Author: Mark Fadely
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/10
Page Numbers: 113,114,115
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Radio Control Helicopters

Mark Fadely ([email protected])

The fastest-growing special interest in aeromodeling

Hi everybody, and thanks for visiting what I believe is the coolest column in MA. It's not cool because I write it, but because helicopters are the ultimate RC flying machines.

Airplanes are great, and I still fly them often, but helicopters have an expanded flight envelope that makes them more challenging and interesting. The RC buying public agrees: helicopter sales have increased more than tenfold in the last five years.

More sales drive more product development, which in turn brings more sales. It's a virtuous cycle. One distributor recently sold more than one million units of a certain helicopter model in a year — that is serious volume. Li-poly batteries are the ingredient that enabled RC helicopters to become a household item; millions of people are now familiar with coaxial machines they can fly in their living rooms.

For the ultimate helicopter flying demonstrations, one must go to the Futaba Extreme Flight Championships (XFC). Several pilots used Li-poly battery–powered models in the competition this year, but there are challenges to overcome when using batteries to power large RC helicopters.

Battery weight and cost are being reduced all the time, so more fliers are interested in trying electric power in their 90-size machines. The big benefits of electric propulsion are instantaneous and consistent power delivery — an incredible amount of horsepower can be produced with a motor. Battery packs for a 90-size helicopter will set you back approximately $300; unfortunately, the packs are often ruined in a crash. We don't fly to crash, though, do we?

Wet weather during the 2010 XFC could not dampen the helicopter competitors' spirits. Their amazing skills thoroughly entertained the spectators. One part of the judging criteria covers flight envelope, and, as I mentioned, the flight envelope of a helicopter is different from that of any other flying machine. This year's pilots exploited every aspect of a helicopter's flight capabilities.

Surprisingly, an electric helicopter won the XFC for the first time. It was also the first win for a midsized machine. Kyle Dahl flew his Logo 600 with a degree of precision that impressed all of the judges. Congratulations, Kyle — it was fun to watch your flights.

Four of the top seven helicopter pilots at the event used electric power in competition. However, nitro-powered machines are on the rise at flying fields across the country. Electric 600-size helicopters may have been a bit ahead of their time when they were introduced a few years ago; now, as battery and motor technology continue to advance, we may see a shift back to more electric machines.

When pilots weigh the pros and cons of nitro and electric systems, it often seems there is little clear advantage to either. I like to see the smoke and hear the engine, but it's a pain to clean the mess and deal with vibration.

Curtis Youngblood had his team pilots Nick Maxwell and Jamie Robertson showing off the Next-D Rave ENV. They flew the electric version, and Nick was in first place in the competition until a small problem forced him out during the finals. The Rave ENV is new, and a gear from a preproduction run failed. It is now fixed, but Nick will have to wait until next year to reclaim his position at the XFC.

Second-place finisher Bobby Watts impressed the audience and judges all weekend with his "smackdown" style of flying. "Smackdown" means exactly that: the pilot aggressively brings his machine toward the ground in a way that leaves spectators with the impression it will hit. That type of flight can be described as radical and violent; most contemporary pilots include some element of smackdown in their routines.

Jamie Robertson captured third place by flying well-thought-out routines timed perfectly to an excellent music track. He keeps ahead of the pack by constantly learning and developing techniques.

Fourth place went to 14-year-old Kyle Stacy. He has been winning indoor electric contests for some time, and he catapulted his position at the XFC by showing his skills with a T-Rex 700SE electric. Kyle looked as though he had reached a comfort level flying a large electric model; until this year he had used strictly nitro power in his bigger aircraft.

Colin Bell made the trek from Nova Scotia, Canada, to the Muncie, Indiana, AMA site once more. He flew consistently and grabbed fifth place. Colin flies for Team Thunder Tiger and Futaba.

Sixth place went to Matt Botos, a seven-time XFC veteran, who flew his Synergy N9 beautifully all weekend. He announced plans to retire from the competition after this year.

Nick Maxwell finished in seventh position after he failed to complete key rounds on Sunday. He had been in first place, so it must have been heartbreaking to fall to the bottom of the seven finalists. However, Nick did introduce new maneuvers with the Rave ENV. He performed what is best described as a knife-edge blade stop: as the model came tearing across the field, he would take it into a climb, hit throttle hold, and let the blades wind down nearly to a stop. Then his new Castle Creations ESC could be turned back on and allow the helicopter to quickly spool back up. It was a fantastic maneuver to watch — not recommended for the faint of heart.

The helicopter pilots really put on a show at this year’s XFC. Congratulations to all the competitors; it takes nerves of steel to fly in front of so many top pilots in such a contest. It was great fun to watch and learn from them.

If you want to see the latest helicopter setup techniques and flying styles, make an appointment to be at the 2011 Futaba XFC. It's going to be bigger and better than ever!

MA

Sources

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.