How to Choose Your First Radio Controlled Helicopter

There are a few ways to approach purchasing your first RC helicopters. The first is

to buy a RTF helicopter (ready to fly). These are very popular as you can indulge

your new hobby straight away but unfortunately it is also the most expensive.

RC helicopters are the toys that men are proud to admit to owning. They lovingly

build them, then fly or race them, sometimes crash them and go home to spend

hours fixing them in time for the next meet. This is not something you say "Oh I

need a hobby I might learn to fly a model helicopter", it is a hobby that most men

just simply live and breathe. Numerous phone calls and Skype's for what seems

the most minor thing but not to true addicts.

Your First Helicopter

Once deciding you would like to learn to fly RC helicopters, the next step is to

choose your first helicopter. This must be done very carefully as these RC

helicopters do not come cheaply. You may have seen some RC pilots flying huge

radio controlled jets but this will not be for you at this stage.

Those pilots started with basic helicopters, learning the controls and doing

numerous take-offs and landings. They then progressed to different styles of

helicopters each with their own set of attributes. It would be many years in

between basic learning and flying a jet helicopter.

Options

One option is to start from plans and build it literally from the ground up. Doing it

this way will take a long time, as every aspect of this helicopter has to be perfectly

balanced. A benefit of doing this is for you meet other "Model Helicopter Addicts"

when you ask them for guidance in the construction. Eventually will this

helicopter be ready for you to start learning with and you will also be able to

proudly say "I built it".

This last option is one that many use as it is a happy medium between the first

two options. It is to purchase a kit that has much of the helicopter built and most

time is spent doing the electrical components and motor inside the RC helicopters

and of course the colours on the outside. This option is far cheaper than buying a

RTF helicopter but takes a lot less time than starting from scratch.

The helicopter to learn with needs to be a basic helicopter which you along with a

trainer will come to know inside and out including the transmitter.

Model helicopter enthusiasts are always learning and constantly strive to achieve

the best from their radio control models. If you join a club you will be talking to

men who want to help you and it could save you a lot of money and heartache as

no one likes to see a helicopter crash unnecessarily.