Next step - Blade mSRX, Nano CPX or mCPX?

[Peteski]

Having got the bug and spent an enjoyable month playing with an mCX2 and a Nano QX around the house I was thinking of adding a more advanced micro heli into the mix to give the nQX a run for its money! The obvious conservative choice would be the mSRX, but I was thinking of skipping straight to a Nano CPX or mCPX. I've been reading various threads and the micro CP helis seem to get very mixed reviews. Some people seem to get on fine with them, while others hate them with a passion. My concern is that I could end up with a nervous, temperamental little critter that I couldn't really 'fly' properly around the house until I became a 3D god. The mSRX on the other hand seems well liked on the whole and is perhaps more realistic for a newcomer to actually fly around the house rather than just hover and keep off the furniture. But then will I get bored of it after a month or two and start craving a CPX again? To be honest that wouldn't be the end of the world as an mSRX is not exactly going to break the bank. I'd probably just get one anyway along with either a Nano or mCPX, but my wife is already complaining about the number of helis suddenly appearing in the house. I think 2 more right now might tip her over!

Just to add, I've already got a decent radio (DX8) and a sim and I will be looking at larger outdoor helis in the spring/summer, but want to keep entertained indoors while the weather is pants.

Can't really make my mind up at the moment which way to go, so would welcome any thoughts or experience on the various micro heli options above. Is there anything else other than Blade to consider at this point? Obviously has to bind with a DX8 to be considered.

Thanks,

Pete

[myxiplx]

In all honesty if you're flying a nQX then it's hard to find anything better in the house. Unless you've got money to burn I'd just save your cash for that bigger model in the spring.

Having said that, the nCPX and mCPX are both good tough basic helicopters, they'll fly outside in calm winds ok and both will take a few crashes. The nCPX is more suited to indoors, but the mCPX is that bit bigger and easier to take outdoors.

If you really want something that's a step up, consider a mCPX BL. That was my first really good micro heli and it's a monster! It's really an outdoor only model though, it's extremely hard to control indoors and if it hits you on a finger it'll happily cut to the bone. It's huge fun though, with crazy amounts of power and it took me from my first flights to doing 3D flight, takes a long time to grow out of.

More important than any of that though is to really work on your flying skills. Get your hover skills nailed on both the sim and the micros so you can hover them all in place no matter where they're pointing. Once you have that nailed you really can start to fly anything.

Ultimately everything you've got now, and any of the above will teach you the flying skills, then when you're ready I'd suggest a 450 sized CP helicopter. There's a lot more setup to learn with those, and mistakes get expensive so join a local club if you can, but once you've got good control it's as easy to fly a 450 as these micro CP helicopters. In fact, if you can find a local club a good second hand helicopter is probably the easiest way into the hobby, it lets you learn the maintenance and tuning as things break, rather than having it all to learn in one bit lump.

[tomatwalden]

In all honesty, I think with the exception of super-stable co-axials, almost all helicopters regardless of size aren't suitable for MOST homes and MOST pilots. Helicopters with neutral stability (ie. all collective pitch, and some fixed pitch like the mSRX and 200SRX) just get away from you too fast.

Bear in mind also that collective pitch helicopters have much higher head speeds than fixed pitch so the inertia in a crash is much higher. Home are generally full of hard objects, delicate/expensive objects, other people etc. They're just not ideal places for helicopters of this sort. Small quadcopters, fine, but helis, not IMHO.

Don't get me wrong, it can be done. In fact, I often flew my mCPX v2, nano CPX and Blade 120SR in the house when I was starting. But it was rarely little more than hovering or doing the odd very nervous circuit in one orientation - stuff I was already VERY confident with doing. I certainly couldn't progress indoors - for that I needed to go outside. (basically, you so much as blink whilst flying a small CP indoors, it will have shot across the room at breakneck speed and will knock that expensive vase that your wife/girlfriend/etc. bought you for xmas last year on top of the family cat, breaking the vase and sending the cat to hospital!)

So, I would say, stick to a sim or a small quad indoors and focus on outdoor flight. Given that you're flying a co-axial now, I would say the 200SRX is a good next move, or maybe an mSRX. You could consider an mCPX maybe if you wanted to move to CP but depending on your confidence, you might find that a bit of a shock to the system - some do, others are fine with it.

I would say ignore the nano-CPX though. It's not ideal for outdoors and for the reasons I mention above - I don't think you'll progress indoors with it.

If you're really confident (and patient I would add, and have access to a large open space without dogs, kids, etc.) you could consider a 450 sized helicopter. But be aware that a 450 or above sized crash WILL break a fair bit. Assume an average of about £50 for a typical 450-sized crash.

EDIT : Perfect example of my point. Guys flies a stable hover indoors, then crashes the moment he tries anymore more complex. I would lay money on the fact that he could have pulled this simple move off it he'd have been outdoors!

[myxiplx]

Oh and there's plenty you can learn without buying more models. We've all been there, most people on this forum have a pretty decent collection of helicopters, but early on it's really about the practice, if you can save your money you'll be grateful for it later.

Just stick with it, in no time at all you'll be flying like this fella:
http://youtu.be/y7XKWYdMT78

[Peteski]

Thanks guys.

As I thought really, I can't see myself getting past simply hovering a CP micro in the house at this stage. So probably not worth the hassle and additional cost. Think I'll just continue developing my skills with the nQX / sim and a bit of sedate flying practice with the mCX2. I might look seriously at the mCPX BL for use in the garden / local playing field though in a couple of months time.

[Peteski]

Just stick with it, in no time at all you'll be flying like this fella:
http://youtu.be/y7XKWYdMT78

Seriously impressive skills, but extreme 3D doesn't do anything for me at all - which is lucky I guess! Looks a bit weird to be honest. My aim is more scale flying and scale aerobatics. Can't wait to fly my 130X Red Bull, but not going to attempt that until I really know what I'm doing. Makes a nice desk model though

[tomatwalden]

Seriously impressive skills, but extreme 3D doesn't do anything for me at all - which is lucky I guess! Looks a bit weird to be honest. My aim is more scale flying and scale aerobatics. Can't wait to fly my 130X Red Bull, but not going to attempt that until I really know what I'm doing. Makes a nice desk model though

This is probably more your thing then!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9w2V5a-3m8

[m4inbrain]

In all honesty, it's not entirely true what people say here. I have (as you know) the Nano CPx and have to fly it pretty much exclusively indoors at the moment (living room, garage) - and it's perfectly doable. No, i can't zoom around like mad, or fly eights etc - but that mostly is because i simply can't do it yet. Still in the process of wrapping my head around tail in/tail out, still losing orientation on the sticks pretty quick.

The situation tomatwalden points out is true in a nutshell, but for some reason he forgots to mention that you certainly can adjust helicopters to your skill-level/surroundings. My Nano at the moment flies docile enough to be used indoors - not quick, but i certainly don't crash into things. At all. Partially because i'm pretty careful, and partially because it simply isn't quick enough to pull away with the settings that i'm using. It's not for 3D like this, that's for sure - but i'm far away from that anyway.

If you want to learn how to CP helicopter, the Nano with tamed settings indoor is fine. If you get better, you can certainly take it outside (not worse in wind than a 120SR, or 200SRx on beginnersettings, and yes, i tried two days ago) and crank up the settings. The only REAL downside i would agree to so far, is that the Nano is quite hard to see outside. Then again, my eyesight is not perfect, so i can't really comment about that in a more general sense.

And the biggest thing, if you got a DX8, just get a used BNF - gumtree and the bay of E were full of it when i was checking. I went cheap and cheerful on the Nano, since i expect to break it sooner or later.

edit:

just remembered, since you're using sims - fire up Phoenix RC, set your DX8 up with proper settings for the Nano, and test it - it's in there. If needed, i can post/pm you my settings.

[Peteski]

Haven't totally ruled out a Nano CPX for the house, but right now probably wouldn't do me much good other than give me another model to play with. The nQX is certainly enough of a handful in agility mode and I need more sim time really. But I do like the idea of a CP micro heli.

[Peteski]

This is probably more your thing then!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9w2V5a-3m8

Most definitely! Very cool. Doubt I'll ever get to something that size though, but you never know. Maybe when I'm retired and too old to ski/mountain bike.