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Robust, easy to fly and not too pricey?
there was something mentioned on here for about £40. For easy to fly i'd go for the contra-rotating model (co-ax, the blue Hughes 500), but for more satisfaction once you've mastered it, i'd go for the non-contra-rotating model (the black & gold one).
by indoors I assume you mean front room rather than sports hall 😉
http://www.heliguy.com/Electric-RC-Helicopters/Heliguy-Atom/Main-Group/
I believe emma82 may have a view on this...
Edit: and elfinsafety has a lovely picture of a knitted one!
Chinook one from amazon £20. Got my nephew for xmas and played with for hours. Supposedly twin rotors make more stable.
Depending on the level you are aiming at, I'd highly recommend the Nine Eagles solo pro as a step up from the simple contra rotating ones. A bit more challenging to fly but loads more capable.
Lots of videos on YouTube - will fly outdoors with the controller on advanced mode when there is no wind.
Mine was just over 40 quid delivered from Myrcmart in Hong Kong. No duty was charged, took about 10 days. Spares readily available and cheap. Would also recommend a mains charger and a couple more batteries. I've broken one flybar in about 30 flights, most of which end in crashes!
Any of the syma ones, easy to fly and very stable and robust (def robust as I have crashed both of mine loads of times
got this one for my brother for his christmas present - its ace!
Red 5 site, they have a metal one rather than plastic, can't remember the model number but it's yellow, I got one for Xmas, awesome fun, good quality too, indoor and outdoor, weather permitting of course. It's worth a look!
elfinsafety has a lovely picture of a knitted one!
It's not mine but it is beautiful:
[img] 
[/img]
I got a tiny Apache for Xmas. Getting the hang of it slowly. The first flight was carnage. Looked like a scene from Apocalypse Now; paper lampshade knacked, and I sustained a head injury. 😐
I got an M:Tech gyro flyer on boxing day from Menkind in P'boro. It was down to about £19 & is brilliant. Took 3-4 flights to get the hang of, but can fly it pretty confidently now.
It's had quite a few tumbled but nothing has broken, even after plummeting the whole height of the stairwell.
I got an Apache too! Flashing lights and all!
Fantastic control.
The latest game is for my toddler to smash it out of the air with a wrapping paper tube, whilst i try to avoid chopping up the indoor plants......
DrP
DrP; have you not for a second considered the possibility that [b]IT COULD BE A CHILD'S FACE?????????!!?!?[/b]
😯
The flashing lights are sooo pretty! 🙂
[img] 
[/img]
Ok, now I need a new toy.
*wonders off looking for wallet.
Apache fly off at BBB?
If you want an RC Apache chopper, this is what you should get!
There are apples and oranges being discussed on this thread. The 3 channel ones are just toys - great fun for a while, but when you get a proper hobby 4 channel one (like the Solo Pro and heli guy ones mentioned above) you realise just how limited they really are. I have both, and the 2/3 channel toys now rarely get flown - I'd get rid of them but that they will be good for the kids to learn on.
It's worth mentioning if you're looking towards the upper end of the price bracket, or for anybody looking to move on from the toy versions, that a new generation of models is now appearing, with self-stabilising electronics which make them as easy to fly as the toys, but with far more capabilities, e.g.
http://www.wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/118055/
I've seen a few advertised as "3.5 channel" - I'm assuming this is marketing guff, but what's it actually mean?
back in the day (90's) i tried to learn to fly a radio controlled helicopter (kyosho concept 30)
took it for it's first practise lesson at wroughton airfield (where you're controller is connected to the instructor's) just learning to skim it around the ground (have a practise landing sticks bamboo and plastic balls fitted to undercarriage).anyhoo all was going well.i then asked if i could try it on my own [img] 
[/img] well the next thing a gust of wind caught the copter 😯 it proceeded to go up about 25 ft 😯 8O,go over the club hut 😯 😯 😯 ,then proceeded to impact the ground at high velocity 😮 .ergo £400 of new helicopter completely obliterated 8O: oops: 😮 🙁 [img] [/img] a few choice words were uttered [img] http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTbonuaQu4r-ah7A0XcSCYKV-hW95c77a8S6s5YacK8qLFTXVFWkNSYilg [/img] i'd stick with flying those indoor ones from now on 😉
What do people think of this one?
[url= http://www.wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/79923/ ]Merlin Tracer 90[/url]
Nice stumpy too!
i caved and ordered a syma s107g off amazon earlier today. 20 quid's not bad to get started.
What do people think of this one?Merlin Tracer 90
Looks incredibly similar to http://www.wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/80588/ and when you follow the link to spares you find http://www.wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/79946/ (check the name top right). Not a bad thing, as mentioned above the Solo Pro is a good heli for what it is (though pretty difficult for a complete beginner), and a good price for the UK. Though as in the link gravity-slave gives you can get them a lot cheaper if you're prepared to import.
Edit: looking closer at the pics it does appear to be the latest version.
Graham, the Merlin tracer is just a rebranded Solo Pro, exactly the same heli just more expensive than the link above.
Myrcmart are a good supplier. I've had quite a few spares off them now, no worries on delivery and my mate also got a Solo Pro from them. The only downside is the small risk of customs charges for packages over £40 (was declared as 'gift' and marked value is cost price) and waiting a few more days. Neither of us had customs on any package.
There's loads on this type of heli here:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1337008
I'd recommend a twin blade co-ax for complete beginners and getting into it - great fun - but if you enjoy it you'll soon find it limiting in speed and control - the full 4 channel single rotor is a whole step up for little cash.
Cheers for the link.
Have been flying my 2 co-ax symas since early last year.
Its just thanks to this thread and girlfriend moaning about not having anything for me to buy for my birthday I figured another heli would be a good thing
Elfinsafety - MemberLooked like a scene from Apocalypse Now; paper lampshade knacked
I guess that must be in the director's cut?
No worries - I'd pick up a few more batteries, mains charger and spare flybar to get the most out of it if you can.
Only downside is I'm now tempted with something bigger - collective pitch, 6 channel and big enough to lift a GoPro!
The scary thing is that a friend of mine has got a nitro one that they never use, she asked me if I wanted to use it............ Only going to result in pain, either to me or my wallet (most likely both)
I sold my nitro heli. i was terrified of it 😯
I still have, in ascending size order:
Blade MCX
Twister Medevac
Twister FP v2
Twister Storm 450
Mastering a co-axial is one thing. The step up to 6ch collective pitch is quite a jump. Still trying to master my Walkera V400D02. Cruising fond the garden is about my limit! Need to get into a big open space and fly further, higher and faster. Then there's that Idle Up switch!
I used to have a nitro one, great fun though i recommend learning on a simulator first! Bit too big for the lounge but this guys managed it...
Got one of those Syma s107g ones and its just made me want to get another big one.
Got to be honest, I have no intention of trying it, something would be annihilated, and it would probably be me.
The solo pro looks good to me, so will probably go for that.