I’M A NEWBIE, WHAT DO I NEED?
When someone enters a hobby, (ANY hobby) there’s always going to be a learning process to get through, and one of the easiest ways to make it less stressful is to ask questions. Obviously it’s even easier if you get answers, so that’s what I’m about to provide, but I’m doing it before the questions are asked (Life’s SO much more interesting when you’re a smart-arseJ)
Some of the questions you’ll be asking yourself are likely to be:--
How much do these things cost?
How long do they take to build?
Do you need to be an Einstein to build one?
How easy/hard are they to fly?
How high will they fly?
How far will they go?
How fast will the go?
What will I need?
So let’s start at the end and work our way to the beginning.
What will I need?
Well let’s not kid ourselves, you’ll need a bit of cash that’s not spoken for and you’ll need a helicopterJ And so it begins.
You’ll also need an engine, a silencer, a radio (transmitter and receiver), some servos, a battery, a charger and a gyro. That just about covers the absolute minimum if you want to get a helicopter to the point where there’s a chance it might fly, but of course, in order to get it TO that point, you’ll need some tools to build it, and you’ve not finished there either, coz there’s some things you’ll need AFTER it’s built and before you find yourself at the flying field.
Tools…..
A set of Allen keys (1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm and 6mm as a minimum) These can be bought with “screwdriver” type handles with replaceable ends or as normal “cranked” Allen keys.
Screwdrivers. Straight and Philips, in various sizes from very small, to medium big.
Nut drivers or small socket set.
Pliers/vice-grips.
Vice.
Hammer (small, no sledges) We use hammers to “persuade” not to pound and to kill.
We also need a good bench. The coffee table is fine for a couple of nights, but not if you’re serious about building and flying, then clamping a mini-vice to your coffee table, isn’t THE best way to ensure the heli is built properly or endear yourself to your better half. What’s REALLY the best idea, is to have your own space where things are left undisturbed when you’re not around. That way, there’s only YOU to blame when parts go missingJ
So we’ve got our heli and the other bits. (radio, servos, gyro, engine, silencer etc). We’ve got a few tools, a place to do the building and a bench to do it on (you can even build the heli on the bench if you’ve a mind to), so that’s you ready for the 1st of the “big days”.
As you progress through the building process, you’ll find that everything you need to fly is NOT included in the kit, or with the “extras” you’ve already bought, and you’ll find yourself out shopping again. Things you may/will need/want include the following:-
Spare glo-plugs for your engine.
A glo-plug spanner/socket.
A glo-plug DRIVER (to ignite the plug….eventuallyJ)
Fuel.
A fuel pump/power distribution panel.
Lots of spare fuel tubing.
Fuel filters.
A 12volt battery.
An engine starter.
Cable ties.
A box to carry all this stuff in.
So you’ve done the first “big day” (starting the building) and soon will come the 2nd “big day”. This comes shortly after you’ve built the heli (**IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL THE INSTRUCTION MANUALS** of course!!) and you want to start your engine “just to see”.
Now’s the time to rein yourself in and STOP RIGHT THERE!!!.
What you SHOULD be doing now ISN’T starting the engine, but finding a helicopter club or experienced heli flyer who’ll check over your machine to make SURE it’s fit to fly. Hard lessons are learned on that “just to see” day, and I’m sure you don’t want to learn one yourself. Take it from me, they bloody well HURT! and starting an engine which is set to FULL throttle and not idle like you thought, is a very common lesson, and not only could you suffer the indignity of hopping around your garden like a lunatic Morris Dancer clutching a leg uttering in some indecipherable language, you could find your heli needing a whole list of spare parts and it’s first re-build.
Learn this lesson now, BEFORE you start that motor.
To continue.
So in summary…..
You’ll need
Lots of moneyJ, a heli, engine, silencer, radio, servos, battery, charger, gyro, tools, space, bench, extras as mentioned and dedication.
Now to the other stuff…..
How much do these things cost?
Anywhere from £300.oo for a complete 2nd “.30 sized” hand deal (“.30” being the engine size in cubic inches) up to £5 or £6 THOUSAND for a gas turbine powered machine supplied “almost ready to fly” less radio equipment.
How long do they take to build?
Roughly a few weeks for the first one.
Do you need to be an Einstein to build one?
Nope. Even *I’VE” done it.
How easy/hard are they to fly?
Easy enough that most people can learn if they apply themselves and hard enough to make them challenging and good fun.
How high will they fly?
High enough that you won’t be able to tell which way they’re pointing/moving.
How far will they go?
Far enough that you won’t be able to see them.
How fast will the go?
Depends on the power and aerodynamic efficiency, but on average, they’ll reach 70mph with little effort.
So there you have them. Answers to questions you never knew you didn’t knowJ
Beav