heheeheheh helicopters - oodles of fun - the one Jerry posted is insane, but it has one problem. Batteries are for laser pointers. It need an engine
Seriously tho, the controllability of an engine isnt as exact as those electric motors, so they are better suited to the task. But theres no way I'd be strapping myself to a RC gadget with 16 slicing propellors, 16 explosive lipos and only having an excercise ball and a few flimsy struts for cushioning
That guy sure had guts
I was thinking "come on ya wuss, go higher" LOL
I have 3 helicopters here (ok 2 and a half - one had an argument with a tree). They're fun to fly, and dont cost a lot to fix in minor bingles. They can be quite dangerous though. I also have a big petrol powered truck - makes lots of noise, lots of smoke and goes really fast... and will break your leg if it hits you full tilt. Some people say the petrol ones can be a pain to start - mines up and idling after two or 3 pulls on the ripcord.
The ones with the two stacked rotors and the tripod frame with a fuel tank strapped to the side that sounded like an angry leaf blower is probably the most stable - of all heli designs the counter rotating blades are the most stable. The blades dont nessecarily need to be on the same shaft (look at the chinook), it is the physics of the two sets of blades cancelling one another out on the x axis that elimenates the need for anti torque pedals on these desgins. The chinook DOES have antitorque pedals, but this is just to make it familiar to helicopter pilots. You will notice on that design there is no tail rotor, just a weathervane.
If you want to start out with helicopters (models), get one that has a blade setup similar to that one (one abover the other). You'll pick up the controls a lot quicker, and they usually dont break as bad as the single rotor models.