What was your first Rc Helicopter

I am going to start the heli hobby im wondering what people got as their fist heli and how it was.

mine was the HoneyBee Fixed Pitch, then the HBK II then Belt CP then E-Smart and on to a bunch others but the E-Smart is my all time favorite.

I would suggest getting a sim to run on your computer before getting a heli. The Esky sim/controller package is an inexpensive way to start. I quickly upgraded my sim to Clearview with which you can use the Esky sim controller. The sim will give you good idea of what you are getting yourself into without having to stock up on replacement parts!

I also started with a HBFP. Still working on getting better at my orientation. I have since put together a couple of EXI 450's. Both size helis are a huge amount of fun. The HBFP is a little tank, it takes an incredible beating with a relatively small amount of damage. It is a great heli to start out with. There are lots of places to get information and parts for the HBFP. You are at the best place I have found for information from a great bunch of people. Another wealth of information is at Helifreak.com.

Good luck and come back often and give us an update!

Curt

Syma Hughes 300 2 channel. Then went thru four coax 4 channel. Still have one of those (Esky Dauphin). Still flys.

Then a HBFP, a Belt CP V1, and am now building an ES 600.

If I had it to do over, I would not have bought the 2 channel or any of the coax helis. I would have started with the HBFP. Would love to have the money I spent on the 2 channel and the coax helis back. But you live and learn.

Donnie D

First was picooz second hb fp, third belt cp V2

1st - eSky Co-Commanche. Not a good choice for a trainer co-axial, the landing gear is delicate, the body is delicate, and the battery change is a PITA. I have a serious love for this body though, so I don't regret buying it.

2nd - eSky Lama v3. I think these are great trainer helis and don't regret buying mine at all. Once you get the Xtreme tail on they are far more indestructible than the HBFP. Use it to learn controls and orientation, mod it to be more responsive, and fly it whenever the HBFP is down waiting for more parts. Or keep it in stock form in case one of your buddies wants to try - they aren't going to be able to handle the HBFP.

3rd HBFP - I'm not too impressed with this. If I had to do it over again, I would not buy the RTF heli but would build it from parts. Some of the stock parts are o.k., some are crap, but the stock alignment and balancing is definitely not o.k. "If you want it done right, do it yourself."

I started with a Honey Bee King 2!!! was very hard at first but fun and was like going to heli repair school!!!LOL But then I found RADDS and good things happened after that.. Try it..

My first was a Blade mCX - coax

I got a Blade CP (300 size), but started hovering on a Blue Ray 450 (was easier, more stable).

My first heli was a Hirobo Shuttle. That was back in the late 80's, crashed it more than I was fling it tough. So I gave it up. Started again for abaout a year ago.
Now I'm flying HBFP and, a EXI 450

And soon to come ......ESweet!!! WOOOHOOO!!!

First was a 2ch double horse (about 4 flights) then I got a HoneyBee King2, lots of fun hard to learn but fun to fix and upgrade

Well guys next time I fly an ESmart it will be the 3rd one!!

Fatdaddy wrote:

And soon to come ......ESweet!!! WOOOHOOO!!!

OOOHH YEAH!! Mid June my first E_Smart

I get to rebuild mine again after todays flight!! OF landing!!!

had it for over a year now and still ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT,it is of course the indestructible HBFP
the more i see little vids of cp helis tipping over and destructing the more i love my HBFP

Brutus5 wrote:

My first heli was a Hirobo Shuttle. That was back in the late 80's, crashed it more than I was fling it tough. So I gave it up. Started again for abaout a year ago.
Now I'm flying HBFP and, a EXI 450

Similar thing here. My first one was Kyosho Concept 30 DX. In 1990 or so. $600 kit. After another $1000 in upgrades it became aerobatic SX (or better). With a better transmitter, of course. Then you had to pay something like from $50 (in best case) to $200 per crash on spare parts. So no wander this hobby didn't last long. It's still hanging from the ceiling in my basement in perfect flying condition, except for dead batteries. And I still have 4 gallons of fuel for it. So may be one day I will take it for the last final flight. Till the first crash. As you can't get any more parts for it.

Tell you, I didn't miss gas powered helicopters. But 20 years before electric helies simply didn't exist.

bought a exceed falcon 40, this is my only heli and first dont know much about the others, bought from x-heli. had it for about 4months just now gettn to where i can fly it and land it ok, and when i say land it(not on the skids all the time)it has been a pretty decent product from what i have discovered, no trouble with the rx,tx or heli itself, just pilot error. hehe. interested in buying another heli,was lookn at the honeybee cause everyone says its more stable, got a few mods on mine now and i can deffinatly tell a huge diff in performance. will post pics of it when i get a chance.

My very first one was a 3-channel coax (Bladerunner clone), got it around Christmas 2005.
After that I went through 3 Lamas (one is parted, one converted to Ka-32 scale body, one still in pristine condition).
When I got comfortable with those, I've bought a sim (RealFlight G3) and a small FP RTF (by ScopeTech, about 400mm blades), and a MIA BumbleBee kit. I could hover those at home. But for zooming around outside, I've got HBFP. Meanwhile, I was building and flying planes too - planes definitely help with the forward flight on helis.

Once I learned to fly HBFP well enough to start doing stall turns, the limitation of the motor-driven tail became apparent and annoying, I converted it to a belt-driven tail, and installed M24 blades and a brushless motor. The heli became virtually perfect for what it was designed to do. I flew it for quite a while.

By the summer of 2008 I felt that I'm ready to start looping and rolling, so I bought a LaHeli MaxIR (which many believe is the best micro heli). It is really nice. But I needed a second heli that I could fly if crash my MaxIR, and I wanted a bigger one for a change. So a few months ago I got a MiniTitan E325. I also got a $20 Fireforx EP200 just for the heck of it, but I don't like it - it's a struggle fly.

That's pretty much my story.

Sergey.

Thanks guys,
it seems most of you as a starter heli had a honeybee
So I just bought a E sky honeybee 2.4g,
cant wait for first flight

DDM

DannyDM wrote:

Thanks guys,
it seems most of you as a starter heli had a honeybee
So I just bought a E sky honeybee 2.4g,
cant wait for first flight

DDM

all i can say is welcome to the `FRUSTRATION`

Mine was a Honeybee FP. Highly recommend you use the simulator a lot first. I did and still crashed within 30 secs on my first flight. Just don't get discouraged. You will crash a lot. For me half the fun was putting them back together. You can go to a co-ax if you want to get out and go.

Good Luck, Rob

1. Blade mCX. I still think that this was the best possible choice for me as a beginner.
2. HBFP. This thing is still kicking my butt, but I'm happy that I got it. I have read that if you can master a HBFP, you can fly anything. I believe it!
3. Blade mSR. On order! It looks fantastic!

I think you mean the Honey Bee KING 2!!!! Once you can fly a HBK2 than you can fly anything!!!

naw, the HBFP is way harder to fly then the HBK II, but its just as much fun

Really!!! Than why would anyone go with the HBFP??? Why not just go right to the King?? I went with the King but I didn't know any better!!

ahh it just goes back to the whole FP vs CP thing, having spent time learning and crashing the HBFP, HBK II and Belt CP, I can honestly say thay people starting with the HBFP will get more flight time and spend less time repairing the heli. But thats not to say they will learn quicker, just get more flight time. You can't crash a CP, pick it up straighten the blades and keep flying like you can with the HBFP.

Well, Maybe I didnt start with the right steps... I should bought first the HBFP in my early moments.

I got the Esky Dauphin (Lama 3 or 4, I dunno), and all I can say is I love it. Strong, great motor, kinda cheap in parts and replacements.

I gave him very good hits in the process of learning, and despite the fuselage feels fragile, the baby stills fly with it. Just followed a few steps for set it correctly, and took LOTS of precautions... and my blue gray babe still owns its front wheel

It is a co-axial, and it makes my process to learn the 6 channel Belt CP harder... but I am not and I will never regret to get the Dauphin

If you can.. and you have 99 bucks and something more for spare parts than you can use... buy it... trust me, in a couple of years that heli will become in a classic (any questions with problems with the Dauphin, dont hesitate to ask, I'll help ).

Regards and sorry for the bad english.

Hi All,

My first helicopter was a Walkera 22e. I really hated it. I thought it was a really bad heli. I have since gotten a V4 lama. I just ordered a Honey Bee V2 to start learning more advance flying and I also have a T-Rex 450 clone that I have to build.

Hello!

My first heli is my current one: E-sky Lama v3. By the time I bought it Honey Bee v2 was not yet announced. I thought that I do this hobby the patient way and take small steps. I begin with coax and simulator, then I move to fixed-pitch and only after that comes collective pitch.

So far this works, I learn basics and try to get as much practice as possible. No major crash yet, some small "touch the sofa" and "brush the wall with rotors" events are to be reported.

If I manage I include links of my heli clips. There you can see the small improvement in my flight.

The first clip is on the balcony (closed balcony, no wind). I had major problems hovering, almost crashed into wall and camera tripod. When the wall got close I landed.



Second flight was in bedroom. I was better in hovering tail in, but far from being good. I had the idea that if I get totally wrong I can always crash-land on bed, so I created some "even landing platform" on the bed. Looks not so deeply professional, sorry for the odd scenery...



Third recorded flight happened in living room. I have got ambitious and had the idea of landing on table and hovering above table. This ended up in some complications, as you may see in the clip.



No real damage yet, minor cracks on blades.

As you can see I have a long way going yet, but enthusiasm is there, so I continue and try to get better. Much better.

Have a nice day,
Best regards,

donphobos

My first Helis were the 2ch Air Hogs Havoc Copters, had a bunch of those.

I tried a couple of larger 2ch Helis like the Venom Mantis and the Syma Dragonfly, very unhappy at their lack of control. Giant heavy spinning blades of uncontrolled destruction.

I eventually got a Micro Mosquito 3ch copter (in 27mhz) and wow! Never looked back at 2ch copters again, much much more control and fun.

After over a year on FMS (on and off) I finally got my HBFP V2. The stock blades did not last long before becoming untrackable, but other than that I really like it.
I was able to do basic hovering in one evening and after a couple of more batteries through it I could hover an entire 10 minutes. It's twitchy and ultra responsive (to this newbie) but not as difficult as some made it out to be. I'm really glad I waited till the V2 came out.

It looks...super cool...and it flies very nicely and does exactly what I tell it to do the moment I tell it to do it. The tail authority is amazing, one has to be really careful. I like that you don't have to take the canopy off to connect/disconect the battery.
I plan on getting a pair of Super Blades EZ in a week or so, hopefully along with Super Paddles and the Super CF Flybar (cheaper than stock at Xheli, go figure).

Lean Green Flying Machine.