May 2010 59
Double Take: Heli-Max Novus CX RTF
William pilots the Novus CX for the first
time, while brother Jacob anxiously waits
his turn. The 2.4 GHz radio is a shortrange
system.
The CX’s twin motors have spunk; work
the collective stick carefully. The linear
servos are digital. Hiding on the exposed
PC board are the receiver and ESC.
The CX is good at forward flight. Correct blade tension is important. A heading-lock gyro
helps keep the orientation at the pilot’s command.
Save the box; it’s great for keeping the Novus equipment safe during traveling and
storing. Transmitter batteries are not included.
JACOB AND WILLIAM RAMSEY
Anytime helicopter
fun for
nano-sized spaces
PRINTED IN LARGE, friendly letters on
both the front and back of the Heli-Max
Novus CX box are the words, “Fly it
now!” We’re both into flying RC
helicopters and after school will spend
time with our RealFlight RC simulator.
But there’s nothing like the real thing
when it comes to flight practice. The day
Dad came home with the Novus, we
literally flew the helicopter just a few
minutes later.
05sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 1:56 PM Page 59
60 MODEL AVIATION
Okay, we flew as soon as possible; the
single-cell Li-Poly battery needed to be
charged first. The included wall charger
had two LEDs to indicate the state of the
power cycle.
We eyeballed the helicopter for a few
minutes and moved the coffee table out of
the way to make more room. (Turns out we
didn’t need it.) After close to 15 minutes,
the pack was charged.
Apparently the Heli-Max 2.4 GHz radio
goes through the bind process each time
the power switch is activated. So there’s a
particular way to power up so that
everything works properly.
The 400 mAh flight pack is installed in
the forward-most position so that the
model has the correct CG. When the CX is
powered up, it automatically calibrates
itself and waits for the transmitter signal.
The transmitter brightly flashes the
battery indicator, indicating that it’s
looking for a Novus receiver to command
when it’s first turned on. The bind process
takes less than 10 seconds; for safety
reasons, the motors won’t work until a low
throttle and trim position is shown.
William test-flew the Novus first and
said that it hovered practically hands off.
He got nervous and jittery with it only
when dad tried to get close to the flying
helicopter.
We’re used to transmitters that have firm
stick tension. The Heli-Max transmitter
seems to have soft springs, but the collective
movement is butter smooth. Getting used to
the transmitter didn’t take long.
The Novus performs really well in
flight (forward or backward) and goes at a
good clip if the pilot wants it to. There are
no ways to change or modify the control
throws other than pushrod length or stick
sensitivity, which is okay since the
helicopter is so stable.
The gyro is a heading-hold type, so
turns need to be coordinated, but sideways
and backward flight can be done with
almost no corrective tail-rotor input from
the pilot. It’s easy!
Jacob, who is just getting started in
helicopters, couldn’t wait to try the CX.
During the middle of his first flight, a
smile started to appear on his face and you
could tell he was beginning to have a
good time.
“This is easy,” he said a number of
times.
The oversized canopy makes this
hummingbird easy to see. Okay, the threeblade
tail rotor doesn’t do anything to
help the model fly, but it does make it
look like the advanced helicopters we’ll
graduate to later.
The twin motors are quiet, and the
plastic rotor blades have been holding up
well, even though we’ve bumped the
model into the wall a time or three. We
have close to 50 flights on our Novus CX
and frequently fly it to relax after school
or an afternoon of soccer practice. We
don’t fly the helicopter outdoors unless
it’s dead calm; a gust of wind easily
throws the blades out of track. The wire
landing gear bounces quite well.
We’ve collected spare batteries, but the
brushed motors can get warm during the
10-minute flights. We wait nearly five
minutes between each joyful flight.
Tech Notes: Blade tension is set properly
when you can hold the helicopter
sideways and the blades remain straight—
until you shake the model slightly, which
causes the blades to fall. The amount of
tension is not critical, but both blades
must have the same amount. Our blades
were a bit on the loose side out of the box.
Excessively tight blade tension on the
CX will cause vibration during flight until
each blade finds its center. If the blades
are too loose, the helicopter might hover
in a circular pattern.
If you like your Novus CX as much as we
do, optional parts are available to replace
worn or broken plastic mechanics with
anodized aluminum pieces. These will
increase the sensitivity a bit in a hover and
help this model perform more crisply in
flight maneuvers. MA
William Ramsey
Jacob Ramsey
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Heli-Max/Great Planes
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
(217) 398-8970
www.helimax-rc.com
Pluses and Minuses
+
• Agile forward and backward
operation, stable hovering.
• 2.4 GHz four-channel radio
with linear digital servos.
• Includes spare set of upper
and lower main blades.
-
• Extremely light transmitter
stick tension that is sensitive
to input.
Specifications
Type: Nano-sized, coaxial RTF
Main rotor diameter/
blade length: 6.9 inches/
3.1 inches
Length: 8 inches
Height: 5.1 inches
Width: 1.6 inches
Flying weight: 1.85 ounces
Requires: Eight AA batteries
Price: $124.98
Features
• Model is fully assembled
• Four-channel, 2.4 GHz radio
system
• Digital servos, ESC, gyro
• 3.7-volt, 400 mAh Li-Poly
battery
• AC Li-Poly wall charger
• 36-page illustrated
instruction and maintenance
manual
• One set of replacement
upper and lower main blades
• DIPswitch tool
• Trainer-cord adapter
05sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 1:56 PM Page 60
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/05
Page Numbers: 59,60
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/05
Page Numbers: 59,60
May 2010 59
Double Take: Heli-Max Novus CX RTF
William pilots the Novus CX for the first
time, while brother Jacob anxiously waits
his turn. The 2.4 GHz radio is a shortrange
system.
The CX’s twin motors have spunk; work
the collective stick carefully. The linear
servos are digital. Hiding on the exposed
PC board are the receiver and ESC.
The CX is good at forward flight. Correct blade tension is important. A heading-lock gyro
helps keep the orientation at the pilot’s command.
Save the box; it’s great for keeping the Novus equipment safe during traveling and
storing. Transmitter batteries are not included.
JACOB AND WILLIAM RAMSEY
Anytime helicopter
fun for
nano-sized spaces
PRINTED IN LARGE, friendly letters on
both the front and back of the Heli-Max
Novus CX box are the words, “Fly it
now!” We’re both into flying RC
helicopters and after school will spend
time with our RealFlight RC simulator.
But there’s nothing like the real thing
when it comes to flight practice. The day
Dad came home with the Novus, we
literally flew the helicopter just a few
minutes later.
05sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 1:56 PM Page 59
60 MODEL AVIATION
Okay, we flew as soon as possible; the
single-cell Li-Poly battery needed to be
charged first. The included wall charger
had two LEDs to indicate the state of the
power cycle.
We eyeballed the helicopter for a few
minutes and moved the coffee table out of
the way to make more room. (Turns out we
didn’t need it.) After close to 15 minutes,
the pack was charged.
Apparently the Heli-Max 2.4 GHz radio
goes through the bind process each time
the power switch is activated. So there’s a
particular way to power up so that
everything works properly.
The 400 mAh flight pack is installed in
the forward-most position so that the
model has the correct CG. When the CX is
powered up, it automatically calibrates
itself and waits for the transmitter signal.
The transmitter brightly flashes the
battery indicator, indicating that it’s
looking for a Novus receiver to command
when it’s first turned on. The bind process
takes less than 10 seconds; for safety
reasons, the motors won’t work until a low
throttle and trim position is shown.
William test-flew the Novus first and
said that it hovered practically hands off.
He got nervous and jittery with it only
when dad tried to get close to the flying
helicopter.
We’re used to transmitters that have firm
stick tension. The Heli-Max transmitter
seems to have soft springs, but the collective
movement is butter smooth. Getting used to
the transmitter didn’t take long.
The Novus performs really well in
flight (forward or backward) and goes at a
good clip if the pilot wants it to. There are
no ways to change or modify the control
throws other than pushrod length or stick
sensitivity, which is okay since the
helicopter is so stable.
The gyro is a heading-hold type, so
turns need to be coordinated, but sideways
and backward flight can be done with
almost no corrective tail-rotor input from
the pilot. It’s easy!
Jacob, who is just getting started in
helicopters, couldn’t wait to try the CX.
During the middle of his first flight, a
smile started to appear on his face and you
could tell he was beginning to have a
good time.
“This is easy,” he said a number of
times.
The oversized canopy makes this
hummingbird easy to see. Okay, the threeblade
tail rotor doesn’t do anything to
help the model fly, but it does make it
look like the advanced helicopters we’ll
graduate to later.
The twin motors are quiet, and the
plastic rotor blades have been holding up
well, even though we’ve bumped the
model into the wall a time or three. We
have close to 50 flights on our Novus CX
and frequently fly it to relax after school
or an afternoon of soccer practice. We
don’t fly the helicopter outdoors unless
it’s dead calm; a gust of wind easily
throws the blades out of track. The wire
landing gear bounces quite well.
We’ve collected spare batteries, but the
brushed motors can get warm during the
10-minute flights. We wait nearly five
minutes between each joyful flight.
Tech Notes: Blade tension is set properly
when you can hold the helicopter
sideways and the blades remain straight—
until you shake the model slightly, which
causes the blades to fall. The amount of
tension is not critical, but both blades
must have the same amount. Our blades
were a bit on the loose side out of the box.
Excessively tight blade tension on the
CX will cause vibration during flight until
each blade finds its center. If the blades
are too loose, the helicopter might hover
in a circular pattern.
If you like your Novus CX as much as we
do, optional parts are available to replace
worn or broken plastic mechanics with
anodized aluminum pieces. These will
increase the sensitivity a bit in a hover and
help this model perform more crisply in
flight maneuvers. MA
William Ramsey
Jacob Ramsey
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
Heli-Max/Great Planes
Box 9021
Champaign IL 61826
(217) 398-8970
www.helimax-rc.com
Pluses and Minuses
+
• Agile forward and backward
operation, stable hovering.
• 2.4 GHz four-channel radio
with linear digital servos.
• Includes spare set of upper
and lower main blades.
-
• Extremely light transmitter
stick tension that is sensitive
to input.
Specifications
Type: Nano-sized, coaxial RTF
Main rotor diameter/
blade length: 6.9 inches/
3.1 inches
Length: 8 inches
Height: 5.1 inches
Width: 1.6 inches
Flying weight: 1.85 ounces
Requires: Eight AA batteries
Price: $124.98
Features
• Model is fully assembled
• Four-channel, 2.4 GHz radio
system
• Digital servos, ESC, gyro
• 3.7-volt, 400 mAh Li-Poly
battery
• AC Li-Poly wall charger
• 36-page illustrated
instruction and maintenance
manual
• One set of replacement
upper and lower main blades
• DIPswitch tool
• Trainer-cord adapter
05sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/24/10 1:56 PM Page 60