pslewis

Got a MiniCopter V2 for my birthday on 15th June ....... all excited, but I am old enough to wait to do it properly, so built myself a training aid before taking to the air.

Anyway, the bloody thing wouldn't power up!! Dead battery I thought - contacted ModelZone (from where it was bought) and they were excellent .... delivered another battery to my home!

Anyway, that wouldn't charge up at all!!! Charger fault I thought, contacted them again and they said that they had been getting them returned with charger problems!

I could have a whole new helicopter, and they got one from another shop, delivered to my door again ................... last night.

Charged up the battery (battery and charger got hot, as you would expect - but they didn't on the earlier unit) .... had a great 10 minutes in the garden 'learning' how to hover.

Popped the battery on charge again tonight ............. guess foookin' what!!??

Yes!! Dead as a doornail!! The charger is now putting out 4Volts instead of 9Volts!!

Pissed off, really pissed off!!!

Anyone bought one of these MiniCopters from Modelzone and actually got more than 10minutes out of it??

I have to say, the ModelZone shop have been excellent ................ but, can anyone find out their Head Office address/e-mail?? Cos I can't find it at all!!

Why can't things do as they say on the tin anymore???

This is the offending article:- http://www.amerang-group.com/product...id=1064&menu=1

Pete

PG

lol !
I see the title and think "Pete is upset and angry with todays bombings"
but no. He has broken his wittle hewicopter.
Didums
You are 78 ! Not 8 !!

pslewis

I'm 77!! not 78!!

And what would the bombers like us to be doing?? Yes, thats right, stopping life and all hiding in some dark corner!!

Well, not me!!

I'm carrying on like they do not exsist!! I feel for the families who have lost loved ones and those in pain at the moment ..................... but, there is nothing I can do except send a message to those who would harm me that I will be carrying on regardless and their attacks are futile!

You deal with it as you see fit .............

Pete

PG

Wasn't having a go at you Pete. (not that you would care if I was ) Just not what I expected to see once clicking on the title.
I like the fact a 77 year old man can be so upset that his toy isn't working

Lou x

http://www.modelzone.co.uk/stores.html

hope that helps

Lou x

you may be as well getting one of these pete.

cheap as chips and there great fun

http://www.bigpockets.co.uk/product....9769ca2caf7fe2

pslewis

Thanks .... I found that, BUT what is their Head Office Address/e-mail?? I think its in Lansing ............... however, its strange how they hide behind their shops?

The shop I am dealing with have been superb and the importer of the helicopter has also contacted me this morning and will send a new charger.

Its pretty good service from all concerned!!

And that 'toy' copter is no good to me ........... I want to use it to impress people

Pete

pacenote

If you want to impress people try one of these..



you might have trouble flying it in your living room though

pslewis

Holy Foooook!!!!

Now, I bet thats a lot easier to fly than my little one - where a small gust throws it upside down!

http://www.amerang-group.com/product...id=1064&menu=1

Pete

pacenote

Easier to fly yes - stable hover in 20 mph winds - however still has potential to do some ' damage ' if your not careful.

pslewis

Indeed, it looks like it could take the tips of your nails off!!

Just been out with mine - can't get the frigging thing to hover steady

But, I have only been having a go for 20 minutes

Pete

pslewis

Just trying to charge it up again .... and it won't charge!!

Thats the THIRD charger Battery combination!!

Not sure whas wrong with it??

Pete

little'un

iTrader: (9)

is now the time for a proper 8yrs old's strop - have you thrown it out the window yet? - you may get more flight time out of it this way PS

pslewis

This morning the promised new 'different' charger arrived in the post from the Importers, excellent service!!

Its supposed to take 2hours and 30minutes to charge up the battery fully ...... the battery isn't warm, the charger is slightly warm, the battery isn't charged after 3 hours!?

Just connected it up to the Heli and took it out into the garden to fly - now, the tail rotor isn't turning!!?? WTF!!??

Has anyone out there bought and used a decent electric helicopter?? An outdoor/indoor type at around the £200 level??

I am getting really pissed off with all this BUT, it was a birthday present and I really wanted it to work!!

Pete

GC8

You'll be up **** Creek if the charger / battery combination on your Motorbility scooter goes f*cked too!

pslewis

Nah .............. you taxpayers pay for those repairs for me, I don't have to worry!!

I must remember to say a BIG THANK YOU to you all now and again for keeping me running!!

I especially like taking the taxes from you, Simon, to keep me alive and well

Pete

GC8

It's a pleasure Pete

pslewis

The Heli is going back to ModelZone tomorrow - full refund, I would hope.

Pity, I was so looking forward to learning how to fly it!

What else can I get for £200?? A Boys Toy ......... I can't think of anything!

Pete

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

I've got a century hummingbird, been very reliable.

It's worth investing in a decent quality charger.

With regards to the flying, just make sure your flybar paddles are level as they can move quite easily on these small models.

Here's a clip of mine last year here

Also I'd advise learning indoors as even the lightest wind effects these little heli's, which is a bit much learning to hover and catching the heli when it gets a breeze.

Leslie

Did you try that tethering system I suggested, and did it work, while you had some poke in the battery?

Les

pacenote

Speak to Trevor at Midland Helicopters

www.midlandhelicopters.co.uk

I would recommend an Align T Trex 450X which although is more expensive will be easier for you to learn on and spares - when you crash it - are cheap.
Also a Century Hummingbird is good as well and abit cheaper than the TRex.

If you want to check out a forum try www.runryder.com where there is a section on electric heli's.

HTH

pslewis

OK, how long did it take you to fly it like that?? Honest answer now!!

Looks good ............ I have now been looking at the TWISTER CP - a collective pitch Heli ... they say its easier to fly than a fixed pitch (yet the cheap beginners ones are fixed pitch, I think??)

Pete

pslewis

Well, I made up a 4 spoke traning aid - yes, with a ping-pong ball each end and it help save crashing at an angle!

It's just annoying that I could only get one 10minute flight out of a battery charge and then the battery wouldn't charge again

I'm REALLY keen on this now - so, would spend more for a better, more reliable Heli ..... what about collective pitch??

Pete

pslewis

Also, how does a collective pitch copter work on 4 channels??

As I understand it, one channel is power up .....

One for left, one for right one for back and forward .....

Thats 4 in total ........... where is the collective pitch channel??

Pete

Jap2Scrap

At what size/power does it become necessary to have a RC flying license for these heli's? Some of them look very cool. Can't believe the charger trouble you're having Pete. I'm afraid I'd have asked for a refund by now.

pslewis

Thanks for that ..............

Anyone any feedback about this RC Systems MiniCopter I have from ModelZone? They have offerred me the smaller MicroCopter from RC Systems, it retails at £200 - but they will let me have it with no extra charge .... but, I am a bit loathe to do that as the TWISTER CP is £225.

Confused?? You're dead right I am!!

Pete

pslewis

Well, yes, I would have too ............ but, logic states that the charger was probably a one off fault!!

It's clearly a major issue ..... but, no-one admits in writing to it!!

And the helicopter and RC System seems really good .... when it has power its brilliant fun!! So, I stuck with it!

Sadly, today, it goes back!!

Never mind ..... maybe some good will come good of it?? I still don't know if it was a fixed pitch or collective pitch (I'm assuming Fixed) ......

Thanks all for your help!!

Pete

jameswrx

iTrader: (4)

That vid was quite early on in ownership but it took quite a while (of short frustrating flights) to be honest but only because I didn't realise the importance of a decent setup. I've got some good vids on my phone of indoor flight which is nice and stable plus a lot of forward flight and some basic nose in hover (which I never mastered). I haven't flown for ages.

Get things nice and trim and true and it's a lot quicker. For instance a friend bought one and phoned me to say he was having probs, went round there and showed him the importance of keeping the paddles nice and straight (do this holding the moving parts of the head down) and he was honestly hovering it that day pretty good.

Also with the micro heli's they are unstable as they take off because of the rotor wash and their weight being effected by it easily. The trick is to actually get them up faster when you are learning, it's actually harder to get them up slowly.

Don't bother with collective pitch micro at this stage, as I said go for a decent fixed pitch like the hummingbird. All collective pitch is going to do is give more problems whilst learning as they take a lot more setting up and every time you crash (even gently) they will need setting up again. Crash a decent fixed pitch heli, pick it up hold the swash plate down and check the paddles are level (if not a quick tweak by hand) and you're off again.

The only real benefit of a collective pitch when learning is the ability to flatten the main rotors which in turn means more head speed is needed to lift the heli, more head speed = more stability.

Fixed pitch is less fragile and easier to work with. You'd have to master tail in hovering, tail in forward flight, then (harder) nose in hovering, then full turns and combinations of tail and nose in flight. Master all this and only then do you need collective pitch to be able to do aerobatics.

pslewis

Cheers, just got back from shop with my money in wallet ..................

jameswrx:- "Crash a decent fixed pitch heli, pick it up hold the swash plate down" I am not sure what you mean by pressing on the swashplate?? I haven't got my model here now, so does it sit raised or something?

Hummingbird - option 1 ......... what about tha non-collective pitch TWISTER (its reduced to £150) - but, they do say Collective Pitch is simpler to fly?? You say it's not then?

Clear as mud all this!!

Pete

pacenote

Pete

If you're serious about learning definately get a collective pitch heli, they are much better to learn on. When I started flying I bought a fixed pitch Hummingbird so that I could practise indoors, I did'nt bother with it much as it was so much different from the larger nitro powered helis that I was flying outside. For inside practice now I use a computer simulator ( Reflex XTR ).

With a collective pitch heli you do need more than a 4 channel radio system, usually the channels are:
1. Throttle
2. Aileron
3. Elevator
4. Rudder
5. Gear (usually used for gyro)
6. Aux 1 used for pitch
These are what I use with a JR radio system ( one make of system, others are Futaba, Sanwa, etc)

HTH