RADIO CONTROL HELICOPTERS
Eric Hawkinson, 319 Yellowstone Ave., Billings MT 59101; E-mail: [email protected]
It's another great month to enjoy RC (Radio Control) helicopters! As I write this, the weather where I live is miserable. (If it would warm up 40°, it would be freezing!) I have still been having a blast working on helicopter projects.
For myself—as for most of us in the hobby—the "work" of building a complex project and getting it set up and ready to hit the sky is an enjoyable aspect, but I will be very happy when it's actually nice enough outside to enjoy some air time.
While I'm waiting for spring, I have been flying a new electric indoor helicopter. Last winter I tried one of the Ikarus Piccolos; although it was workable, it was never exactly my "cup of tea."
The Piccolo is very sensitive to any air movement, whether it's from fans, heaters, or backwash from its own blades. It also had a fairly soft control feel and marginally effective tail functions.
I'm not trying to beat this machine up. The kit was well-made and everything fit perfectly; it was just not quite what I'd hoped for.
Hornet overview
This winter's new entry in the electric indoor helicopter market is quite different. ModelSport (in Czechoslovakia) makes the Hornet, and it's available in the United States through any dealer that carries the ModelSport line.
The Hornet is similar to the Piccolo because it's a very small, electric-powered helicopter with fixed pitch. However, there are many differences.
The Hornet has basic instruction sheets, and there are only a few molded parts—the frame, mast, tailboom, skids, and other parts are made from carbon-fiber rods and tubes. This is a good material for strength and weight, but it lacks precision fit, so you end up spending time sanding, filing, drilling, and fitting prior to gluing the parts with tiny drops of cyanoacrylate glue (CyA).
Electronics and required gear
The Hornet does not require a specific controller board to operate, partly because it has a driven tail with pitch control, as does any normal helicopter. It uses three submicro servos, a microgyro, a micro-electric speed controller for the motor, and the smallest receiver you can use with your radio.
Since the Hornet has actual tail control, use a helicopter transmitter with two-tail functions or a computer radio that will let you program a mix for that purpose. There is no collective pitch to worry about, so you won't need any additional mixers.
You will need:
- A speed controller
- A charger for the seven-cell Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) 700 mAh pack
- A compatible small receiver (not included in the kit I bought)
I bought the version of the Hornet kit that comes with the servos, gyro, motor, speed controller, battery, charger, connectors, and fiberglass molded blades—everything you need except the receiver. At approximately $400 for the entire package, it's a good deal.
I used the JR R610M micro receiver, which has been re-released and is very reliable. With only a few deviations from the instruction sheets, I had the project ready to hover after close to 10 hours of work.
Flight impressions
The Hornet has a more "controlled" feel in flight than the Piccolo. Liftoff is almost the same as any glow-powered helicopter, and it is smooth and stable. The Hornet is slightly bigger and a bit heavier than the Piccolo, and uses ModelSport's molded blades.
I'm not sure which of these factors makes the Hornet more solid-feeling, but it definitely is.
The Hornet is small and light, and you'd be a fool to fly it in a wind, but it manages quite well on a calm day or in a very light breeze. I consistently get nine minutes of flying on one charge, and the motor is only slightly warm at the end of that time.
The Hornet is a very enjoyable little helicopter. Someday there will be a helicopter similar to this with collective pitch, and that will be even better. Until then, the Hornet is the best, most practical electric indoor helicopter I have flown or seen.
Because of the control lag inherent in any fixed-pitch helicopter, and the necessity to fly fairly close to yourself for visibility reasons, I don't think the Hornet (or the Piccolo) is a wise choice for a novice pilot.
Videos and resources
Another product that hit the dealers' shelves recently is a new video from Curtis Youngblood. Titled Curtis Youngblood's 3D Lesson, the 60-minute tape covers setup, basic flight training, and entry-level three-dimensional (3-D) maneuvers with a reasonable amount of depth.
This video is a good investment for the sport pilot who is thinking about getting started in advanced aerobatics and 3-D flying. It's an even better investment if you are considering the purchase of the JR Vigor CS helicopter; Curtis gives a thorough guided tour of JR's new flagship.
The Vigor CS is finally shipping. Although it does not include main or tail blades, it does include a disk that can be used with the JR Datasafe unit, to load Curtis's program into your JR XP8103 or 10X radio system.
You can get the 3-D lesson video (or the Vigor CS) at any full-service helicopter shop.
While I'm discussing videos, the two newer tapes are available for Raptor fans. One is from Thunder Tiger. It's basically an "infomercial" with 30 minutes of video showing off the Raptor 30 and two versions of the Impero, and some test-flying footage of the Raptor 60.
The primary reason to buy this video if you're interested in buying a Raptor is the coupon for $10 off any Raptor 30 or Raptor 60 kit. It's a good deal, since the video sells for less than $5. Any shop that sells Raptors will probably have this video.
The other Raptor-related video is the opposite. Produced independently by Spin Doctor Productions, Raptor 30 Building and Setup is more than two hours in length, and it goes into great detail about building, setting up, and flying the Thunder Tiger Raptor 30.
Little of the video is about flying, and there are no commercials. There is much useful information that would save a novice builder a lot of time and grief. Even some experienced builders will find a trick or two that is worth the $29 list price.
The video and sound quality are excellent, the editing is well-done, although it lacks a few close-ups, and the content is informative. There is just enough great flying at the end to show you that the guy knows what he's talking about.
A long-awaited video from ModelSport Video Magazine has been shipped out. These are the people who produce the smaller hobby budget-priced videos several times a year, with a small snippet of helicopter coverage in each issue.
This new video is nothing but helicopters; it's a two-hour program titled R/C Basics: Hover.
This professionally shot and produced VHS video covers a wide gamut of topics and specific information of interest to novice and advanced-novice pilots. From engine break-in, to radio setup, to basic and advanced hovering exercises, R/C Basics: Hover shows you clearly detailed information about five of the sponsor's helicopters, including the Nexus 30, the Raptor 30, and the Ergo 50.
This video should be in stock and available from any hobby or helicopter shop for approximately $20.
Closing
That's all the room I have for this time. Next month I'll try to have less product information and more of the other stuff.
Until then, send me those cards and photos, and I hope you get all the flying time you can handle.
Fly safe and happy rotoring! MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
