real life. That is what the sim is for. So I say start small for three reasons. 1: You will crash and small is cheaper. 2: Small does far less damage then big. 3: If you can fly small very well you can fly big better because reaction and orientation is much more managable.

[mrpjones]

Well I think this question is a little miss leading. A larger heli is more dangerous in anybody's hands in comparison to a smaller heli. I would sure rather be hit by a nano rather than a 500 irrespective of the persons experience level, of course I would most rather not be hit at all...

Though if I may be miss reading the question than I'll provide my other interpretation: A heli is more likely to lose control in the hands of a beginner rather than experienced hands and since a larger heli can inflict greater damage then I would have to say "yes" there is a higher chance that it could hurt someone or someones wallet more than a smaller heli.

[rdlohr]

Originally Posted by mrpjones

Well I think this question is a little miss leading. A larger heli is more dangerous in anybody's hands in comparison to a smaller heli. I would sure rather be hit by a nano rather than a 500 irrespective of the persons experience level, of course I would most rather not be hit at all...

Though if I may be miss reading the question than I'll provide my other interpretation: A heli is more likely to lose control in the hands of a beginner rather than experienced hands and since a larger heli can inflict greater damage then I would have to say "yes" there is a higher chance that it could hurt someone or someones wallet more than a smaller heli.

Yes, you got the gist of my question.
Rick

[rdlohr]

One person has said this poll was misleading and that newbies skewed the data, I spent the last hour (that I wish I could have back) collecting data from each persons first post in this thread regarding how many years experience they had versus their answer.

The only factual way I could think of to capture years experience was by how long they have been a helifreak when they posted. Someone could have been flying far longer than they have been a HF, but I doubt that they were helifreaks longer than they were flying so this seemed like a conservative approach.

I had to make some assumptions on whether people said yes, no or unsure based on their post. If I wasn't sure I put them in the unsure category. I then removed the unsure people from the results.

---------------------Yes-----------No---------- People
All Data-----------76%---------24%--------- 45
1 Yr & up---------68%---------32%--------- 28
2 Yr & up---------75%---------32%---------16
3 Yr & up---------75%---------25%---------12
4 Yr & up---------67%---------33%---------6
5 Yr & up---------67%---------33%---------3


The results of the poll and the post data lean far toward the consensus that a larger heli is more dangerous to a newbie.

Many said given the right mind set and/or proper instruction you could learn on a larger heli but the overwhelming majority thought a larger heli to be more dangerous for a newbie to learn on. It is obviously true that you can learn on a large heli since that was the only way to learn until recently when MCP-X and similar helis came available as an option.

Rick

[rdlohr]

Another sad day for a fellow pilot ...

https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=561927

Rick

[bryont]

Will new technologies such as flight controllers with Hard deck heights and Geo Fencing make flying large helicopters safer?

[rdlohr]

Originally Posted by bryont

Will new technologies such as flight controllers with Hard deck heights and Geo Fencing make flying large helicopters safer?

Assuming a newbie can set it up correctly and it works correctly, I would say yes. However, until someone has mastered the basic skills to control a heli, I don't see much value with having them on a large heli. After that, these things would be an option for those that want to go that route. Some will say it's cheating but I say do whatever makes you happy. Its a hobby. Thats what its all about.

Rick

[Arclight338]

This poll can be misleading. If a new guy MASTERS the fundamentals BEFORE trying funnels,hurricanes etc.-I actually think a larger more stable heli would actually HELP a noob. But,maturity level makes a big difference. As we age and survive all our mistakes,I hope we are wiser and recognize what is and isn't a safe practice.

Many who fly real airplanes want to advance to more complex aircraft faster than they should. Riders of sport bikes think,well I've ridden on dirt all my life-so why not get a 1000cc Superbike as my first streetbike....I'll just take it easy And of course after watching one of the many smack 3d video's on Youtube some may want to skip the tedious practice of hovering in all orientations and flying forward and backwards before trying close and personal hurricanes. In that case a 450 can bite HARD!!

Respect for safety must be enforced because common sense isn't all that common.

[rdlohr]

Originally Posted by Arclight338

This poll can be misleading. If a new guy MASTERS the fundamentals BEFORE trying funnels,hurricanes etc.-I actually think a larger more stable heli would actually HELP a noob. But,maturity level makes a big difference. As we age and survive all our mistakes,I hope we are wiser and recognize what is and isn't a safe practice.

Many who fly real airplanes want to advance to more complex aircraft faster than they should. Riders of sport bikes think,well I've ridden on dirt all my life-so why not get a 1000cc Superbike as my first streetbike....I'll just take it easy And of course after watching one of the many smack 3d video's on Youtube some may want to skip the tedious practice of hovering in all orientations and flying forward and backwards before trying close and personal hurricanes. In that case a 450 can bite HARD!!

Respect for safety must be enforced because common sense isn't all that common.

This poll is about newbies that have not mastered the basics yet.

Rick

[Kcaj]

Bigger can do more damage..

[Smoggie]

Originally Posted by Kcaj

Bigger can do more damage..

+1 It's kinda obvious really. A bigger heli poses a greater potential threat.

[Aryemis]

As having started off with a mcpx, around 5 months ago, and having maidened my 450 a couple days ago, I really think that starting with a mcpx and a sim is the best way to do it (unless you have an instructor with a buddy box obviously).
I learned how to hover tail in only with the mcpx, crashing it dozens of times, then I started playing on the sim.
I'm currently comfortable in pretty much all orientations (inverted I mostly fly tail in). I can flip and roll fine, but I can't do circuits.

I'm pretty comfortable with my 450 as it is, but I would probably have been scared of it, crashed it, and gotten out of the hobby if I had started with it.
I was kinda scared to fly it, but after a mcpx, it was really easy to fly, and I was comfortable enough to flip & roll by the 2nd flight.

[Bassman12350]

Forgive me for resurrecting an older thread, but I wanted to comment - - I am a noob, but I fully understand the theory of rotational dynamics and rotor inertia. Larger is definitely more dangerous, though I know little helis can bite too (I got bitten once by my Nano CP x).

Consider it safe to say what one has with a larger (particularly a 500 class or larger heli) is like a "flying rotary lawn mower." When one considers that a large heli has a motor capable of developing one horsepower or more driving large blades at high rpm, it's no wonder people are maimed or possibly killed by blade strikes.

My suggestion to those not well-trained in flying a heli; take a LOT of time learning to fly a smaller bird first. There's less chance of (serious) injury and crashes are much less expensive. . . .

[Epoweredrc]

I been flying helis for 8 yrs on and off, more on then off the last few years, I have flown planes fo 24 yrs now.. I have flown up to 30% scale Airplanes and been around many planes, that size w/o worries but Biggest heli i have owed is a 450 that flew. Built a 500 but never finished it, I have flown a 500 before. but over a 500 scare me still. I will not be within 20 feet of a pilot flying a 600-800 sized heli they just scare me and i feel pilots fly to close to them, I fly my MCPX 2 feet in front of me, my 450 about 10 feet in front. I feel a 500 or bigger should be flown at least 20 feet away at all times. just way to many things could happen. Those blades are BIG...

Sure a big plane could hurt you fast also but i feel there is more time to run from a plane.
plus its prop is not even half the size of a 700 main blades

[Thunderboat42]

Interesting thread with wide but consistent opinions.

As a 2 month newbie (exp fixed wing though) started w the 120sr in the basement and some carbon rods for training gear. Hover. Tail in. Nose in. Etc move to MCPx V2

when i finally get outside w wind yeah i lost the micro MCPx and it layered off a quarter size chunk of skin Although i am flying around. Climbing/decending pirouetes. Basic 8's etc all in less than $30 in parts (to include a tail motor)

But. 1: parts are cheap. More stick time learning safer 2: MCPx is unforgiving in reaction time

I got to fly a nitro copter and yeah it wold cause damage but was very stable and can see it better Total pleasure and was easier With expensive parts too

Now. I like the way i learned and still learning i think a bigger one would be away far evough i would not have hit myself i also think i would still be learning the basics due to less flight time

Please forgive this ole guys typos ,.. kids got me a touch screen tablet geez

Please forgive the ole guy touch scrreen typos kids got me a tablet lordy

Originally Posted by pjuran

I think the best platform to learn on is the 250. It's small, cheap to fix, you can fly it anywhere and its hard to fly.

It will teach you the fine/precise set up and flying skills you need to be a great pilot. If you can set up a 250 well and fly it good you will be able to fly anything.

You can still get hurt with a 250 so you should always excerise caution no matter what size heli you fly. Those blades spin very very fast.

I'm still afraid of my 450 when it spools up!