Radio Control Helicopters
Mark Fadely [[email protected]]
THANKS FOR stopping by this month. I hope some of you are enjoying a break from the cold weather by now.
I have been discussing how indoor flying helps soothe the bite of winter weather and our grounded outdoor aircraft. Increasingly popular, indoor events keep RC skills sharp by piloting small electric-powered aircraft. Although everyone seems to enjoy indoor models, there is still nothing like the larger, nitromethane-powered outdoor craft.
Sometimes I hear pilots say, "It flies almost like a 90." Nearly everyone agrees that the 90-size nitro helicopters are what everything else is judged against. When it comes to pure flight performance and duration, nothing can come close.
Preparing for the season
When you prepare your model for its first flights of the season, there are a few things you should check.
- Run some oil through the engine to help eliminate any rust buildup. There are several "after-run" oils on the market for this purpose.
- If you store your helicopters in an unheated area, rust can quickly foul the inside of a nitro engine. Remove the backplate so the rear bearing can be inspected. If there is rust, remove the bearing and clean all inner surfaces of the engine before starting it.
- Remember that most modern fuels have a rust inhibitor in the formula, but some are more effective than others.
- Flight-pack batteries deserve close attention. Over time, all batteries lose capacity and can undergo chemical changes during long periods of inactivity. To be safe, I replace the batteries in my helicopters every year.
- Remove the canopy and carefully inspect all wiring. Follow each wire along its entire length to make sure there is no fraying or chafing. If you see insulation rubbed off, reroute the wires to eliminate the interference.
- Inspect all mechanical parts for stress cracks. Aluminum side frames are especially prone to cracking. Look for missing or broken bolts—landing-gear bolts are known for this—and check shafts for rust. Wipe off any rust and apply a thin coat of oil where appropriate.
Wire chafing is a major problem for our models as well as full-scale helicopters. In older FM-modulated radio systems, a helicopter would usually start glitching when wire chafing got worse—an early warning that something needed to be fixed. Glitches are masked by the new 2.4 GHz spread-spectrum radio systems. The signal and link to the aircraft are so good that small interferences go unnoticed, which makes thoroughly inspecting our machines even more crucial.
Indoor flying
Indoor flying is still the main event for model flying at this time of year. Locally we had a recent get-together in Anderson, Indiana, where we fly inside an aircraft hangar at the Anderson Municipal Airport.
On Saturdays during the winter, 35–40 pilots come out of hibernation to enjoy some room-temperature flying. During my most recent trip to Anderson, I met up with my friend Tom Schwyn. Tom had a new T-Rex 250 with him. The 250-size models are becoming popular.
Gaui offers a 200-size helicopter that is slightly smaller than the T-Rex version. The 200-class models are small, but their control systems are configured identically to those in the bigger 450- and 500-class models.
I asked Tom what his thoughts were on the new micro T-Rex 250. He said:
"I really like the T-Rex 250. I have a number of the Align machines and I would say what impresses me most about this little 250 is how tight the mechanics are. It is very stable in flight because of the good fit of the components. It feels like you are flying a larger helicopter because it is so smooth. The parts look exactly like the larger T-Rex 450, just in a smaller size.
"The parts are also all CNC machine made for close tolerances. I have the optional carbon fiber side frames on mine and I'm using the carbon 3-D main blades."
Thanks for the information, Tom. That looks like a fun little model to fly. Who would have thought there would be a fully 3-D-capable model in such a small size? It is amazing!
Other models and experiences
I have to mention another model that my son and I have had fun with: the Revell Fire Strike CH-47 indoor helicopter. This little machine is built from foam and has twin rotors, as does the full-scale CH-47. It is prepainted with military markings.
We have had a blast with this micro helicopter because you can crash it myriad ways and it seldom sustains damage. It has an IR (infrared) control system that works well as long as no interference is present. Our model has crashed at full speed, inverted, from 50 feet, and lived to fly again.
The twin-rotor system is coaxial; there are four main rotor blades. An internal computer coordinates the four independent rotor blades, enabling full proportional control over altitude, cyclic, and rudder. Flying it takes some getting used to, because the yaw control is on the right stick instead of the left.
Michael Ramsey and Jay Smith, MA's editor and assistant editor, made a trip to fly at one of our local indoor events this season. It was the first time I had met Jay. He has been working for MA for only a few months; you might remember his great coverage of the 2008 Nats in the magazine.
Michael brought his Thunder Tiger mini Titan E325 in a Super Cobra body. His model is the receiver-ready version, which includes an eCCPM mixer and a rudder gyro unit. Michael says the little helicopter is extremely stable with a positive feel on the controls. I watched him wing it out in the indoor arena and it looked impressive. The Cobra fuselage looks fantastic.
Next month I will share a report about the Great Planes E-Fest. That will be our last indoor report for the year.
We are lucky to be able to fly models indoors during the winter, but I am looking forward to getting back outside and flying larger machines. As I mentioned earlier, make sure you check your helicopters thoroughly before those initial flights of the new season.
I hope everyone has a good start to the flying season. I will be back here next time.
MF
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
