New To Heli

Sion

New Member
A6FBA642-9609-4173-8537-E955EF7ECD90.jpeg been driving rc nitro for a few years now with my red bull racing RB7
Decided to get in to helicopters a few months back qnd got a new align 600n
Its been a struggle so far with many crashes.
Using phoenix rc as a simulator and slowly progressing.
If anyone has any tips to stabilise the helis in the sim and in real pife please let me know.
Im almost there with my collective free hover but not attempted forward flight in real world yet only in simulator.
Thanks guys
 

Attachments

  • 9FC70578-E2A3-4B68-AE3A-FFDB86B19560.jpeg
    9FC70578-E2A3-4B68-AE3A-FFDB86B19560.jpeg
    283.3 KB · Views: 3

Tony

Staff member
Welcome to RCH! That is a very nice collection of F1 cars there.

100% honestly here, the 600 is not a great first helicopter. A nitro 600 even more so. They are more stable, but they are also way more expensive and dangerous. If you can swing a 450 with a flybarless head and get a good gyro like the Ikon with bailout, it may help save you some money. Instead of a crash costing $300, it's only going to cost $80 on a 450 (light crash that is).

With that said though, I know some want to start off larger because they are, in fact, more stable in the air. If this is you, ignore what I posted above lol.

Collective pitch or CCPM helicopters are not stable and getting them stable, especially a flybar helicopter, is very difficult and takes hours and hours of fine tuning to get there. Even then, it will not hover hands off. You always have to give these helicopters input to keep them where you want them. Think of it as a marble on a sheet of glass. If you place a marble on a nice flat sheet of glass on the ground, the marble is just going to sit there. But once you pick up that glass (taking off with the heli) it is going to start to wonder around and you are going to have to move the glass around (stick on a Tx) to keep that marble in the center (where you want it).

6ch helicopters are hard to fly regardless. Even in the simulator. Speaking of that, we are going to be doing Simulator Sunday tonight at 1900 CST if you are interested in joining, I know its kind of late for you. But sim time, an hour a day and don't treat it like a game, treat it as if every crash is going to cost you $300. It takes time, some learn faster than others, but we are always here to help out if and when you need it. You just have to post up. Practice, that is the name of the game in the beginning.
 

Geena

Staff member
I 100% agree with Tony. A fly barred 600N is not an ideal first helicopter. But it is doable, if you get someone who is already a skilled helicopter pilot to help you. As Tony mentioned, it is harder to stabilize a fly barred helicopter. But it can be made a little more stable by putting flybarless blades on it. Since the CG on most flybarless blades is closer to the tip, they`ll give a little more of a gyroscopic effect and increase stability...slightly.

But I believe that it may (as Tony already mentioned) be a good idea to get a smaller, flybarless helicopter with a good gyro with bailout and self leveling capability for now. Later on, when you have gotten the hang of the smaller helicopter, then revisit the 600.
 

Sion

New Member
Welcome to RCH! That is a very nice collection of F1 cars there.

100% honestly here, the 600 is not a great first helicopter. A nitro 600 even more so. They are more stable, but they are also way more expensive and dangerous. If you can swing a 450 with a flybarless head and get a good gyro like the Ikon with bailout, it may help save you some money. Instead of a crash costing $300, it's only going to cost $80 on a 450 (light crash that is).

With that said though, I know some want to start off larger because they are, in fact, more stable in the air. If this is you, ignore what I posted above lol.

Collective pitch or CCPM helicopters are not stable and getting them stable, especially a flybar helicopter, is very difficult and takes hours and hours of fine tuning to get there. Even then, it will not hover hands off. You always have to give these helicopters input to keep them where you want them. Think of it as a marble on a sheet of glass. If you place a marble on a nice flat sheet of glass on the ground, the marble is just going to sit there. But once you pick up that glass (taking off with the heli) it is going to start to wonder around and you are going to have to move the glass around (stick on a Tx) to keep that marble in the center (where you want it).

6ch helicopters are hard to fly regardless. Even in the simulator. Speaking of that, we are going to be doing Simulator Sunday tonight at 1900 CST if you are interested in joining, I know its kind of late for you. But sim time, an hour a day and don't treat it like a game, treat it as if every crash is going to cost you $300. It takes time, some learn faster than others, but we are always here to help out if and when you need it. You just have to post up. Practice, that is the name of the game in the beginning.
I 100% agree with Tony. A fly barred 600N is not an ideal first helicopter. But it is doable, if you get someone who is already a skilled helicopter pilot to help you. As Tony mentioned, it is harder to stabilize a fly barred helicopter. But it can be made a little more stable by putting flybarless blades on it. Since the CG on most flybarless blades is closer to the tip, they`ll give a little more of a gyroscopic effect and increase stability...slightly.

But I believe that it may (as Tony already mentioned) be a good idea to get a smaller, flybarless helicopter with a good gyro with bailout and self leveling capability for now. Later on, when you have gotten the hang of the smaller helicopter, then revisit the 600.
Yeah i got the 600 for the stability and nitro because im a mechanic so engines are better in my mind. Unfortunately there are no clubs or pilots where i live for miles so doing it solo. The crashes ive had so far are nothing serious stupid newbe errors such as tail strikes while landing. But ive got the hang of that now so hasn’t happend for a while. Ive not done a massive amount on the sim yet due to only getting one a week ago. I stupidly thought i could do it without a sim but i was quickly proven wrong. I get that constant inputs are a must however i find that the phoenix rc helis the drift is mad on them which makes hover almost impossible where as my actual heli in real life hovering is easy. So i dont know if its a setup problem or if its suppose to be like that to make the learning process better. Im using a gen1 DX8 with the trim setting at 1 and its now better but once the heli gets out of shape its so difficult to re establish a hover where as in real life its not that hard. I suppose its just practice.
After getting the sim im not going back out until i have my hover in the sim near perfect. Im seeing improvements every day but the hover is driving me insane and i dont want to be flying around before i hover. Ive looked at flybarless kits but didn’t know if it made a massive improvement to warrant buying one. Im not looking to do any 3D stuff just eventually some areal photography thats it.
 

Tony

Staff member
Have you calibrated your Tx in Phoenix? If not, that could be a big reason why it is not handling like you think it should. Another thing you can do is go into the edit model menu and on the bottom in the center is a dial where you can adjust how sensitive the helicopter is. clockwise is more sensitive and counter (or anti) clockwise is less sensitive. Try turning that down and see if you can make it handle a little bit better, and gradually turn it up as you gain muscle memory in your hands. I fly with those settings all the way up and Geena, well she adds a little more crack to her helicopters lmao.
 

Sion

New Member
Have you calibrated your Tx in Phoenix? If not, that could be a big reason why it is not handling like you think it should. Another thing you can do is go into the edit model menu and on the bottom in the center is a dial where you can adjust how sensitive the helicopter is. clockwise is more sensitive and counter (or anti) clockwise is less sensitive. Try turning that down and see if you can make it handle a little bit better, and gradually turn it up as you gain muscle memory in your hands. I fly with those settings all the way up and Geena, well she adds a little more crack to her helicopters lmao.
Yeah have calibrated a few times no better
Will try that when i have my session tonight.
Thanks Tony this site is great
 

Tony

Staff member
In about 5 hours we will have Simulator Sunday where we all get together and have a little fun on Phoenix Flight Sim. Make sure your sim is updated to 5.5.l if you can even update it (discontinued). On there, you can ask questions on different flying techniques and people can show how things are done right there. I know it will be pretty late for you over there, but just an option.

And thanks, I try to make this as good as I can.
 

Sion

New Member
In about 5 hours we will have Simulator Sunday where we all get together and have a little fun on Phoenix Flight Sim. Make sure your sim is updated to 5.5.l if you can even update it (discontinued). On there, you can ask questions on different flying techniques and people can show how things are done right there. I know it will be pretty late for you over there, but just an option.

And thanks, I try to make this as good as I can.
Yeah its updated to 5.5. Yeah would be around 1 am here ill see if im awake enough around that time if i am ill see you there. Thanks Tony
 

Admiral

Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum Sion, an audacious beginning to model helicopters, I agree with Tony & Geena a 450 FBL electric helicopter would reduce the cost of crashes and a lot of the angst that looking down the barrel of a $300 crash brings. Obviously some of the skills you have gained with the F1 cars have carried across to Helicopters otherwise you would not have advanced as far as you have in such a short time, I do know of one guy here who learnt on a 700 electric and that is all he has ever flown, but he was in a club and surrounded with support.

Good luck with it and keep up the SIM time it does help.
 

leedude1

Member
Sion welcome aboard, and this is the forum to be in for the help and guidance your looking for. Good people, good direction and just honest help. You now have a 3rd vote for the 450.

I know I may stray a little from the crowd here but a looking into a small inexpensive nano CPS for orientation and indoor flight is not a bad idea in my opinion and a bind and fly would be less that 100$. I still use and fly it almost daily. This is really squirrelly but it has a SAFE mode and a reduced throw mode in Idle up 1 which will allow you to build your confidence until your can start to move it around and then when you get the 450 in the air you'll pucker less.:D

As for your comment about the flying solo thing ..it is the Heli world my man ..... but one of the more rewarding hobbies I must say.

We are here all the time. Enjoy sir, glad your considering taking up the challenge and welcome aboard again.
 
Top Bottom