RC Helicopters - 2012/04
A Chat with Nick Maxwell
by Mark Fadely [email protected]
MF: Hi, Nick. It's good to have you back in Indiana. How was it living in Texas and how long were you there?
NM: Hi, Mark. Hope you are doing well! Living in Texas was a blast. With the warm weather year-round and the facilities there to fly and work on models, it really made things fun and easy. I lived there for a little over two years.
MF: What are the main things you like about being a team pilot?
NM: The thing that stands out the most is being able to represent a brand that you believe in and help that company grow and advance its product line. With a team atmosphere you get to do that with other pilots who want the same for that company as well. You end up becoming good friends with those people as you get to know them, traveling to the same events and helping to get a product better.
MF: What are some things you dislike about the responsibilities of being a team pilot?
NM: Well, I'll be flat-out honest here: in some cases where you need to help the company find the "optimum" setup or recommendation for the product, you might find something that works extremely well for you, but then in reality you need to open your mind a bit and also try other ways of doing things to see how that product works in those cases. It can be sometimes worrisome when you have something working just right and you have to take it apart or change it to try something else. It can also benefit you if you find a method that you prefer more in that testing. But it's always hard at first getting yourself to change what is already going well.
MF: How much can a top team pilot expect to make in this hobby?
NM: That is a very hard question to answer directly. A lot of it depends upon your responsibilities with the company you fly for. As just a pilot, you can't expect much. But getting involved in things like product development, learning how to draw model parts, and helping with advertising are big things that pilots who make this a form of income are involved in. With those responsibilities, it is definitely possible to make a comfortable living.
MF: What was it like working for the “Master,” Curtis Youngblood?
NM: It was a real pleasure. Both Curtis and his father have helped me grow in the hobby—flying-wise and by sharing information from their experience—and, more importantly, sharing ways to learn things on my own. It was a great opportunity to work for him, and I thank both of them for all the help and also just for having flying friends at the field while living in Texas.
MF: Is there anything special about how you prepare for a contest?
NM: The biggest difference I find in preparing for contests is model setup. In everyday fun-fly type flying, I can set the model up for a specific feel, rate, etc. that I like. In a contest model, that’s not always possible. Sometimes the model has to have slightly quicker rates to hit the music you’ve selected. Or you have to run a slightly different pitch range in case it becomes windy at the contest.
In fun-fly flying, if the wind hits and the model starts to travel slower into the wind, it’s not a big deal. While flying to music, that could completely throw you off and you might miss a beat. So you try to have the model set up so it will hit the song no matter what. Also, I practice the routine as much as possible, even if I have to fly it at less than full throttle to preserve the model. The more rehearsals you do, the more consistent you’ll be.
I even have to think of things I'd normally not pay attention to such as color on the model (example: is it easy to see from the judges' position?) and how much color is on the rotor disk (example: too much reference from color will show small corrections, while a darker disk will hide that). There are lots of small details that could affect presentation that will matter if the scores are very close.
Flying-wise, one difference is that while just working on models I can fly up to, say, 14 flights a day and still be having a blast wanting to fly more, when practicing hard I can mentally only make progress up to six or seven flights. Sometimes there are exceptions, like the few days right before the contest while trying to cram.
MF: How do you deal with the pressure in competition?
NM: I get very nervous, questioning if the model will mechanically work for the whole flight, if I've prepared enough, if I'm going to forget parts of the routines—the list goes on and on. Ha ha. In most cases though, that nervousness really helps my flying. I think that extra attention and focus on what is going on lets you find things you may have previously missed, and by fixing those things it could lead to a better flight.
MF: FAI contest flying is really going well for you. Tell us about that whole realm of flying and how it relates to the average pilot.
NM: FAI/F3C is neat in that everything is based around a specific schedule of maneuvers. Every pilot is flying that same schedule. That being said, the goal behind F3C flying revolves around execution and the way a pilot presents a maneuver. In terms of execution, precision is by far the most important aspect.
Since the first three maneuvers of each schedule are done on a hover course, there is a clear reference of just how precise a pilot is executing things. Same with the aerobatics; each maneuver forms a distinct shape, and so you are always flying against the judge's idea of that perfect shape or position.
Although the maneuvers are not as radical in terms of motion, they are just as mind-boggling in terms of how precise a machine and a pilot can be. For example, on a hovering course you are trying to put the model's main shaft on top of a 1/4-inch pole or flag from a position 2 meters all the way up to 6 meters from the ground, and the pilot's position is almost 10 meters away. Top-level pilots can keep the model positioned throughout a maneuver to within 1 inch of the flag.
What is great about FAI is that the maneuvers are relatively simple—ones that any intermediate pilot can complete. It all comes down to taking those maneuvers and building on them to start to get the exact shape, position, and ability to do that consistently.
MF: You fly both nitro and electric. Which is your favorite and why?
NM: Both models have their places. During contest flying, I prefer electric power. It is consistent, smooth, and with the right setup can produce amazing power. For fun-fly events and at the field on weekends, I prefer flying glow. The glow model is generally lighter, so for my flying style it fits very well. The added flight time is nice without having to wait for charged packs when just having fun at home.
MF: What is the main goal or accomplishment you would like to attain in model helicopters?
NM: In terms of contest-flying goals, I would really like to continue to make the USA F3C team and maybe one day make the podium or become the F3C World Champion. In general, I'd like to have RC as a lifelong hobby and be able to continue to enjoy having fun learning about models and flying.
MF: What's next for Nick, both in the hobby and in your personal life?
NM: In the hobby I have recently started a small company, Nick Maxwell Products, LLC, and will soon be releasing some new RC helicopter-related products! As for personal life, I've started to attend college after a four-year break and am having a lot of fun going back to school.
MF: Thanks, Nick. You have shared interesting information that only an insider could have. You have a lot of fans in the helicopter world and we will all be anxious to see where your next turn in life takes you. Good luck in the world competitions and thanks for representing the USA with such style.
News Flash
Nick Maxwell joins Team Thunder Tiger America
This is just in from Steve Kaluf at Hobbico: Team Thunder Tiger America is proud to announce that Nick Maxwell has become its newest helicopter team member. Nick joins an impressive roster of today’s finest pilots, including Todd Bennett, Gary Wright, Jim Stark, and more, to demonstrate the capabilities of Thunder Tiger machines throughout the world.
Nick's RC piloting credentials stretch back to 1993, when he began flying airplanes at the age of four. Six years later he tried RC helicopters—and now, still in his early 20s, Nick has a long list of personal and professional accomplishments to his credit.
Before focusing his interests on precision RC helicopters and 3-D heli aerobatics, Nick was an active competitor in RC Pylon Racing. From there he expanded his piloting résumé with a continuing string of formidable performances at heli events worldwide, including:
- 2010 3-D Masters Champion
- Two-time World Cup Heli Champion
- 2011 F3C World Team Member
- Two-time IRCHA Night Fly Champion
- Four-time E-Fest Smackdown winner
- Vegas Cup Champion
- Three-time XFC podium finisher
Nick has flown professionally for four years and has been a member of Team Futaba since 2004. He has presented several 3-D heli clinics, given international flying demonstrations, and supplied several well-known heli manufacturers with expert product testing.
Congratulations to Nick on joining Team Thunder Tiger!
Sources
- International Radio-Controlled Helicopter Association — www.ircha.org
- Thunder Tiger — www.ttamerica.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
