RC helicopter has become one of the more popular "boy toys" that hit and hit big. Its popularity is not surprising at all. Imagine fulfilling your dream of flying an aircraft without spending too much. And most of all, without leaving your foot off the ground. Now that's a good plus factor if you simply don't want to risk your life flying with a spinning rotor above your head.

Rc helicopter usually come in either gas or electric powered. Here are the things you should know about the two:

Electric - If you are a novice rc enthusiast, then the most advisable thing to buy is the electric rc helicopter. The reasons are simple. It is simpler than other types of helicopters especially the gas rc's. With the electric, you don't have to deal with the engine and the gas it will consume. You would not need to have proper knowledge about mechanics just to make it fly. You don't have to spend a lot of time reader the manual just to understand how it works. And if the helicopter fails, you don't have to figure out how to fix it.

Most, if not all novices begin with electric for several reason. Electric ones are cheaper than gas powered. It is also easier to fly since it does not require an engine. And finally, electric rc helicopter produces no noise and no smell. With these reasons, you can draw a conclusion that those who buy electric ones want convenience more than real experience.

Although there is nothing wrong with it, electric rc helicopter is not for people who require more than just simplicity. If you are thinking that electric rc helicopter would not fly for long then you should change you perspective. Most modern electric RCs are powered by lithium batteries and coupled with brushless motors. This makes it fly much longer. In fact it can out last some of the gas rc's.

And last thing: It is quiet on air thus you cannot disturb other's privacy.

Gas - A more experienced pilot prefers gas powered for several reasons. One is, flying gas rc helicopter flies like flying a full-size helicopter since the sound that the engine creates can trigger excitement. Oh! You might think that it is quite absurd. But no! The sound of the engine makes it more exciting to fly. Another reason is that gas rc helicopter is more complicated that keeps its pilot more addicted with it. Why? This is because the pilot is not only limited to flying the helicopter alone. Pilot is involved with how the mechanics of the RC. This gives him more reason to become excited on the RC.

Forget about the price since gas rc helicopter does not come cheap. Also, forget about the noise because it comes with the engine, the sound cannot escape your ear. But here lies the answer to the question.

Serious rc pilots prefer noise and price over silence, economy and most of all convenience. The complexity of the engine makes it more attractive to those who want to enjoy the real experience of flying a helicopter. You never saw an electric full size helicopter, didn't you? The there is one thing that rc pilots are conscious about, that is the closeness of the rc to the real helicopter.

Another thing that set gas rc helicopter apart from the electric one is the level of respect and concentration required on flying each and every time. Since it involves gas and an engine, rc pilots take it more seriously. Added to this is the type of thrill that is involve every second of flying.

One last reason is that, gas powered helicopter is the best thing you get before you move to ultralight helicopter. Thus, one you have a gas powered helicopter, you don't have to require yourself to upgrade unlike if you have an electric powered helicopter. But in the case you want to upgrade to ultralight, you can easily get familiar with flying since you have already been with an engined-helicopter.

And oh, before we forgot, a gas powered helicopter teaches you the basic of the helicopter flying more than any type of rc helicopter around.