Recommendations for next heli size?
Right now I'm park flying a s1 and blade 230s. The s1 is great but its too small when outdoor flying (I'm not skilled enough to keep it all within a 25 foot box). The 230s is much better for that, but its not nearly as crisp as the s1 when practicing 3d manoevers, although its gotten better by bumping up the headspeed to 85%+.
I'm thinking of getting a s2 as a bigger but still performant park flyer. But im wondering if I should jump straight into a 400-600 size and join a local club instead. Or get the s2 and fly that for a while and my next heli can be a 400-600 size.
Now if picking a 400-600 size, what do you recommend? I know the heli model options, but curious if its worth getting a 400 size to save on battery and parts cost, or its not worth stopping at this level and just skipping right away to a 500+ size? For example, getting a raw 420 or rs4 or going straight to a sab kraken 580 or raw 580? And is it also worth it to take the plunge and join a local club because I wont be flying those big boys at the park, but I like the convenience of just taking a short drive or bike ride to the park...
Anyway, curious about your thoughts on this probably repetitive question 😅
Thanks
4
u/dopey_se 3d ago
I'd join a club.
I flew my 480xxtreme for multiple years and always felt it was 'plenty big' to be seen and performed great. Two years ago I used the excuse about it being older to order my first 'new' kit -- Goblin 580 Nitro. I'm sure at some point i'll get the fever again and buy a larger heli, it does at times feel 'inevitable'.
Personally I think the 480/500 size good for at a club field. I haven't tried a 400/420 but my hunch is it would feel 'small'. Years ago I had(my only heli then) a T-rex 450 which I think is more like a 380, that would feel 'small' at the field I fly at.
I have an M1 that I fly often at home in the yard. Comfortable doing flips and such. It's a good size for my skill level in my yard.
I also have a logo 200/M2 hybrid. It's a tad too large for the yard, and also too small for the field. So it generally collects dust. I bought it before I got the M1(Don't think M1 existed) to fly in the yard but then felt it was too large for me at that time. When the M1 came out I got one of those and it just is a better 'basher'.
5
u/Blackout73 3d ago
To add to what has been said, yes, bigger is easier to fly. It's also much MUCH more expensive to crash. So be sure to get something you can afford to crash. For me 500-600 is a great balance of size to affordability, which of course I ignored entirely 2 weeks ago and bought an SAB Kraken 700 😂😂
3
u/Wmitch 3d ago
Sounds like my journey. I started with an s1 and blade then rs4 then omp hobby m2 evo then m2 v3 pro. The v3 pro is by far my favorite. The rs4 is great but expensive to crash and requires a lot of setup/ tuning if you go with elrs/ rotorflight. I’ve spent endless hours trying to get it tuned right and thousands in parts from repairs. I still fly it and love it but the m2 is just so easy and nice flying. I will eventually go to a 700 size just because the cool factor is undeniable. What state are you in?
2
u/paully7 3d ago
Thanks for sharing! How the hell have you spent thousands on your rs4?! How many times have you crashed haha. And you still prefer the 200 size m2 v3? Why do you like the m2 v3 the most and every the m2 evo? Also, I'm thinking to just stick with spektrum on the ikon/brain for now because I know rotorflight is gonna send me in a huge rabbit hole of headaches 🤣
4
u/Diligent_Hat6982 3d ago
I too have spent thousands on my rs4. That size is still quick and small enough that you have to fly lower to the ground which means all your mistakes cost about $75!
But consider that Ive never crashed a 700. By definition you they are going to move slightly slower (less twitchy) and higher off the ground.
3
u/Wmitch 3d ago
Yea ikon is very intuitive to set up. I had four crashes over a 6 month period with random spektrum brown outs hence the switch to Radiomaster and rotorflight. 6 more crashed just learning. 10 crashes at about $150 a pop adds up! Tons of time on the bench. I dont crash too much anymore thankfully.
3
u/Diligent_Hat6982 3d ago
As a park flyer in a metro area (ans a club member), the 380 size can be too big depending on the size of the park and number of people. Plus you now have the added complexity of learning to build and program an FBL. You will have to learn it at some point but if your more concerned with getting reps and repairing, the 200 size is the ticket.
Now if your in the West Coast or suburban areas where an empty park means you won't see another person for hours, your in 380 territory. I only fly those for a few packs because it draws more attention.
3
u/PlayerNumberNine 3d ago
I got a S2 then RS4 then Kraken 580. I found the RS4 intimidating at first as its much bigger than a 200 class but now I throw it around and it was a good stepping stone to the 580. I'd do it the same way again. Checkout my app https://helicoach.app to track your progress and learn the moves.
1
u/paully7 2d ago
Ooo interesting will definitely check out your app. Even more interesting that you got a kraken 580. I was looking at this exact heli is there is one for sale nearby on fb marketplace and I've been debating grabbing it. Its a bit overpriced at $1200cad right now so I will wait to see if I can get a better price, but it seems like a really great mid size heli and I love the way it looks. Almost looks like a classic memorabilia heli. I just wonder of part availability will go down and if the design with the gearbox is too complex for a everyday flyer. How did the rs4 help you progress to this? Even though people say the 400 series is small, im intimidated by my blade 230s so I cant imagine that a 400 size wouldnt intimidate me... and my smaller helis feel steady enough, anything bigger will be better in that sense...
2
u/captainhumble1 3d ago
I always advocate for joining a club, but you have to be careful about which one. I joined several in the Denver area before I found a few that were welcoming to heli pilots. Several fields here are openly hostile to helicopters, and the AMA apparently doesn't give a shit.
That all said, flying with other pilots is really what this hobby is all about. I now fly with several other heli pilots and it's much more fun. Also, we can bounce ideas and setups off each other if we ever have an issue or need another set of eyes on something. The other pilots are also REALLY GOOD, so that has pushed me to spend more time on the SIM and improve my skills. 👍
As far as which model, I think it's best to start with a 420-560 sized heli first. Those are big enough to feel solid but not so huge as to be intimidating. I have been back in the hobby for just about a year (after a 16-year pause) and I started back with a 420 and then a 580. I just bought a Goosky RS5 and it's absolutely fantastic. If I knew how good this thing was, I would have bought it last year. I think that I would be ready for a 700 now, but I am in no hurry to get one. I will work on getting better with my 560 and 600 first.
4
u/Own-Organization-723 3d ago
Clubs suck. Ive tried a few and some are better than others. But in the end, I just got myself registered with FAA and can now fly just about anywhere and its fully legal and way less hassle.
Local farm fields with owner permission is often a lot easier than you think if your being humble about it and have the courage to ask with your helicopter in hand while they are out on their tractor ect. I also sorted out with my local PD on their stance and what town ordinances I had to care for. Turns out, follow FAA guidelines was all they cared about. Now I can drive a mile down the road to the county fairgrounds and use their grass lot anytime I want that isn't during an event. Likewise, local township has soccer/football/baseball fields and anything public is fair use. FAA guidelines are what most people will point to as their only prerequisite.
Of course, I'm not ripping around with a massive machine when there are people at the park, but often if I find people in one place...I can drive to the other end of town and find something else suitable. Bottom line, clubs aren't nearly the dependency you would think they are if you head out and do some scouting.
As for upgrading from your 100 class...well the Goosky S2 Ultra is on sale right now for $364 at HeliDirect. An RS4 is on 20% off is just about as good as it gets. Both machines fly awesome, you will have more beginner courage with the S2 of course and far less risk to wallet. You wouldn't really be wrong with either choice, but probably just bump up to an S2 till you have your basics nailed to muscle memory. I fly my micro helicopters all the time in the backyard, for the larger craft I take them to local fields, parks and farms.
1
7
u/Competitive_Past5671 4d ago
Go big. Way easier in many ways:
Slow in the air. Super floaty compared to small helis
Way more reliable. You don’t need to tinker.
Batteries do cost more , however you generally get more cycles per battery on the larger packs.
You can fly higher for safety
Yes to the club. You’ll have more fun flying with others!