Replacement mini heli questions

[Joemeredith]

Hey guys, last week my mate lost my mini heli - go figure right!!

So now im in the market to replace it, but im not sure which to get!

I see the options as a blade mcpx, a honey bee (slightly bigger but im ok with slightly bigger) or one of these: http://www.buzzflyer.co.uk/Sub-Micro...d01/p-97-1884/. Or the last option being a blade msrx.

The HB is something that id like to have based on the size, but dont know if id want the cp version if i have a heli that big, but the cp is going to be a bit to much for learning on right? The blades to me look a little sucky - not quality wise just the aesthetics look a little sucky hehe. The walkera's look is much more awesome, but i havnt heard much on their mini heli's - are they any good?

What would you guys get in my position? Im getting pretty capable at holding a fp in the air but not getting to the point of calling myself intermediate yet - just slightly towards the top end of beginner. And want somethin that holds outside flight - possible for some indoor flight but im not too bothered about that based on the indoor space i have available.

I appreciate any input guys, a little lost with thos one and dont want to buy rubbish like i did with my last mini!!

[copterboy]

I'd say pre-order a Blade130X Won't be long to wait for them now.

[Joemeredith]

A fair point, but i only have an esky controller so would need to buy a tx on top of that - heavily increasing the total price of everything as id aim for some form of spektrum.
I had looked at the 130 but the total price was a bit high at the moment. Plus i am on holiday this weekend and want a replacement by then!

[copterboy]

Patience is a virue in this hobby my friend Buy cheap buy twice etc If you can bear being without a heli for the weekend, I would stand by what I said and urge you to wait a little longer, and spend a little extra. Will work out cheaper in the long run.

I suppose if you only want a FP heli, then the Walkera would be another good learning tool, but eventually you will outgrow it and end up wanting again. So eventually you'll end up wanting a Comp TX and CP heli anyway. Would it not be better/cheaper in the long term to buy the TX and CP heli now, and use the Comp TX to dumb it down while you progress.

I'd still recommend waiting a little longer to get a better TX that will serve you well with whatever heli you want to fly (FP or CP), and a better heli because that will also help you progress quicker. Don't be afraid to take a step upto the next level, just make sure you do it the right way. Your definately in the right place to get some good advice.

Some great cheap DX6i 2nd hand deals on BMFA.org (resouces tab/small ads/radios section) or ebay, as people are jumping on the DSMX/DX7S/DX8 bandwagon. Plus you might even get a good deal on a RTF MSRx's, as everyone is selling up ahead of the 130X release.

In all honesty, I just never liked Walkera as a brand, but I know some people do. Majority seem to think the quality is fairly poor. I find stock availability in the UK always seems limited. Whereas e-flite is much better supported/widely distributed.

[Joemeredith]

Hmm i get what your saying - dont forget (suppose im not here to remind enough though :p) i still have the CPX so a cp heli is covered for the future. And in a way i guess thats an argument for heading down a DX6 route, i have heard they arent too bad for beginners and if i can find a decent second hand nice and cheap then i think it would be a good option anyway for the CPX.

Yeah patience in a huge virtue, i have been searching in this topic for about a week now, and then have come and posted here a few days before ill order (no cash till thurs ) that way i can get some of that advice you mentioned is so useful here :p.

The walkeras do seem to struggle for stock a little, though buzzflyer seems ok for them, my LHS though is Blade's which would make an arguement for an MSR or MCPX etc as they will have all the parts about. Does anyone else offer anything in the HB size range thats fixed pitch?

I think im now leaning towards the blade side of things again, looks is less important than quality tbh and something i can learn up on properly and well is a good call, plus i guess the smaller i stay the more robust at 40ft+ crashes!! Just gets a little hard to see these micro beasts in the air (the excuse my mate used... After telling me he hadnt lost control but because of the wind couldnt fly forwards - erm so the wind is in control and your not then!!)

[Joemeredith]

Well just had a look and found a DX6i for £67 that wouldnt be too bad, problem is i cant contact the seller cause i have to register on the BMFA site first and dont have a BMFA number so cant register... Fun times right

[wulfrun]

mCP X, without a doubt. It's not that hard to fly if you can manage a FP, it's pretty crash-resistant and a DX6i or similar will stand you in good stead for the future - plus you can improve your CPX just by adding a Spektrum receiver, at little cost. I just bought an mCP X last week and find it holds up far better in wind than it has any right to for its size! Probably less affected than my Belt CP, which is ridiculous. It's not very indoors-friendly though, until you get pretty advanced anyway - or if you have very big rooms.

An mSR is easy to fly but utterly useless outside except on totally calm days - a blast for indoors though. mSR X is better but a flighty little bugger, handles wind reasonably well for a tiny, lightweight FP.

If the Walkera behaves anything like my 4#3B, I'll take my hat off to you if you can fly it (and I'm not alone in saying so, by a long way). It would be better off without the tail gyro, which dances the tail around (despite multiple attempts at adjustment) to the extent that all you can really do is fight it in hover or wander off in a drunken approximation to the desired direction. The 4#3B is not very crash-resistant either. Hopefully, Walkera have improved their act since.

[Joemeredith]

Sounds like the mcpx is a bit of a winner then!

One thing i read about it today is that the V2 can have a bug, some have said that it will 90 degree piro (im assuming here a piro is spinning the heli as they mentioned it was something to do with the tail holding). Is this something that is common and easily fixable?

[wulfrun]

Originally Posted by Joemeredith

Sounds like the mcpx is a bit of a winner then!

One thing i read about it today is that the V2 can have a bug, some have said that it will 90 degree piro (im assuming here a piro is spinning the heli as they mentioned it was something to do with the tail holding). Is this something that is common and easily fixable?

It does get a mention in the mCP X forum. Have a read for yourself but I think it's to do with vibration affecting the gyros and can be fixed by isolating the board. Can't speak from personal experience, I bought a V1 on purpose!

[Joemeredith]

Totally wish i could find a v1 but they seem pretty scarce!! As i wouldnt mind in the future looking at a BL upgrade to it at some point and the v1 board seems the best for it.

I think i have ended up deciding on a blade, they just seem to have the best reviews and more people suggesting them, which is important to me as i know the support is out there. Unless someone comes in and convinces me otherwise of course!!

Now to decide on which blade, the mcpx or wait out for the 130. Mcpx is cheaper and i can walk home with one on thurs from the LHS, the 130 will require a tx too, most likely the dx6i and id probably end up buying it new thus doubling the cost, but leaving me with a tx for all other helis, and a tx ill probably end up with anyways!!

[dayshaddow]

well just to open things up. i have an msrx and its a total blast indoors or out but after seeing the buzzflyer it reminded me of the sub micro buzfly se i flew a few months back and i was very inpressed. fixed pitch and seperate brushless for tm and mm.... then i see the buzzfly fe a few mins ago

http://www.buzzflyer.co.uk/Sub-Micro...-FE/p-97-1881/

you get your brusless and you get flybarles to boot,knowning that now im not shore if i would buy that or the msrx learning towards the buzzfly cos of the brushless,if its anything like the msrx it will help polish your flying skills in and outdoor
.but i havnt seen one fly yet so its anyone guess could be a good gamble if its like the se i flew
here me playing with my msrx only a short time ago outside. as you can see out doors it can hold its ground and indoors well its going to keep you sharp on rainy days, for extra fun stick -30 expo on everything that way you will need good control indoors and use just a few mils on the sticks for a house tour

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn-xeVze-Ug[/ame]

cheers
antony

[Joemeredith]

Oh that's totally not fair!!! Lol I had been looking at those buzz fly ones as well, decent price and they look very much the same. And as you say the are those nice little extra bits in them like the brushless systems, preventing the need to upgrade an mcpx to brushless later on.

I think for now I'm going to settle on the mcpx. The 130x is coming out 'soon' and lets face it 'soon' in product release terms could be a year away! And the buzz flyers, while they are tempting, personally I'm not good enough yet to want to battle one in the air, or have to try and figure out how to slowly convert it to a better flyer - all assuming that they aren't as good as you think they could be (my axion was poor so I'm a little suspect with 'off-brands' these days).

So it will probs be Saturday that I head into the LHS to pick one up, going in with someone else, so gonna try and get some £ dropped off for a double purchase (he is hoping right!) plus while I'm there I'll spend 20ish mins taking the one I buy out of the box and checking over the few bits that are recommended to check in the mcpx forum - that way I can get any replacement parts (the little bearings in the clamps sound weak) while I'm there.

[wulfrun]

The one I have is the Buzzfly BE, it's turned into a shelf queen coz I can't fly it for toffee. Yes, you get the bling, brushless etc but it still doesn't fly!

As for the V1 mCP X, you can track them down on feebay. Blade-grips are fine if they're marked with a "B" on them. The early ones were the fly-apart ones, it's long since fixed.

[copterboy]

Well, I can agree the Mcpx is a good learning tool, great outdoors and indoors (sports hall size space). I just find it a little small when it gets about 10m away, which causes me to loose orientation. Plus with the tail only being a brushed motor, I found the tail blows out all the time doing fast 8's and trying to do flips. That's even with doing the longer tail mod. I need to do the mod again making the boom length 15cm, instead of the 12cm I have currently. Think stock length is about 9-10cm.

The 130x is a bit bigger than mcpx and is already BL, and tail is TT driven, so no blow outs. Wins hands down over the mcpx IMO, but if your budget restricts you, I would say mcpx/DX6i, then 130x later is a good choice.

I would offer to sell you my DX6i, as I just got a DX8. But I'm saving it for SIM practice and has been earmarked for 'inheritance' to my first born

[dayshaddow]

Originally Posted by Joemeredith

Oh that's totally not fair!!! .

yer thanks to you i now need a Blade130X ..hay im 30 in sept reckon an old man would need such a sexy little bird to enjoy

[Joemeredith]

So I got an mcpx this past week. Had it out a little and it's awesome!! Love flying it but just need to move away from grass - an mcpx won't land in grass well - not well at all!! But it's getting me some very good practice in and at a much lower cost! For example I hit a rugby post about 25ft up. A nice sounding 'PING' followed by the heli dropping like a lead balloon, all that happened is the main gear came off and the bearing at the bottom of the main shaft got lost - had a bearing that fit in the place and slipped the main gear back in place and then all was good.

When I picked it up I got hold of a dx6i for it. Good thing is I can get this set up for my CPX and hopefully get that a bit more stable and flying better. Just need to sort out a receiver for it and hopefully all will be good and I can get better!!

[copterboy]

Excellent Joe Glad you like it, and managed to snap up a bargain on the DX6i.

I'm about to rip out my DSM2/AR6200 rx from the 450. The main rx unit needs a new antenna, so I'm sending it off to HH for repair in the next week or two, and I'm planning to sell it when it is returned. I would give you first refusal at a bargain price if your interested.

Some things to consider though!!

The AR6200 has the remote/satellite receiver, so can be tricky installing both units onto a 400/450 airframe. However, I'm sure you can still use the AR6200 without the satellite, if there is no space available to locate it (only use on small park flyers though).

Some people prefer to use the smaller DSM2/AR6110e or newer DSMx/AR6115e, on that size heli. I agree it does make for a tidy installation, however the AR6200 has the satellite rx, so would come in handy if you ever decide to get a FBL unit.

I just got a DX8, with AR8000, and 2 additional receivers combo (AR6210 and AR6115e), so I have 5 Rx's and only 2 birds to put them on!!