Good starting point: Radd's school of rotary flight

[takilara]

I've found that Radd's school of rotary flight: http://www.dream-models.com/eco/flying-index.html
is a good place to start. (kindof a series of steps that teaches you to hover, and then to fly.. quite probably saving you a lot of cash in parts as well..)

(actually I didn't start there myself, but started following his steps to build confidence as i felt i didn't have enough confidence when doing FF)

[jomarx]

COOL! and it looks good so far. Thanks for the link! I also wanted to learn how to fly helis...

[takilara]

You can get along way without any form of training, however that requires insane patience. Following Radd's will "force" you to be patient

(the biggest temptation when learning to fly helicopters, is to start to fly when you are still learning to hover, and that is often expensive, at least it was for me ...

[Ampair]

Radd has lowered the parts sales of some hobby sellers dramatically. Unfair trade practice

[westy]

I totally agree with the Radd Concept ....

It really works. For me I was in my garage during high wind conditions and shut the door ...

Drew a 300mm square with heavy chalk. on the floor....

and repeated Radds methods .... over and over and over again .... and then some more.


in Less than 3 hours..... I was hovering and staying within a 600 mm radius of the square for many .... many minutes at a time .... lost and lots of practice and concentration was needed. and when I went out of my mental square, I landed and set up again and again until I trained my mind to focus.

The reward (and smile that comes from ear to ear thinking about it....)

Is well worth the pain and suffering of many crashes and spare parts I have had to replace over the year I have been flying Heli.... was getting nowhere fast....

but now I have the control and feel for my magic flying machine!!

[cynr100]

Congrats Westy, the enjoyment and satisfactions 99%, the other 1% is for the spectators.

I am coping so much flak at work, I hangar crashed my 450 resulting in an ambo ride and 10 stitches now I have crashed ( water landed) my AXN into a tank.

I take satisfaction in that spectators do not understand.

[Hal9000]

As some one reigniting the RC desire I have been looking all over the Internet at the ton and tons of information that is out there. A big difference from 20-30 years ago when the only source of information was word of mouth, clubs and expensive imported magazines.

As far as learning to fly Helis I was impressed at RC-help.com's series of YouTube videos. His site has them all listed here.

Once I have mastered my "on it way from HK" AXN flyer I may look at helicopters. But that is while aways and I'll need to save some dosh too.

[quarry44]

""I have crashed ( water landed) my AXN into a tank. "
Did the tank survive the onslaught?
Thanks for the link,takilara,I've been eying up HK's 450 pro for some time.One of these days........

[cynr100]

""I have crashed ( water landed) my AXN into a tank. "
Did the tank survive the onslaught?
Thanks for the link,takilara,I've been eying up HK's 450 pro for some time.One of these days........

I call it a tank, ground level 25m dia by 2.5m depth surrounded by a 1m rail fence and rotating bridge pivoting in the middle . I dodged everything, just a little water ingress (killed the ESC) quite proud of myself . It was the only "tank" in the entire sewage plant that didn't have poo in it just clean water.

Being laid up for awhile did have it's advantages, my Titan 450 is rebuilt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naacipI2daE&feature=plcp

I have been looking at the HK450s as well they appear to be the goods, I'll get this one sorted fully first or crash in the attempt thus requiring a new one anyway

Dennis

[BillGriffiths100]

Being laid up for awhile did have it's advantages

I trust all this illness isn't connected to your involvement with sewage, because that would really stink!

I trust the missus was away while you prepared to chop up her patio furniture!