A Bloody Paraplegic's Story.

 
   

A Bloody Paraplegic
Model Helicopters (1)
Blade MSR - Blade 120 SR - Blade 400

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I was out shopping November 2009 when I bought a little Ming Hong 383 27mhz 2ch helicopter for $49.99 from a Red Dot store. It has a Single main rotor and a tail rotor which actually works.

It whetted my appetite so I started reading (and You-Tubing) about Electric Radio Controlled Helicopters which with me is not always a good thing.

I put this photo of the head of a Blade 400 in here because I have found that this hobby is not so much about flying but fixing and if you can solve a Rubics Cube puzzle and have tons of patience then you might actually enjoy it.

You can learn to fly these things but you will crash and if you can't fix them then then you are going to have lots of boxes of bits in the shed doing nothing but taking up space.

Normally you break the helicopter but not me. I dropped the 27mhz radio transmitter that came with the Ming Hong and broke that.

I pulled the whole transmitter apart and fiddled and farted about before finally deciding that it was not going to work again.

Just as I was about to throw it in the bin I thought "Wonder if it knocked the battery connection about...."

Sure enough that was the problem. Bugger.....so now it works again.

Tough little Helicopter - not so tough Transmitter.

Below. Helicopter no 2.

The E-flite Blade 400 which Alana bought me for Xmas 2009 for $465.00 + $10.00 for postage. (Three months later and I can get the same thing for $435 pick up from my local hobby shop Take off and Land).
 


Spektrum 2.4GHz DX6i DSM2
6-channel Computer Radio Mode 2. (Throttle on the left)

 

Why a Blade 400 as it is supposed to be a Helicopter for people who can actually fly Helicopters? Excellent question!

After having a good look around I decided I wanted to start off with a Spektrum DX6i Radio / Transmitter and  came across a shop over East (I am in Western Australia) that was selling the Radio and Blade 400 for $465. I also ordered an Aerofly Professional Deluxe Platinum Edition Simulator for AUD$299.

I was reading about Simulators on one of the Model Helicopter Forums and I got the impression that the Phoenix Simulator might be a better choice so I looked around to see if there was a dealer in Australia which led me to 'Take off and Land' RC Hobby shop which just happened to be 5 minutes away from where I am.

The Phoenix simulator VS.5 with JR & Spectrum adapter cost me AUD$169 and I love it. Whenever I feel like a break I start it up and connect the DX6i and I am off and crashing. I can't comment on how accurate it is as far as flying models go as I have yet to fly the Blade 400 however it does give me a good work out as far as where up, down, back and sideways are and I reckon that it is saving me a heap of money in crash repairs.

                             Next was to check out a club. See info on the side >>>
                        

continued Model Helicopters 2

Finding a club:

I took a drive out to a relatively close Club in Osborne Park that flew both Electric Aeroplanes and Helicopters and got out of the car but couldn't get over the curb of the car park.

I yelled for help a few times but got no response and after a couple of people walked straight past me without so much as a nod I figured that that wasn't the club for me.

I then went to a Helicopter Club in Stirling but they were flying on an area that was sand and grass and didn't have a bit of shade.

The front wheels of my wheelchair would have dug in so I had to strike them off my list as well.

I then went out to Whiteman Park on a Sunday where there were around a dozen or so people sitting around. The facilities were great once you got past the dusty road in. I sat around outside the fence but no one bothered to say hello so I went into the 'don't come in here' area and sat about 4ft away from the main group.

Again no one said as much as boo so I went past them to a person sitting on his own and asked him a few questions. I finally got him chatting and found out some interesting bits and pieces. I had to go past the same group to leave and again not so much as a nod.

Bit of a bugger really.

In December 2010 I emailed a member of the Whiteman Park Helicopter club because I felt I needed a few lessons on how to fly these things.

I contacted the guy who taught mode 2 and he emailed back saying that he was going on his honeymoon and that he had passed on the message to the president of the club and that he would be able to help me. I haven't heard back. Why doesn't that surprise me.

 

 
A Bloody Paraplegic John Dwyer