Anyone into RC helicopters?

[Surge]

I have a Vario 60 gas model that I built and last flew about 10 years ago. Fantastic hobby. When I have more time, I plan to get back into it.
These small electric ones are cool, but they're just toys compared to the real scale, gas models. You can't really compare a $60 item with a $2000+ item.
Your VARIO Helicopter Dealer in Canada, RC Helicopters,3D, Turbine Scale fuselages, pod and boom, Airwolf, Jet Ranger, Bell 47, Lama, Huey, Dauphin, R22, Benzin, SkyFox , X-Treme, Great source for your hobbies

[Lotus F1]

Originally Posted by Leebenstein

I thought this was a lotus board guys.

Really dude? Wow it disturbed you so much you took the time to respond

[spectre]

A fellow racer had one at Grattan in Mi. this year. If you look closely you can see a silver exige which is my car. Seemed like a lot of fun to fly.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/PGb3KrT...w&hl=en_US

[MikeinAlexandria]

Originally Posted by MikeinAlexandria

Parrot makes this little indoor/outdoor quadocopter that flys with an Ipad and has two on-board cameras.

Parrot AR.Drone France - Le 1er quadricoptère Wi-Fi piloté par un iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad











* If you buy one, Parrot includes a date with the model in the last photo... ;-) *

The Parrot gets a lot of international exposure, with folks posting on Facebook where they fly it. I flew one in Brookstone using an IPad (it also works with the iPhone and iPad mini). For $299 they are slick, gyro controlled and almost error proof. If you use the indoor hull, pretty sturdy as well. But fight time is short and if you want To really fly around, you need a few hundred bucks of extra stuff, better batteries, charger, etc.

What is really cool is the apps. With two or more Parrots, you can have virtual dog fights. There are also apps that will self fly the thing with you watching it's capabilities.

I like the camera idea because you can fly up the side of your house and check on the roof and gutters!

Still have not bought one yet.

As to the little copters. There is a show in the UK called the Gadget show and they did and R/C copter test with fifty popular models. They crashed every single one of them over time, especially flying the smallest ones outside.

[Allan Gibbs]

The Parrot AR Drone is quite good because it's geared to the non-hobbyist. I spent a couple of hundred dollars trying to get a FPV (first person view) system to take videos of flights and the AR Drone does it as a turn key set up.

Ranges is limited but its simple to fly, take pictures, and upload to Facebook or YouTube.

[Scottycali4nia]

oh yeah, I love RC helis. I've been flying them since I was a kid.

RCHeliGear Align 600CF 3D - YouTube

RCHeliGear Align 600CF 3D - YouTube

Last flight before upgrades - YouTube

Last flight before upgrades - YouTube

not many people here fly though, so I dont fly as much if any these days.


playing with my dads lotus with a heli too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN17uHtJSQo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN17uHtJSQo

[Lotus F1]

Originally Posted by Scottycali4nia

oh yeah, I love RC helis. I've been flying them since I was a kid.

I been flying Heli's for quite some time but you have mad skills

[R4Racin]

I just wanted to say thanks for the thread. I am now in the process of buying a heli.
Please don't start a thread on Lear Jets or something really expensive.

[Lotus F1]

Originally Posted by R4Racin

I just wanted to say thanks for the thread. I am now in the process of buying a heli.
Please don't start a thread on Lear Jets or something really expensive.

Well they have really cool RC Jet's lol

[Scottycali4nia]

Originally Posted by Lotus F1

I been flying Heli's for quite some time but you have mad skills

Thanks!!

[Thomasio]

I am considering selling one of my current helicopters. I have a Novus CP (full collective)(same as Walkera), excellent condition w/ radio and 2 batteries, $85. Great INDOOR heli, and it is 3D/fully acrobatic. [First two photos]

My second is an E-Flite Blade CP (full collective), also excellent w/ radio and 2 batteries, $85. Great OUTDOOR heli, and it is 3D/fully acrobatic. [Next two photos, shown with "training wheels" ]

And finally, and EASY to fly, is the E-Flite Blade CX (coaxial). I fly indoor or outdoor with this one. $50. [adding photos shortly]

[Thomasio]

Family portrait: red = Blade CX, yellow = Blade CP, orange/white = Novus/Walkera CP.

[Shoof]

I just picked up a Blade Nano CPX...Hard to fly in my house because very limited space, and it's been cold and windy, so I make due when I can!

[ee.engineer]

I actually started building a quad rotor, but the cheapest 9DOF IMU i found was $100+. That was enough to dissuade me . Plus the fabrication part is just not in my ball park

[addertooth]

I fly the Esky Belt CP pro with some metal upgrades. I joke that my experience translates to the following ratios, 1 hour simulation, 2 minutes flight, 1 hour of repair (repeat as needed). But then the high performance 3d copters will get you in trouble faster than a lot of the smaller and simpler models. I have a twin rotor chinook (non-coaxial) which is a breeze to fly, but it won't do barrel rolls, loops or fly inverted like the CP will. My worst crash had a total air time of 1/2 second. I power up and increase pitch, the helicoptor doesn't lift, I increase power and it still doesnt lift (but it does start tilting towards once side). I push the stick slightly sidewards until the helicoptor is resting level under power, increase power further, it launches suddenly/violently, goes sidewards then inverted and hit the grass rotor head first. (All in 1/2 seconds). The cause? One of the skids had hooked on a crabgrass shoot, so that side could not lift. Once the crabgrass sheared, with all the power and lateral stick, it immediately flopped over.

[FistHammer]

This is about lotus stuff?

[Allan Gibbs]

No. It has about as much to do with Lotus as any other thread in this "Other" forum.

[JavierBayArea]

I used to be really into Helis and Airplanes. I even built my own FPV airplane.

But i don't have a buddy to fly with anymore so I've dropped it for like a year. Anyone in Norcal wants to go fly?