| Unlike radio controlled airplanes, radio controlled | | | | I personally advocate the second option and believe |
| helicopters do not require a large mowed or paved | | | | you will not outgrow a quality collective pitch helicopter |
| runway, they take off vertically so any reasonably | | | | over a few months so saving money on upgrading. |
| sized open area will do to fly in. At the other end of | | | | You can buy a high performance helicopter and adjust |
| the radio controlled helicopter spectrum are small | | | | it or set it up for learning as you get started. Once you |
| electric indoor helicopters that you can fly in your own | | | | have mastered the basics you can change your set |
| home or other indoor area. Add in to the equation the | | | | up for extra performance. |
| fun factor and it is easy to see why radio controlled | | | | You are bound to have more enjoyment and fun with |
| helicopters are showing the strongest growth among | | | | a good quality collective pitch helicopter and that is the |
| all the different forms of radio control hobbies. | | | | real benefit. Most people do not realize that a collective |
| There is so much choice available for every budget | | | | pitch chopper can actually be easier to fly than a fixed |
| and ability when it comes to choosing an electric | | | | pitch one. Do not be distracted by the wide choice of |
| helicopter. Fixed pitch, selective pitch, 3, 4, 5 channel, | | | | flashy looking fixed pitch helicopters, take my advice |
| different sizes and different makes. But the best news | | | | and go for a quality collective pitch helicopters such as |
| is that the cost of RC helicopters keeps falling while | | | | the E-Flite Blade 400. |
| the technology keeps improving, which allows more | | | | One thing I want to mention here and this is important, |
| people to get started in this great hobby. | | | | avoid a helicopter with collective pitch and an electric |
| However there is a down side to this huge selection of | | | | tail rotor, these are hard to learn on. You need a belt |
| helicopters, and that is information overload! If you do | | | | driven or shaft driven tail rotor with variable pitch to |
| not have all the facts and understand some of the | | | | react quickly enough to correct for the ever changing |
| technical facets of this hobby, you will not choose the | | | | reactive torque loads from the main rotor. An electric |
| best radio controlled helicopter that is right for you. This | | | | tail rotor cannot react fast enough to keep the tail |
| overload can lead to crashing, frustration and even | | | | steady, and this becomes twitchy at best. |
| possibly giving up with helicopters altogether. | | | | Hobby grade single rotor helicopters are challenging, no |
| With RC toy helicopter, micro coaxial helis and single | | | | doubt about that. They are complex machines with |
| rotor collective pitch hobby grade radio controlled | | | | hundreds of parts. Single rotor helicopters are unstable, |
| choppers 'taking off' in shopping malls and open | | | | certainly when hovering. But once you master |
| spaces where do you get started to get the most | | | | controlling the beast and 'connect' with it the fun will |
| pleasure, least frustration and more important for most | | | | just be starting. Learning to hover is the first step, and |
| people, bang for your buck. | | | | hovering can be compared to balancing on a big ball. |
| There are two schools of thought regarding what is | | | | This is why the radio controlled helicopter is more |
| the best approach to getting started with radio | | | | difficult than other radio controlled vehicles, cars and |
| controlled helicopters. Firstly buy an inexpensive fixed | | | | boats, as you are always making control corrections |
| pitch heli to learn on and when you master it then | | | | to keep it in the air. |
| move on and purchase a more advanced heli. You risk | | | | However, once you learn how to hover your |
| less money if it is badly damaged and you decide that | | | | helicopter, hopefully a selective pitch hobby quality heli, |
| helicopters are not your thing. Secondly get a good | | | | you will never forget, the control corrections become |
| helicopter with selective pitch and learn and grow with | | | | second nature, and you do not even realize you are |
| it. You risk more money but you will have a better | | | | doing them. From then on you will soon be performing |
| flying experience, leading to more enjoyment and more | | | | stunts and having loads of fun and enjoyment. |
| time in the hobby. | | | | |