After getting a Syma S107 RC helicopter, I was quickly hooked on RC helicopters. I went to the local hobby shop, Discount Hobby Warehouse, and took a look at the Blade mCX2
Everything I’ve been reading indicates that the coaxial helicopters (CX) are easy to fly and are beginner helicopters, so I think I picked the right one. The mCX2 is easy to fly inside (it is far too small to fly outside as the wind will knock it around). The entry price is reasonable (for a hobby), but the cost will quickly add up, so be prepared. I’ve already bought a few more batteries, a four port charger with AC adapter, and due to a crash, some spare parts.
Speaking of crashes, while the helicopter is easy to handle, if you want to start to get fancy, it’s quite maneuverable, so much so that it isn’t that hard to crash. I made the helicopter yaw a bit too much and then over corrected which lead to the crash. The crash cost me about $15 in parts to repair. Even though the parts are quite small, repairing it, isn’t that hard. It comes with a small phillips screwdriver and combined with a pair of locking forceps that I got at an Army/Navy Surplus store, repairs just take a little time and not much skill.
The mCX2 uses parts that are shared with other helicopters made by Blade, such as the mSR and mCX Tandem Rescue, so if you get one and want to upgrade, you already have some pieces.
Pros
- Compact size allows you to fly in the house.
- Easy to control.
- Captivating (I’m really hooked).
- Challenging. While easy to control, I’m teaching myself how to land it in a small area which is proving to be easier said than done.
- Easy to repair.
- Individual parts aren’t that expensive.
- Relatively durable. It handles small crashes well.
Cons
- Price. Some may say that the price is a little high. I think the entry price isn’t bad, but it starts adding up quickly.
- Only comes with 1 battery.
- Short flight time. Due to the small size of the helicopter, it has to have a small battery, so this is understandable.
- Only comes with a 1 port charger. Charging 1 battery at a time means you have to wait 30-40 minutes for it to charge between flights.
- Charger runs on 4 AA batteries; AC adapter is optional. The manual says that the AA batteries will charge the battery 15-20 times. Since I started with 2 batteries, and I flew it as often as possible in the first few days, that the batteries only lasted 3-4 days. This cost savings is not very green and is extremely annoying. I went ahead and got a 4 port charger with an AC adapter and now I can run through 4 batteries and then charge them all up.
- It’s addictive.
Summary
For some reason, I’ve always been fascinated with things that fly. So, when I tried my first helicopter a few weeks ago, I quickly realized that I may have found a hobby (up until now, I really haven’t had a hobby as an adult). The mCX2 is a great entry level helicopter and provides hours of fun. If you think that the cost of the helicopter is the end of spending money on it, I wouldn’t get it. The costs will start adding up quite quickly. I mentioned this helicopter to a friend (he already had a few other helicopters) and he bought it based on me talking about it. He seems quite pleased with it as well (his dogs aren’t pleased with it, however).
This helicopter is not a toy, so heed the age level on the box (14 and up). I’m not sure it is appropriate for a 14 year old, however.
I’m very happy with my purchase and can definitely recommend it to anyone that has ever been interested in RC helicopters.