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RC Helicopter Buying Guide / Buyer's Guide
Start with the right brand: Too many helicopter model to choose from? So how do you decide which model is right for you? First, you want to narrow it down to a prominent brand because the radio transmitter that comes with your first helicopter will only work with that brand. Getting an off-brand means you will need to buy a new radio transmitter every time you buy a new helicopter. With that said, Walkera is the most prominent brand for micro-sized to mid-sized RC helicopters today (Eflite and Esky are now a distant 2nd and 3rd) so each Walkera Radio transmitter will work with multiple Walkera helicopter models. There is no shortage of Walkera models to choose from, so it's important that you pick a popular model to ensure continued parts support.
By the way there are also many Walkera helicopters sold under different names such as Heli-Max, Novus, Mad Hawk & Etc. These rebranded Walkeras share the same parts with their corresponding original Walkera models. The difference is that these rebrands costs about 20% higher and have different color schemes which is a distinct disavantage because non-standard colored parts are more expensive and harder to find. Sticking with Walkera original helicopters and parts translates to lower costs and readily available parts support.
Pick the helicopter that fits your ability, setting & tolerance for safety: Many a beginner pilot has fallen into the trap of buying a fancy RC helicopter that's more suited for advanced pilots. While looks might be important, it's a RC helicopter after all and you want to be able to fly it. Secondly, consider where you are going to fly. Do you want a helicopter for indoors or outdoors? Smaller helicopters are usually more suited for indoor applications and you can fly them 24/7. And if you are the outdoor type, perhaps a mid-size helicopter will fit the bill. And, of course you need to take into consideration the local seasonal conditions. If you have limited indoor or outdoor space, please remember that smaller helicopter are less threatening to people and property. If you are not sure of what size is good for you, it's a sign that you are not ready for the bigger models so just stick with micro to mid-size Walkeras!
Here are some additonal notes for beginner pilots. A co-axial helicopters utilizes 2 sets of counter rotating main blades so the clock-wise and counter-clock-wise torque cancels out each other. Because they naturally hover without a lot of pilot input, a co-axials helicopter is usually the starting helicopter for beginners. However, this is no longer the case in 2010. Recent developement of new stabilizing technology has made single-axial (standard helicopter) almost as easy to hover and fly as co-axials. Novice pilots should look for the 45 degree bell structured helicopter such as the Walkera CB100 (Indoor Micro), 4#6 Bell (Indoor Sub-micro with shaft drive CP tail) or the Walkera CB180Z-PRO (Outdoor Midsize Mini with shaft drive CP tail and 3-axis gryo). Other than a more authentic look, these single-axials features better aerodynamics and manuverbility. While a co-axial floats, turns and tilts to all directions, a single-axial hovers, banks and zings. Another key consideration is that co-axials usually come with two cheaper brush motors compaired with upgraded single axials which comes with more durable single or dual brushless motor(s).
Performance, Durability & Maintenance: These three key factors are closely related. For example, a brush motor is less powerful and it uses brushes and cheaper bearings that will soon quit after 30 to 40 flight cycles. Whereas a more expensive brushlesss motor is usually more powerful and lighter (standard on higher end models and packages) and specced for over 500 flight cycles, thus greatly reducing the need for maintenance. The quality of a helicopter also depends on when it was produced which determines what technologies and structures were available and if they were implemented. A good example just happened recently. Within a short span of 2 months, a very popular Walkera model, the CB180D was upgraded to the CB180Z. Major improvements include a shaft driven collective pitch tail which corrected a major tail motor flaw on the CB180D, a more advanced and higher quality receiver with self leveling 3-axis gyro that also prevents tail swings and finally a brushless main motor which greatly increases the power and lifespan of the CB180Z.
Beware of online RC Helicopter Reviews: A growing number of on-line reviews are made by marketing companies or their agents. When you see a few visitors raving about a specific product in a small thread, usually it's not a good sign. Even the most popular forums are now influenced by their sponsors. You will see things like "plastic is better than metal" or "I heard they use better parts even though it's from the same factory". The rc helicopter review date is also very important. You should look for unbiased reviews from an established and experienced rc helicopter hobbyists or resource that is no older than 2 months. To use our CB180D versus CB180Z example again. An older review on the older CB180D model may be valid 3 months ago but it's not as valid as a current Walkera CB180Z review.
