Also included in this column:
• Anderson, Indiana, indoor
fun-fly report
WELCOME BACK to the madness! I
trust you have all been busy beating the
air into submission since our last meeting.
Since you’re probably reading this in midwinter,
there’s surely not much outdoor
flying going on in most areas.
This is the time of year I dream about
being somewhere besides cold Indiana.
Those of you who get to fly outside yearround
have it made.
Blade CP Pro: I thought this would be a
good time to delve a bit deeper into the
indoor helicopter scene. I received a new
little helicopter in the mail the other day:
an E-flite Blade CP Pro RTF from
Horizon Hobby (www.horizonhobby.com). These mini
mechanical marvels are selling extremely well.
Mini and micro EP models are the most exciting things to ever
happen in the helicopter world. It’s no wonder everyone wants
one.
I love getting big boxes in the mail, and the Blade CP Pro
arrived in a colorful package decorated with nice photos on all
sides. It even had a picture of the model flying inverted! Now
The capable E-flite Blade CP Pro RTF from Horizon Hobby does a little scraping. Nick
Maxwell, who is on the sticks, makes it look easy.
Kerry Muncy wows the crowd with a demo of his 8-foot-long,
electric-powered Apache. It redefines scale helicopters.
The people at the Anderson IN airport kindly allowed model flying
in one of the new hangars. It’s spacious enough in which to fly an
entire 3-D routine.
Clockwise from top: J.C. Zankle (Futaba jacket), Ben Parrot, Andy
Panoncillo, Nick Maxwell. Note frequencies in use masking-taped
on Nick’s back.
that’s enough to get an aspiring 3-D pilot excited. There was a
disclaimer below the invert picture that read, “Intended for
experienced helicopter pilots over age 14.”
I carried the box down to the basement and passed my wife
along the way. She shrugged and said “Another one?” I’m glad
she’s so understanding—sort of.
I opened the box and there it was. I mean all of it. There was
the model, transmitter, batteries, charger, and it was all assembled.
You just take this thing out of the box and fly it? Yep, that’s what
it said. “3D out of the box” was written right on it.
I was thinking, “Sure; this is not going to be that easy. I guess
Kerry Muncy’s ultimate T-Rex mechanics; hardly anything on this
machine is stock. Look at all the shiny bits!
The author flips the Blade CP Pro inverted for the first time. He
thanks his wife Dina for standing out in the cold to take the
picture.
this review is going to have a rather
limited write-up for the building section,
like none!”
I’ve been in the RC hobby for 35 years,
and this was not making sense to me. After
all, even ARFs have to be assembled and
prepared for flight. How can all the
adjustments and pushrods be set properly?
I didn’t get it.
The hardest part about getting this little
helicopter ready to go was getting it out of
its comfy Styrofoam packing. I plugged in
the included Li-Poly balancing charger and
let it get its first flight charge started. My
wife reminded me of a couple unfinished
items on my honey-do list, so I took care
of those and came back a bit later to check
out the model.
I had already installed the AA batteries
in the transmitter, so it was time to plug up
the Li-Poly pack and see what would
happen. It’s always a thrill to put a new
helicopter in the air for the first time. I
spooled up cautiously and got it light on
the skids.
I’ll be honest; I was a bit apprehensive
about the tail rotor being driven by a
motor. I’ve never flown one with that
setup, and I can’t believe it works all that
well. With a little more collective it lifted
off, and with a little aileron trim I had it
hovering nicely.
This was breaking all the rules I
learned in “Helicopters 101.” You’re
supposed to spend weeks building a model
helicopter, tweak the parts, visit a machine
shop a couple times, and then maybe think
about firing it up. I pulled this model out
of the box and flew it. Wow! What a
concept. What’s not to like?
I pushed the nose down and took off
into forward flight. The little machine flew
and tracked excellently. It was time to see
if it could really fly inverted.
At approximately 30 feet of altitude I
pulled it up into a half loop, stopped it on
its back, and held it there. It did fantastic,
so I let it come down to eye level and then
pushed out of it, back into upright flight.
The tail control was great with the
motor-driven tail rotor, and all the other
mechanical parts such as the servos,
receiver, and gyro operated nicely. This
small model behaved much like other good
micro and mini helicopters I’ve flown.
I have to hand it to this model’s
designers. This is just what the EP
helicopter market needs: a plug-and-play
3-D machine.
My conclusion is that this is an
excellent micro 3-D electric for
experienced pilots. It has the capabilities
to fly full 3-D; that includes inverted,
backward, and sideways flight.
I had a blast flying the Blade and have
to give credit to the people who brought it
to the market. Many people who are new
to the hobby have no idea what a feat it is
to have an RTF RC helicopter with these
abilities.
Indoor Fun-Fly: I recently attended a funfly
and swap meet that was held in a
heated hangar at the Anderson Municipal
Airport. Anderson is a small town between
Indianapolis and AMA in Muncie. This
was my first time there, and it was a treat.
The event was open to small electricpowered
airplanes and helicopters.
I pulled into the parking lot and went
inside. This hangar looked like it was new,
and it was big. It was large enough for 3-D
pilot extraordinaire Nick Maxwell to fly
his full routine. Other notable pilots such
as Nats competitor J.C. Zankle, Kerry
Muncy, and Ben Parrot were in attendance.
Ben is an up-and-coming 3-D pilot, and
he put on quite a show with his T-Rex.
I don’t have a ton of EP experience,
so I asked Nick to help me tweak my
setup on a couple models. I also had him
check out the review Blade CP Pro for
me.
He took a quick look at it and then
spooled it up. On takeoff he yanked
aileron and rolled it inverted, followed by
an extremely low tail-down funnel.
“Hey Nick, fly it over here and do a
low invert so I can get a picture,” I said.
Seconds later, there was the Blade
scraping away at the floor beneath my
feet! Thanks, Nick, for helping show off
the Blade’s capabilities. I’m glad I wore
my steel-tipped boots. Just kidding! Now
I see what that little head button is for.
Hee-hee!
J.C. Zankle also tore up the sky—er,
room. It’s incredible that a full 3-D
routine can be flown indoors by little EP
helicopters. Indoor fun-flys are becoming
more common, and they’re really helping
pilots keep their skills fresh during the
winter. If you have never been to one of
these events, you should try it.
If you can’t find any in your area, you
can talk to someone who has access to a
gym, hangar, or other large indoor
facility to see if you can arrange for the
use of it. Here in Indy there used to be
indoor flying in a golf dome, so those are
often good prospects too.
The indoor events have a fun
atmosphere. Airplanes and helicopters
crash all the time, so everyone becomes
numb to it. That’s different from what
we’re used to with the expensive outdoor
machines.
When the tension of crashing is
removed, things become much more fun.
In fact, pilots have been known to pile in
their models after winning an event. I
saw this happen last year at the E-Fest.
We were in for another treat that
day. Kerry Muncy of Indyhelis.com was
at the fun-fly with his large-scale
electric Apache helicopter. It was a
work of art. It was huge, at 8 feet long!
It has been flown for a while on gas but
is being converted to EP power.
The event organizers allowed Kerry to
demonstrate the awesome machine. It
sounded great when it spooled up. It had
four rotor blades, and the sound of the
electric drive train and those blades
beating the air was impressive.
I was a bit intimidated and didn’t feel
too comfortable getting very close to
photograph the Apache. In reality the
head was turning only roughly 1,000
rpm, so it was half of what our 3-D
models run, and they both use the same
length and weight blades. It is an
impressive machine and looks absolutely
like the full-scale version in the air.
Not only is Kerry an expert
builder/designer, but he is a top-notch
pilot too. He showed his flying skills by
beautifully maneuvering the huge
Apache around the confines of the indoor
space. You can check out all the details
of this scale helicopter at www.indy
helis.com. The EP model should be
available soon.
I guess that almost wraps it up this
month. I’m enjoying writing for you all. I
feel I owe the hobby a lot for all the
years of enjoyment it has provided and
all the good friends I’ve met through it.
I’d like for you to do something
besides just read the helicopter column
this month. I challenge you to write down
a couple goals you want to achieve this
coming month, and then I’ll remind you
to check on your progress in my next
column.
It might take you some time to come
up with a goal you have been wanting to
achieve in the hobby. Many of us make
them naturally at our jobs, but it’s not
that common to see pilots do it for their
hobby.
Make sure the goal is incremental
enough to be completed within a month.
It could be a new maneuver you’re
working out on the simulator or a
building project you want to complete.
Whatever it is, it’s good to have a target
in mind on which to focus.
This could be fun. If people show an
interest, I could include some of the ideas
in future columns. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 118,120,121,123
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 118,120,121,123
Also included in this column:
• Anderson, Indiana, indoor
fun-fly report
WELCOME BACK to the madness! I
trust you have all been busy beating the
air into submission since our last meeting.
Since you’re probably reading this in midwinter,
there’s surely not much outdoor
flying going on in most areas.
This is the time of year I dream about
being somewhere besides cold Indiana.
Those of you who get to fly outside yearround
have it made.
Blade CP Pro: I thought this would be a
good time to delve a bit deeper into the
indoor helicopter scene. I received a new
little helicopter in the mail the other day:
an E-flite Blade CP Pro RTF from
Horizon Hobby (www.horizonhobby.com). These mini
mechanical marvels are selling extremely well.
Mini and micro EP models are the most exciting things to ever
happen in the helicopter world. It’s no wonder everyone wants
one.
I love getting big boxes in the mail, and the Blade CP Pro
arrived in a colorful package decorated with nice photos on all
sides. It even had a picture of the model flying inverted! Now
The capable E-flite Blade CP Pro RTF from Horizon Hobby does a little scraping. Nick
Maxwell, who is on the sticks, makes it look easy.
Kerry Muncy wows the crowd with a demo of his 8-foot-long,
electric-powered Apache. It redefines scale helicopters.
The people at the Anderson IN airport kindly allowed model flying
in one of the new hangars. It’s spacious enough in which to fly an
entire 3-D routine.
Clockwise from top: J.C. Zankle (Futaba jacket), Ben Parrot, Andy
Panoncillo, Nick Maxwell. Note frequencies in use masking-taped
on Nick’s back.
that’s enough to get an aspiring 3-D pilot excited. There was a
disclaimer below the invert picture that read, “Intended for
experienced helicopter pilots over age 14.”
I carried the box down to the basement and passed my wife
along the way. She shrugged and said “Another one?” I’m glad
she’s so understanding—sort of.
I opened the box and there it was. I mean all of it. There was
the model, transmitter, batteries, charger, and it was all assembled.
You just take this thing out of the box and fly it? Yep, that’s what
it said. “3D out of the box” was written right on it.
I was thinking, “Sure; this is not going to be that easy. I guess
Kerry Muncy’s ultimate T-Rex mechanics; hardly anything on this
machine is stock. Look at all the shiny bits!
The author flips the Blade CP Pro inverted for the first time. He
thanks his wife Dina for standing out in the cold to take the
picture.
this review is going to have a rather
limited write-up for the building section,
like none!”
I’ve been in the RC hobby for 35 years,
and this was not making sense to me. After
all, even ARFs have to be assembled and
prepared for flight. How can all the
adjustments and pushrods be set properly?
I didn’t get it.
The hardest part about getting this little
helicopter ready to go was getting it out of
its comfy Styrofoam packing. I plugged in
the included Li-Poly balancing charger and
let it get its first flight charge started. My
wife reminded me of a couple unfinished
items on my honey-do list, so I took care
of those and came back a bit later to check
out the model.
I had already installed the AA batteries
in the transmitter, so it was time to plug up
the Li-Poly pack and see what would
happen. It’s always a thrill to put a new
helicopter in the air for the first time. I
spooled up cautiously and got it light on
the skids.
I’ll be honest; I was a bit apprehensive
about the tail rotor being driven by a
motor. I’ve never flown one with that
setup, and I can’t believe it works all that
well. With a little more collective it lifted
off, and with a little aileron trim I had it
hovering nicely.
This was breaking all the rules I
learned in “Helicopters 101.” You’re
supposed to spend weeks building a model
helicopter, tweak the parts, visit a machine
shop a couple times, and then maybe think
about firing it up. I pulled this model out
of the box and flew it. Wow! What a
concept. What’s not to like?
I pushed the nose down and took off
into forward flight. The little machine flew
and tracked excellently. It was time to see
if it could really fly inverted.
At approximately 30 feet of altitude I
pulled it up into a half loop, stopped it on
its back, and held it there. It did fantastic,
so I let it come down to eye level and then
pushed out of it, back into upright flight.
The tail control was great with the
motor-driven tail rotor, and all the other
mechanical parts such as the servos,
receiver, and gyro operated nicely. This
small model behaved much like other good
micro and mini helicopters I’ve flown.
I have to hand it to this model’s
designers. This is just what the EP
helicopter market needs: a plug-and-play
3-D machine.
My conclusion is that this is an
excellent micro 3-D electric for
experienced pilots. It has the capabilities
to fly full 3-D; that includes inverted,
backward, and sideways flight.
I had a blast flying the Blade and have
to give credit to the people who brought it
to the market. Many people who are new
to the hobby have no idea what a feat it is
to have an RTF RC helicopter with these
abilities.
Indoor Fun-Fly: I recently attended a funfly
and swap meet that was held in a
heated hangar at the Anderson Municipal
Airport. Anderson is a small town between
Indianapolis and AMA in Muncie. This
was my first time there, and it was a treat.
The event was open to small electricpowered
airplanes and helicopters.
I pulled into the parking lot and went
inside. This hangar looked like it was new,
and it was big. It was large enough for 3-D
pilot extraordinaire Nick Maxwell to fly
his full routine. Other notable pilots such
as Nats competitor J.C. Zankle, Kerry
Muncy, and Ben Parrot were in attendance.
Ben is an up-and-coming 3-D pilot, and
he put on quite a show with his T-Rex.
I don’t have a ton of EP experience,
so I asked Nick to help me tweak my
setup on a couple models. I also had him
check out the review Blade CP Pro for
me.
He took a quick look at it and then
spooled it up. On takeoff he yanked
aileron and rolled it inverted, followed by
an extremely low tail-down funnel.
“Hey Nick, fly it over here and do a
low invert so I can get a picture,” I said.
Seconds later, there was the Blade
scraping away at the floor beneath my
feet! Thanks, Nick, for helping show off
the Blade’s capabilities. I’m glad I wore
my steel-tipped boots. Just kidding! Now
I see what that little head button is for.
Hee-hee!
J.C. Zankle also tore up the sky—er,
room. It’s incredible that a full 3-D
routine can be flown indoors by little EP
helicopters. Indoor fun-flys are becoming
more common, and they’re really helping
pilots keep their skills fresh during the
winter. If you have never been to one of
these events, you should try it.
If you can’t find any in your area, you
can talk to someone who has access to a
gym, hangar, or other large indoor
facility to see if you can arrange for the
use of it. Here in Indy there used to be
indoor flying in a golf dome, so those are
often good prospects too.
The indoor events have a fun
atmosphere. Airplanes and helicopters
crash all the time, so everyone becomes
numb to it. That’s different from what
we’re used to with the expensive outdoor
machines.
When the tension of crashing is
removed, things become much more fun.
In fact, pilots have been known to pile in
their models after winning an event. I
saw this happen last year at the E-Fest.
We were in for another treat that
day. Kerry Muncy of Indyhelis.com was
at the fun-fly with his large-scale
electric Apache helicopter. It was a
work of art. It was huge, at 8 feet long!
It has been flown for a while on gas but
is being converted to EP power.
The event organizers allowed Kerry to
demonstrate the awesome machine. It
sounded great when it spooled up. It had
four rotor blades, and the sound of the
electric drive train and those blades
beating the air was impressive.
I was a bit intimidated and didn’t feel
too comfortable getting very close to
photograph the Apache. In reality the
head was turning only roughly 1,000
rpm, so it was half of what our 3-D
models run, and they both use the same
length and weight blades. It is an
impressive machine and looks absolutely
like the full-scale version in the air.
Not only is Kerry an expert
builder/designer, but he is a top-notch
pilot too. He showed his flying skills by
beautifully maneuvering the huge
Apache around the confines of the indoor
space. You can check out all the details
of this scale helicopter at www.indy
helis.com. The EP model should be
available soon.
I guess that almost wraps it up this
month. I’m enjoying writing for you all. I
feel I owe the hobby a lot for all the
years of enjoyment it has provided and
all the good friends I’ve met through it.
I’d like for you to do something
besides just read the helicopter column
this month. I challenge you to write down
a couple goals you want to achieve this
coming month, and then I’ll remind you
to check on your progress in my next
column.
It might take you some time to come
up with a goal you have been wanting to
achieve in the hobby. Many of us make
them naturally at our jobs, but it’s not
that common to see pilots do it for their
hobby.
Make sure the goal is incremental
enough to be completed within a month.
It could be a new maneuver you’re
working out on the simulator or a
building project you want to complete.
Whatever it is, it’s good to have a target
in mind on which to focus.
This could be fun. If people show an
interest, I could include some of the ideas
in future columns. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 118,120,121,123
Also included in this column:
• Anderson, Indiana, indoor
fun-fly report
WELCOME BACK to the madness! I
trust you have all been busy beating the
air into submission since our last meeting.
Since you’re probably reading this in midwinter,
there’s surely not much outdoor
flying going on in most areas.
This is the time of year I dream about
being somewhere besides cold Indiana.
Those of you who get to fly outside yearround
have it made.
Blade CP Pro: I thought this would be a
good time to delve a bit deeper into the
indoor helicopter scene. I received a new
little helicopter in the mail the other day:
an E-flite Blade CP Pro RTF from
Horizon Hobby (www.horizonhobby.com). These mini
mechanical marvels are selling extremely well.
Mini and micro EP models are the most exciting things to ever
happen in the helicopter world. It’s no wonder everyone wants
one.
I love getting big boxes in the mail, and the Blade CP Pro
arrived in a colorful package decorated with nice photos on all
sides. It even had a picture of the model flying inverted! Now
The capable E-flite Blade CP Pro RTF from Horizon Hobby does a little scraping. Nick
Maxwell, who is on the sticks, makes it look easy.
Kerry Muncy wows the crowd with a demo of his 8-foot-long,
electric-powered Apache. It redefines scale helicopters.
The people at the Anderson IN airport kindly allowed model flying
in one of the new hangars. It’s spacious enough in which to fly an
entire 3-D routine.
Clockwise from top: J.C. Zankle (Futaba jacket), Ben Parrot, Andy
Panoncillo, Nick Maxwell. Note frequencies in use masking-taped
on Nick’s back.
that’s enough to get an aspiring 3-D pilot excited. There was a
disclaimer below the invert picture that read, “Intended for
experienced helicopter pilots over age 14.”
I carried the box down to the basement and passed my wife
along the way. She shrugged and said “Another one?” I’m glad
she’s so understanding—sort of.
I opened the box and there it was. I mean all of it. There was
the model, transmitter, batteries, charger, and it was all assembled.
You just take this thing out of the box and fly it? Yep, that’s what
it said. “3D out of the box” was written right on it.
I was thinking, “Sure; this is not going to be that easy. I guess
Kerry Muncy’s ultimate T-Rex mechanics; hardly anything on this
machine is stock. Look at all the shiny bits!
The author flips the Blade CP Pro inverted for the first time. He
thanks his wife Dina for standing out in the cold to take the
picture.
this review is going to have a rather
limited write-up for the building section,
like none!”
I’ve been in the RC hobby for 35 years,
and this was not making sense to me. After
all, even ARFs have to be assembled and
prepared for flight. How can all the
adjustments and pushrods be set properly?
I didn’t get it.
The hardest part about getting this little
helicopter ready to go was getting it out of
its comfy Styrofoam packing. I plugged in
the included Li-Poly balancing charger and
let it get its first flight charge started. My
wife reminded me of a couple unfinished
items on my honey-do list, so I took care
of those and came back a bit later to check
out the model.
I had already installed the AA batteries
in the transmitter, so it was time to plug up
the Li-Poly pack and see what would
happen. It’s always a thrill to put a new
helicopter in the air for the first time. I
spooled up cautiously and got it light on
the skids.
I’ll be honest; I was a bit apprehensive
about the tail rotor being driven by a
motor. I’ve never flown one with that
setup, and I can’t believe it works all that
well. With a little more collective it lifted
off, and with a little aileron trim I had it
hovering nicely.
This was breaking all the rules I
learned in “Helicopters 101.” You’re
supposed to spend weeks building a model
helicopter, tweak the parts, visit a machine
shop a couple times, and then maybe think
about firing it up. I pulled this model out
of the box and flew it. Wow! What a
concept. What’s not to like?
I pushed the nose down and took off
into forward flight. The little machine flew
and tracked excellently. It was time to see
if it could really fly inverted.
At approximately 30 feet of altitude I
pulled it up into a half loop, stopped it on
its back, and held it there. It did fantastic,
so I let it come down to eye level and then
pushed out of it, back into upright flight.
The tail control was great with the
motor-driven tail rotor, and all the other
mechanical parts such as the servos,
receiver, and gyro operated nicely. This
small model behaved much like other good
micro and mini helicopters I’ve flown.
I have to hand it to this model’s
designers. This is just what the EP
helicopter market needs: a plug-and-play
3-D machine.
My conclusion is that this is an
excellent micro 3-D electric for
experienced pilots. It has the capabilities
to fly full 3-D; that includes inverted,
backward, and sideways flight.
I had a blast flying the Blade and have
to give credit to the people who brought it
to the market. Many people who are new
to the hobby have no idea what a feat it is
to have an RTF RC helicopter with these
abilities.
Indoor Fun-Fly: I recently attended a funfly
and swap meet that was held in a
heated hangar at the Anderson Municipal
Airport. Anderson is a small town between
Indianapolis and AMA in Muncie. This
was my first time there, and it was a treat.
The event was open to small electricpowered
airplanes and helicopters.
I pulled into the parking lot and went
inside. This hangar looked like it was new,
and it was big. It was large enough for 3-D
pilot extraordinaire Nick Maxwell to fly
his full routine. Other notable pilots such
as Nats competitor J.C. Zankle, Kerry
Muncy, and Ben Parrot were in attendance.
Ben is an up-and-coming 3-D pilot, and
he put on quite a show with his T-Rex.
I don’t have a ton of EP experience,
so I asked Nick to help me tweak my
setup on a couple models. I also had him
check out the review Blade CP Pro for
me.
He took a quick look at it and then
spooled it up. On takeoff he yanked
aileron and rolled it inverted, followed by
an extremely low tail-down funnel.
“Hey Nick, fly it over here and do a
low invert so I can get a picture,” I said.
Seconds later, there was the Blade
scraping away at the floor beneath my
feet! Thanks, Nick, for helping show off
the Blade’s capabilities. I’m glad I wore
my steel-tipped boots. Just kidding! Now
I see what that little head button is for.
Hee-hee!
J.C. Zankle also tore up the sky—er,
room. It’s incredible that a full 3-D
routine can be flown indoors by little EP
helicopters. Indoor fun-flys are becoming
more common, and they’re really helping
pilots keep their skills fresh during the
winter. If you have never been to one of
these events, you should try it.
If you can’t find any in your area, you
can talk to someone who has access to a
gym, hangar, or other large indoor
facility to see if you can arrange for the
use of it. Here in Indy there used to be
indoor flying in a golf dome, so those are
often good prospects too.
The indoor events have a fun
atmosphere. Airplanes and helicopters
crash all the time, so everyone becomes
numb to it. That’s different from what
we’re used to with the expensive outdoor
machines.
When the tension of crashing is
removed, things become much more fun.
In fact, pilots have been known to pile in
their models after winning an event. I
saw this happen last year at the E-Fest.
We were in for another treat that
day. Kerry Muncy of Indyhelis.com was
at the fun-fly with his large-scale
electric Apache helicopter. It was a
work of art. It was huge, at 8 feet long!
It has been flown for a while on gas but
is being converted to EP power.
The event organizers allowed Kerry to
demonstrate the awesome machine. It
sounded great when it spooled up. It had
four rotor blades, and the sound of the
electric drive train and those blades
beating the air was impressive.
I was a bit intimidated and didn’t feel
too comfortable getting very close to
photograph the Apache. In reality the
head was turning only roughly 1,000
rpm, so it was half of what our 3-D
models run, and they both use the same
length and weight blades. It is an
impressive machine and looks absolutely
like the full-scale version in the air.
Not only is Kerry an expert
builder/designer, but he is a top-notch
pilot too. He showed his flying skills by
beautifully maneuvering the huge
Apache around the confines of the indoor
space. You can check out all the details
of this scale helicopter at www.indy
helis.com. The EP model should be
available soon.
I guess that almost wraps it up this
month. I’m enjoying writing for you all. I
feel I owe the hobby a lot for all the
years of enjoyment it has provided and
all the good friends I’ve met through it.
I’d like for you to do something
besides just read the helicopter column
this month. I challenge you to write down
a couple goals you want to achieve this
coming month, and then I’ll remind you
to check on your progress in my next
column.
It might take you some time to come
up with a goal you have been wanting to
achieve in the hobby. Many of us make
them naturally at our jobs, but it’s not
that common to see pilots do it for their
hobby.
Make sure the goal is incremental
enough to be completed within a month.
It could be a new maneuver you’re
working out on the simulator or a
building project you want to complete.
Whatever it is, it’s good to have a target
in mind on which to focus.
This could be fun. If people show an
interest, I could include some of the ideas
in future columns. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/03
Page Numbers: 118,120,121,123
Also included in this column:
• Anderson, Indiana, indoor
fun-fly report
WELCOME BACK to the madness! I
trust you have all been busy beating the
air into submission since our last meeting.
Since you’re probably reading this in midwinter,
there’s surely not much outdoor
flying going on in most areas.
This is the time of year I dream about
being somewhere besides cold Indiana.
Those of you who get to fly outside yearround
have it made.
Blade CP Pro: I thought this would be a
good time to delve a bit deeper into the
indoor helicopter scene. I received a new
little helicopter in the mail the other day:
an E-flite Blade CP Pro RTF from
Horizon Hobby (www.horizonhobby.com). These mini
mechanical marvels are selling extremely well.
Mini and micro EP models are the most exciting things to ever
happen in the helicopter world. It’s no wonder everyone wants
one.
I love getting big boxes in the mail, and the Blade CP Pro
arrived in a colorful package decorated with nice photos on all
sides. It even had a picture of the model flying inverted! Now
The capable E-flite Blade CP Pro RTF from Horizon Hobby does a little scraping. Nick
Maxwell, who is on the sticks, makes it look easy.
Kerry Muncy wows the crowd with a demo of his 8-foot-long,
electric-powered Apache. It redefines scale helicopters.
The people at the Anderson IN airport kindly allowed model flying
in one of the new hangars. It’s spacious enough in which to fly an
entire 3-D routine.
Clockwise from top: J.C. Zankle (Futaba jacket), Ben Parrot, Andy
Panoncillo, Nick Maxwell. Note frequencies in use masking-taped
on Nick’s back.
that’s enough to get an aspiring 3-D pilot excited. There was a
disclaimer below the invert picture that read, “Intended for
experienced helicopter pilots over age 14.”
I carried the box down to the basement and passed my wife
along the way. She shrugged and said “Another one?” I’m glad
she’s so understanding—sort of.
I opened the box and there it was. I mean all of it. There was
the model, transmitter, batteries, charger, and it was all assembled.
You just take this thing out of the box and fly it? Yep, that’s what
it said. “3D out of the box” was written right on it.
I was thinking, “Sure; this is not going to be that easy. I guess
Kerry Muncy’s ultimate T-Rex mechanics; hardly anything on this
machine is stock. Look at all the shiny bits!
The author flips the Blade CP Pro inverted for the first time. He
thanks his wife Dina for standing out in the cold to take the
picture.
this review is going to have a rather
limited write-up for the building section,
like none!”
I’ve been in the RC hobby for 35 years,
and this was not making sense to me. After
all, even ARFs have to be assembled and
prepared for flight. How can all the
adjustments and pushrods be set properly?
I didn’t get it.
The hardest part about getting this little
helicopter ready to go was getting it out of
its comfy Styrofoam packing. I plugged in
the included Li-Poly balancing charger and
let it get its first flight charge started. My
wife reminded me of a couple unfinished
items on my honey-do list, so I took care
of those and came back a bit later to check
out the model.
I had already installed the AA batteries
in the transmitter, so it was time to plug up
the Li-Poly pack and see what would
happen. It’s always a thrill to put a new
helicopter in the air for the first time. I
spooled up cautiously and got it light on
the skids.
I’ll be honest; I was a bit apprehensive
about the tail rotor being driven by a
motor. I’ve never flown one with that
setup, and I can’t believe it works all that
well. With a little more collective it lifted
off, and with a little aileron trim I had it
hovering nicely.
This was breaking all the rules I
learned in “Helicopters 101.” You’re
supposed to spend weeks building a model
helicopter, tweak the parts, visit a machine
shop a couple times, and then maybe think
about firing it up. I pulled this model out
of the box and flew it. Wow! What a
concept. What’s not to like?
I pushed the nose down and took off
into forward flight. The little machine flew
and tracked excellently. It was time to see
if it could really fly inverted.
At approximately 30 feet of altitude I
pulled it up into a half loop, stopped it on
its back, and held it there. It did fantastic,
so I let it come down to eye level and then
pushed out of it, back into upright flight.
The tail control was great with the
motor-driven tail rotor, and all the other
mechanical parts such as the servos,
receiver, and gyro operated nicely. This
small model behaved much like other good
micro and mini helicopters I’ve flown.
I have to hand it to this model’s
designers. This is just what the EP
helicopter market needs: a plug-and-play
3-D machine.
My conclusion is that this is an
excellent micro 3-D electric for
experienced pilots. It has the capabilities
to fly full 3-D; that includes inverted,
backward, and sideways flight.
I had a blast flying the Blade and have
to give credit to the people who brought it
to the market. Many people who are new
to the hobby have no idea what a feat it is
to have an RTF RC helicopter with these
abilities.
Indoor Fun-Fly: I recently attended a funfly
and swap meet that was held in a
heated hangar at the Anderson Municipal
Airport. Anderson is a small town between
Indianapolis and AMA in Muncie. This
was my first time there, and it was a treat.
The event was open to small electricpowered
airplanes and helicopters.
I pulled into the parking lot and went
inside. This hangar looked like it was new,
and it was big. It was large enough for 3-D
pilot extraordinaire Nick Maxwell to fly
his full routine. Other notable pilots such
as Nats competitor J.C. Zankle, Kerry
Muncy, and Ben Parrot were in attendance.
Ben is an up-and-coming 3-D pilot, and
he put on quite a show with his T-Rex.
I don’t have a ton of EP experience,
so I asked Nick to help me tweak my
setup on a couple models. I also had him
check out the review Blade CP Pro for
me.
He took a quick look at it and then
spooled it up. On takeoff he yanked
aileron and rolled it inverted, followed by
an extremely low tail-down funnel.
“Hey Nick, fly it over here and do a
low invert so I can get a picture,” I said.
Seconds later, there was the Blade
scraping away at the floor beneath my
feet! Thanks, Nick, for helping show off
the Blade’s capabilities. I’m glad I wore
my steel-tipped boots. Just kidding! Now
I see what that little head button is for.
Hee-hee!
J.C. Zankle also tore up the sky—er,
room. It’s incredible that a full 3-D
routine can be flown indoors by little EP
helicopters. Indoor fun-flys are becoming
more common, and they’re really helping
pilots keep their skills fresh during the
winter. If you have never been to one of
these events, you should try it.
If you can’t find any in your area, you
can talk to someone who has access to a
gym, hangar, or other large indoor
facility to see if you can arrange for the
use of it. Here in Indy there used to be
indoor flying in a golf dome, so those are
often good prospects too.
The indoor events have a fun
atmosphere. Airplanes and helicopters
crash all the time, so everyone becomes
numb to it. That’s different from what
we’re used to with the expensive outdoor
machines.
When the tension of crashing is
removed, things become much more fun.
In fact, pilots have been known to pile in
their models after winning an event. I
saw this happen last year at the E-Fest.
We were in for another treat that
day. Kerry Muncy of Indyhelis.com was
at the fun-fly with his large-scale
electric Apache helicopter. It was a
work of art. It was huge, at 8 feet long!
It has been flown for a while on gas but
is being converted to EP power.
The event organizers allowed Kerry to
demonstrate the awesome machine. It
sounded great when it spooled up. It had
four rotor blades, and the sound of the
electric drive train and those blades
beating the air was impressive.
I was a bit intimidated and didn’t feel
too comfortable getting very close to
photograph the Apache. In reality the
head was turning only roughly 1,000
rpm, so it was half of what our 3-D
models run, and they both use the same
length and weight blades. It is an
impressive machine and looks absolutely
like the full-scale version in the air.
Not only is Kerry an expert
builder/designer, but he is a top-notch
pilot too. He showed his flying skills by
beautifully maneuvering the huge
Apache around the confines of the indoor
space. You can check out all the details
of this scale helicopter at www.indy
helis.com. The EP model should be
available soon.
I guess that almost wraps it up this
month. I’m enjoying writing for you all. I
feel I owe the hobby a lot for all the
years of enjoyment it has provided and
all the good friends I’ve met through it.
I’d like for you to do something
besides just read the helicopter column
this month. I challenge you to write down
a couple goals you want to achieve this
coming month, and then I’ll remind you
to check on your progress in my next
column.
It might take you some time to come
up with a goal you have been wanting to
achieve in the hobby. Many of us make
them naturally at our jobs, but it’s not
that common to see pilots do it for their
hobby.
Make sure the goal is incremental
enough to be completed within a month.
It could be a new maneuver you’re
working out on the simulator or a
building project you want to complete.
Whatever it is, it’s good to have a target
in mind on which to focus.
This could be fun. If people show an
interest, I could include some of the ideas
in future columns. MA