144 MODEL AVIATION
AT ROUGHLY THIS time of year we begin to look for things to
do indoors. Christmas has passed, winter has finally set in, and cabin
fever isn’t too far off.
I think I have found the perfect machine to play with during the
times when the weather stops us from going outside. Model Rectifier
Corporation’s (MRC’s) new RTF Hirobo Electric XRB Sky Robo
R/C Mini Lama helicopter is just the ticket for curing the wintertime
blues. It gives you true RC, tether-free flying in the comfort of your
home. There are no cords to knot up or break!
Ray Stacy, 15 W. Main St., Webster NY 14580; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL HELICOPTERS
The XRB comes with transmitter—a nice combo for indoor flying.
The new Hirobo Electric XRB Sky Robo R/C Mini Lama. Switch to
its included flybar paddles for “enhanced” control.
There are five Lamas and nine pilots at the RAMS fun-fly! Will the real XRB Lama pilots please step forward?
Longtime plank pilot Rod Curtis quickly learned that helicopters
are fun. Nice job on the nose-in hovering, Rod!
Inside the Sky Robo box you will find a complete
microhelicopter with a four-channel FM transmitter, receiver, and
two servos. Also included is a 720 mAh Li-Poly battery and wall
charger. No work or modifications are necessary. Just charge and fly!
The XRB Sky Robo R/C Mini Lama is the follow-on to the
successful tethered version of the same machine. This Lama uses two
sets of counter-rotating main blades to provide directional control,
yaw, and lift. That’s right; no tail rotor is needed! I love this model’s
simplicity.
The bottom set of blades is attached to a swashplate that is
controlled by two servos and provides you with fore/aft and left/right
directional control. The top set of blades has a flybar for stability and
works in conjunction with the bottom blades to control yaw by
speeding up or slowing to produce a left or right yaw. For a left
rotation, the top blades speed up and the bottom blades slow down.
The opposite happens for a right rotation. Yaw control using this
process is amazingly effective.
The XRB uses four lightweight foam blades. The nice thing is
that if the Lama’s blades come into contact with an immovable
object, they break off and seldom cause additional damage to the
model or the object they hit. It takes a few minutes to install new
blades, and then you are off and flying again. Spare blades come in a
April 2005 145
Proud pilot Chuck Teeter (R) and Kyle Stacy after testing Chuck’s
new Hawk. The flight was successful. Nice job!
The new Toki .40 from MRC provides 40-size power in a 30-size
engine. Look for feedback in an upcoming column.
box of 10 for approximately $10. The RC version uses the same
blades as the tethered version.
The XRB has two coreless motors—one for each set of blades.
The motors have proven to be reliable, and the new metal pinions are
perfect for giving many hours of flight time. We seem to be
averaging 15-20 minutes on a charge. Recharging takes roughly an
hour. Extra Li-Poly packs are available from MRC.
I first saw the XRB at a fun-fly last year. Jeff Green from MRC
brought the wireless version. After making sure that his frequency
was clear, he turned on the transmitter and then the helicopter, and
while holding it in his hand, he brought the rotors up to speed and
gave the Lama a little push. It just hovered! Jeff handed me the
transmitter, and I spent a few minutes playing before I had to give
the radio to the next person.
The XRB’s stability is amazing. The onboard gyro does an
excellent job of controlling the yaw as well as providing predictable
yaw control. It was nothing but fun!
We quickly realized that this is not an outdoor helicopter! Those
small blades and servos do not have what it
takes to penetrate in even the slightest
breeze. I have been thinking about
laminating the foam blades with some
fiberglass tape to see if it helps with control
while outside.
It was another month before the RC
version showed up in our local hobby shop.
Being the impatient person that I am, I
decided to buy one of the imitations on
eBay. I strongly recommend that you don’t
do this! It was terrible. That thing was
completely unflyable. It was nothing like the
one Jeff had.
The seller was convinced that the
problem was me and would only give me a
partial refund. After my experience, I read
about a few others who had done the same
thing and had the same results. Stay away
from the imitations! There is nothing like the
Hirobo version.
My son and I really like the original
tethered XRB. It was a great tool for
teaching a new pilot the various helicopter
controls and helping the experienced pilot
with maneuvers such as nose-in and
backward flight. The cord was always an
issue. In time it begins to knot, and let’s face
it: sooner or later you want to go beyond the
umbilical cord!
As much as we liked the original XRB,
the RC version is many times better than any
tethered machine out there today! Not only is
it a great way to spend some flying time
indoors, but it makes a great training tool.
Backward figure eights, pirouetting circles,
and nose-in are just a few of the many things
this micromarvel can do.
Try to resist flying the Lama before
reading the instructions. They are well
written and contain great tips about blade
tracking, blade balancing, and trimming the
helicopter.
I noticed that after changing all four
blades, I could not get the helicopter to stop
spinning; I was certain that I had broken
something. A quick call to Jeff Green
revealed that it is common to have to adjust
the pitch of the top set of blades after
replacing a complete set. Thanks, Jeff!
MRC’s support is second to none.
The manual even instructs you how to
use your JR, Futaba, or Sanwa transmitter!
However, I didn’t try this because the
supplied transmitter works great.
You may notice some control interaction
when flying the Lama, but don’t worry about
it. I have found that it is a characteristic of
the machine that you quickly become
comfortable with, and even forget about.
The Lama even has an “Advanced Pilot”
configuration that increases the “sensitivity
of response.” Changing flybar authority ratio
and swapping out the heavier stabilizer
weights for the smaller and lighter flybar
paddles does this. We found that we prefer
the flying characteristics of the paddles to the
flybar weights that come installed on the
helicopter.
Check out the video of my 9-year-old son
146 MODEL AVIATION
Kyle flying his Lama in our shop. He was
quickly able to learn pirouetting circles, and
it didn’t even cost us a blade! You can
access that video at http://64.41.102.82/
lama.htm.
The local RC club—the Rochester Aero
Modeling Society (www.rcplane.com)—
sponsors indoor fun-fly events during the
winter months. Fellow modeler Don Geldof
coordinates the events for us. There were
five RC XRB Lamas at the last fun-fly!
Longtime RAMS member and RC
airplane pilot Rod Curtis took me up on my
offer to fly our Lama awhile back and, sure
enough, there he was at the fun-fly with his
own Lama! I was impressed by how well he
was doing. I guess I forgot to tell him that
nose-in was difficult because there he was,
out there doing it like a pro!
If you are looking for a way to keep your
skills up during the bad weather or just
looking for a little relaxing entertainment,
check out the Hirobo XRB Lama. For more
information, contact MRC at 80 Newfield
Ave., Edison NJ 08818; Tel.: (732) 225-
2100; Web site: www.modelrectifier.com.
While putting this column together I
received the new Toki two-stroke helicopter
engine from MRC/Altech. The Toki-40H is
a 40-size engine in a 30-size case. It looks
like it will be the perfect way to breathe new
life into your 30-size helicopter. You can
purchase it with or without the tuned
muffler. Check back to see how it performs
in the Gohbee Stinger 30.
Thanks for all the E-mail. Remember that
Cobra I asked about in my first column? In
no time at all I had made contact with more
than 10 people who either had one or knew
where one was. Thank you to everyone who
replied.
If you sent me a message and I did not
reply, please accept my apology. I use a
spam filter, and it works so well that
sometimes I even miss real mail. If you did
not get a reply from me, chances are that
your message got hung up in my spam filter
and was eventually deleted. Putting the
words “Model Aviation” in the subject line
will help get my attention. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/04
Page Numbers: 144,145,146
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/04
Page Numbers: 144,145,146
144 MODEL AVIATION
AT ROUGHLY THIS time of year we begin to look for things to
do indoors. Christmas has passed, winter has finally set in, and cabin
fever isn’t too far off.
I think I have found the perfect machine to play with during the
times when the weather stops us from going outside. Model Rectifier
Corporation’s (MRC’s) new RTF Hirobo Electric XRB Sky Robo
R/C Mini Lama helicopter is just the ticket for curing the wintertime
blues. It gives you true RC, tether-free flying in the comfort of your
home. There are no cords to knot up or break!
Ray Stacy, 15 W. Main St., Webster NY 14580; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL HELICOPTERS
The XRB comes with transmitter—a nice combo for indoor flying.
The new Hirobo Electric XRB Sky Robo R/C Mini Lama. Switch to
its included flybar paddles for “enhanced” control.
There are five Lamas and nine pilots at the RAMS fun-fly! Will the real XRB Lama pilots please step forward?
Longtime plank pilot Rod Curtis quickly learned that helicopters
are fun. Nice job on the nose-in hovering, Rod!
Inside the Sky Robo box you will find a complete
microhelicopter with a four-channel FM transmitter, receiver, and
two servos. Also included is a 720 mAh Li-Poly battery and wall
charger. No work or modifications are necessary. Just charge and fly!
The XRB Sky Robo R/C Mini Lama is the follow-on to the
successful tethered version of the same machine. This Lama uses two
sets of counter-rotating main blades to provide directional control,
yaw, and lift. That’s right; no tail rotor is needed! I love this model’s
simplicity.
The bottom set of blades is attached to a swashplate that is
controlled by two servos and provides you with fore/aft and left/right
directional control. The top set of blades has a flybar for stability and
works in conjunction with the bottom blades to control yaw by
speeding up or slowing to produce a left or right yaw. For a left
rotation, the top blades speed up and the bottom blades slow down.
The opposite happens for a right rotation. Yaw control using this
process is amazingly effective.
The XRB uses four lightweight foam blades. The nice thing is
that if the Lama’s blades come into contact with an immovable
object, they break off and seldom cause additional damage to the
model or the object they hit. It takes a few minutes to install new
blades, and then you are off and flying again. Spare blades come in a
April 2005 145
Proud pilot Chuck Teeter (R) and Kyle Stacy after testing Chuck’s
new Hawk. The flight was successful. Nice job!
The new Toki .40 from MRC provides 40-size power in a 30-size
engine. Look for feedback in an upcoming column.
box of 10 for approximately $10. The RC version uses the same
blades as the tethered version.
The XRB has two coreless motors—one for each set of blades.
The motors have proven to be reliable, and the new metal pinions are
perfect for giving many hours of flight time. We seem to be
averaging 15-20 minutes on a charge. Recharging takes roughly an
hour. Extra Li-Poly packs are available from MRC.
I first saw the XRB at a fun-fly last year. Jeff Green from MRC
brought the wireless version. After making sure that his frequency
was clear, he turned on the transmitter and then the helicopter, and
while holding it in his hand, he brought the rotors up to speed and
gave the Lama a little push. It just hovered! Jeff handed me the
transmitter, and I spent a few minutes playing before I had to give
the radio to the next person.
The XRB’s stability is amazing. The onboard gyro does an
excellent job of controlling the yaw as well as providing predictable
yaw control. It was nothing but fun!
We quickly realized that this is not an outdoor helicopter! Those
small blades and servos do not have what it
takes to penetrate in even the slightest
breeze. I have been thinking about
laminating the foam blades with some
fiberglass tape to see if it helps with control
while outside.
It was another month before the RC
version showed up in our local hobby shop.
Being the impatient person that I am, I
decided to buy one of the imitations on
eBay. I strongly recommend that you don’t
do this! It was terrible. That thing was
completely unflyable. It was nothing like the
one Jeff had.
The seller was convinced that the
problem was me and would only give me a
partial refund. After my experience, I read
about a few others who had done the same
thing and had the same results. Stay away
from the imitations! There is nothing like the
Hirobo version.
My son and I really like the original
tethered XRB. It was a great tool for
teaching a new pilot the various helicopter
controls and helping the experienced pilot
with maneuvers such as nose-in and
backward flight. The cord was always an
issue. In time it begins to knot, and let’s face
it: sooner or later you want to go beyond the
umbilical cord!
As much as we liked the original XRB,
the RC version is many times better than any
tethered machine out there today! Not only is
it a great way to spend some flying time
indoors, but it makes a great training tool.
Backward figure eights, pirouetting circles,
and nose-in are just a few of the many things
this micromarvel can do.
Try to resist flying the Lama before
reading the instructions. They are well
written and contain great tips about blade
tracking, blade balancing, and trimming the
helicopter.
I noticed that after changing all four
blades, I could not get the helicopter to stop
spinning; I was certain that I had broken
something. A quick call to Jeff Green
revealed that it is common to have to adjust
the pitch of the top set of blades after
replacing a complete set. Thanks, Jeff!
MRC’s support is second to none.
The manual even instructs you how to
use your JR, Futaba, or Sanwa transmitter!
However, I didn’t try this because the
supplied transmitter works great.
You may notice some control interaction
when flying the Lama, but don’t worry about
it. I have found that it is a characteristic of
the machine that you quickly become
comfortable with, and even forget about.
The Lama even has an “Advanced Pilot”
configuration that increases the “sensitivity
of response.” Changing flybar authority ratio
and swapping out the heavier stabilizer
weights for the smaller and lighter flybar
paddles does this. We found that we prefer
the flying characteristics of the paddles to the
flybar weights that come installed on the
helicopter.
Check out the video of my 9-year-old son
146 MODEL AVIATION
Kyle flying his Lama in our shop. He was
quickly able to learn pirouetting circles, and
it didn’t even cost us a blade! You can
access that video at http://64.41.102.82/
lama.htm.
The local RC club—the Rochester Aero
Modeling Society (www.rcplane.com)—
sponsors indoor fun-fly events during the
winter months. Fellow modeler Don Geldof
coordinates the events for us. There were
five RC XRB Lamas at the last fun-fly!
Longtime RAMS member and RC
airplane pilot Rod Curtis took me up on my
offer to fly our Lama awhile back and, sure
enough, there he was at the fun-fly with his
own Lama! I was impressed by how well he
was doing. I guess I forgot to tell him that
nose-in was difficult because there he was,
out there doing it like a pro!
If you are looking for a way to keep your
skills up during the bad weather or just
looking for a little relaxing entertainment,
check out the Hirobo XRB Lama. For more
information, contact MRC at 80 Newfield
Ave., Edison NJ 08818; Tel.: (732) 225-
2100; Web site: www.modelrectifier.com.
While putting this column together I
received the new Toki two-stroke helicopter
engine from MRC/Altech. The Toki-40H is
a 40-size engine in a 30-size case. It looks
like it will be the perfect way to breathe new
life into your 30-size helicopter. You can
purchase it with or without the tuned
muffler. Check back to see how it performs
in the Gohbee Stinger 30.
Thanks for all the E-mail. Remember that
Cobra I asked about in my first column? In
no time at all I had made contact with more
than 10 people who either had one or knew
where one was. Thank you to everyone who
replied.
If you sent me a message and I did not
reply, please accept my apology. I use a
spam filter, and it works so well that
sometimes I even miss real mail. If you did
not get a reply from me, chances are that
your message got hung up in my spam filter
and was eventually deleted. Putting the
words “Model Aviation” in the subject line
will help get my attention. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2005/04
Page Numbers: 144,145,146
144 MODEL AVIATION
AT ROUGHLY THIS time of year we begin to look for things to
do indoors. Christmas has passed, winter has finally set in, and cabin
fever isn’t too far off.
I think I have found the perfect machine to play with during the
times when the weather stops us from going outside. Model Rectifier
Corporation’s (MRC’s) new RTF Hirobo Electric XRB Sky Robo
R/C Mini Lama helicopter is just the ticket for curing the wintertime
blues. It gives you true RC, tether-free flying in the comfort of your
home. There are no cords to knot up or break!
Ray Stacy, 15 W. Main St., Webster NY 14580; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL HELICOPTERS
The XRB comes with transmitter—a nice combo for indoor flying.
The new Hirobo Electric XRB Sky Robo R/C Mini Lama. Switch to
its included flybar paddles for “enhanced” control.
There are five Lamas and nine pilots at the RAMS fun-fly! Will the real XRB Lama pilots please step forward?
Longtime plank pilot Rod Curtis quickly learned that helicopters
are fun. Nice job on the nose-in hovering, Rod!
Inside the Sky Robo box you will find a complete
microhelicopter with a four-channel FM transmitter, receiver, and
two servos. Also included is a 720 mAh Li-Poly battery and wall
charger. No work or modifications are necessary. Just charge and fly!
The XRB Sky Robo R/C Mini Lama is the follow-on to the
successful tethered version of the same machine. This Lama uses two
sets of counter-rotating main blades to provide directional control,
yaw, and lift. That’s right; no tail rotor is needed! I love this model’s
simplicity.
The bottom set of blades is attached to a swashplate that is
controlled by two servos and provides you with fore/aft and left/right
directional control. The top set of blades has a flybar for stability and
works in conjunction with the bottom blades to control yaw by
speeding up or slowing to produce a left or right yaw. For a left
rotation, the top blades speed up and the bottom blades slow down.
The opposite happens for a right rotation. Yaw control using this
process is amazingly effective.
The XRB uses four lightweight foam blades. The nice thing is
that if the Lama’s blades come into contact with an immovable
object, they break off and seldom cause additional damage to the
model or the object they hit. It takes a few minutes to install new
blades, and then you are off and flying again. Spare blades come in a
April 2005 145
Proud pilot Chuck Teeter (R) and Kyle Stacy after testing Chuck’s
new Hawk. The flight was successful. Nice job!
The new Toki .40 from MRC provides 40-size power in a 30-size
engine. Look for feedback in an upcoming column.
box of 10 for approximately $10. The RC version uses the same
blades as the tethered version.
The XRB has two coreless motors—one for each set of blades.
The motors have proven to be reliable, and the new metal pinions are
perfect for giving many hours of flight time. We seem to be
averaging 15-20 minutes on a charge. Recharging takes roughly an
hour. Extra Li-Poly packs are available from MRC.
I first saw the XRB at a fun-fly last year. Jeff Green from MRC
brought the wireless version. After making sure that his frequency
was clear, he turned on the transmitter and then the helicopter, and
while holding it in his hand, he brought the rotors up to speed and
gave the Lama a little push. It just hovered! Jeff handed me the
transmitter, and I spent a few minutes playing before I had to give
the radio to the next person.
The XRB’s stability is amazing. The onboard gyro does an
excellent job of controlling the yaw as well as providing predictable
yaw control. It was nothing but fun!
We quickly realized that this is not an outdoor helicopter! Those
small blades and servos do not have what it
takes to penetrate in even the slightest
breeze. I have been thinking about
laminating the foam blades with some
fiberglass tape to see if it helps with control
while outside.
It was another month before the RC
version showed up in our local hobby shop.
Being the impatient person that I am, I
decided to buy one of the imitations on
eBay. I strongly recommend that you don’t
do this! It was terrible. That thing was
completely unflyable. It was nothing like the
one Jeff had.
The seller was convinced that the
problem was me and would only give me a
partial refund. After my experience, I read
about a few others who had done the same
thing and had the same results. Stay away
from the imitations! There is nothing like the
Hirobo version.
My son and I really like the original
tethered XRB. It was a great tool for
teaching a new pilot the various helicopter
controls and helping the experienced pilot
with maneuvers such as nose-in and
backward flight. The cord was always an
issue. In time it begins to knot, and let’s face
it: sooner or later you want to go beyond the
umbilical cord!
As much as we liked the original XRB,
the RC version is many times better than any
tethered machine out there today! Not only is
it a great way to spend some flying time
indoors, but it makes a great training tool.
Backward figure eights, pirouetting circles,
and nose-in are just a few of the many things
this micromarvel can do.
Try to resist flying the Lama before
reading the instructions. They are well
written and contain great tips about blade
tracking, blade balancing, and trimming the
helicopter.
I noticed that after changing all four
blades, I could not get the helicopter to stop
spinning; I was certain that I had broken
something. A quick call to Jeff Green
revealed that it is common to have to adjust
the pitch of the top set of blades after
replacing a complete set. Thanks, Jeff!
MRC’s support is second to none.
The manual even instructs you how to
use your JR, Futaba, or Sanwa transmitter!
However, I didn’t try this because the
supplied transmitter works great.
You may notice some control interaction
when flying the Lama, but don’t worry about
it. I have found that it is a characteristic of
the machine that you quickly become
comfortable with, and even forget about.
The Lama even has an “Advanced Pilot”
configuration that increases the “sensitivity
of response.” Changing flybar authority ratio
and swapping out the heavier stabilizer
weights for the smaller and lighter flybar
paddles does this. We found that we prefer
the flying characteristics of the paddles to the
flybar weights that come installed on the
helicopter.
Check out the video of my 9-year-old son
146 MODEL AVIATION
Kyle flying his Lama in our shop. He was
quickly able to learn pirouetting circles, and
it didn’t even cost us a blade! You can
access that video at http://64.41.102.82/
lama.htm.
The local RC club—the Rochester Aero
Modeling Society (www.rcplane.com)—
sponsors indoor fun-fly events during the
winter months. Fellow modeler Don Geldof
coordinates the events for us. There were
five RC XRB Lamas at the last fun-fly!
Longtime RAMS member and RC
airplane pilot Rod Curtis took me up on my
offer to fly our Lama awhile back and, sure
enough, there he was at the fun-fly with his
own Lama! I was impressed by how well he
was doing. I guess I forgot to tell him that
nose-in was difficult because there he was,
out there doing it like a pro!
If you are looking for a way to keep your
skills up during the bad weather or just
looking for a little relaxing entertainment,
check out the Hirobo XRB Lama. For more
information, contact MRC at 80 Newfield
Ave., Edison NJ 08818; Tel.: (732) 225-
2100; Web site: www.modelrectifier.com.
While putting this column together I
received the new Toki two-stroke helicopter
engine from MRC/Altech. The Toki-40H is
a 40-size engine in a 30-size case. It looks
like it will be the perfect way to breathe new
life into your 30-size helicopter. You can
purchase it with or without the tuned
muffler. Check back to see how it performs
in the Gohbee Stinger 30.
Thanks for all the E-mail. Remember that
Cobra I asked about in my first column? In
no time at all I had made contact with more
than 10 people who either had one or knew
where one was. Thank you to everyone who
replied.
If you sent me a message and I did not
reply, please accept my apology. I use a
spam filter, and it works so well that
sometimes I even miss real mail. If you did
not get a reply from me, chances are that
your message got hung up in my spam filter
and was eventually deleted. Putting the
words “Model Aviation” in the subject line
will help get my attention. MA