124 MODEL AVIATION
HELLO AGAIN! This month marks my one-year anniversary for
writing this column. It’s been fun for the most part. I’ve met some
great people along the way. I’ve gotten many E-mails from readers.
Many more people take the time out to write me about stuff than I
ever would have guessed, and I thank them for that. It makes me feel
better about what I’m writing.
I’ve also learned just how difficult it is to write a monthly
column. Gathering information that is suitable for putting in a
column month after month can be daunting. I have tried to create a
mix of covering new products, passing along techniques I’ve learned
that can help the newbies, and playing reporter at some events I’ve
attended. So far it seems to be working out okay. From the responses
I’ve gotten, the consensus is that it’s a good assortment.
The Internet has turned out to be almost a “real time” source of
information about new things. Almost as quickly, reports of whether
they are going to be good or bad also come out. The Internet has also
turned into a place where many can hide behind their keyboards and
write almost anything about anything or anyone. Nothing is going to
come out of the screen and give someone a bloody lip; there are
Dan Williams, 27 Treeline Dr., Liverpool NY 13090; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL HELICOPTERS
The Third Annual Heli Smackdown was held at the Bartow County Club field. It had a wet start but a sunny finish.
A shot of the pits, with everyone wrenching on their helicopters.
A total of 25 pilots registered for this event.
More action off the flightline. A lousy weather forecast and a date
conflict with another event kept numbers low.
Look, ma! No smoke! The Miniature Aircraft Ion does its
momentary hovering, demonstrated by Eric Larson.
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:08 pm Page 124
126 MODEL AVIATION
times, though, when I wish it could happen.
I’m not an Internet surfer, but if you can sift through all the
garbage out there, timely and valuable information can be had. It has
helped my position in one sense because I have that source at my
disposal for the column. But on the other hand, reporting that
information with the lead times associated with magazine printing
can be a problem.
However, there’s something about a magazine article that carries
more oomph than the material that is typically posted on the Web.
For that reason, I think magazines will continue to have their place in
the world.
I have just returned from my annual trek to Atlanta, Georgia. I
usually bring my helicopter down, but I did ship it this time instead
of checking it as baggage because of the hassle with the size of the
case.
The golf-case method of bringing models with you on an airplane
works pretty well. Last year, Curtis Youngblood flew up to our event
and checked his helicopters as baggage. And AMA President Dave
Brown wrote about shipping models in one of his columns.
I bought a case from CJ Youngblood Enterprises that will hold
two helicopters rather nicely. It comes with general instructions for
creating the structure inside to hold everything. Go to
www.curtisyoungblood.com for more information.
This year was the Third Annual Heli Smackdown, held outside
Atlanta in Bartow County. The Bartow Model Aviation Club hosted
the event, and it is a combined airplane and helicopter group. This
was the first year at this field, and club members made an agreement
with another club for the fixed-wing modelers to fly at its field for
the weekend.
There’s great cooperation between the helicopter and fixed-wing
fliers. All clubs should aspire to this level of cooperation. I’m sure
the club made some money off of the event as well. Good for you
guys!
Saturday’s weather was a bit dicey to start off with. It was drizzly
and overcast, with ceilings not conducive to auto-duration events. As
the morning went on, though, the skies brightened up and there was
plenty of flying and sunburns. I forget that the sun is higher in the
sky down there, and that’s where I always get my first sunburn of the
season.
A total of 25 pilots registered for the event. It was mainly a fly-in,
with only a couple of coordinated events throughout the day: spot
autos and then auto-duration. There was plenty of night flying, but
that wasn’t a competitive event. Poor Chris Bergen splatted his
gasser during his night flight. He somehow lost the tail, so it was
pirouette city. Finding a crashed helicopter at night in the weeds is an
Eric is proud of his participation in helping to develop this
superb machine, which took more than a year.
One of the Ion’s two battery packs cover the dual gear reduction
drive from the Hacker motor to the main shaft.
PlanetHobby.com, Inc.
(901) 755-1536
7477 Wood Rail Cove ¥ Memphis, TN 38119
www.planethobby.com
[email protected]
Catalogs Upon Request • Dealers Welcome.26 Different Glow Plugs in Stock.
Specifications supplied by manufacturer.
Muffled and
Tuned Pipes
Turbo
Crank
Optional Exhaust
Manifolds
SALE ends 9/ 20/’04
NOVAROSSI
Performance Innovations
C60V2H5WC Hilocopter
World Champion Engine.
.60 c.i. inflight adjustable mixture
control. 4 intake ports. 2.5 HP at
18,000 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415 Sale $189
SUMMER SALE!
C60F .60 c.i. 8 intake ports 2.3 HP at 16,500 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415.00. Sale $189
C60F01 Same as C60F with double balanced shaft for critical
applications. List $450.00 Sale $209
C60F4T Same as C60F Aircraft engine .60 c.i.
4 intake ports List $350.00. Sale $169
Nelson ultra thrust muffler $69
C50F .50 c.i. 4 Ports
2.2 HP at 18,000
RPM. Weight. 16.7oz.
List $385
Sale $159
Nelson ultra thrust muffler
$69
NOVAROSSI Engines
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:09 pm Page 126
September 2004 129
event in itself. There was Sunday flying as
well, but I couldn’t attend that.
Some of the pilots who attended were
from the Atlanta area, some were from
Alabama, and some were from South
Carolina. That whole area of the country
seems to grow some good helicopter pilots.
Of course, a 12-month flying season helps.
The Smackdown was a fun, relaxed
event, during which there was room for 3-D
flying and basic hovering. At times there
were six helicopters in the air at once. There
was a lot of wrenching going on, with me
included. You could tell that it was a
helicopter event because many there were
working on their models.
I noticed one thing about some of the
flying: the art of graceful but technically
challenging flights is being lost in favor of
sheer thrashing of machines. Pilots need to
slow down the maneuvers a bit and add
some finesse and smoothness to each move.
I applaud the manufacturers for building
machines and control systems that can take
that kind of abuse, but I am starting to
question where this type of flying is going.
Pitch pumping for the sake of pitch pumping
is not much of a maneuver to watch. But
please don’t get me wrong; the pilots who
attended were top caliber.
When you fly, try to keep in mind that
someone is watching and try to present a
pleasant routine. This is the route the 3-D
Masters is trying to go. It’s attempting to
bring helicopter flying back to an art form
that spectators can watch and enjoy.
Pitch pumping while doing some other
type of maneuver at the right moment can
make a much bigger impact than one or
the other done alone. Coming down fast
and close to the ground, and then banging
the collective and making the blades
literally groan can wow the crowd once or
twice. Continuing it time after time looks
like out-of-control mayhem.
Look at and watch the top fixed-wing
Aerobatics pilots. They stun the crowd while
smoothly going from one move to another.
That is part of judging those maneuvers.
The safety aspect of performing some of
these maneuvers close in, right at the pits, is
questionable. This in-your-face pitch
reversal at the last possible moment is going
to get someone hurt. One link is all that
stands between a crazy move and a lethal
one.
There should be a decent amount of
distance between the helicopter and pilot so
that if something goes wrong mechanically,
the throttle hold can be hit at least. There is
absolutely no room for error, whether
mechanical or from miscalculation, to keep
from hitting yourself or a spectator. If we
want to continue to fly and push the
envelope for machine and pilot, we’d better
start thinking about safety.
Before I go on, I’d like to remind
everyone where all this started. Well-built
machines, awesome engines, and amazing
gyros are turning the video-game generation
into technically competent, high-level pilots.
In my days of learning, we were happy to
get the model hovering and back down in
one piece without breaking anything. Try to
appreciate the time you’re in.
Helicopters are one of the most advanced
forms of RC. Those who didn’t have to learn
to fly with fixed pitch and no gyros, and can
go out and literally throw the helicopter
around in the air and have it stay in one
piece, should not take that for granted.
Now try to turn these wild maneuvers
into flowing routines. Wow the crowd
with finesse. That is what makes 3-D
champions and makes them stand out
amongst the rest. Keep it safe and give
yourself an out if something goes wrong,
and learn to choreograph your flights.
2 ounce HandiBond CA Glue
ONLY $4.50 Thick
Thin x
Medium
That will bring you to the next level.
While at the fly-in, I saw a
demonstration that I’ll never forget. Eric
Larson flew the new Miniature Aircraft
Fury Ion electric-powered helicopter. But
this is no ordinary electric; it’s a full 60/90-
size model powered by a brushless motor
and Li-Poly battery packs.
I never thought I’d see the day when a
full, aggressive 3-D routine would be
performed using an electric-powered
helicopter. Everything I can write about it is
an understatement because it is simply
awesome to behold. It spools up and
screams like a turbine. It will leap off the
ground like a 90-powered machine and
weighs roughly the same with battery
packs.
The Fury Ion will take continuous
metronome maneuvers and not bog. It took
everything Eric threw at it, and he had some
amazing flights. It will continue that kind of
maneuvering for a good 10-12 minutes.
However, this didn’t come easily.
Miniature Aircraft spent longer than a year
developing this machine with the assistance
of pilots such as Eric. Many motors were
made and tried, and many motor controllers
were burned up in the process.
The company has ended up with a
Hacker brushless motor specifically
designed for this machine, along with
Hacker’s special controller. Things that are
necessary for protecting the motor and
providing the required performance aren’t
found in your ordinary controller. It also
had to be developed, and the development
has not been completed yet.
Something as simple as flipping throttle
hold and then bailing out with power
presents some unique challenges, and all
parties involved are still trying to work that
one out.
The battery packs are Thunder Power
and contain 20 cells each, in five series by
four parallel arrangements. The cells are
7800 mAh capacity and are capable in total
of 78 amps continuous.
The key was a balance between cell
count and capacity, the right motor design,
and the correct gear ratio to the head. The
motor to head contains a dual gearreduction
drive. All of this creates the
correct torque as seen by the motor and still
achieves the correct head speed. The packs
can be charged in 11⁄2 hours, and flight
duration is usually 10-14 minutes. The rest
of the machine is basically Fury mechanics
with a different power train setup. The
blades are 690mm V-Blades.
I haven’t been impressed by the electricpowered
helicopters that have been
introduced so far, but this made me, and
most others who were present, take notice.
Now I think there is a future in highperformance
electrics for 3-D helicopters. If
you’re interested in further information,
contact Miniature Aircraft at www.xcellrchelicopters.
com.
’Tis the season, so get out and do some
flying! MA
09sig5.QXD 6/23/04 12:37 pm Page 129
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/09
Page Numbers: 124,126,129
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/09
Page Numbers: 124,126,129
124 MODEL AVIATION
HELLO AGAIN! This month marks my one-year anniversary for
writing this column. It’s been fun for the most part. I’ve met some
great people along the way. I’ve gotten many E-mails from readers.
Many more people take the time out to write me about stuff than I
ever would have guessed, and I thank them for that. It makes me feel
better about what I’m writing.
I’ve also learned just how difficult it is to write a monthly
column. Gathering information that is suitable for putting in a
column month after month can be daunting. I have tried to create a
mix of covering new products, passing along techniques I’ve learned
that can help the newbies, and playing reporter at some events I’ve
attended. So far it seems to be working out okay. From the responses
I’ve gotten, the consensus is that it’s a good assortment.
The Internet has turned out to be almost a “real time” source of
information about new things. Almost as quickly, reports of whether
they are going to be good or bad also come out. The Internet has also
turned into a place where many can hide behind their keyboards and
write almost anything about anything or anyone. Nothing is going to
come out of the screen and give someone a bloody lip; there are
Dan Williams, 27 Treeline Dr., Liverpool NY 13090; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL HELICOPTERS
The Third Annual Heli Smackdown was held at the Bartow County Club field. It had a wet start but a sunny finish.
A shot of the pits, with everyone wrenching on their helicopters.
A total of 25 pilots registered for this event.
More action off the flightline. A lousy weather forecast and a date
conflict with another event kept numbers low.
Look, ma! No smoke! The Miniature Aircraft Ion does its
momentary hovering, demonstrated by Eric Larson.
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:08 pm Page 124
126 MODEL AVIATION
times, though, when I wish it could happen.
I’m not an Internet surfer, but if you can sift through all the
garbage out there, timely and valuable information can be had. It has
helped my position in one sense because I have that source at my
disposal for the column. But on the other hand, reporting that
information with the lead times associated with magazine printing
can be a problem.
However, there’s something about a magazine article that carries
more oomph than the material that is typically posted on the Web.
For that reason, I think magazines will continue to have their place in
the world.
I have just returned from my annual trek to Atlanta, Georgia. I
usually bring my helicopter down, but I did ship it this time instead
of checking it as baggage because of the hassle with the size of the
case.
The golf-case method of bringing models with you on an airplane
works pretty well. Last year, Curtis Youngblood flew up to our event
and checked his helicopters as baggage. And AMA President Dave
Brown wrote about shipping models in one of his columns.
I bought a case from CJ Youngblood Enterprises that will hold
two helicopters rather nicely. It comes with general instructions for
creating the structure inside to hold everything. Go to
www.curtisyoungblood.com for more information.
This year was the Third Annual Heli Smackdown, held outside
Atlanta in Bartow County. The Bartow Model Aviation Club hosted
the event, and it is a combined airplane and helicopter group. This
was the first year at this field, and club members made an agreement
with another club for the fixed-wing modelers to fly at its field for
the weekend.
There’s great cooperation between the helicopter and fixed-wing
fliers. All clubs should aspire to this level of cooperation. I’m sure
the club made some money off of the event as well. Good for you
guys!
Saturday’s weather was a bit dicey to start off with. It was drizzly
and overcast, with ceilings not conducive to auto-duration events. As
the morning went on, though, the skies brightened up and there was
plenty of flying and sunburns. I forget that the sun is higher in the
sky down there, and that’s where I always get my first sunburn of the
season.
A total of 25 pilots registered for the event. It was mainly a fly-in,
with only a couple of coordinated events throughout the day: spot
autos and then auto-duration. There was plenty of night flying, but
that wasn’t a competitive event. Poor Chris Bergen splatted his
gasser during his night flight. He somehow lost the tail, so it was
pirouette city. Finding a crashed helicopter at night in the weeds is an
Eric is proud of his participation in helping to develop this
superb machine, which took more than a year.
One of the Ion’s two battery packs cover the dual gear reduction
drive from the Hacker motor to the main shaft.
PlanetHobby.com, Inc.
(901) 755-1536
7477 Wood Rail Cove ¥ Memphis, TN 38119
www.planethobby.com
[email protected]
Catalogs Upon Request • Dealers Welcome.26 Different Glow Plugs in Stock.
Specifications supplied by manufacturer.
Muffled and
Tuned Pipes
Turbo
Crank
Optional Exhaust
Manifolds
SALE ends 9/ 20/’04
NOVAROSSI
Performance Innovations
C60V2H5WC Hilocopter
World Champion Engine.
.60 c.i. inflight adjustable mixture
control. 4 intake ports. 2.5 HP at
18,000 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415 Sale $189
SUMMER SALE!
C60F .60 c.i. 8 intake ports 2.3 HP at 16,500 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415.00. Sale $189
C60F01 Same as C60F with double balanced shaft for critical
applications. List $450.00 Sale $209
C60F4T Same as C60F Aircraft engine .60 c.i.
4 intake ports List $350.00. Sale $169
Nelson ultra thrust muffler $69
C50F .50 c.i. 4 Ports
2.2 HP at 18,000
RPM. Weight. 16.7oz.
List $385
Sale $159
Nelson ultra thrust muffler
$69
NOVAROSSI Engines
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:09 pm Page 126
September 2004 129
event in itself. There was Sunday flying as
well, but I couldn’t attend that.
Some of the pilots who attended were
from the Atlanta area, some were from
Alabama, and some were from South
Carolina. That whole area of the country
seems to grow some good helicopter pilots.
Of course, a 12-month flying season helps.
The Smackdown was a fun, relaxed
event, during which there was room for 3-D
flying and basic hovering. At times there
were six helicopters in the air at once. There
was a lot of wrenching going on, with me
included. You could tell that it was a
helicopter event because many there were
working on their models.
I noticed one thing about some of the
flying: the art of graceful but technically
challenging flights is being lost in favor of
sheer thrashing of machines. Pilots need to
slow down the maneuvers a bit and add
some finesse and smoothness to each move.
I applaud the manufacturers for building
machines and control systems that can take
that kind of abuse, but I am starting to
question where this type of flying is going.
Pitch pumping for the sake of pitch pumping
is not much of a maneuver to watch. But
please don’t get me wrong; the pilots who
attended were top caliber.
When you fly, try to keep in mind that
someone is watching and try to present a
pleasant routine. This is the route the 3-D
Masters is trying to go. It’s attempting to
bring helicopter flying back to an art form
that spectators can watch and enjoy.
Pitch pumping while doing some other
type of maneuver at the right moment can
make a much bigger impact than one or
the other done alone. Coming down fast
and close to the ground, and then banging
the collective and making the blades
literally groan can wow the crowd once or
twice. Continuing it time after time looks
like out-of-control mayhem.
Look at and watch the top fixed-wing
Aerobatics pilots. They stun the crowd while
smoothly going from one move to another.
That is part of judging those maneuvers.
The safety aspect of performing some of
these maneuvers close in, right at the pits, is
questionable. This in-your-face pitch
reversal at the last possible moment is going
to get someone hurt. One link is all that
stands between a crazy move and a lethal
one.
There should be a decent amount of
distance between the helicopter and pilot so
that if something goes wrong mechanically,
the throttle hold can be hit at least. There is
absolutely no room for error, whether
mechanical or from miscalculation, to keep
from hitting yourself or a spectator. If we
want to continue to fly and push the
envelope for machine and pilot, we’d better
start thinking about safety.
Before I go on, I’d like to remind
everyone where all this started. Well-built
machines, awesome engines, and amazing
gyros are turning the video-game generation
into technically competent, high-level pilots.
In my days of learning, we were happy to
get the model hovering and back down in
one piece without breaking anything. Try to
appreciate the time you’re in.
Helicopters are one of the most advanced
forms of RC. Those who didn’t have to learn
to fly with fixed pitch and no gyros, and can
go out and literally throw the helicopter
around in the air and have it stay in one
piece, should not take that for granted.
Now try to turn these wild maneuvers
into flowing routines. Wow the crowd
with finesse. That is what makes 3-D
champions and makes them stand out
amongst the rest. Keep it safe and give
yourself an out if something goes wrong,
and learn to choreograph your flights.
2 ounce HandiBond CA Glue
ONLY $4.50 Thick
Thin x
Medium
That will bring you to the next level.
While at the fly-in, I saw a
demonstration that I’ll never forget. Eric
Larson flew the new Miniature Aircraft
Fury Ion electric-powered helicopter. But
this is no ordinary electric; it’s a full 60/90-
size model powered by a brushless motor
and Li-Poly battery packs.
I never thought I’d see the day when a
full, aggressive 3-D routine would be
performed using an electric-powered
helicopter. Everything I can write about it is
an understatement because it is simply
awesome to behold. It spools up and
screams like a turbine. It will leap off the
ground like a 90-powered machine and
weighs roughly the same with battery
packs.
The Fury Ion will take continuous
metronome maneuvers and not bog. It took
everything Eric threw at it, and he had some
amazing flights. It will continue that kind of
maneuvering for a good 10-12 minutes.
However, this didn’t come easily.
Miniature Aircraft spent longer than a year
developing this machine with the assistance
of pilots such as Eric. Many motors were
made and tried, and many motor controllers
were burned up in the process.
The company has ended up with a
Hacker brushless motor specifically
designed for this machine, along with
Hacker’s special controller. Things that are
necessary for protecting the motor and
providing the required performance aren’t
found in your ordinary controller. It also
had to be developed, and the development
has not been completed yet.
Something as simple as flipping throttle
hold and then bailing out with power
presents some unique challenges, and all
parties involved are still trying to work that
one out.
The battery packs are Thunder Power
and contain 20 cells each, in five series by
four parallel arrangements. The cells are
7800 mAh capacity and are capable in total
of 78 amps continuous.
The key was a balance between cell
count and capacity, the right motor design,
and the correct gear ratio to the head. The
motor to head contains a dual gearreduction
drive. All of this creates the
correct torque as seen by the motor and still
achieves the correct head speed. The packs
can be charged in 11⁄2 hours, and flight
duration is usually 10-14 minutes. The rest
of the machine is basically Fury mechanics
with a different power train setup. The
blades are 690mm V-Blades.
I haven’t been impressed by the electricpowered
helicopters that have been
introduced so far, but this made me, and
most others who were present, take notice.
Now I think there is a future in highperformance
electrics for 3-D helicopters. If
you’re interested in further information,
contact Miniature Aircraft at www.xcellrchelicopters.
com.
’Tis the season, so get out and do some
flying! MA
09sig5.QXD 6/23/04 12:37 pm Page 129
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/09
Page Numbers: 124,126,129
124 MODEL AVIATION
HELLO AGAIN! This month marks my one-year anniversary for
writing this column. It’s been fun for the most part. I’ve met some
great people along the way. I’ve gotten many E-mails from readers.
Many more people take the time out to write me about stuff than I
ever would have guessed, and I thank them for that. It makes me feel
better about what I’m writing.
I’ve also learned just how difficult it is to write a monthly
column. Gathering information that is suitable for putting in a
column month after month can be daunting. I have tried to create a
mix of covering new products, passing along techniques I’ve learned
that can help the newbies, and playing reporter at some events I’ve
attended. So far it seems to be working out okay. From the responses
I’ve gotten, the consensus is that it’s a good assortment.
The Internet has turned out to be almost a “real time” source of
information about new things. Almost as quickly, reports of whether
they are going to be good or bad also come out. The Internet has also
turned into a place where many can hide behind their keyboards and
write almost anything about anything or anyone. Nothing is going to
come out of the screen and give someone a bloody lip; there are
Dan Williams, 27 Treeline Dr., Liverpool NY 13090; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL HELICOPTERS
The Third Annual Heli Smackdown was held at the Bartow County Club field. It had a wet start but a sunny finish.
A shot of the pits, with everyone wrenching on their helicopters.
A total of 25 pilots registered for this event.
More action off the flightline. A lousy weather forecast and a date
conflict with another event kept numbers low.
Look, ma! No smoke! The Miniature Aircraft Ion does its
momentary hovering, demonstrated by Eric Larson.
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:08 pm Page 124
126 MODEL AVIATION
times, though, when I wish it could happen.
I’m not an Internet surfer, but if you can sift through all the
garbage out there, timely and valuable information can be had. It has
helped my position in one sense because I have that source at my
disposal for the column. But on the other hand, reporting that
information with the lead times associated with magazine printing
can be a problem.
However, there’s something about a magazine article that carries
more oomph than the material that is typically posted on the Web.
For that reason, I think magazines will continue to have their place in
the world.
I have just returned from my annual trek to Atlanta, Georgia. I
usually bring my helicopter down, but I did ship it this time instead
of checking it as baggage because of the hassle with the size of the
case.
The golf-case method of bringing models with you on an airplane
works pretty well. Last year, Curtis Youngblood flew up to our event
and checked his helicopters as baggage. And AMA President Dave
Brown wrote about shipping models in one of his columns.
I bought a case from CJ Youngblood Enterprises that will hold
two helicopters rather nicely. It comes with general instructions for
creating the structure inside to hold everything. Go to
www.curtisyoungblood.com for more information.
This year was the Third Annual Heli Smackdown, held outside
Atlanta in Bartow County. The Bartow Model Aviation Club hosted
the event, and it is a combined airplane and helicopter group. This
was the first year at this field, and club members made an agreement
with another club for the fixed-wing modelers to fly at its field for
the weekend.
There’s great cooperation between the helicopter and fixed-wing
fliers. All clubs should aspire to this level of cooperation. I’m sure
the club made some money off of the event as well. Good for you
guys!
Saturday’s weather was a bit dicey to start off with. It was drizzly
and overcast, with ceilings not conducive to auto-duration events. As
the morning went on, though, the skies brightened up and there was
plenty of flying and sunburns. I forget that the sun is higher in the
sky down there, and that’s where I always get my first sunburn of the
season.
A total of 25 pilots registered for the event. It was mainly a fly-in,
with only a couple of coordinated events throughout the day: spot
autos and then auto-duration. There was plenty of night flying, but
that wasn’t a competitive event. Poor Chris Bergen splatted his
gasser during his night flight. He somehow lost the tail, so it was
pirouette city. Finding a crashed helicopter at night in the weeds is an
Eric is proud of his participation in helping to develop this
superb machine, which took more than a year.
One of the Ion’s two battery packs cover the dual gear reduction
drive from the Hacker motor to the main shaft.
PlanetHobby.com, Inc.
(901) 755-1536
7477 Wood Rail Cove ¥ Memphis, TN 38119
www.planethobby.com
[email protected]
Catalogs Upon Request • Dealers Welcome.26 Different Glow Plugs in Stock.
Specifications supplied by manufacturer.
Muffled and
Tuned Pipes
Turbo
Crank
Optional Exhaust
Manifolds
SALE ends 9/ 20/’04
NOVAROSSI
Performance Innovations
C60V2H5WC Hilocopter
World Champion Engine.
.60 c.i. inflight adjustable mixture
control. 4 intake ports. 2.5 HP at
18,000 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415 Sale $189
SUMMER SALE!
C60F .60 c.i. 8 intake ports 2.3 HP at 16,500 RPM. Weight. 22oz.
List $415.00. Sale $189
C60F01 Same as C60F with double balanced shaft for critical
applications. List $450.00 Sale $209
C60F4T Same as C60F Aircraft engine .60 c.i.
4 intake ports List $350.00. Sale $169
Nelson ultra thrust muffler $69
C50F .50 c.i. 4 Ports
2.2 HP at 18,000
RPM. Weight. 16.7oz.
List $385
Sale $159
Nelson ultra thrust muffler
$69
NOVAROSSI Engines
09sig4.QXD 6/23/04 1:09 pm Page 126
September 2004 129
event in itself. There was Sunday flying as
well, but I couldn’t attend that.
Some of the pilots who attended were
from the Atlanta area, some were from
Alabama, and some were from South
Carolina. That whole area of the country
seems to grow some good helicopter pilots.
Of course, a 12-month flying season helps.
The Smackdown was a fun, relaxed
event, during which there was room for 3-D
flying and basic hovering. At times there
were six helicopters in the air at once. There
was a lot of wrenching going on, with me
included. You could tell that it was a
helicopter event because many there were
working on their models.
I noticed one thing about some of the
flying: the art of graceful but technically
challenging flights is being lost in favor of
sheer thrashing of machines. Pilots need to
slow down the maneuvers a bit and add
some finesse and smoothness to each move.
I applaud the manufacturers for building
machines and control systems that can take
that kind of abuse, but I am starting to
question where this type of flying is going.
Pitch pumping for the sake of pitch pumping
is not much of a maneuver to watch. But
please don’t get me wrong; the pilots who
attended were top caliber.
When you fly, try to keep in mind that
someone is watching and try to present a
pleasant routine. This is the route the 3-D
Masters is trying to go. It’s attempting to
bring helicopter flying back to an art form
that spectators can watch and enjoy.
Pitch pumping while doing some other
type of maneuver at the right moment can
make a much bigger impact than one or
the other done alone. Coming down fast
and close to the ground, and then banging
the collective and making the blades
literally groan can wow the crowd once or
twice. Continuing it time after time looks
like out-of-control mayhem.
Look at and watch the top fixed-wing
Aerobatics pilots. They stun the crowd while
smoothly going from one move to another.
That is part of judging those maneuvers.
The safety aspect of performing some of
these maneuvers close in, right at the pits, is
questionable. This in-your-face pitch
reversal at the last possible moment is going
to get someone hurt. One link is all that
stands between a crazy move and a lethal
one.
There should be a decent amount of
distance between the helicopter and pilot so
that if something goes wrong mechanically,
the throttle hold can be hit at least. There is
absolutely no room for error, whether
mechanical or from miscalculation, to keep
from hitting yourself or a spectator. If we
want to continue to fly and push the
envelope for machine and pilot, we’d better
start thinking about safety.
Before I go on, I’d like to remind
everyone where all this started. Well-built
machines, awesome engines, and amazing
gyros are turning the video-game generation
into technically competent, high-level pilots.
In my days of learning, we were happy to
get the model hovering and back down in
one piece without breaking anything. Try to
appreciate the time you’re in.
Helicopters are one of the most advanced
forms of RC. Those who didn’t have to learn
to fly with fixed pitch and no gyros, and can
go out and literally throw the helicopter
around in the air and have it stay in one
piece, should not take that for granted.
Now try to turn these wild maneuvers
into flowing routines. Wow the crowd
with finesse. That is what makes 3-D
champions and makes them stand out
amongst the rest. Keep it safe and give
yourself an out if something goes wrong,
and learn to choreograph your flights.
2 ounce HandiBond CA Glue
ONLY $4.50 Thick
Thin x
Medium
That will bring you to the next level.
While at the fly-in, I saw a
demonstration that I’ll never forget. Eric
Larson flew the new Miniature Aircraft
Fury Ion electric-powered helicopter. But
this is no ordinary electric; it’s a full 60/90-
size model powered by a brushless motor
and Li-Poly battery packs.
I never thought I’d see the day when a
full, aggressive 3-D routine would be
performed using an electric-powered
helicopter. Everything I can write about it is
an understatement because it is simply
awesome to behold. It spools up and
screams like a turbine. It will leap off the
ground like a 90-powered machine and
weighs roughly the same with battery
packs.
The Fury Ion will take continuous
metronome maneuvers and not bog. It took
everything Eric threw at it, and he had some
amazing flights. It will continue that kind of
maneuvering for a good 10-12 minutes.
However, this didn’t come easily.
Miniature Aircraft spent longer than a year
developing this machine with the assistance
of pilots such as Eric. Many motors were
made and tried, and many motor controllers
were burned up in the process.
The company has ended up with a
Hacker brushless motor specifically
designed for this machine, along with
Hacker’s special controller. Things that are
necessary for protecting the motor and
providing the required performance aren’t
found in your ordinary controller. It also
had to be developed, and the development
has not been completed yet.
Something as simple as flipping throttle
hold and then bailing out with power
presents some unique challenges, and all
parties involved are still trying to work that
one out.
The battery packs are Thunder Power
and contain 20 cells each, in five series by
four parallel arrangements. The cells are
7800 mAh capacity and are capable in total
of 78 amps continuous.
The key was a balance between cell
count and capacity, the right motor design,
and the correct gear ratio to the head. The
motor to head contains a dual gearreduction
drive. All of this creates the
correct torque as seen by the motor and still
achieves the correct head speed. The packs
can be charged in 11⁄2 hours, and flight
duration is usually 10-14 minutes. The rest
of the machine is basically Fury mechanics
with a different power train setup. The
blades are 690mm V-Blades.
I haven’t been impressed by the electricpowered
helicopters that have been
introduced so far, but this made me, and
most others who were present, take notice.
Now I think there is a future in highperformance
electrics for 3-D helicopters. If
you’re interested in further information,
contact Miniature Aircraft at www.xcellrchelicopters.
com.
’Tis the season, so get out and do some
flying! MA
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