Hey guys, I am new to this forum and heli flying but have been enjoying these machines a lot....
On 2nd Nov I unpacked my first heli - The Coax hirobo lama and did a lot of indoor practice with that. On 25th Nov it was the single rotor FP 180Q from Walkera and this Sunday I unboxed the Creata 400...here are 2 videos...the 15th flight on my FP and my test flight on the Creata 400....
Cheers

Lavneet,
Welcome to the forum ! I have read many of your posts and a few articles too on the Internet, but perhaps communicating with you for the first time.
Good to see you be a part of our forum here.
-Gaurav
BTW i read this article a long time back, : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/10/AR2006011001724.html ! Nice !

Welcome to RC India, Lavneet !  Always have a special place close to my heart for heli flyers   

I had not come across the Creata models yet, looks like non-CCPM but 3D capable.

Thanks guys for the welcome...yes...just got into helis...love the fact that I can fly anywhere and trust me I am hovering under shady street lamps these days...
yes the Creata is a single servo each for pitch /Ail / ele  setup and not the more widely used CCPM . Just find this very very solid and stable....did weeks of research before I settled on this one and will admit that the packaged 2801 Pro comp radio was one big deciding factor. Very competent pc of equipment that I can use for many helis.
I am forcing myself to hovering and gentle cyclic movement and nose in's with this for atleat 20 flights till I know this machines characteristics inside out....will keep posted on future flights..

Cheers

I do feel that a CCPM heli would have worked better long term    Also, get one good radio, and use it for everything. I assume from the links posted that you have been flying for a while, and probably already have good radio.

A Mini-Titan or a Trex 450 (or its "good" clones) would allow you to graduate into any type of flying, instead of having to change models as your progress in your flying.  Sticking to one models allows you to start accumulating spares for that model, and that is critical to long term happiness in heli flying  

A well setup 450 class heli (either MT or Trex/Clone) should be just as stable as anything else you can lay your hands on 

yes I also have a 9CAP that I have used for the aircraft for more than 7 yrs now in sizes ranging from 102" gassers to 24" park flyers.
I wanted and got a 2.4G comp for all the helis I have or plan to get in the future. I understand that "Walkera" is like a swear word in a lot of the elitist Heli forums, but it made perfect sense for me since I didnt know if I would be competent enough to fly helis and didnt want to spend the earth figuring that out - the radio that comes in the Creata package is an excellent one with great fit/finish/user friendly interface and rave reviews by atleast a 100 full time heli flyers on forums. Infact, I have NOT read a bad review about it, other than from people who have the likes of the 9303 at 3 times the price for a similar package. Walkera make very good helis now BTW with tons of cheap spares available very easily on the net and $5 registered shipping worldwide.
Cheers

Actually, I was talking from the completely opposite angle of being elitist   My only concern was long term cost of ownership.  And it is purely based on personal experience, not from forums. I learned all basic RC flying on a 450 class heli (a Trex 450).  During those days, clones were not available, so I felt that I was spending too much.  But as I progressed, I realized that it was a very good decision, as I only owned one model for the entire duration (I still have it and fly it).  So what you spend in upgrading to newer models and their spares, turns out to be higher in the longer term as compared to owning a good model.  All you need is to take it easy initially (with training skids etc), and then let your self free !

You can get a CopterX 450 AE v2 clone for a lower price, and the parts are everywhere, from many clone makers.  Not sure how many heli flyers would trust one of their bigger helis (say when you graduate to 30 or 50 size models, whether electric or nitro) to the Walkera 2.4Ghz radio, I need to read up on it. 

So you did not necessarily have to go for a Walkera just from the cost perspective, is the gist of what I trying to say   And that is regardless of your current skill level when it comes to heli flying. 

Do keep us updated on the progress, would love to see how the heli and the radio holds up in long term use.  It could very well turn out to be a good RTF choice for people who are graduating from the beginner co-axial models.

Did a quick search for problems with this model, and found threads like these :

http://www.rchelicoptertown.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2756

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=946769

Basically some concerns about frame strength, main gear strength and concerns about doing 3D. 

But good reviews for normal flying, and the above concerns could just be one offs.  Your personal experience is what matters most, and it would be great if you post updates here.  Also, if you do get parts, do tell us from where and the experience on buying (cost, shipping, etc).

I had read the second link earlier...again all bad press usually comes from ppl who cannot come to terms with the fact that cheaper may not mean bad quality.
A few of the guys who have flown the creata for months advised me to go for it for its stability which is great for a 1st CP and build which is great too...

heres the advise I got from one buddy who has ACTUALLY flown the Creata for months and flown it really well (judging by his videos on youtube)

"Most people would go for the 60B, but it is a little less stable in hover and a little harder to fly in the beginning. The good news is that you will not get tired of the Creata. It is fun to fly even for an experienced pilot.

I am not aware of any known issues with the Creata 400. I had two but gave one away to my dad a month ago. Both flew right out of the box and I didn't have to adjust anything except the trim. I did crash one long time ago and had to replace some things, but otherwise it is just charge and fly. I have done no maintenance and had no issues and pretty much flew it 1-2 times a day all summer.

I think that you will be one happy guy this weekend! Let us know if you run into troubles or have questions. Good luck and have fun!

Best regards, "

Quote from: lavneetgyani on December 17, 2009, 12:22:32 PM
I had read the second link earlier...again all bad press usually comes from ppl who cannot come to terms with the fact that cheaper may not mean bad quality.

That is also true a lot of times. But people also post personal experiences with pictures etc, which we cannot simply discount.  When it comes to heli flying, patience and attention to detail matter very much, so same equipment would end up being reviewed differently by different folks.

Do you mind posting the Youtube links ?  We all enjoy seeing flight videos 

here's one from one guy I've seen on the creata forums:



and heres another from a forum buddy in a tighter backyard:



Also when (and if ever) I fly like the guy in the 1st video, I will feel i've achieved my enlightenment. Strangely I like classic pattern and disciplined flying a lot more than insane 3D flying....not to undermine the skills of the 3D pilots who I feel are the most skilled of the lot....just that it is not my idea of ideal flying.

Quote from: lavneetgyani on December 17, 2009, 02:03:18 PM
Also when (and if ever) I fly like the guy in the 1st video, I will feel i've achieved my enlightenment.

I think you are setting too soft a target for yourself    At the rate you are progressing, you will be flying like that pretty soon 

Geez....wow, thanks

You seem surprised by my prediction ? 

The reason is that for someone who is coming from significant years of flying airplanes, forward and even pattern flying of helis is no big deal.  All you need to remember is that you have to apply rudder for all turns, and you will get in that habit in a short period of time !  What is tough for anybody (even a seasoned airplane flyer) is the initial difficulty with the hovering part.  Since you are already past that, forward flight would seem like a piece of cake !

We have recent proofs of this in our member Chan here

Very true, I was very comfortable with forward flight circuits before I was comfortable with a nose in hover.

Quote from: anwar on December 17, 2009, 07:54:13 PM
You seem surprised by my prediction ?  

The reason is that for someone who is coming from significant years of flying airplanes, forward and even pattern flying of helis is no big deal.  All you need to remember is that you have to apply rudder for all turns, and you will get in that habit in a short period of time !  What is tough for anybody (even a seasoned airplane flyer) is the initial difficulty with the hovering part.  Since you are already past that, forward flight would seem like a piece of cake !

We have recent proofs of this in our member Chan here

Hmm...Inshallah!!

Again, I will owe my ease of hovering on my first flight of the CP to my hirobo XRB coax inspite of all the negative things a buddy said about it and how it was just a toy etc...
It taught me tight and precise rudder control needed in helis for turning in tight spaces in a bedroom. Ofcourse it reacted like a Bullock-Cart when I pull the reigns but it got me to learn the Fundas to give me a solid foundation - it felt like flying the creata in slo-mo!!
The fact that the controls are so sensitive on the Creata in comparison is why i am taking it easy. Right now I have completed my 8th (8-9 minute) flight and I am off with my training gear and am managing very soft spot landings, solid side in hovers on both sides, Cyclic flights in all directions with the tail -in and short nose in hovers. I get disoriented sometimes on longer nose in's (when concentration lapses) but I have figured not to over-control it and give it rudder to get the tail in quick...haven't had a problem so far and I am going slow on this....thanks for all the help and will keep you posted!!

Hi lavneet

welcome to the forum...your first video made me homesick...seeing the famous ship building in the background (if i am not wrong). You must be enjoying the winters now...damn...we have no winters here in mumbai. Anyways you dont look like a beginner to me..with the heli flying skills you displayed...have seen your beaver videos on delhirc way back. What happened to the site (it doesnt work now)..doc had some amazing models displayed there...anyways enjoy ur flights.


Regards
Ankur

10 flights done and I did circuits on the 11th!!! I am pinching myself awake right now....my resolve to not attempt circuits till the 20th is out of the window now. They were a little clumsy at first but i got better and tighter through the flight.....The good thing is I watched the nose closely and kept my rudder fingers nimble so didn't lose orientation. I am over the moon!! Videos soon...
And yes Ankur, that is the ship building right next to my place at the National media centre...

Good job ! 

So how long do you think before you fly like in that video ?   

Quote from: anwar on December 20, 2009, 09:51:49 AM
Good job ! 

So how long do you think before you fly like in that video ?   

I see what you are getting at but I am not even close...I am keeping it real close to myself

Oke I think i officially joined the Heli club !! i had my first crash yesterday....
Damage seems to be not too bad but still need spares to fix it up!!
Was getting bolder and trying circuits a little higher up, got too carried away to realize i was at the fag end of battery life 

lost some power, panicked and the rest is history!!

Part of life, part of learning, part of having fun with rebuilds   

This thread really inspires me to get started with my Raptor.
The only thing that holds me back is that i have no one besides me who check my setup and stand besides me while i learn.
Quick thought : Would ANwar or Aravind be coming to the Wing India meet this Feb ? If so then i can jump start and get my kit ready by then.

-Gaurav

I have been planning to attend the Ambi Valley event, ever since I heard of it (both 2008 and 2009), but timing did not work out against work/travel issues. I am pretty sure it will not work this year too, as we have a family event around that time !

But you should be able to get help closer than that. I am not very good with geography of northern India, but I have heard about serious heli flyers in Delhi and parts of Punjab.

Hi lavneet,

Great going...You are progressing at a great speed...Be a part of our field at bhondsi..More are into planes there but We HELIFLYERS are catching up..

Dr.Dhiraj