When I was seven I used to gaze for hours at r/c helicopter magazines, and I longed for one for many years after that. Back in 1999 I finally bought my first one: An X-Cell 60 Graphite kit (yeah, I had more money than sense!) I built it and set it up entirely on my own as there were no specialist helicopter shops near where I was living in Canada. I had to order everything I needed over the net. I taught myself to fly it, and feel I did surprisingly well considreing I had no help whatsoever. It wasn't until I was on my third gallon of fuel and after I'd learnt circuits and nose-in hovering that I actually had my first crash. That however was expensive enough to convince me that I needed something ceaper. So I bought a Raptor 30. I practiced on that, pushing my boundaries, and saved the X-Cell for stuff I was alread comfortable with. I've not flown my helis now for a couple of years. I've got a Raptor 60, half-built Airwolf with Vario mechanics and an electirc Eco 8 all sat in the garage. One day I'll get back into it, just at the moment all my money's going on real world flying!
Si