A lot of people become disillusioned with RTF electric helicopters – especially when they become more advanced. Quite often, they will wish they had built the thing themselves, trimming, tidying and securing components as they went along.
Trimming is the way in which RC helicopters are set up – both mechanically and electronically – for the kind of work they’re going to be doing, and most ready to fly electric helicopters are trimmed for beginners. Invariably, 3D enthusiasts end up dismantling the machine, tweaking and checking the push rods, blade grips, servos and so on.
Quite often, they’ll discover other things along the way, such as untidy wiring and potentially loose components. Not so loose they would pass inspection, but loose enough to work free after a few taxing flights.
Although RTF RC electric helicopters like ESky and Flite are generally well assembled, it has to be remembered they were put together in a factory, by people in a hurry. They simply can’t devote the time that someone at home can; neither can they look inside your mind and build the chopper to suit your flying standards.
The best electric helicopters are those assembled by their pilots. However, you don’t have to build every component from scratch. Almost ready to fly is a good compromise, where everything is provided ready to go, and you just have to do the final assembly yourself.
This gives you a chance to upgrade any components you need to, before your first flight. However, it can often mean a lot more expense (although you can always flog the bits you don’t want on eBay – the scrap yard of RC helicopters). This is why many people go for a basic body kit, and buy components to their own specifications. That way, their radio control helicopters are tailor built for them.