Radio Control: Helicopters
THIS MONTH, we're going to take a look at Gorham Model Products' latest offering: the Cobra 206-B Jet Ranger. If you are a regular reader, you will recall that we reviewed the Cobra several months ago. The Cobra in its pod-and-boom stock configuration has proved to be quite a good performer, whether flown by a novice or an expert. I personally find it to be one of the most agile Helicopters I have ever flown. When John Gorham called me and told me that he had made the Cobra even better, I raced up to Calabasas to take a first-hand look at his latest creation. When I first saw the Jet Ranger fuselage, I thought to myself, "Cute, a baby Jet Ranger; I wonder how bad that fuselage is going to hurt the Cobra's performance?"
Radio Control: Helicopters
AS I WRITE this article, many of you are still confined indoors because of severe winter weather. Even though it's too cold to venture outside for flying, you can still enjoy your Helicopter. This is the time of year when you are probably working on a new model or repairing one of your regular birds. While I don't get to spend as much time at my bench as I'd like, I do enjoy building and get great satisfaction when I have successfully removed all the run-out from a starting shaft or worked on a gear train and succeeded in getting it set just right. Anyway, what I was getting to is even though you may not be flying, now is an excellent time to be going through your machines so that they will be ready to fly when spring arrives.
Radio Control: Helicopters
READ ON, because this month we will cover the recent Toledo show and take a look at John Gorham's biggest project. Starting next month, I am initiating a new division in this column devoted to the novice Helicopter flier. If you are having any problems or have specific questions, please write to me. These questions will form the bulk of the material for the new section. Toledo 1985. Once again, I took part in the mass exodus to Toledo, OH to see firsthand all the new products made just for the hobby consumer. It is customary for manufacturers to show their latest designs, and this year certainly followed the precedent. I counted no fewer than five new machines and several new fuselages and rotor heads. Instead of going through each manufacturer's line, I will discuss the highlights as they come to mind.
Radio Control: Helicopters
MACS SHOW. I've just returned from the Model & Crafts Show in Long Beach, CA. While show attendance was down this year, I did see some really neat things for RC Helicopters. First, GMP's new pitch gauge has turned out to be universal in application and is now in production. I will test one as soon as it is available and show you the proper method for using it. It looks real good! Next up was the surprise of the show. Hirobo had just announced their new Shuttle the week previously. Hirobo has designed, tested, and is now marketing a truly ARF Helicopter. However, the Shuttle is much more than just an Almost-Ready-to-Fly machine. The Shuttle's concept is that of a machine which is made in molds, mainly from composite materials, with as few metal parts as possible.
Radio Control: Helicopters
REVIEW of the CMI Fox. Last month, I told you a little about the new CMI Fox. As I promised, I now have more information. The following was prepared by Dave Robertson and gives us a good preview of this machine. The Fox is a new "high-tech" design from KG manufacturing in Japan. The drive train is essentially the same as their Robinson R-22hp, but with a gearing change. The rotor head is like the R-22 head but with a flybar and dampening control added. The tail boom is covered with white, heat-shrink tubing, and the tail fins are cut from plywood and are easily covered with MonoKote. The overall effect of the completed model is very eye-appealing.
