[Buzzsaw46]

In response to a request from another thread I'm starting a thread for anyone involved in radio controlled models to share there "other" hobby.

Video of my 600 class helicopter.(each blade is 600mm, or 23")



Video of my custom 255 class helicopter.



Jumping the road with my 1/8 scale electric monster truck.



First flight with my 72" plane.



Pic of the innards of my nitro and electric monster trucks

Christmas day 2007 my Son driving his new 1/10 scale 4x4 stadium truck

I'll post more if there is interest in the topic, this is just scratching the surface of my obsession with R/C.

 

[Danger]

I have a Revo and Nitro 4 tec that I have been neglecting for 3 years. I'll try to get some pics of my stable.

 

[303lithgow]

That looks like a blast. Do the cars run on gas or batteries?

 

[Sham357]

I've got a Team Associated T2 & T3 with LRP electrics and airtronics transmitter. The T2 is a team edition and the T3 was my brothers project, given to me, which I haven't finished yet. I haven't run them in about 10 years. Don't have the newer equipment or know how anymore.

No one in my area really does R/C anymore.

 

[Buzzsaw46]

That looks like a blast. Do the cars run on gas or batteries?

You can get them either way. I used to love gas but have taken a liking to the torque, and ease of maint. of electrics. Modern Brushless power systems are more powerful than most IC engines available at this size.

 

[303lithgow]

You can get them either way. I used to love gas but have taken a liking to the torque, and ease of maint. of electrics. Modern Brushless power systems are more powerful than most IC engines available at this size.

How much 'fun time' do you get on a charge? How long does it take to recharge them?

 

[Buzzsaw46]

I have a Revo and Nitro 4 tec that I have been neglecting for 3 years. I'll try to get some pics of my stable.

The Revo is an awesome platform! I have the Mini Revo, great little truck, but no match for the big ones. I went with the Emaxx for the larger open battery trays, and after building the Bad A$$ Tmaxx I knew what to upgrade for the type of abuse I put them through

 

[Buzzsaw46]

How much 'fun time' do you get on a charge? How long does it take to recharge them?

To be honest it varies quite a bit. The monster truck in the video will probably go for 30min and takes about 15-20min to charge, I just got a new charger that could charge it in under 10min. A tank of gas in the other one in the picture goes for about 15-18min but can be re-fueled while running.

The smaller truck my Son is driving in the pic has a pretty short run time maybe 15min, it charges in about 10min. That truck started life as a gasser but I converted it to electric so it has limited battery space.

 

[303lithgow]

To be honest it varies quite a bit. The monster truck in the video will probably go for 30min and takes about 15-20min to charge, I just got a new charger that could charge it in under 10min. A tank of gas in the other one in the picture goes for about 15-18min but can be re-fueled while running.

The smaller truck my Son is driving in the pic has a pretty short run time maybe 15min, it charges in about 10min. That truck started life as a gasser but I converted it to electric so it has limited battery space.

So if you get extra batteries you can run non-stop?

 

[Buzzsaw46]

It's good to give the electronics a cool down but with the right setup (runs cool) you could run non stop, well other than the min or so to swap packs. Three packs will give you a good setup where you can be running one pack, charging another, and letting one cool down.

 

[Buzzsaw46]

Here is a pic of my 700 class heli, it's a 12lb beast!

The custom canopy I had painted for it.

The guts of the beast

 

[303lithgow]

This looks like an expensive hobby.

 

[Buzzsaw46]

This looks like an expensive hobby.

It can be. I have friends that do it on the cheap, and friends that make my stuff look like toys.

A heli like my 700 will run about $2000-2500, I put mine together for about $1800 by waiting for good deals on the components.


My 600 getting juiced up.

 

[303lithgow]

It can be. I have friends that do it on the cheap, and friends that make my stuff look like toys.

A heli like my 700 will run about $2000-2500, I put mine together for about $1800 by waiting for good deals on the components.


My 600 getting juiced up.

Wish my luck I would crash the first day.

 

[Buzzsaw46]

Wish my luck I would crash the first day.

That is the way it goes with helicopters most of the time. One of my Coworkers decided to get into it and his first flight lasted mere seconds and parts were flying.

Technology has made it more affordable in the last few years. I have one of these BLADE Blade mCP X v2 BNF (BLH3680) for a training aid. It can do most of the stunts my larger helis do, but I have crashed it more time than I can count and I dont think I've spent more than $30 on parts. Main blades for the 700 are almost as much money as that little heli, so it really pays to practice new moves on a more affordable airframe.

 

[303lithgow]

That is the way it goes with helicopters most of the time. One of my Coworkers decided to get into it and his first flight lasted mere seconds and parts were flying.

Technology has made it more affordable in the last few years. I have one of these BLADE Blade mCP X v2 BNF (BLH3680) for a training aid. It can do most of the stunts my larger helis do, but I have crashed it more time than I can count and I dont think I've spent more than $30 on parts. Main blades for the 700 are almost as much money as that little heli, so it really pays to practice new moves on a more affordable airframe.

I've heard you can get training programs for your computer so when you get the actual unit you already know how to fly.

 

[Buzzsaw46]

I've heard you can get training programs for your computer so when you get the actual unit you already know how to fly.

Yes, and they are also a very valuable tool. When I got my first heli I had been flying planes for years already, and thought I could just do it, well I couldn't. I don't think I crashed it that first day, but I could not really control it either. So I bought a simulator and it took about 24hrs of sim time to really get the hang of holding a good solid hover, which is the basic starting point.

It has taken me another 13-14 years to get to where I can do a few basic stunts and fly around confidently. A lot of guys learn quicker, but also crash a lot more than I have. I hate crashing not only for the money but also the rebuilding of a machine that was so nicely dialed in, and the anxiety of the first flight after a major rebuild.

 

[Buzzsaw46]

Here is another of my more affordable helis, it is a 450 class which swings 325mm main blades.

These are a great size to really hone your skills from the sim to real life. More capable than the micro I linked to earlier, and not terribly expensive to rebuild after a mishap. Average crash cost is ~$40-50. Although they can be a lot more if you hit on a hard surface and tweak a lot of parts. In four crashes I have only broke one set of blades, one tail boom, and two main gears, maybe $70-80 worth of parts.

 

[303lithgow]

What is the resale value of R/C's?

 

[Buzzsaw46]

Horrible, About 50% you can do better if you part them out. I never sell them, I use them up myself Only two of my helis and one car have been out of production long enough for parts to dry up, and I stocked up so they still have value to me.

At some point some become "Collectors" items and the price goes up from people trying to keep them running.