October 2010 113
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 that expanded flight
envelope which makes them more challenging
and interesting. The RC buying public agrees,
as evidenced by increasing helicopter sales by
more than tenfold in the last five years.
More sales means more product
development that, in turn, brings more sales,
and so on. It’s a vicious cycle of a good kind.
One distributor recently sold more than 1
million units of a certain helicopter model in a
year. That is serious sales 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 that they can fly in their
living rooms.
For the ultimate helicopter flying demonstrations, one must go to the
Futaba Extreme Flight Championships, or XFC. Several pilots used Li-
Poly battery-powered models in the competition this year. However,
there are some challenges to overcome when using batteries to power
large RC helicopters.
The weight and cost of batteries are being reduced all the time, so
more fliers are interested in trying electric power in their 90-size
machines. The big benefits of electronic propulsion are instantaneous
and consistent power delivery. An incredible amount of horsepower
can be produced with a motor.
The fastest-growing special interest in aeromodeling
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Helicopters Mark Fadely
Kyle Stacy flew excellently and finished in fourth place. Judges
were impressed by how he flew his new T-Rex 700 in the finals.
Kyle has won many indoor electric events; that experience might
have helped him with his high placing.
The line judge, Kevin Cordell (R), along with pilot Andrew Merlino
and his dad, gets an up-close view of Andrew’s flight. He earned a
spot in the competition by entering the last-chance qualifier.
Also included in this column:
• Inside the XFC
Above: Bobby Watts
throws down a thrilling
flight with his T-Rex
700N. He flew to
second place at the
2010 XFC. He took
his mom so she could
finally see him fly in
this fantastic event.
Jamie Robertson, the 2009 champion, turned sweet 16 this year and
enjoyed a third-place finish at the event with a strong-flying Rave
ENV. Last year he won, and he vowed to come back strong in 2011.
10sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 8/20/10 12:40 PM Page 113
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. It looked like their amazing skills
thoroughly entertained the spectators.
One part of the judging criteria covers
flight envelope, and, as I have 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, it is interesting to
note that nitro-powered machines are on
the rise at flying fields across the country.
Electric 600-size helicopters might 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 that
there is little advantage in going with either. I
like to see the smoke and hear the engine, but
it is a pain to clean the mess and deal with
vibration levels.
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 that was
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; it is when
the pilot smacks his machine, at the ground,
leaving spectators with the impression that 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 his well-thought-out routines in perfect
time 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 this year. He has been winning indoor
electric contests for sometime, 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
certain comfort level in flying a large electric
model. Until this year he had employed
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 seventime
XFC veteran, who flew his Synergy N9
beautifully all weekend. He announced plans
to retire from the competition after this year.
Nick Maxwell found himself in seventh
position after he failed to complete key
rounds on Sunday. He was formerly in first
place, so it had to be 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 knifeedge
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. I do
not recommend it for the faint of heart,
though.
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 all the other top pilots in such a
contest. It was great fun to watch and learn
from them.
If you want to see all of the latest
helicopter setup techniques and flying styles,
make an appointment to be at the 2011
Futaba XFC. It is going to be bigger and
better than ever! MA
Sources:
Futaba Extreme Flight Championships
www.futaba-rc.com/xfc-rc
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association
(937) 845-9301
www.ircha.org
XFC videos:
SKS Video Productions
(800) 988-6488
www.sksvideo.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/10
Page Numbers: 113,114,115
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/10
Page Numbers: 113,114,115
October 2010 113
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 that expanded flight
envelope which makes them more challenging
and interesting. The RC buying public agrees,
as evidenced by increasing helicopter sales by
more than tenfold in the last five years.
More sales means more product
development that, in turn, brings more sales,
and so on. It’s a vicious cycle of a good kind.
One distributor recently sold more than 1
million units of a certain helicopter model in a
year. That is serious sales 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 that they can fly in their
living rooms.
For the ultimate helicopter flying demonstrations, one must go to the
Futaba Extreme Flight Championships, or XFC. Several pilots used Li-
Poly battery-powered models in the competition this year. However,
there are some challenges to overcome when using batteries to power
large RC helicopters.
The weight and cost of batteries are being reduced all the time, so
more fliers are interested in trying electric power in their 90-size
machines. The big benefits of electronic propulsion are instantaneous
and consistent power delivery. An incredible amount of horsepower
can be produced with a motor.
The fastest-growing special interest in aeromodeling
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Helicopters Mark Fadely
Kyle Stacy flew excellently and finished in fourth place. Judges
were impressed by how he flew his new T-Rex 700 in the finals.
Kyle has won many indoor electric events; that experience might
have helped him with his high placing.
The line judge, Kevin Cordell (R), along with pilot Andrew Merlino
and his dad, gets an up-close view of Andrew’s flight. He earned a
spot in the competition by entering the last-chance qualifier.
Also included in this column:
• Inside the XFC
Above: Bobby Watts
throws down a thrilling
flight with his T-Rex
700N. He flew to
second place at the
2010 XFC. He took
his mom so she could
finally see him fly in
this fantastic event.
Jamie Robertson, the 2009 champion, turned sweet 16 this year and
enjoyed a third-place finish at the event with a strong-flying Rave
ENV. Last year he won, and he vowed to come back strong in 2011.
10sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 8/20/10 12:40 PM Page 113
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. It looked like their amazing skills
thoroughly entertained the spectators.
One part of the judging criteria covers
flight envelope, and, as I have 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, it is interesting to
note that nitro-powered machines are on
the rise at flying fields across the country.
Electric 600-size helicopters might 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 that
there is little advantage in going with either. I
like to see the smoke and hear the engine, but
it is a pain to clean the mess and deal with
vibration levels.
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 that was
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; it is when
the pilot smacks his machine, at the ground,
leaving spectators with the impression that 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 his well-thought-out routines in perfect
time 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 this year. He has been winning indoor
electric contests for sometime, 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
certain comfort level in flying a large electric
model. Until this year he had employed
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 seventime
XFC veteran, who flew his Synergy N9
beautifully all weekend. He announced plans
to retire from the competition after this year.
Nick Maxwell found himself in seventh
position after he failed to complete key
rounds on Sunday. He was formerly in first
place, so it had to be 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 knifeedge
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. I do
not recommend it for the faint of heart,
though.
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 all the other top pilots in such a
contest. It was great fun to watch and learn
from them.
If you want to see all of the latest
helicopter setup techniques and flying styles,
make an appointment to be at the 2011
Futaba XFC. It is going to be bigger and
better than ever! MA
Sources:
Futaba Extreme Flight Championships
www.futaba-rc.com/xfc-rc
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association
(937) 845-9301
www.ircha.org
XFC videos:
SKS Video Productions
(800) 988-6488
www.sksvideo.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/10
Page Numbers: 113,114,115
October 2010 113
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 that expanded flight
envelope which makes them more challenging
and interesting. The RC buying public agrees,
as evidenced by increasing helicopter sales by
more than tenfold in the last five years.
More sales means more product
development that, in turn, brings more sales,
and so on. It’s a vicious cycle of a good kind.
One distributor recently sold more than 1
million units of a certain helicopter model in a
year. That is serious sales 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 that they can fly in their
living rooms.
For the ultimate helicopter flying demonstrations, one must go to the
Futaba Extreme Flight Championships, or XFC. Several pilots used Li-
Poly battery-powered models in the competition this year. However,
there are some challenges to overcome when using batteries to power
large RC helicopters.
The weight and cost of batteries are being reduced all the time, so
more fliers are interested in trying electric power in their 90-size
machines. The big benefits of electronic propulsion are instantaneous
and consistent power delivery. An incredible amount of horsepower
can be produced with a motor.
The fastest-growing special interest in aeromodeling
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Helicopters Mark Fadely
Kyle Stacy flew excellently and finished in fourth place. Judges
were impressed by how he flew his new T-Rex 700 in the finals.
Kyle has won many indoor electric events; that experience might
have helped him with his high placing.
The line judge, Kevin Cordell (R), along with pilot Andrew Merlino
and his dad, gets an up-close view of Andrew’s flight. He earned a
spot in the competition by entering the last-chance qualifier.
Also included in this column:
• Inside the XFC
Above: Bobby Watts
throws down a thrilling
flight with his T-Rex
700N. He flew to
second place at the
2010 XFC. He took
his mom so she could
finally see him fly in
this fantastic event.
Jamie Robertson, the 2009 champion, turned sweet 16 this year and
enjoyed a third-place finish at the event with a strong-flying Rave
ENV. Last year he won, and he vowed to come back strong in 2011.
10sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 8/20/10 12:40 PM Page 113
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. It looked like their amazing skills
thoroughly entertained the spectators.
One part of the judging criteria covers
flight envelope, and, as I have 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, it is interesting to
note that nitro-powered machines are on
the rise at flying fields across the country.
Electric 600-size helicopters might 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 that
there is little advantage in going with either. I
like to see the smoke and hear the engine, but
it is a pain to clean the mess and deal with
vibration levels.
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 that was
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; it is when
the pilot smacks his machine, at the ground,
leaving spectators with the impression that 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 his well-thought-out routines in perfect
time 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 this year. He has been winning indoor
electric contests for sometime, 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
certain comfort level in flying a large electric
model. Until this year he had employed
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 seventime
XFC veteran, who flew his Synergy N9
beautifully all weekend. He announced plans
to retire from the competition after this year.
Nick Maxwell found himself in seventh
position after he failed to complete key
rounds on Sunday. He was formerly in first
place, so it had to be 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 knifeedge
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. I do
not recommend it for the faint of heart,
though.
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 all the other top pilots in such a
contest. It was great fun to watch and learn
from them.
If you want to see all of the latest
helicopter setup techniques and flying styles,
make an appointment to be at the 2011
Futaba XFC. It is going to be bigger and
better than ever! MA
Sources:
Futaba Extreme Flight Championships
www.futaba-rc.com/xfc-rc
International Radio Controlled Helicopter
Association
(937) 845-9301
www.ircha.org
XFC videos:
SKS Video Productions
(800) 988-6488
www.sksvideo.com
