EnjoyHobbies NewsFRIDAY 10 APRIL, 2009 |
 The Electric RC Helicopter Guide In recent years, electric RC helicopters have really dropped in price and have become easier to fly, making electric RC helicopters the ultimate 'must have' radio control model. Electric RC helicopters allow more people to enjoy RC hobbies without having to always fix their models and having to pay a hefty price. As a result, electric RC helicopter now make up the fastest growing sector of the general hobby of RC flying, and the models shown on this page are just a few of the most popular models at the current time. So it's great news if you've ever loved the idea of flying a model helicopter but have always been put off by the high prices and horror stories about how hard model helicopters are to control - it seems that those days are over! Having said that, care still needs to be taken when learning to fly a four (or more) channel single rotor electric RC helicopter from scratch. Electric RC helicopters are not toys and they do still have a learning curve! The co-axial electric RC helicopters, talked about below, are much easier to fly with no experience. Many modern electric RC helicopters, such as the sleek-looking Phoenix CP, pictured below, are designed with the novice, as well as the expert, in mind. The Phoenix CP follows hot on the heels of the tried and trusted Phoenix CP, one of the most popular electric RC helicopters in its class*. Helis like the Blade generally have good flight stability, exactly what you need when learning to fly an rc helicopter, and yet they're perfectly capable of demanding 3D aerobatic flying with some simple upgrades (and a lot of practice). Even if you've never held a radio control helicopter before, a model like the Blade CP will give you a smooth introduction to flying electric RC helicopters but, as previously mentioned, you still have a learning curve to deal with! Fixed or collective pitch?The term 'pitch' refers to the angle of the main rotor blades (and rotor disc) in relation to the horizontal airflow, but when comparing FP and CP helicopters this pitch name only refers to altitude control - cyclic control has the same method on both types of model. Whether the model is FP or CP is an important factor to consider when choosing an electric rc helicopter, and the choice, largely depends on what sort of flying you want to do, as well as your budget. Fixed Pitch (FP) is self-explanatory in that the blade pitch is, well, fixed. The main blades do not pivot about their longitudinal axis to change pitch angle, (i.e. change the amounts of lift) and so altitude (climb/descent) must be controlled by motor speed - faster turning blades generate more lift, and vice versa. Generally speaking, FP helicopters are not as responsive in the air and can be a bit 'twitchy' at first, until the pilot gets used to the feel of it. They are, however, cheaper to buy and marginally easier to master. Collective Pitch (CP) means that the pitch angle of each main rotor blade can be moved to change the amount of lift generated by them. The motor is kept at a more constant speed, and the altitude is controlled by changing this pitch angle of the blades. This makes the helicopter more agile, responsive and smoother in the air, but gives a steeper learning curve for the pilot, and they cost more to buy. Above left a FP rotor head compared to a CP one, right. The bottom line? If you just want an 'entry-level' taste of flying an electric RC helicopter with circuits and hovering, then a FP model will suit your needs very well. If you can see yourself wanting to fly in a more demanding way, then a CP heli is much more appropriate for your needs. Contra-rotating (co-axial) electric RC helicoptersMost electric RC helis follow the conventional helicopter layout with a single main rotor and tail rotor. However, there are numerous models around that use two main rotors that turn in opposite directions to each other and a tail rotor is not used. Examples are the Esky Lama V3, the Dragongfly 5#8 and Vortex. These three are shown below, respectively: The latest Version 3 Esky LAMA Co-Axial Helicopter has come to the market. The V3 Lama Flies stably and silently indoor and outdoor, just as if it were walking in the air. It allows you and your family to have lots of fun. With double-sharing-one-axis structure and with stable and silent flight, it is designed for beginners with no experience. It is easy to learn to fly. You can be familiar with its operation and enjoy flying in a short time. With a Li-polymer battery power supply, it can fly lighter and longer. It comes as a complete set, ready to fly, and only requires 8 AA batteries for the transmitter. The Walkera Dragongfly 5#8 Co-Axial 4CH Electric RC Helicopter RTF is the upgrade aluminum version of the 5#4 R/C Helicopter. The design consists of metal main frame, metal swash plate and metal rotor head and provides integerity, innovation, precision and stability. The four channel remote control set includes complete Forward/Backward, Left/Right, Up/Down control via rudder, aileron, elevator, and throttle. It is perfect for beginners or for simple indoor fun. Because the two main rotors spin in opposite directions to one another, they cancel out each other's torque and so a tail rotor is not necessary on these kind of helicopters. That's one less channel to worry about when learning to fly. These contra-rotating helicopters are very stable in the air and can be flown around just like a conventional tail rotor model. They have the added advantage of being a lot easier to master, and the good ones such as the Blade CX shown above can pretty much be flown right out the box without much setting up involved. In comparison, a single rotor/tail rotor RTF electric heli advertised as "Can be flown straight from the box with NO experience!" invariably needs some tweaking here and there, and some sensible practice. With the majority of electric RC helicopters, so long as you are sensible and follow the manufacturer's instructions closely, there is absolutely no reason why you should have any serious problems or difficulties with learning to fly your helicopter quickly and safely. News for Thursday 26 March, 2009
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