Rcforum.co.za

So I have a bag full of cash (not really ) I am an beginner pilot and would like to start the hobby. Yes by now you think this has been answered all over the web, but not quite.This has to cover all the bases, if you're a beginner, you're looking at the cheap options as crashing will be often,intermediate, something better and advanced - top of the range stuff. This should then give the "average joe" a very good idea of what to buy and where.
As the list goes ons, it would be nice to later on connect names,suppliers etc to the specific items.
I'll give and example, but I need the experienced chaps to take this over and fill in properly.

What I list below is only an EXAMPLE of what I attempt with this post.I might need some help from site admin???

Beginner

450
Belt CP RTF - http://www.jixhobbies.co.za/e_sky_helicopters.htm

500
Century Artech GL500 RTF - http://www.stevewebb.co.uk/index.php?pid=CENGEN500&area=HELI

600

700

Intermediate

450

500

600

700

Advanced

450

500

600

700

Never forget the second hand market, there are tons of very nice helicopters for sell normally, and often they very nice bargains.

Good old Raptor 50 is till one of the best learning 50's. Parts are reasonable and normally easy to find.

I'm not going to class heli's in advance/intermediate as most helicopters can fall into both. Change paddles and head settings/radio settings.
450:
Beam E4. Extreamly stable machine and very precise. Not as twitchy as trex's so bit easy to learn on. (also makes excellent learning machine) (www.beamheli.co.za)
Trex 450: Very twitchy machine. good for hard 3D flying, but don't expect any neat flying, its simply not precise enough: (www.align.tw)

500: no clue, never flown any 500's.

600/50 classs
Compass knight 3D: One of the best 3D machine still. Simply fly's amazing. Company not the best and parts you need to import yourself. (www.compassmodels.com)
Outrage 50, Very nice machine. Feels very light in the air. V1 got few bugs in them as most new heli's has, but knowing outrage, the'll get sorted quick.(www.helidirect.com)
Raptor 50 SE: Very very nice machine to learn on. Heavy and exreamly stable. Make you'r flying look so much better (www.thundertiger.com (i think))

Other makes I cannot comment on, not flown them myself.