Radio Control: Helicopters
LAST MONTH, we presented the first installment in our review of Schluter's new Superior. For those of you who missed it, we covered the basic construction and a few of the building instructions that needed more explanation. This month, we will be covering final setup, flight performance, and our general impression of the Superior. Final setup. As I finished up my Superior, a few points came to my attention with respect to parts that need replacement or steps needing further explanation. The Superior's tail rotor assembly is probably the finest unit this reporter has ever worked with. Its pitch-change mechanism has no slop at all. However, if you use the nylon tail rotor pushrod tube supplied in the kit, you are likely to have a Helicopter with a sloppy tail.
Radio Control: Helicopters
LAST month, I finished my review of the Schluter Superior. Even though I named Walt Schoonard as the model's importer, I failed to mention that the Superior is distributed in the United States by Miniature Aircraft Supply of Orlando, Florida and that Walt and his family run that operation. Miniature Aircraft Supply was the source of the Superior built for the review, and I apologize for not mentioning them in the June column. This month's column will be devoted to previewing the new Gorham Model Products offering: Cobra. I expected to talk about Helicopter radios this month-particularly the new Futaba 7-GH-but opted for a jump to the Cobra (in which I used the Futaba). I will return next month with that discussion.
Helicopters at the MAC Show
THE MAC SHOW held in Long Beach, CA has always proved to be the premier trade show for viewing RC Helicopters. Not only do all the manufacturers have their products on display, but the public is given the chance to see these fabulous machines in action in outdoor demonstration flights. As in these past reports, I will give a summary of what each manufacturer had on display, highlighting new items, but this year I will give the report in reverse alphabetical order.
Radio Control: Helicopters
HELI-RADIOS. This month's report will preview the new Futaba 7G Helicopter radio system. Possibly, some of you reading this may be thinking of getting started in Radio Controlled Helicopters. You may already fly Radio Control airplanes and will start off asking "Do I have to have a Helicopter radio to fly my machine"? The answer is no. You can use most any four-channel system equipped with servos and receivers that will stand up to Helicopter vibration. However, a dedicated Helicopter system will allow you to get the most out of your machine.
Radio Control: Helicopters
HOLD IT! As some of you know, a new Emergency Rule has just been proposed by Horace Hagen (Chairman of the RC Helicopter Contest Board) and approved by John Grigg (AMA President) which calls for the elimination of any metal weights added to tail or main rotors. (It also prohibits metal or knife-edged main or tail rotor blades.) Under standard Contest Board Procedures, this Emergency Rule action must be validated by a Contest Board vote, which must occur no earlier than four weeks after the ruling is published in an AMA publication (in this case, it appeared in the August 1984 "Competition Newsletter" under the heading, "Safety Rule: RC Helicopters at the Nats" on page 112). Then, not later than six weeks after publication, the Contest Board receives a 10-day-turnaround ballot, whereby they may approve or disapprove the Emergency action. (Editor's note: See this month's "Competition Newsletter" for more action on this ruling.)
