Radio Control: Helicopters
WELCOME back. If you caught last month's column, I was discussing Gorham Model Products' new Rebel fixed-pitch Helicopter. At the conclusion of that article, I still had not completely flight evaluated the Rebel and consequently decided to dedicate this column to the subjects of setting up the Rebel and flying fixed-pitch machines in general. As a review, we should note that GMP's new Rebel is a fixed-pitch, .40-size model Helicopter aimed at the entry-level Helipilot, particularly those who are fixed-wing fliers and are likely to have access to a .40-size engine and four-channel radio.
Radio Control: Helicopters
IMAGINE a beautifully maintained athletic field, warm sunny temperatures, a well-organized radio impound, and over 200 people who feel the same way about RC Helicopters that you do. That's what I found last September 23-24 as the Merced County RC Club again hosted its annual Helicopter fly-in. This has become the major Helicopter fun fly in the U.S. with more than 100 registered pilots and over 250 RC Helis in attendance this year. I've never seen so much enthusiasm-at most times there were at least seven Helicopters in the air, and at one point Saturday afternoon I counted over 13 of them in the air at one time!
Radio Control: Helicopters
WELCOME BACK. This month I have the pleasure of introducing a new Helicopter - the Kalt Enforcer. It is distributed in the U.S. by Hobby Dynamics. The Enforcer is a derivative of the Kalt Space Baron. It is not the same machine, as there are some subtle differences. The main difference is in the gear box (the one in the Space Baron, of socalled "planetary" design, tended to chatter). The problem was traced to the idler gears, which turned on plain bushing-type bearings instead of ball bearings, so the Enforcer uses needle bearings on those idler gears, and the previous trouble with vibration in the transmission has now been eliminated.
Radio Control: Helicopters
MARKING the annual mecca march to Toledo, OH were the dates of April 6-8, 1990. For those of you new to the hobby, Toledo is the location of the show where each year's crop of new products debut. It's the American unveiling show, so to speak. I was not able to attend; however, my friends did, and with their help and the help of several manufacturers I think we'll have a pretty reasonable report, and we might even mention a few products for your wish list. As always, I have to apologize in advance to anyone I might miss or fail to mention. If I don't mention you, don't get angry! Mail me some photos of your products and a po sheet, and I'll do my best to include it in a future column.
Radio Control: Helicopters
FINISHING my report on Kalt's Cyclone II: As you may recall, last month I discussed the construction of the Cyclone and the various steps that needed more attention. This particular Cyclone II is powered by an OS .50 FSR and uses a JR PCM 10 radio system for control. As I discussed last month, construction was accomplished easily with no problems being encountered. The instruction manual is over 30 pages in length and does a good job of explaining the nine basic construction steps. At this point we'll pick up where we left off last month; that is, construction is complete except for main blades, gyro, and radio setup.
