helicopters for beginners

Helicopters, what do I need?
Well, we move on to the interesting aircraft, remote control helicopters. These machines require a little more work than the ARF aircraft we mentioned last time, however ARF helicopters are available these days. Even these ARF helicopters will require some knowledge to complete correctly. With that said there are many members in the club who fly helicopters and can help new members find their feet in this great adventure.

The extra equipment you need will include a starter if you don’t have one yet, a starter probe to suit your particular helicopter. This combination is essential, as you cannot flick start the main rotors! Next on the list is a gyro, this is needed to help control the rudder better. A budget piezo type will do fine till you master the basics. One extra servo is required to control the throttle. One subject of servos if you can afford it’s best to buy good servos for your helicopter, as they will work much harder in the helicopter than in a plane. Another reason for doing this is that the linkage set up on a helicopter is very precise and once it’s set up you shouldn’t move it. Battery power is next, if you are using a normal 600-mah battery in your plane, then this is too small for five servos and a gyro to continually run for several flights. It is recommended to use a 1800-mah battery to reduce the possibility of failure. However you should also look into purchasing a field charger to increase your flying day to more than two or three flights tops. When first learning, all the flights you can get in each visit to the field helps bring you closer to flying your helicopter. A big help at the stage is a training undercarriage, this straps under the main skids and helps stop the helicopter from tipping over and damaging it.

The radio you chose for your first plane may or may not be useable. If you did choose a computer 6-channel radio, then you shouldn’t have a problem setting up your helicopter. A basic 4-channel radio will not fly a helicopter. Buying a basic 5-channel radio is too costly when you consider you will out grow it long before you ever get your monies worth. Doing your homework in the beginning can really pay dividends later on. The little extra money spent now will be much less than a second radio later. A thing to also consider at this point is, does it do planes also? Most modern radios do, but some competition models specialise in only one type of aircraft, ask before you buy. Your local hobby stores can be found in the yellow pages or on our web site under aero links.

Tools can be an extra cost if you don’t already own any Allen keys, small screwdrivers, small nut drivers and some thread lock for building your new helicopter. When considering a helicopter take the time to do your homework and learn all you can about the helicopter you prefer best. This includes spare parts, availability and costs. Upgrade parts and also how well your chosen helicopter flies straight out of the box. Many helicopters fly well with expensive upgrades, few fly well with little to no upgrades.

When first looking at remote control helicopters, who will also notice the different sizes in most modern helicopters. Most people start with the small size .32 to .39 engine, this is a cost thing usually but some choose this path for transport reasons or storage. The other large versions include .46, .50, .61 and some more recent models even using .90 engines. The large models have more weight and fly smoother than their little brothers but at considerable more cost. Again there are many web sites listed on the Internet, but you may like to check out http://www.helifreak.com/ for a great starting point. A popular brand is the Align range of both electric & nitro choppers with many members flying these each week.

Probably the only other thing to consider when thinking of RC helicopters is a SIM or to be accurate a simulator. A simulator will not only speed up the learning process ten fold, it will serve as a very useful tool when learning new stunts as your skills progress. Best of all it never costs you a cent every time you crash! Think of the costs in the real world, that’s right too costly to think of!

Hopefully this has helped sort out some questions about getting started in RC helicopters and you can take some time to come down the field and see some great pilots at work, doing what they love best.

Helicopters typically fly most Saturday and Sunday afternoons at TMAC.

Enjoy modelling and enjoy RC helicopters.

Happy flying, Randall