Radio Control Helicopters - 2011/05

GREETINGS. You have found the RC helicopter pad.
The secret is out! Word on the street is that many curious
nonhelicopter-flying AMA members are now reading this
column every month. The miniature whirly things are
captivating audiences as never before.
Model aviation lovers are flocking into stores to pick up
new helicopters. Technological advancements have made
exciting new things possible.
A 100-size-class electric-powered helicopter that can
perform 3-D in your living room is coming to market. Many
pilots are gravitating toward the 3-D side of the hobby, and to
be able to do your thing in such confined spaces is
unprecedented.
Flying your aircraft in every possible direction and
orientation defines 3-D. Super-cool tricks happen when new
variations of the flight envelope are explored. The same stunts
that large competition helicopters can do are achievable with a
submicro electric variation. You can fly to the limits of your
capabilities in your living room.
The new Blade mCP X from Horizon Hobby is redefining the
standard for 3-D indoor flying. One thing that makes it so agile
is that it weighs roughly half that of similar-size machines.
There is another very important feature that makes this little
helicopter cutting edge: it’s flybarless! This miniature marvel
has a flybarless control system, as do the latest large-scale 3-D
competition machines.
Sometimes people take for granted the advancements from
which we benefit, but this has to make even the most
unimpressed person stand up and take notice.
I remember writing about the
emergence of flybarless control systems
a couple years ago. At that time, many in
the industry dismissed the idea of losing
the flybar as a fad. Fast-forward to now,
and flybarless technology is rapidly
taking over. I am currently switching one
of my machines to flybarless.
In 2010 I had the opportunity to fly
several flybarless helicopters. The
electronics have matured, making the
modern flybarless units perform with
excellence. There was no learning curve
or uncomfortable feeling when I took the
sticks of a large 600-size flybarless
aircraft. If this is the year you are
considering taking it off (I mean the
flybar!), you have waited long enough.
If you are new to helicopters and do
not understand what all the hype is about
flybarless, most helicopters have had
flybars in the past. The flybar is the
shorter set of rotor blades that has small
paddles at the ends instead of full-length
blades such as the main rotor.
Blade mCP X redefines submicro performance
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Helicopters Mark Fadely
Also included in this column:
• Heli Invasion 2011 in Evansville, Indiana
Jamie Dumanski holds the buddy box up to show that his son, Mason, is the pilot. Mason
has been flying for a couple of years, but now he is soloing on his own 600-size electric
helicopter.
Seth Arnold shows the E-Fest crowd what the diminutive new
Blade mCP X can do; neither pilot nor machine shies away from
any 3-D maneuver. Seth put it through a repertoire of fantastic
moves including pirouetting flips, funnels, and inverted flight.
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Kevin Cordell (Saint Louis MO) lands his helicopter during the
autorotation contest at last year’s Heli Invasion.
The Heli Invasion is just that: all helicopters, all the time, for a
long weekend in the spring. Join the fun May 13-15, 2011.
These small paddles are used to stabilize the main rotors since
they have a tendency to be pitchy. The helicopter is difficult to
control without the stabilizing effect of the flybar.
The flybar also acts as an assist, or “power steering.” It helps
get the main rotors moving in the direction that the servos
dictate.
The flybarless system does away with the flybar and senses
the helicopter’s attitude with two gyros that constantly adjust the
pitch in the main blades. The model will maintain the position of
the last input. Many full-scale airplanes and helicopters operate
via this fly-by-wire technology.
The aircraft is not responding directly to the control inputs from
you. It is transferring the commands you put into the transmitter to
the helicopter along with other computerized compensations for
external forces such as wind, gyroscopic forces, inherent helicopter
instabilities, and so forth. There is essentially a “middleman”
between your transmitter and the machine.
It is incredible that a submicro helicopter such as the Blade
has been outfitted with flybarless control in such a short time.
There has been a significant learning curve for manufacturers
and pilots in tweaking the current fly-by-wire (flybarless)
systems to their liking.
No sooner than it was accomplished on the big helicopters,
we now have a micro system that is precise enough to allow an
mCP to perform a low funnel within inches of a pool tabletop.
You can see proof of that flight online at YouTube.
This year is off to a quick start, with even more advances for
our hobby. Keep your eyes on the news and attend some events
this year to share in camaraderie with fellow rotorheads.
If you live near the middle of the country, you can check out the
Heli Invasion event that is happening May 13-15. Jamie
Dumanski is promoting the second year of this helicopter-only
event in Evansville, Indiana.
The field is located in Southern Indiana where Indiana,
Kentucky, and Illinois meet. In the event’s inaugural year, 50
pilots registered and flew in this fun affair. There were hundreds
of spectators and the pilots enjoyed putting on a good show.
Many well-known fliers will be at this year’s gathering, including
Tony Whiteside and Heli-Freak forum owner Will James.
The field is wide open and has a 500-foot runway and spacious
room for RV parking. There are plenty of electrical outlets for the
pilots to use. Many flying fields do not have enough electrical
outlets. Jamie and the other volunteers from the Evansville Radio
This T-Rex 600 Nitro gets down low at the 2010 Heli Invasion in
Evansville IN. The facility is wide open, and so are the organizers’
arms. Come enjoy one of the nicest flying sites in the central US.
Control Model Aircraft Club are working hard preparing to make
this year’s Heli Invasion first-class.
Jamie’s 5-year-old son, Mason, will be flying again this year. He
is a real crowd pleaser and Jamie lets him fly all by himself now.
Lucky Mason got a 600-size electric helicopter for Christmas, and
he is anxious to show it off for the crowd. It pays to be born into the
right family!
Plans are for two hobby shops to be set up on-site this year and
there will be some great pilot prizes, including a full, large-scale
helicopter kit.
One of the best things about this event is that all proceeds go to
support those with autism. What a wonderful way to involve some
great fun-flying helicopters for a good cause. Good luck, Jamie, and
I hope you have a great get-together.
That will do it for this installment of helicopter happenings. I
appreciate all of you taking the time to read this.
If you are a helicopter flier, help someone else get into the
hobby. If you are not yet a pilot, ask someone you see flying to
help you. It might surprise you to learn how enthusiastic a
helicopter pilot is to help someone out. MA
Sources:
Horizon Hobby
(800) 338-4639
www.horizonhobby.com
Heli Invasion
www.evansvillercclub.com/invasion.htm
International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association
www.ircha.org
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