Tips On Getting Started With Radio Controlled Helicopters
Date: Mar 19th, 2010 1:17:45 pm - Subscribe
Mood: strange
Different to radio controlled planes, radio controlled helicopters do not require a large grass or paved runway, they take off vertically so any reasonably sized open area will do to fly in. At the other end of the rc helicopter spectrum are small electric indoor radio controlled helicopters that you can use in your garage or other indoor space. Add in to the equation factor and it is easy to see why radio controlled choppers are showing the strongest growth among all the different types of radio controlled hobbies.
There is a great choice available for every budget and experience when it comes to selecting an electric rc helicopter. Fixed pitch, selective pitch 3, 4, 5 channel, sizes and different makes. But the best thing is that the cost of electric radio controlled helicopter continues to fall while the technology keeps getting better, which allows more folks to get started in this fun hobby.
But there is a down side to this great selection of helis, and that is too much information! If you are short of all the info and many of the technical sides of this hobby, you will not select the best rc helicopter that is right for you. This overload can cause crashing, frustration and even possibly giving up with radio controlled helicopters altogether.
With radio controlled toy helicopters, micro coaxial choppers and single rotor variable pitch hobby grade radio controlled choppers 'taking off' in stores and parks how do you get started to obtain the most fun, least frustration and more important for most people, bang for your buck.
There are two schools of thought regarding what is the best approach to getting started with radio controlled helicopters. Firstly buy an inexpensivea fixed pitch helicopter to learn on and when you are confident then move on and obtain a more advanced helicopter. You risk less money if it is destroyed and you consider that rc helis are not for you. Secondly get a quality helicopter with selective pitch, such as the E-Flite Blade 400 and learn and progress with it. You risk more money but you will have a superior flying experience, meaning more enjoyment and more time in the pastime.
I personally advocate the second option and think you will not outgrow a quality collective pitch helicopter over a few months so saving cash on upgrading. You can purchase a high performance helicopter and adjust it or set it up for learning as you get started. Once you have learned the essentials you can adjust your set up for extra performance.
You are bound to have more pleasure and fun with a top quality collective pitch helicopter and that is the main benefit. Most folks do not appreciate that a collective pitch heli can in fact be easier to fly than a fixed pitch one. Do not be distracted by the big selection of flashy looking coaxial helicopters, listen to me and go for a top collective pitch helicopter such as the E-Flite Blade 400.
One thing I want to mention from the start, avoid a helicopterchopper with collective pitch and an electric tail rotor, these are not easy to learn on. You should have a belt driven or shaft driven tail rotor with variable pitch to react fast enough to correct for the always changing reactive torque loads from the main rotor. An electric tail rotor does not react fastquick}quickly} enough to keep the tail still, and this becomes annoying at best.
Hobby level single rotor rc helicopters are challenging, no doubt about that. They are complex machines with loads of parts. Single rotor helicopters are unstable, at least when hovering. But once you master controlling the chopper and 'connect' with it the fun will just be starting. Knowing how to hover is the first thing, and hovering can be compared to standing on a big ball. This is why the radio controlled helicopter, and particularly the Blade 400 is more difficult than other radio controlled vehicles, cars and boats, as you are always making control corrections to keep it in the air.
But, after you learn how to hover your helicopter, preferably a selective pitch hobby quality helicopter such as the blade 400 heli, you will never forget, the control corrections become second nature, and you don?t even realize you are making them. From then on you will soon be performing stunts and having lots of fun and pleasure.
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