Just ordered a new DX6I as well as the Phoenix Flight sim. For those who fiddle with this type of stuff, is the sim self explanatory out of the box or are there any mods that it needs to have done to it prior to training?

It's the combo I'm using right now.

You may need to tweak some settings to better match real life flying.
I had the settings but forgot to save my file before a re-install, so I'll be on the forums getting those setting again also.

Try
http://myrcguide.com/
http://www.helifreak.com/

And ask under the sims.

Sweet deal. yea I found the helifreak website the other day also. I got some answers there so i'm all good. Looking at picking up an mCP X v2 this weekend.

Have you flown helio's before?

I wouldn't recommend a CP as a first/training helio. Go FP, cheaper and quicker to fix after a crash, and you will crash- a lot

I flew a little 3 channel.. just a toy really though. I just got my transmitter and sim in. ben flying around the mCP x with no real problems. Hovering and flying are no issue. Only time it gets out from under me is when I try to do stuff that are way to a advanced, that I wouldn't normally do with an actual craft without more experience. So far on the Phoenix sim I've gotten it to do forward and backward flips as well as rolling to the left and to the right a few times. I've certainly crashed it a few times but mostly due the fact the sim doesn't let me see where the ground in relation to the skyline, a lot of times ;p until it's too late =D

I tried a 120 sr on the sim and did not like it at all. I enjoy the full functionality of a CP much more than FP /coaxial/etc

Good luck, Come back and let me know how it goes.

Like I said, it's nice to crash, pop on a part and be flying again in 5 minutes. CP, if you crash it, you'll spend a min of an hour getting it all set up again.

Whats a good starter rc helicopter that is not to expensive? I am vaguely interested since keep seeing the shop in Chinatown with them and they range in price from $30 for a tiny lil one to hundreds for a larger one. They even have one that fires nerf missles.

 

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It really depends on whether you want a toy or a hobby grade RC helicopter.

Not trying to sound like a snob, just there's a big difference.

I bought this for my son. It's a co-axial, but it's a 4 channel- much better than the 3 channel toys. Pretty durable and you can buy parts to fix it after a crash. It's also big enough to handle slight winds outside.

http://www.xheli.com/esbicolarche.html


Co-axials are much easier to fly than a FP-fixed pitch or CP-collective pitch, but they are very limited in what you can do with them.


There are several FP which are good starters. I have a HoneyBee V2 http://www.xheli.com/ne4ches2redh.html

Walkera is another good brand

Was over at my fathers this weekend, flew his 120sr and the mcpx. I've got a lot more practicing on the sim that's for sure, before I definitely make a purchase. On the mcpx I smashed the skids, 1 linkage, and the battery holder. On the 120 sr, it was already pretty banged up so I wasn't getting any forward throttle really. One of the servos was failing we believe. I was able to fly it by the tail like a demon, thanks to the sim I've been using, but the moment the wind got under that flybar, I lost control of it since I didn't have the ability to get that forward throttle and got flustered. The canopy was already badly damaged, but I finished it off... oddly enough that's all I broke there ;p

My father had been having issue with the mcpx himself, it's just really freaking fast for something so small. I managed to get him some settings to tone it down incredibly though so once he gets it back together I think he'll enjoy it more.

He let me take his mcx2 home, little coaxial, already bored with it lol. Was supposed to practice with it to get used to the cyclic movements, but it's just nothing like the FP or CP heli's, which I already knew. Flying the sim is still much better practice for me.


For the fellow who was interested in picking up heli, just know that if you decide to get in to hobby grade heli's, the $$ adds up quickly when it comes to mods and repairs.

I bought the $60 U-control Cloud Force from Brookstone because it was available from my local Staples. It was a piece of crapola for the price. Flew 4 times, no serious crashes, and then all it would do was go around in circles (pirouettes)and I could not trim it out. I returned it the next day as defective.

I went to a local hobby shop RC hover on my way home from work that specializes in flying craft and chatted with the two guys there. Very nice guys...very willing to chat and they even juiced up a couple models for a demo. They had the Phoenix sim there set up for people to try and get a feel for the different models they have in stock.

I bought a Blade MCX2 ($129.99 RTF). Bought am extra pair of blades and the flybar. When I got home I installed the supplied AA batteries into the charging unit and charged up the (removable, sweet!) battery while I read the instruction manual. After the battery had charged (took about 10 - 15 minutes) I was up and hovering. This is a really sweet beginner model. This model has two modes on the controller as well as two "modes" on the copter itself. Mode 1 on the copter is less reactive and great for beginning. The other mode allows for faster reactions and finer movement. Maybe the OP needs to change over his mCX2 to the more advanced setting. It came with the 4 channel 2.7 gHz controller not an infrared controller that you need to be in line of sight to be able to control the copter. The controller can be used on other bind and Fly units as I move up in experience.

What a difference between this model and the Brookstone model. I am so glad I didnt try to settle for the cheaper unit. One of my cats is just fascinated with the copter. Gonna give a whirl again tonite after work. Got something new to look forward to now this evening when I get home.

 

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