Seven years ago I was in my local hobby shop for some parts for my Losi XXX-NT and came across one of those small AirHogs helicopters, they were cheap and my brother and I got one each. We spent many days having fun letting them fly in the living room with little to no control other than throttle.A few weeks later my brother and I decided we wanted something with more control so off to the hobby shop we went. We spoke to the gentleman there at the store and even though he recommended time and time again we should get a sim we walked out with two Blade CP RTF helicopters confident in our ability to at least hover the beast, I mean after all how hard could it be to hover the bird?
We got back to my place and proceeded to unbox and charge the batteries. We also read the manual to understand the basic controls. Still confident we could at least hover them I decided to try. I go out to my backyard, follow the check list, and get ready to lift off. Needless to say in a mater of 10 seconds I managed to crash and break my new heli, my brother laughs and tries his to meet the same fate himself. We spend the next few weeks repairing them and spending sparse seconds in the air. We both shelve the birds after a few months and I forget about the hobby.
That is until I see a blade mcx and I am hooked again. I buy one and learn to fly it quite well.
Confident in my ability once again to master this hobby I go back to the hobby store and pick up a Blade 400 disregarding the advice to once again purchase the sim before I attempt a CP Heli. This experience ends exactly as my attempts with the CP. I spend months and dollar after dollar for no stick time only crash after crash. I get so frustrated i sell the blade 400 and the mcx and say I will never try again.
I once again find myself in the hobby store only to find them demoing the msr and actually get to try one. I am able to hover and am amazed how responsive it is compared to the mcx and, wait for it........ I BUY THE SIM!!!!!!!!!
I spent the next month spending a few hours a night on the sim and decide to pick up the msr. I get one and learn to actually fly it, spot landings etc etc.
I spend more time on the sim, I can hover a CP heli and do nose in and even fly circuits. I am too scared to CP helis at this point and just continue to fly the sim and my msr for another year. I talk to my wife how I want to try another CP heli but I am so scared of just breaking it again and again and can't spend the money on another 500.00 plus bird to just crash even though I can fly the sim pretty well, I mean I still crash alot but I really push it to the extreme on the sim sometimes.
Early this year I see videos of the mcpx and show the wife.I think this might just be the heli that gets me back to CP but I still am still scared of defeat.I decide to pass and stick with my msr and indoor fun of buzzing the cats and flying through the hanging light fixture in the dining room.
Well fast forward to this Friday and my wife calls me and asked me to meet her at Kohl's to look at some outfits. She surprises me there with a trip to the hobby store next door to pick up my mcpx! She wanted to make sure I got what I needed, the BNF mcpx, as i kept my DX6i radio and she did not want to get the wrong item. My birthday is coming up and this is my gift!
I am stoked to try it and get home, program my radio per the instructions and watch the videos on the included DVD. I charge the batteries and take it outside. I spin it up and lift it off the ground, I am instantly amazed as I am able to expect what the bird will do, I am actually hovering a CP heli!! My mouth drops into what my wife describes to me as a school girls grin and all of a sudden the blades fly off of the heli in two directions. My mouth drops open in amazement as my thoughts of flying CP helis is once again shattered. I search the area and find both blades intact put I am missing the feathering shaft and all it's hardware. I take a trip down to the hobby store to pick up a new feathering shaft all the while thinking I must have done something wrong. I make it to the hobby shop and tell them my story as I am pulling out my card to pay for the feathering shaft. The guy behind the counter stops and says well Mr. Rago well got a bulletin today that talks about this issue. I do not think it was your fault and as a matter of fact come back here late next week and we will have you a new rotor head free of charge. I am instantly relieved! I didn't cause the issue! I mean I really should have pre-flighted the bird and checked the feathering shaft to ensure it was tight. I did know better but just assumed it was truly BNF.
I ask if I can fly it with the stock head and new feathering shaft and he tells me I can, just ensure it's tight after each flight. I go ahead and pay for the feathering shaft and walk out.
Today I take it outside to try it out. I spent three battery packs out hovering and doing basic front - stop - back maneuvers and I could not be happier. I now really feel I can learn to fly these guys and hope to be able to do inverted flying by this time next year.
To everyone out there reading wanting to learn CP, do yourself a favor and buy a good simulator.
We got back to my place and proceeded to unbox and charge the batteries. We also read the manual to understand the basic controls. Still confident we could at least hover them I decided to try. I go out to my backyard, follow the check list, and get ready to lift off. Needless to say in a mater of 10 seconds I managed to crash and break my new heli, my brother laughs and tries his to meet the same fate himself. We spend the next few weeks repairing them and spending sparse seconds in the air. We both shelve the birds after a few months and I forget about the hobby.
That is until I see a blade mcx and I am hooked again. I buy one and learn to fly it quite well.
Confident in my ability once again to master this hobby I go back to the hobby store and pick up a Blade 400 disregarding the advice to once again purchase the sim before I attempt a CP Heli. This experience ends exactly as my attempts with the CP. I spend months and dollar after dollar for no stick time only crash after crash. I get so frustrated i sell the blade 400 and the mcx and say I will never try again.
I once again find myself in the hobby store only to find them demoing the msr and actually get to try one. I am able to hover and am amazed how responsive it is compared to the mcx and, wait for it........ I BUY THE SIM!!!!!!!!!
I spent the next month spending a few hours a night on the sim and decide to pick up the msr. I get one and learn to actually fly it, spot landings etc etc.
I spend more time on the sim, I can hover a CP heli and do nose in and even fly circuits. I am too scared to CP helis at this point and just continue to fly the sim and my msr for another year. I talk to my wife how I want to try another CP heli but I am so scared of just breaking it again and again and can't spend the money on another 500.00 plus bird to just crash even though I can fly the sim pretty well, I mean I still crash alot but I really push it to the extreme on the sim sometimes.
Early this year I see videos of the mcpx and show the wife.I think this might just be the heli that gets me back to CP but I still am still scared of defeat.I decide to pass and stick with my msr and indoor fun of buzzing the cats and flying through the hanging light fixture in the dining room.
Well fast forward to this Friday and my wife calls me and asked me to meet her at Kohl's to look at some outfits. She surprises me there with a trip to the hobby store next door to pick up my mcpx! She wanted to make sure I got what I needed, the BNF mcpx, as i kept my DX6i radio and she did not want to get the wrong item. My birthday is coming up and this is my gift!
I am stoked to try it and get home, program my radio per the instructions and watch the videos on the included DVD. I charge the batteries and take it outside. I spin it up and lift it off the ground, I am instantly amazed as I am able to expect what the bird will do, I am actually hovering a CP heli!! My mouth drops into what my wife describes to me as a school girls grin and all of a sudden the blades fly off of the heli in two directions. My mouth drops open in amazement as my thoughts of flying CP helis is once again shattered. I search the area and find both blades intact put I am missing the feathering shaft and all it's hardware. I take a trip down to the hobby store to pick up a new feathering shaft all the while thinking I must have done something wrong. I make it to the hobby shop and tell them my story as I am pulling out my card to pay for the feathering shaft. The guy behind the counter stops and says well Mr. Rago well got a bulletin today that talks about this issue. I do not think it was your fault and as a matter of fact come back here late next week and we will have you a new rotor head free of charge. I am instantly relieved! I didn't cause the issue! I mean I really should have pre-flighted the bird and checked the feathering shaft to ensure it was tight. I did know better but just assumed it was truly BNF.
I ask if I can fly it with the stock head and new feathering shaft and he tells me I can, just ensure it's tight after each flight. I go ahead and pay for the feathering shaft and walk out.
Today I take it outside to try it out. I spent three battery packs out hovering and doing basic front - stop - back maneuvers and I could not be happier. I now really feel I can learn to fly these guys and hope to be able to do inverted flying by this time next year.
To everyone out there reading wanting to learn CP, do yourself a favor and buy a good simulator.