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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2011 20:35:45 GMT
I never looked at reviews, Ian. Just price!! At those prices, they are amazingly cheap. I guess there's not so much precision so trimming could be an issue. I trim maybe once when the battery has started to lose its edge on the Blades.
Even the Bladez go at about £25.99 I think. I'll have another look at them .....
Ian
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Post by toad on Nov 6, 2011 21:31:24 GMT
I just realised how arogant that last post of mine reads. It wasn´t meant to sound like that. It's just I didn't want Chris or for that matter anyone else getting a duff first heli. My similar one spins like a top every 30 seconds or less if you don't trim it so we are not talking subtle trimming here. It's a real bugger to fly.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2011 22:15:30 GMT
Not at all Ian - I think you're right. At those price levels, quality control or standards may well be totally different and if a newbie bought one, they may well get a bad experience.
I guess I've been lucky with them. The Bladez were lovely and smooth to fly and the MCX2 is just beautiful to fly. So good I got two!!!
You also tend to forget the difficulties you had yourself when you first flew them as well. Orientation was a difficult one for me, I think. Particularly when it was coming towards me, when left and right get transposed.
You know, there's another thing I take for granted with the Single blades as well. I watch where the heli is going and do mini compensations very quickly; almost in advance of the heli moving. I think that's how they become stable but I also 'go with the flow' of how it wants to fly rather than fight it. For example, if my MSR gets into a swing or sways in the air, instead of panicking, I let it go and then catch it at the point of least movement to push it out. In other words, I don't fight against it's natural inclinations.
That's even more important with the 120 sr as well because it moves extremely fast and fighting it's natural flight tendencies would throw it into a wall at very fast speed to be sure!!
The 'hover' is the key to a lot of it since if I get into troubles, I go straight for the hover and start again. (or land)
I also try to move slowly and carefully control all movement. (Then I go mad on the MCX2)
This Sky Taxi is nearly two feet long and they're saying for indoor flight!! Can you imagine a two foot helicopter in your front room? It has to be stable or it'll take your head off.
Ian
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 6, 2011 23:27:57 GMT
I'd love a sky taxi... you are right Ian (Rabbit) 4 channel, 2.4gHz, coaxial and the sheer SIZE of the thing make it worth £60 shipped... the three channel copters are pretty mickey mouse compared to the 4 channel jobs and "sunshine" is the enemy You've also got to pretty much point the transmitter in the general direction of the helicopter (which you don't have to do with 2.4gHz) or it'll drop from the air
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2011 9:42:00 GMT
I'l see how it goes when it arrives ...... Ian
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 7, 2011 10:23:54 GMT
I'l see how it goes when it arrives ...... Ian Yeh man, will wait for your flight test Sod's law... it's been so calm up here for FIVE days.... sunny too!..... but I have been so busy I haven't had a chance to fly a chopper around the garden.... I'm seriously thinking of firing the Honey Bee CP3 into the sky and having a go with it... if I crash then I crash... it's basically sitting inside gathering dust which is such a shame.... I had a "female" visitor the other day and revved it up on the floor (she was well impressed by the size of my chopper) and I was waffling on about what it could do outdoors (I never let on that I have tried flying it once and slammed it into a lawnmower ) "yeh baby, it flies upside down and can even cut the grass"... of course, I had an excuse for not giving her a demo I think the sky taxi may be more "bird" friendly.... a large chopper but a lot easier to get airborne.... "ooooh you are so skillful".... "yeh, I'm a natural".....
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2011 10:31:26 GMT
Did she get to see your spotted pecker ?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2011 10:41:56 GMT
Did she get to see your spotted pecker ? maybe she's a bird of prey and wants a big bustard
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 7, 2011 11:04:19 GMT
Did she get to see your spotted pecker ? Not on a first outing.... I'm a gentleman!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2011 11:09:03 GMT
;D ;D ;D
Ian
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2011 17:57:35 GMT
Be careful, Mike. They're really slippery to hold still in the air or even get off the ground.
The chances are you'll hit the deck. It'll move really fast as well so once/if you get it into the air, it'll wander all over the place and I dread to think what a hefty rev will do with those blades. Collective pitches rise with alarming speed as well.
Also the remote control has a lot of effect on how the heli feels and those things that come with the Honey Bee are not really up to it, Mike. They would fly much easier with a 'mixing' remote if you can find the settings used for the Honey Bee. It would calm its response down so that it becomes a much easier beast to fly. On computer remotes, you can have different pitch curves and set when the collective pitch kicks in etc. Much more controllable.
I must admit, my DX5e has made the 120 sr a little puppy and it's made the difference between getting it into the air and getting down by luck and actually controlling it up and down and now, moving around the room. A lot of that has come from the new remote control and imo, the ones that you get with the Honey Bees are not really up to it either.
Better controllers are a lot more subtle and I found the DX5e to be a really worthwhile improvement. I wish I'd got the DX6i now.
Have you managed to get the simulator going? That's maybe get you on the right tracks if it actually works.
Ian
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 7, 2011 23:38:56 GMT
Life is short (but sweet) I'll do it my way and if I crash and burn so be it. £107 crashing into the ground? Ive pissed more than that away on a "night out".... I'll take my chances and go for it.... full "organ stops / pulling them out style" Mikey BTW, you may be surprised at how well I can handle the CP3
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 7, 2011 23:46:17 GMT
I expect a piano SOLO and a personal "shit, you are the master of the Honey" recording when you see my Honey Bee in action Just waiting for a very calm day and camcorder friendly buddy to film it The simulator was very helpful, thanks Ian. Mikey.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 7, 2011 23:50:40 GMT
BTW... this guy is so COOL... just look at the way he controls the Honey... pure class
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2011 8:47:06 GMT
Be careful Mike .....
Anyone squeamish - DO NOT LOOK. I REALLY mean it.
This is exactly what I mean when the mockers talk about 'toys'. You have to learn the skill properly, or this could be the result. (or worse)
In this one - good job no-one was having a cup of tea and a sandwich!!
Ian
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 8, 2011 9:48:16 GMT
An inch or so lower and that could have been very nasty, he could have lost an eye Maybe a hard hat and safety goggles is the way to go?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2011 11:19:58 GMT
It's quite a worry if they go out of control. I've seen a nasty prang where the blades cut a cuy through his shirt!! That's why I play safe.
I noticed that some guys are wearing overalls. Probably protective in case of a strike.
Trouble is the speed at which they move. The Honey Bee had me running right back before I tried to get it down. Not only was it spinning, but it was moving right/left and all over the place so I basically slowed the blades down so it just started to come down slowly while it continued to spin.
The damage they can do is pretty wicked.
Ian
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toad
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Post by toad on Nov 8, 2011 13:47:23 GMT
It's accidents like that that make me think I'll probably stick to something 3 channel and easy to fly like the following until I am really competent with a smal 4 channel of some description.
Here's that mad german bloke that shows of the Mini X putting it through some very rough and tumble moves.
It can be easily modded with a larger tail rotor to make it faster and more wind friendly.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2011 15:22:58 GMT
Ian,
That video caused some guy to lose some fingers. He actually put them into moving blades.
I can't remember who told me about that, but I know that it was to do with the Honey Bee.
The big ones need control because the danger is real.
Having said that, my Sky Taxi has arrived and it's HUGE!!
Ian
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2011 17:41:28 GMT
Had a quick blast with it.
Value for money is excellent. It's a nice heli and looks really good. Blades are not as flexible as I first thought and there's a spare set with the heli in any case. The battery fixing is ok but a weak point imo in that it's held in with a plastic catch, so I've decided that the battery stays in there while it charges. The instructions for getting the battery in are non-existent so you have to work it out.
First thoughts are - it's BIG. Full body and nearly two feet long. Very imposing. Secondly, it's pretty heavy so you wonder how on earth it'll get off the ground. The battery is a chunky one 11.1v so the batteries for the Honey Bee are compatible. No problem with batteries then.
First start up is scary. The engine sounds really smooth but those propellers go fast. There's a lot of back wash so on the ground, it tries to wander all over the place.
I got it literally two inches off the ground and it started to stabilise. Trouble is it's so big it needs a lot of room to fly in. I carried on with some bursts and got it in the air, but not too high and back again.
So it is actually a simplish fly, but it's intimidating. It's already bound to the controller and I can't see a way of binding it to my DX5e which is a shame.
It's a nice helicopter and I reckon I will get this one in the air safely, eventually. It just needs space.
I can't believe that this retails at £60 delivered to the door. Less than the MCX2 which is amazing when you see what you actually get. This will be fun, but I'm going to be really careful.
Ian
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toad
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Post by toad on Nov 8, 2011 18:43:49 GMT
Sounds good Ian. Can't wait to see the videos
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2011 19:27:05 GMT
It strikes me as really good value Ian. It feels like a big heli in flight and it's not as twitchy as little ones. The 120 sr feels very small after trying to get that into the air.
I've just hovered for short periods about two feet up and that's it. No further until I'm confident. Only been flying for a few minutes!!
The blades look as though they'd hit each other so I'm going to order some spares. The package comes with a sheet and spares numbers on so I just dialed in the number for blades on Google and stockists came up fine. I can see me hitting something with the blades and they'll just chip because they're going fast.
403000081 = blades 403000111 = new body shell 403000103 = battery (although Honey Bee batteries work)
The other thing I like is the fact that it uses common battery types. The Honey Bee has the same type.
All in all, I'm pretty chuffed with this heli. It's fantastic value and just looking at it as a model on a shelf is inspiring.
Turning the blades gets the adrenalin going and when it lifts, it's really impressive, but you do need bottle. The engine is extremely smooth too.
I'm really going to enjoy this one.
Ian
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2011 18:20:00 GMT
I got it off the ground today and held it at head height. Indoors!!
The trim was a bit off to the right so I had to give it quite a lot. The ground effect makes it quite difficult to hold low down - (a foot off the floor) Once you get it out of the wash, it really settles and moves like a big helicopter. Indoors, it's a case of hover and hold because it's so big and its weight makes it more stable.
Anyway, I did a series of take offs and holds and at one point did an extended hover, so it is pretty easy to fly, once you get the nerve to push that throttle up to get it out of its own wash.
It certainly looks impressive in the air. I'm not sure about battery life. It seemed short but that may be the way time goes when you're enjoying yourself and I did just do a series of take offs and landings with one extended hover in the middle.
The blades are prone to 'clatter' into each other imo if you're not careful. That's a common thing with big coaxials since the blades are quite big but once it flies, it's fine.
I just get nervous when it's hovering above a chair or something. There's no undercarriage to grab if you get into trouble. It just has wheels.
I'd say the weakest aspects of the Sky Taxi are:
* Long battery charging time. * Battery compartment is good but the catch on it is poor so you kind of want to leave the battery in there while it charges. It's a faff to open and close. * Trimming is a bit crude and I'm not fond of the sliding trims. * Blades are prone to clatter, just like the Big Lama. * Is a two foot heli really an indoor one? (I have my doubts)
Good points
* It looks friggin' great in the air. * for a two foot helicopter, it's easy to fly if you have the bottle. * It's a fun machine. (Big time) * It's going to be great training for outside flying with something posher later!! I think it may well hold pretty well outside. * This is a bargain.
There is nothing like flying a big heli. The adrenalin kicks in and the challenge level for this is great. It is actually stable once it's up but you really need to be confident to hold it in a room.
It has also helped me with the 120 sr in that it feels so small in comparison now. In fact, the 120 sr feels like a tiny heli in the way it flies by comparison. This one is big and heavy and doesn't jig all over the place. Very realistic.
One thing I'd love - a battery that will go for 20 minutes!!
Ian
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toad
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Post by toad on Nov 9, 2011 19:37:56 GMT
I'm still waiting for the videos Ian. In their defense re the Indoor thing, they do say "Notionally suitable for indoor flying quite some space is necessary although hovering and training with low level lift off and landings are achievable." TBH I think it's more of a sports hall sort of thing. I think you may be right about it handling quite well outside in a gentle wind. I'm getting jealous already Maybe if I get the hang of my Z Century indoor 4 channel by the spring I'll look at a sky taxi but until then a 3 channel like the t23 or t34 looks more my cup of tea.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2011 20:48:55 GMT
Not until I'm safe. Sod's law - put a video camera on it - performance nerves ...... smack!!!!
Only got about 15 minutes on it. Just shows you, you can hover quickly if you have the bottle!!
It's just so realistic in the air. It looks and feels weighty and handles like a really heavy helicopter.
At the moment, I'm watching my step because it's so big but it is an impressive site. The 120 looks lightweight by comparison.
So, I'm using the MCX2 for working with the helicopter facing me. (which is a lot more difficult)
The MSR for single blade moves in flight.
The 120 for single blade faster moves and getting used to size.
The Sky Taxi for sheer size but controllability.
I think next will be the MCX which is a small collective pitch.
Then a single blade biggie. (Maybe an Esky - not sure)
Then a Big collective pitch.It's all planned out!! (ha ha!!) Not really. I wouldn't mind working on a tiny collective pitch just to learn the stick moves.
Anything bigger than this Sky Taxi would be mental. I'll do some still shots over the weekend. I certainly can't take chances with video until I know I'm secure!!
Ian
Ian
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