Helicopter' parents hover when kids job hunt

By Stephanie Armour, USA TODAY

Employers are finding that parents are increasingly involved in their children's job choices, as "helicopter parenting" extends to the workplace.

As Generation Y enters the job force, parents of new hires are calling employers to negotiate salary and benefits, and some are even showing up at job fairs. It's a new dynamic that has some employers responding by training recruiters and managers how to handle "helicopter parents," who hover over their children's lives.

YOUR THOUGHTS: How involved should parents be in the lives of their adult children?

•At Hewlett-Packard, parents have gone as far as contacting the company after their child gets a job offer. They want to talk about their son's or daughter's salary, relocation packages and scholarship programs.

"Parents are contacting us directly," says Betty Smith, a university recruiting manager at HP. "This generation is not embarrassed by it. They're asking for parents' involvement."

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Texas | Atlanta | Hewlett-Packard | Leah | Chubb | Betty Smith | Weber Shandwick | Korn/Ferry | Charles Wardell

She recalls one job fair in Texas "where the parent was there at our booth asking about benefits." The company has trained recruiters in how to handle parents.

•At Weber Shandwick, a global public relations firm, a father recently called the company to inquire about how his son could apply for its Atlanta internship program.

"I was very surprised. I answered my phone, and he said he had a son interested in internships," says Jennifer Seymour, who runs the intern program at the Atlanta office, where two full-time internships are offered every summer. They largely go to recent college graduates. She says helicopter parents create a negative view among hiring managers. "It hurts. Absolutely."

•At insurance provider Chubb, employees have helped their children get jobs at the company. Mary Troianello, 56, a senior administrative assistant, who has worked in human resources and other jobs for Chubb for about 16 years, helped her daughter Leah, 25, tweak her résumé, submitted it to the human resources department and helped her pick an interview suit and prepare for the interview. Leah got the job in accounts payable.

"I didn't feel the colleges were doing enough in that area," Mary says. "The (graduates) really don't have a clue. They're lost."

But too much parental involvement can backfire: Employers may shy away from job candidates because they don't want to deal with parents.

"Psychologically, it's somewhat eroding. When an employer is hiring someone, they're hiring an adult for an adult job, and then they have to deal with a parent," says Charles Wardell in New York, the managing director and head of the northeast region at Korn/Ferry. "There comes a time when you've prepared children, and you need to let go."

How involved should parents be in the lives of their adult children?

Introduction to Electric RC Planes

Electric RC planes are becoming more popular, due to improvements in technology and their clean, quiet, and reliable nature. There are many different kinds of electric RC planes available, and each is designed for a different purpose. This article will show you the different types of electric RC planes available, and explain how they work.

Benefits of Electric RC Planes

Electric RC planes have many benefits over fuel planes. This list shows some of the many reasons that you should choose electric power over fuel:

• Cheaper than fuel RC planes - In many cases, electric power is cheaper than a comparable fuel system.
• Just as powerful as fuel RC planes - Brushless motors are just as powerful as their fuel counterparts.
• Safer than fuel RC planes - Electric RC planes are safer than fuel. A hot nitro or gas engine can do serious damage to anyone who accidentally touches or gets to close to it. Electric RC planes use motors and propellers which do not inflict as much damage in the event of an accident.
• Electric motors are reliable - A good brushless electric motor is far more reliable than any fuel engine. Why waste time adjusting the mixture, idle speeds, and other settings when you can just plug in a electric motor and fly?
• Great way to get into RC - Electric RC planes are a great way for a beginner to learn how to fly because of their low cost and durability. Several beginner electric RC planes are available.
• Practical for 3D / Foam - Electric power is the only form of power that makes sense for 3D and foam electric RC planes. Fuel engines cannot be build small enough to power these models effectively.
• Indoor flight is possible - Many electric RC planes can be flown indoors. This is not possible with any fuel model due to the noise, mess, and danger.

Examples of Electric RC Planes

There are many different kinds of electric RC planes, so here is a list summarizing the basic types you will find.

Simple 2 Channel Electric RC Plane

Some electric RC planes use only a two channel radio system. These planes are a great way for kids to learn about RC planes, due to the simple design and low cost. The Vortex is a great example of this type of electric RC airplane. Everything needed to start flying is included in the box, and spare parts are available on our website.

More Advanced 3 Channel Electric RC Plane

More advanced Electric RC planes use a three channel radio, letting the pilot control the altitude, yaw, and pitch of the aircraft. The Vortex Extreme is a good example of this design, with a proportional radio system and a powerful electric motor. We recommend this electric RC plane to anyone interested in learning how to fly. Check out these articles covering everything from the basics of RC flight, to choosing your first electric RC plane.

4 Channel Electric RC Plane

Electric RC planes aren’t just for teaching beginners how to fly, there are many full control models available for serious pilots. These types of electric RC planes use a proportional 4 channel radio system, allowing the pilot to control the bank, pitch, yaw, and throttle. An excellent example of a 4 channel electric RC plane is the Multiplex Minimag. This airplane is perfect for anyone who wants a dependable plane to fly anywhere.

3D Foam Electric RC Plane

One of the most common uses of electric power is in 3D foam electric RC planes. 3D model airplanes are able to hover, due to their large power to weight ratio, and are an excellent choice for indoor and backyard flying. The Southern X-3 is a great example of this type of electric RC airplane, and is maneuverable enough to be flown inside a house! Indestructible takes on a whole new meaning with this airplane, due to it’s flexible foam construction it is able to survive almost any crash without damage.

How Electric RC Planes Work

Electric RC airplanes use several different approaches to radio and motor system design. Here is a list of some of the most basic components that all electric RC planes use:

1. Motor - The motor is one of the most important components of any electric RC plane. It is used to spin the propeller and generate airflow over the wings, which causes lift and allows the airplane to fly.
2. Battery - The Battery is what provides power to the motor and radio system of the electric RC plane. There are two main types of batteries used. The NiMh (nickel metal hydride) batteries are readily available, and are used in several electric RC planes including the Vortex and Vortex Extreme. Lithium polymer batteries use a different chemistry, and provide many times more power than NiMh batteries. Special chargers are required to charge lithium polymer batteries, due to the flammable chemicals that they use. Make sure to supervise these batteries while charging, and get a fire retardant sack to charge them in.
3. Radio System - The Radio system is used to control the electric RC plane. Radio signals are sent from the transmitter to the receiver in the airplane, which tells the control surfaces how to move and the engine how fast to spin.
4. ESC (electric speed controller) - The electric speed controller is used in electric RC Planes to control the speed of the engine. This is similar to the throttle on a fuel airplane, which opens or closes the carburetor air intake to vary the speed at which fuel is burned. The ESC varies the amount of power sent to the motor of the electric RC plane by altering the voltage of the current that passes through it.
5. BEC (battery eliminator circuit) - Some electric RC planes have a battery eliminator circuit. This is a device which powers the radio system of the electric RC plane using current from the main flight battery. Without a BEC, an electric RC plane needs a separate battery to power the radio system.

Electric RC planes can use other components, but these are the most common found in nearly every model.

Introduction to RC Blimps - Learn How Remote Controlled Blimps Work

Why RC Blimps Float

A remote controlled blimp is a lighter than air aircraft that relies on the principle of buoyancy. Buoyancy is the effect that causes less dense objects to rise when immersed in a denser substance. As long as a similar volume of one material is less dense than another, it will rise. RC blimps, airships and flying saucers make use of this buoyancy effect by using a lighter than air gas to fly: Helium. Because Helium is less dense than the air the blimp will float. The idea behind a blimp is to have the lifting force of the helium exactly cancel out the downwards pull of gravity. This is called neutral buoyancy. In order to rise or descend, the blimp fills or empties different compartments (ballonets) with air. Because air is heavier than helium, this will cause the blimp to decend. Emptying these ballonet compartments will make the blimp lighter and cause it to rise.

The First Blimps

The first rigid airships (also called Dirigibles or Zeppelins) were constructed in the early 20th century. Back then blimp aircraft consisted of a metal frame, covered with fabric and filled with a lighter than air gas like Helium or even Hydrogen. Below this balloon assembly was the gondola. The blimp’s gondola housed the pilot, crew, passengers, and engines. These airships were used for both war and civilian travel during the 20th century. A famous example of such a zepplin was the German Hindenburg airship, which was destroyed on May 6th, 1937. The Germans, who were unable to obtain helium gas for the airship, used hydrogen as the lifting gas. Hydrogen is explosive where Helium is inert. The Hindenburg disaster played a huge role in ending the use of huge blimps for passenger travel.

Modern Blimps

Modern blimp airships are non rigid, meaning that there is no internal structure to support the envelope. Modern blimps are filled with Helium, a safe inert gas, to make them float. Like the old rigid airships, modern blimps still rely on the principle of buoyancy to fly. Modern blimps are used primarily for advertising rather than passenger travel. If you’ve ever attended an NFL football game, NASCAR race, or PGA golf tournament you’ve probably seen the popular Goodyear blimp.

Remote Control Blimps

Radio controlled blimps are an excellent choice for someone new to RC and appeal to all ages. An RC blimp is just a smaller version of a modern blimp airship, except for a few differences. Instead of relying on ballonets (air-filled bladders) to change the weight of the blimp to rise or descend, neutral buoyancy is achieved by adding small weights or ballast putty to the blimp until it hovers. The RC blimp’s gondola is equipped with small electric motors with propellers used to propel the blimp up and down. Most electric rc blimps use a tri fan design, to provide directional control in every direction: up/down, left/right, and forwards/backwards. A good example of this are the Mach III Indoor RC blimps at RCToys.com. These R/C blimp aircraft are for indoor use only. Flying them outside will lead to them getting lost, or blown away. Remember, these aircraft are really helium balloons with motors and a radio, so make sure that you fly them where they cannot get away.

RC Blimp Balloons

RC blimps come with a super lightweight mylar balloon. These mylar rc blimp balloons are both durable, refillable and replaceable. For customers at altitudes greater than 4000 ft above sea level, a larger capacity high lift balloon is available. This white high-lift rc blimp balloon is also great for applying advertising stickers. This can be necessary because, as altitude increases, the density of air decreases, lowering the lift generated by the balloon.

Where to buy Helium for RC Blimp Balloons

Helium for the rc blimp’s balloon envelope is easy to obtain at wedding & party supply stores, flower shops, most grocery stores, and welding supply shops. Filling the rc blimp is also easy, the person selling you the Helium should be able to do it for you, if they have a mylar nozzle. After filling the envelope with Helium place a small piece of tape over the hole to keep the Helium in the balloon.

How to achieve neutral buoyancy so your RC blimp hovers

Chances are, after you have filled your blimp with Helium, it will try to climb. You can use either the weights included with the blimp, or some modeling clay (ballast putty) to correct this. Hang the weights on the rods supporting the engines, making sure to keep the weight equal on both sides. If you decide to use modeling clay, place it in the gondola, near the batteries. Using clay instead of the included weights will allow fine tuning the airship, so that it will maintain the altitude that you want it to. Add just enough weight so the rc blimp neither climbs or sinks.

Where to buy RC Blimps

Draganfly Innovations Inc. sells a huge selection of RC blimps and flying saucers. The most popular blimps are the RC Goodyear Blimp, the RC Airship America and the RC Blimp Bomber. Replacement r/c blimp parts, balloon envelopes and 3V lithium blimp batteries are all available at www.rctoys.com.

Tips On Flying RC Helicopters And Planes

As compared to flying planes, helicopters require a higher skill level. So, it is better to learn to fly RC planes first, so that you at least get an idea, of how to handle it in the air. If you are a fresher, then join a good flying club or get an experienced model plane 'pilot' to help you out. Once you have mastered the basics of flying planes, then you can try some stunts, such as inverted flying, rolls or loops. Your first plane should ideally be a 'trainer'. These are planes with big fuselage and wide wings. These planes are slower, steadier and therefore more suited for learners.

Once you have gained complete control over your Remote Control and your plane, then you can think about moving on to faster planes, such as fighter or jet planes. These planes are extremely fast and require very fast reflexes, to keep them in control. Do not forget to take out insurance on any model plane or helicopter you fly, or be ready to be sued, in case of any accident, where there is damage to someone's 'limb' or 'property'. An electric motor or a gasoline engine can be used, to power your model airplane or helicopter. Use electric power, if you are a fresher. It's clean, efficient and easy to maintain. However, keep extra battery packs ready, because you will need them, while flying.

Since the dynamics of a model helicopter are totally different than that of a plane, get expert help, before trying to fly them. You can also practice on a simulator, before attempting an actual flight. Helicopters can take off from a small pad, but model planes require a longer area, to take off and touch down. The chances of a helicopter suffering more damage than a plane, in case of a crash are more, since the blades of the helicopter are quite large.

The stunts, which can be performed by your helicopter, are also different as compared to your plane. One thing your helicopter can do is to 'hover' over the ground and that is what your plane cannot do. You can buy your plane or helicopter from various hobby shops or over the Internet as a RTF kit, i.e. a Ready to Fly Kit, which means that it is fully assembled, or you could buy it in ARF form, i.e. Almost Ready To Fly kit. This kit just has to be assembled and then it is ready to fly. You can think about making your own plane or helicopter from scratch, once you have some experience under your belt. Your models can be made of wood or plastic and you can hand paint them, once you have made them.

These above tips can be helpful, if you are just starting off in the flying arena. Use them to make your flying 'career' safer and easier.

Source: http://www.rc-model-airplanes.com/articles

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model planes and model helicopters. You can find the best marketplace for model planes and model helicopters by visiting the best sites for model planes, model fighter planes, and model helicopters.

So you want to learn how to fly an RC heli?

A radio control heli requires a lot of time and patience, but it can be very fun and exciting to fly.

The newcomer will need to be prepared for the cost of the kit, as well as the cost to repair damage from the inevitable crashes.A radio control helicopter also require dedicated attention while flying and attentiveness to safety precautions.

There are many reasons to start flying remote control helicopters, even though they are often seen as the most challenging RC to learn. Some people enjoy the extra challenge that learning to build and fly an RC helicopter gives.

However, Remote control helicopters are a demanding hobby.

When learning how to fly for the first time, you need to have patience and time to get set up and to learn the RC heli skills you need. The helicopter absolutely must be set up properly before flight, otherwise there is no chance it will fly.

The instructions should be read until you gain a thorough understanding of where the parts fit together, and how they fit together, and after assembly you should have your new model checked over by an experienced RC helicopter pilot.

Loose screws can mean parts that fly off when you try to fly!

The controls on the radio are much like the controls in a full-sized helicopter, and as such, they are fairly complex. It can take many sessions to simply learn how to hover, the most basic skill the Remote control helicopter pilot will need, as the controls are very sensitive to small adjustments and require that everything be set 'just' right, and changed with every shift in the wind.

Another demanding aspect of remote control helicopters is the safety factor. It goes without saying that a non-electric helicopter must be flown outside to avoid the fumes.

Also, the blades can spin at a speed fast enough to cut through flesh and even bone, so you must be sure to fly in an area with lots of space and with all bystanders safely out of the way.

But much like driving a car or riding a bike, these skills will eventually become second nature. With dedication, patience, and practice, you can become a successful RC heli hobbyist.

Frist Hovering

if you know what to expect you will feel better when you fly your RC helicopter.

First, an RC helicopter flier should learn how the radio works.


Before you attempt to RC helicopter hover your helicopter it is important to make sure you have set up your radio properly.

I can't stress enough to anybody who wants to learn how to fly an RC helicopter to study the radio in and out. Also, study the radio's instruction manual thoroughly and make sure you understand it even before attempting to fly.

Second, the next thing that you should do is to make sure that the RC helicopter is set up properly for an RC helicopter hover. Make sure you have good training gear that will support the RC helicopter that you will be flying. Some training gears can only support a 30 class RC helicopter.

Third, try to pick a large grassy area. If you fly in an area where there is a lot of dirt or rocks it will be hard on your engine. The dirt and rocks will enter through the carburetor and the engine can't digest dirt and rocks as easy as grass.



These are some of the things you need to know to start your RC helicopter hovering.


If you are having trouble with the basics, try to have an experience RC helicopter pilot supervise you and see if you are on the right track. You can find plenty of RC hobbyists at your local RC helicopter club. Some of these clubs might require you to have some kind of liability insurance just in case something goes wrong.

Rotor Review - Gazaur Technology Poseidon 480 & Mars 480

Rotor Review - Gazaur Technology Poseidon 480 & Mars 480
By: Mark Ronge
Two new innovative mini helicopters with outstanding aerobatic capabilities
Gazaur Technologies has been developing new mini electric helicopters for the past three years, and the culmination of their research and development is the Poseidon 480 and Mars 480. The only distinctions between the Poseidon and Mars are the frame shapes and landing gear shapes; their mechanics are identical.

---

Both models are made with carbon side frames and CNC-machined aluminum main rotor heads. They feature a symmetrical servo mounting system for 120-degree electronic cyclic collective pitch mixing (eCCPM) control. All 3 servos are spread evenly around the main shaft and give unprecedented accurate control with minimal cross coupling between controls. The flight performance is excellent; they are very stable in hover, fast and groovy in forward flight, and very graceful in 3D. These models are going to set a new standard for high-performance mini-class electric helicopters. Plus, the models will be sold and fully supported in the U.S. by Hobby Lobby.
The kits have good English instructions with excellent computer-generated engineering drawings. The parts are separated into three large bags according to assembly steps, and then the nuts, bolts and small components are separated into smaller bags to make them easy to identify and fast to assemble. It should take an average modeler about five hours to assemble the mechanics and then another three to install and set up the radio, motor and ESC.

Unique Features
The carbon frame layout is very unique, with 3 servos mounted in the middle of the frame. The metal servo tray also functions as the strong support for the main rotor shaft. The innovative landing gear design is soft-mounted to the frames without using any screw to help absorb shock. This landing gear is lighter than conventional skid systems. The moving flybar system (MFS) main rotor head design is the highlight. In a MFS system, the entire flybar can float up or down when collective pitch control is applied. The MFS design reduces the parts count by eliminating the washout unit. The MFS rotor gives the Poseidon and Mars very desirable handling. The geometry of this MFS system was laid out carefully so the collective pitch is not overly sensitive as on some other small electric models.
A constant-drive main gear system is included to keep the tail rotor spinning during autorotation. The tail rotor drive belt tail is guided by four pulleys to reduce friction. The Mars and Poseidon are designed for flying with 315mm up to 340mm main rotor blades. I successfully autorotated using 325 and 340mm blades, but doing autorotation with any mini electric helicopter should be attempted only by pilots with extensive autorotation experience.
The tail rotor blade pitch control mechanism is very well designed. The tail rotor pitch control lever grabs the pitch slider from above and below, and it provides smooth and precise pitch change. Each plastic tail rotor blade has a built-in leading-edge balance weight to help reduce control power needed to actuate the tail rotor blades. This is quite innovative. A 2mm carbon pushrod provides a direct control run to a tail rotor control servo mounted on the center of the helicopter. There’s plenty of room in the frame for the mounting receiver and gyro.
I used the Hitec Premium mini electric helicopter flight pack for control. There are two locations reserved on the Mars and Poseidon for mounting the receiver and gyro and the locations can be swapped depending on the builder’s preference. To install the HS-65 servos on the Mars and Poseidon, the servo tray requires opening up the HS-65 servo and splitting it into two halves, then mating the servo halves back together from each side of the servo tray.
The Poseidon and Mars are designed for 400-class brushless motors, an ESC with at least 35 amps, and a 3-cell, 2100mAh LiPo battery. The Poseidon and Mars are slightly bigger than other helicopters in their class, and this helps give the Poseidon and Mars some added stability and visual aid when flying farther. The ultimate power combo is the Gazaur Lingo 8 outrunner motor and Gazaur 55A ESC designed for the Poseidon and Mars. The Lingo 8 motor is bigger and has more torque than most 400-class mini electric helicopter motors. The Lingo has a 4000Kv rating and when used with the supplied 10- or 11-tooth pinion, it is possible to get 2600 to 2700rpm with the Gazaur 340mm wood blades and 2800 to 2900rpm with the Gazaur 325mm wood blades. The 325mm wood blades give very good 3D hot-dogging and four and a half minutes for 3D flying. The 340mm wood blades provide higher efficiency and still give excellent 3D performance, and it is possible to obtain five minutes of 3D or seven to eight minutes of cruising around.

Summary
The Poseidon and Mars have very high-quality parts, the flight performance is outstanding, and the models are innovative and different from other mini electric helicopters. The models have an almost hands-off hover. In forward flight, both models are very agile and aerobatic.

What You Ought To Know When Buying Your First R/C Helicopter!

What You Ought To Know When Buying Your First R/C Helicopter!

When you walk into the store or browse the Internet, you’ll notice most R/C helicopters come in different packages, RTF, ARF and Kit.

How can you tell which one is right for you? Well, you can talk to the salesperson for hours and try to figure out the words coming out of his mouth or you can read this condensed guide and find out in just a few minutes.

I know you have plenty of questions but the one I will try to answer will be…

Should I start with a RTF, ARF or a Kit?

It’s up to you! When I began with R/C helicopters, I didn’t know what I got myself into. I was in a fog, but as soon as it cleared, I had a kit package on my lap. Surprisingly, buying a kit was the best thing I ever did!

Why do I say this?

Well, the kit enabled me to really understand the inner working parts on my R/C helicopter. Every time I crashed it, I knew exactly on how to replace the broken parts.

But this is just some of the positives of buying a kit package, but that might not be the kind of experience you are looking for.

Some R/C helicopter packages are marked with RTF, ARF and KIT. This is just a fancy way of saying that you might need to get your hands dirty. But on the positive side, some kits all you do is take it out of the box, charge the battery and have fun.

Let’s look at this a little deeper and find out the differences in the kits. More on that after this message…

RTF (Ready To Fly):

The RTF package is short for (ready to fly) which means everything you need is contained within the box when you buy it. Most electric R/C helicopters come in this form. Nitro R/C helicopter RTF packages in the other hand are rare but they are available. RTF’s are perfect for people that have no time to devote to the assembling process.

ARF (Almost Ready-To-Fly):

The ARF is short for (almost ready-to-fly), which means that you have to do some of the dirty work yourself. You might have to separately buy and install the engine, blades or some other parts of the R/C helicopter to make it complete. The ARF is perfect for people with minimal time to devote to the assembly process.

KIT (Fully Disassembled):

Finally we have the fully disassembled KIT. According to the R/C Helicopter Forum, the Kit is the most popular form among nitro or electric beginners and intermediate. It comes in hundreds of unassembled pieces. You have to assemble it piece by piece. It’s mostly geared for people that have the time and those that are mechanically inclined or are willing to be.

My recommendation is get an R/C helicopter that gets you deeply involved in the heli setup process. This will give you a profound understanding of the inner working parts, making it easier when it comes time to replace them.

Well, until next time and stay safe.

RC Park Flyers

Park flyers are the perfect introduction to rc airplanes. They are easy to fly and can be flown in small areas, like your backyard or the local park.

This is good because you can get some practice at home before you head out to the field with a regular electric or gas powered airplane.

Park flyer's and slow flyers are basically the same thing, only the park flyer is a little faster. Thanks to advancements in rc technology, we are able to have park flyers.

Usually they are 1 channel only, but you can get ones that are 3 channels and control elevator, rudder, and the motor.

Most park and slow flyers are ready to fly, but there are some that are almost ready to fly and require some building. Another great thing about park flyers is they can be flown indoors.

You still need a decent size room, like a gym, basement, or any other big room you can find.

If terra firma isn't for you, Nikko's Cessna will get you flying high! This is one great remote control plane for the buck. Check out the Nikko Cessna and its impressive list of features.

For Advanced Pilot's

The ready-to-fly (RTF) electric Megatech Freedom Flyer simply has all the right stuff required for a fantastic beginner to intermediate electric radio control airplane.

If you are a beginner, I do hope you go with park flyers or slow flyers, then progress to a more complicated aircraft.

Tips

Before I finish, I should tell you a few tips about park flyers. First, since park flyers are so light and small, there has to be very little or no wind. If there is any wind, it will be swept away immediately. If an unfortunate event should happen to your park flyer, you should know they are not indestructible during flight. So be sure to keep it away from trees and other objects that might damage it.

Electric RC Airplanes

The power of RC electric flight is amazing, not to mention much easier to own and operate :) With glow engines there is the problem of maintaining them and making sure they are up to snuff.

Over my years as an RC pilot, I have found that beginners and advanced pilots both seem to like electric RC airplanes, so it is a great idea to buy one as your first airplane.

Simple electric RC airplanes, like the Sky Vector shown below, are great because they are very easy to fly, and you really only have too master two controls. One control being the speed and the other being the direction you want to move in.

One of the best things about airplanes like the Sky Vector though, is the fact that they can be ready to fly within 15 minutes of opening the box! Basically, it is a no hassle approach to flying RC airplanes, which is what most beginners like and need.

Electric RC trainer airplanes are also available for people who want to actually train with electric airplanes, because that is all they intend to fly.

Loosen up the split gear on a Raptor 50

The Raptor 50 V2 uses a split gear to have a driven tail during autorotations. However, the gear needs to be loosened up before installation. If you do that, you loose less energy when going to throttle hold to enter the autorotation.

The original white gear moves very difficult over the aluminum autorotation hub. It is designed this way to give the white tail gear some support since it is pulled towards the back of the heli by the tail belt. It is supposed to wear in over time, but this takes way too long. The method described below, will wear in the tail gear so that it rotates freely, and is still properly supported by the aluminium autorotation hub.

Just put the main shaft in a drilling machine, and attach the autorotation hub with the grey gear and the white tail gear to the main shaft as shown in the picture below.

Now hold the grey gear as shown, and slowly start the drilling machine. Now increase the speed of the drilling machine, and keep it rotating until the white gear starts to spin freely. Let it cool down for a couple of seconds, and feel if it rotates freely. If not, repeat this a couple of times. This will perfectly match the new white gear to your aluminum autorotation hub so that it rotates as it should, and that it is still properly supported by the autorotation hub.

This fix will only take a couple of minutes and is much easier than grinding or sanding the white gear! Furthermore, this way guarantees a perfect round fit with good support.

Flying Rc Helicopter

One of the most thrilling experiences you can have is to fly an aircraft on your own. That is, if you can afford to buy your private helicopter or can avail flying school training. But if both of these are far from realization, then you must have an alternative. No, it’s not what you are thinking. You cannot hijack an aircraft! Cut that idea off your mind. What you should be thinking is this: flying a helicopter remotely.
Rc helicopter flying has become a better alternative to flying a real helicopter. It costs less and completely safe from crashing. But that is not all. Rc helicopter flying has become a hobby for those who have the passion on helicopters. (Helicopter owners must have one or several of these at home.) Since rc helicopter flying takes every kids and kids at heart to the closest experience of flying a real helicopter, it is undoubtedly thrilling and exciting experience.
Just think of it this way: you are on the ground holding a radio controller while your rc helicopter is doing its stunts on mid air with you taking full control of its every movement.
A popular type of rc helicopter is the electric rc. It is powered by a battery that is connected to a machine that makes the rotor spin to get lift. The electric rc is sometimes regarded to as the “beginner’s rc” since it is easy to fly and less complicated to operate. The electric rc helicopter is also much cheaper than the next type of rc helicopter: the gas rc helicopter.
Gas rc helicopter is powered by an engine that is ran by fuel. This is much complicated to maintain and requires a higher level of mechanical understanding to operate (compared to electric rc helicopter). Gas rc helicopter is also much expensive than the electric. And because of these factors, serious rc helicopter pilots consider gas rc helicopter as their primary choice. It is said that flying a gas rc helicopter is somewhat similar to flying a real helicopter. Both are treated with much respect and much care.
Flying gas rc could also be treated as your stepping stone into flying a real one since you have gained enough response and sensitivity to the nature of the helicopter. Of course, the experience is still much different if you are flying the full-size helicopter. Nonetheless, both the electric and gas rc helicopter are enough to keep you hooked with the experience of flying.

Noisy Rc Helicopter! What Can You Do?

Noise Pollution of RC Helicopters!Forget about the noise because gas RC Helicopters comes with the engine the sound cannot escape your ear. But here lies the answer to the question. Gas RC Helicopter is powered by an engine that is ran by fuel. This is much complicated to maintain and requires a higher level of mechanical understanding to operate (compared to electric RC Helicopter). then you should settle for kinds that are easy to fly. What you should be looking for is an electric radio-controlled helicopter. In this way you eliminate the risk of crashing down your newly purchased helicopter to the ground.
Build Your Own RC HelicoptersIf you prefer building model helicopter for your personal gallery. If you don't fly on an AMA sanctioned field AMA insurance ($60 / yr) still has many benefits theft insurance to name one. ...and so long as you follow all the AMA guidelines when flying at a park or school you are covered there too incase the unimaginable happens and someone gets hurt. If you want instant RC Helicopter parts homebuilt helicopters are sold in kit.
RC Helicopter are SimpleRC Helicopters become more complicated because of the fact that there are more ways to fly them and thus. Do not fly with the sun near the horizon. It gets hard to see the attitude. Practice hovering a little bit higher say 10 - 20 feet. Practice subtle 180 stalls and figure-8's. Practice going faster and slowing down. Practice transitioning your RC Helicopter from fast forward flight to landing. All about RC Helicopters at http://www.rchelicopterguide.info. Brands: There is nothing really to say about this if you know what your looking for then we stock some of the best brands including Century JR Futaba Hirobo etc...
Getting a RC Helicopter Sim PackI think RC Helicopter simulator teaches you coordination very well. It teaches some bad habits maybe. If your helicopter banks yaws or pitches by itself you need to compensate with trim. Practice hovering from 6 inches to 1 foot. Be prepared for gusts: wind will increase the effectiveness of your rotor blades and make your helicopter climb fast. Ok.

Fixed pitch vs. Collective pitch

If you are new to R/C helicopters you are probably wondering what the heck is fixed and collective pitch anyways?
The pitch in R/C helicopters refers to the angle of the blade with respect to the horizontal plane.
A heli with a fixed pitch has main rotor blades that remain in a fixed position.
Fixed pitch helis are well suited for beginners because there is one less thing to control, making them that much easier to fly.
With fixed pitch helicopters the amount of lift is dependent only on rotor speed and not on the angle or pitch of the blades.




Increased rotor speeds mean there will be more lift, and the heli will rise. Lower motor speeds mean less lift and the helicopter comes down. The newer, more advanced models of helis incorporate a collective pitch.

The main rotor blades can rotate to different angles to change the lift being applied to the chopper. Collective pitch is controlled by the throttle through automatic mixing.

The pitch of each blade changes collectively to create the desired movement of the heli.

Here are some major differences between fixed and collective pitches to give you a better idea of the two.
Differences between fixed and collective pitch
Fixed Pitch
Fixed pitch is easier to build and set up.
It has fewer moving parts.
It is less expensive.
It is slightly easier to fly than collective pitch.
You can only hover indoors and outdoors and fly forward.
Cheaper to repair in case of a crash.
If the engine quits at an altitude the chopper becomes a dead weight because there is virtually no auto-rotation.
Collective Pitch
It is harder to set up because there are more moving parts.
It is more expensive than fixed pitch.
It is harder to fly than fixed pitch.
It is a R/C pilot's delight! You can fly any way you want to indoors and outdoors.
The collective pitch can do fast forward flights, loops, rolls, stall turns, inverted flying, in place flips, and pretty much anything the R/C pilot wants it to do.
Takes more time and money to repair in case of a crash.
If a chopper's engine quits in flight it is still possible to glide the chopper down safely at a low or negative collective pitch setting ; thanks to auto-rotation.
All in all, it seems that the fixed pitch is a good idea for people just starting out. Once you master the fixed pitch helis, you can upgrade to collective pitch and really start doing some crazy stunts!

How Do RC Helicopters Work?

Helicopters are one of the most versatile modes of transportation in existence and give the pilot complete access to a fully 3-dimensional space. Because of this, helicopters, whether RC or full size, are one of the most difficult vehicles to learn to control.

For example:

A train can travel in 2 directions: forwards and backwards.

A car can travel in 4 directions: forwards, backwards, left and right.

An airplane can travel in 5 directions: forwards, left, right, up and down.

Whereas a helicopter can travel in 6 directions: forwards, backwards, left, right, up and down. Plus it can also rotate 360 degrees in either direction and do all of that while inverted.

In a traditional full size helicopter, the pilot is facing forwards controlling the cyclic with one hand and the collective with the other.

However, in an RC helicopter, you’re not always looking the same way the helicopter is flying which makes it quite difficult to keep oriented and stay in control. Heck, I’ve even heard full size helicopter pilots say that an RC helicopter is harder to fly - though in reality it’s probably not - but keeping orientated when you’re not facing the same way the helicopter is can be extremely difficult to master.

How Do RC Helicopters Fly?

So, how does an RC helicopter fly? Someone once said that it beats the air into submission – and in fact, it kind of does.

RC helicopter flight can be broken into 5 basic components and their functions. The main rotor, tail rotor, swash plate assembly, collective control and cyclic control.

The Main Rotor

A conventional RC helicopter has its main rotor above the fuselage (its body) which consists of 2 or more rotor blades extending out from a central rotor head, or hub assembly.

The main rotor of an RC helicopter is what produces the lifting force that allows the RC helicopter to fly. The rotors on a collective pitch RC helicopter are shaped just like the airfoils of an airplane wing, only they are thinner, narrower and both sides are symmetrical.

As the rotor blades rotate through the air, they generate lift. The amount of lift generated is determined by the pitch angle (and speed) of each rotor blade as it moves through the air. Pitch angle is referred to as the angle of attack when the rotors are in motion.

Some cheaper RC helicopter models which use fixed pitch rotors, generate lift by speeding up or slowing down the motor and therefore the speed of the main rotors. This results in a much slower responsiveness of the heli, since it takes some for the motor speed to speed up or slow down. As far as I know, there aren’t any real RC helicopters which use fixed pitch available on the market anymore an don’t go picking one up at a garage sale – there’s a reason they’re no longer made.

Depending on how the RC helicopter is set up, the main rotors typically spin at a constant headspeed ranging anywhere from 1,500 RPM to 3,000RPM. Larger size .60 or .90 RC helicopters will usually have a headspeed of 1,500RPM to 2,000RPM where smaller .30 or .50 size helis might have a headspeed in the 2,000RPM to 3,000RPM range.

To increase thrust, or lifting power, you simply need to increase the pitch of the main rotor. On an RC helicopter, the angle of attach (pitch) can be anywhere from +15 degrees to -15 degrees, though most RC helis are somewhere in the +11 to -11 range.

The pitch angles of the blades are controlled by the collective and the cyclic control which are transferred to the main rotors through the swash plate.

The Tail Rotor

Since Newton’s law states that “For every force, there is an equal and opposite reaction force,” as soon as the RC helicopter leaves the ground, there is there is nothing to keep the helicopter from spinning in an opposite direction to the torque force generated main rotors.

To stop the spinning of the body, a force which counteracts the force of the main rotors needs to be applied to stop it. In a single rotor RC helicopter, this is usually done by a smaller set of rotors attached to a long tail boom called the tail rotor, which is used to control the yaw, or rotation, of the helicopter.

The amount of thrust the tail rotor produces is determined by their angle of attack.

Increasing the angle of attach (pitch) of the tail rotor blade will increase the thrust, which will push the helicopter in the same direction as the main rotor blades, while decreasing the pitch decreases the amount of thrust, allowing the natural torque force of the main rotors to take over letting the helicopter rotate in the opposite direction to the main rotors.

A gyro, either mechanical or piezo-electric, measures the difference in rotational force between the helicopter and tail rotor and adjusts the pitch of the tail rotor accordingly to hold the RC heli steady.

The tail rotor is typically mounted at a 90 degree angle from the main rotor and provides a sideways thrust which counteracts the rotational force applied by the main rotors to hold it straight.

Depending on the gearing ratios, the tail rotor typically turns 3 – 6 times faster than the main rotor.

Tail rotors in RC helicopters are typically driven by a belt or a torque tube which is powered off the main gear which also powers the main rotor. In some cheaper models, a separate motor is used to power the tail.

The Swash Plate Assembly

The swash place on an RC (or full size) helicopter is used to translate the pilots commands into the motion of the main rotor blades and / or flybar.

The swash plate assembly fits on to the main rotor shaft beneath the head of the heli and consists of one rotating and one non-rotating disc.

The lower, non-rotating disc is linked directly to the cyclic and collective controls which are controlled by servos under the command of the pilot’s transmitter inputs.

This non-rotating disc is attached by a bearing to the second rotating disc, which turns with rotor and is linked to the main rotor blade pitch horns.

The swash plate can be made to tilt in any direction according to the cyclic controls, or move up and down to change the pitch of the rotors under the collective control, which allows the pilot to control the RC helicopter in a 3-dimensional space.

Collective Control

The collective control raises the entire swash plate assembly as a unit. As the swash plate rises or falls, it changes the pitch (angle of attack) of all rotor blades simultaneously and to the same degree. This is known as collective control.

Therefore, when the collective control is increased, it will raise the entire swash plate assembly increasing the angle of attack. Increasing the angle of attack increases the lift of the main rotor, causing the heli to gain altitude, while decreasing the angle of attack decreases the lift.

Since all blades are changing pitch together, the change in lift remains constant throughout every full turn of the blades.

Cyclic Control

The cyclic control works by tilting the swash plate up or down and increasing the pitch angle of a rotor blade individually as they revolve, so the angle of attack on one side of the helicopter is greater than it is on the other.

As the pitch angle changes, the lift generated by each blade changes and this unbalanced lift causes the helicopter to tip towards whichever side is experiencing the least amount of lift.

This allows the helicopter to move in any direction around a 360-degree circle, including forwards, backwards, left and right or any combination of the 4.

For example, when the cyclic control is pushed forwards on your radio transmitter, the swash plate tilts forwards increasing the angle of attack (and lift) in the rear of your helicopter which causes it to move forwards.

Because of the cyclic and collective pitch control of the main rotor blades and the pitch control of the tail rotor, your engine RPM and therefore the speed of the main rotor blades, can be kept at a constant rate increasing maneuverability response time.

Your radio transmitter handles all the mixes and translations between cyclic and collective movement, so all you need to think about is which way you want your helicopter to fly, not angles of attack or swash plate tilting.

Rc Helicopter Flights: How Easy!

By: Adwina Jackson
So how difficult is the model helicopter to control in fight? Well, it has been described as similar to balancing a steel ball on a knife edge whale riding a bicycle! Added to this is the type of thrill that is involve every second of flying. The electric RC Helicopter is also much cheaper than the next type of RC Helicopter: the gas RC Helicopter. So here are the things you should know in order to get you end up getting the right radio-controlled helicopter for you. Evaluate your flying skill.

You can also start with a scale-model plastic helicopter. There are model RC Helicopter that are made from wood. If you want to fly with the airplanes (which they tend not to like when you hover all over the runway) you will need AMA insurance. Homebuilt RC Helicopters are motorized (although wit less power) and can lift you off from the ground with the same experience you can get from a conventional full-size helicopter.

What kind of engines do RC Helicopters run on? Special remote control RC Helicopter engines. They come in 2-stroke and 4-stroke glow burning engines as well as 2 stroke gasoline models. If you descend to quickly you will enter your own down wash and the RC Helicopter will pull itself into the ground and need considerable collective to compensate. This is a bad condition. Full RC Helicopter guide at http://www.rchelicopterguide.info/heli/index.html. The HELICOPTER STATS give you a brief guide to price. If the RC Helicopter has NOT got RTF beside it you will have extra costs to get it flight ready and will have to do some building.

Then there are the bad RC Helicopter crashes where you look for the parts that aren't broken. Thanks to James for providing this sample of what happens when you turn a rotary-wing into a fixed-wing while in flight. Do not over-react and send it launching into the sky. All problems were eventually overcome and the fully controllable R/C model helicopter had arrived.
Just take it easy and if it gets "on top of you" do not touch anything but a little forward cyclic for 1 or 2 seconds. Before we start it is traditional for other pilots to share their experiences so get there and ask ask ask and ask.

RC Helicopter vs RC Planes

By: Greg Haehl
Since RC Helicopter flying takes every kids and kids at heart to the closest experience of flying a real helicopter it is undoubtedly thrilling and exciting experience. In terms if RC Helicopter sizes - here you can trim down your choices into gas electric mini micro and toy.But in the case you want to upgrade to ultralight you can easily get familiar with flying since you have already been with an engined-helicopter.

If you prefer building model helicopter for your personal gallery. Just follow the entire manual to the 't' Do not get all excited when the heli is all put together you still have many hours of configuring / balancing / and adjusting everything. Homebuilt RC Helicopters are motorized (although wit less power) and can lift you off from the ground with the same experience you can get from a conventional full-size helicopter.

What kind of engines do RC Helicopters run on? Special remote control RC Helicopter engines. They come in 2-stroke and 4-stroke glow burning engines as well as 2 stroke gasoline models. If you descend to quickly you will enter your own down wash and the RC Helicopter will pull itself into the ground and need considerable collective to compensate. This is a bad condition. Model enthusiasts are notably quick to emulate full-size aviation achievements, but were not as successful with rotary wing aircraft, and it was not until 1968 that the first fully controllable R/C model helicopter appeared, built by Dr. Dieter Schluter of West Germany.

5 Steps To Piloting RC Helicopters

By: Tara Soonthornnont
Of all the RC crafts available, radio controlled helicopter is arguably the hardest to master. However, with the advent and advances of today’s RC flight simulators, the learning curve have decreased. Now, new RC helicopter pilots can literally crash as often as they want until they can eventually keep their helicopter in the air. Nevertheless, conventional RC helicopter training lessons has not lost their importance. For some, they provide a guide to practicing in the simulator. For others who don’t like simulators - or for some reasons can’t get their hands on one, flying lessons are invaluable. For those that choose to go the no-simulator route, it is generally recommended that you hire a certified instructor. But, with the increasing popularity of cheaper electric RC helicopters, the cost involved with this hobby decreased exponentially. As a result, many new pilots are choosing to learn to fly with neither a simulator nor an instructor. No matter how you choose to learn to pilot RC helicopters, this article which provides classic helicopter lessons will definitely come in handy.

Lesson 1: First Feel of Helicopter / Ground Exercise

First things first, have your helicopter properly trimmed and set up before doing anything. Most electric models are already set up right out of the box. If your model requires any setting, make sure you follow the instruction in the manual or hire/ask someone knowledgeable to do it for you. Trimming won’t be covered in this article because it is a whole topic in itself.

Once your helicopter is trimmed, you’ll need a simple pair of training gear for bigger models. You can actually make one yourself using two four-inch rods and four balls (ping-pong balls will do nicely). However, it may be easier to buy one. If you are learning with a co-axle ready-to-fly electric helicopter such as the Lama or Walkera 54, then the training gear is unnecessary. On the other hand, if you are learning with a bigger and more conventional model such as the T-REX, then having a training gear is absolutely mandatory.

Now, you’re going to pilot your helicopter for the first time. However, for this first lesson, the goal is to learn what it "feels" like to control one. Therefore, what you want to do is to bring up the throttle/collective to the point where the helicopter is just about to lift off the ground but not quite taking to the air yet. With the helicopter in this half on the ground, half wanting to lift off phase, move the cyclic control around and see as well as get a feel of how the helicopter will react to each control. Do this several time until you have adequately felt all of the controls and more importantly, understand them.

Lesson 2: Hover (Tail In)

Once you’ve mastered the ground exercise, the next step is to hover. Every helicopter pilot and instructor will tell you that one of the most (if not the most) important component of a helicopter flight is hovering. In fact, no matter how fancy the flight, at its most fundamental level, a helicopter flight starts and ends with a hover.

For this lesson, make sure the tail is pointing in towards you. Bring up the throttle to the point that the helicopter is just about to hover just as you did in the ground exercise. Then, get the helicopter as stable as you can get it. After doing that, give it a little more throttle/collective. Remember that you should make the helicopter stable on the ground first before giving it the extra throttle to lift it off the ground. Doing this will make this lesson much easier. When the helicopter starts to lift off the ground, it’ll continue to ascend slowly. Bring the throttle down slightly to stabilize it at around 1 foot.

Next comes the hard part. Try to keep the helicopter hovering in one spot. This will prove to be very difficult at first. Draw on what you’ve learnt on from the ground exercise. Once you’ve hovered for around 30 seconds, bring the throttle down just slightly and the helicopter will start to slowly descend back to the ground. Don’t throttle down too fast or your helicopter will come crashing down and be damaged.

Try hovering many times. Between each hover, reflect on what you did right and what you did wrong. You will find that each hover will be more precise and more controlled than the last.

Another important point during this lesson is to always point the tail of the helicopter towards you. Don’t try to point the helicopter in any other direction at this point as you will very likely get disoriented. Orientation training will come later.

Once you’re comfortable with hovering at 1 foot, try bringing the helicopter up to an altitude of 3 to 5 feet. It will seem scarier but in fact, hovering at 3 - 5 feet is easier than hovering at 1 foot. Keep doing this exercise until you can hover for an entire flight of the battery pack or the fuel tank, which equals to around 7 to 10 minutes if you’re practicing on a simulator.

Each pilot takes different amount of time to learn this crucial skill. Some get it extremely fast (within days) while others take weeks or even months. Don’t be discouraged, take your time and learn at your own pace. As long as you have fun while practicing, who cares how long it takes. Don’t rush through this lesson. It is very important that you learn to hover and can do it comfortably.

Lesson 3: Basic Flight

Once you’ve mastered hovering, the next step is basic directional flight. Get your helicopter to hover as you’ve done in the last lesson, then pick a spot and pilot your helicopter there. Then pick another spot and do the same thing. At this point, you want to keep the helicopter in a tail-in position. Keep doing this until you feel comfortable that you can get your helicopter to go anywhere you want while it’s in a tail-in orientation.

Lesson 4: Nose-In Hover

After having mastered hovering and basic flight while flying tail-in, the next step, the nose-in hover, will be relatively more challenging. The idea behind this exercise is quite simple; simply hover like you did lesson 2, but this time, hover with the nose of the helicopter pointed towards you. While this may sound simple, many new pilots find this extremely difficult due to the fact that most of all the controls are now reversed. At this point, you may already confident about flying and feel that you can easily perform this hovering exercise at a high altitude. Please refrain from doing that. Instead, start this exercise by hovering at 1 foot, then slowly increasing the altitude to 5 feet as you are more confident and comfortable with the now-reversed controls. Keep doing this exercise until you can master hovering with the nose pointed towards you. Having accomplished this lesson will greatly improve your orientation awareness.

Lesson 5: Square and Figure 8 Flights

This final lesson will combine the skills you’ve learnt from previous lessons, namely, hovering, orientation, and direction flight. The combination of these skills will produce a full flight. The first goal is to try to navigate your helicopter in a square pattern. If you’ve been following the exercise without cheating, you’ll find that the square flight can be accomplished quite easily. The next goal would be to fly in a figure 8 pattern. This will prove to be more challenging but it is definitely not out of reach. As you do more and more figure eights, concentrate on keeping the 8 a perfect shape. Try your best not to veer off course. Becoming more experienced, you should aim for more and more flight control accuracy. Once you’ve mastered the figure 8, you should be able to pilot your helicopter anywhere you desire. Practice makes perfect, but also remember to have fun; after all, that is the whole point of a hobby.

The Legacy of the Helicopter Developed by Design

By: Ben Franklin
The helicopter and the airplane are undoubtedly the most important inventions of the 20th century’s aeronautical industry. People have had dreams of flying since they were born. Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian genius, was the first person who ever drew a sketch of a manually piloted helicopter. It stirred some water at that moment, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that the first modern helicopter was built, in the late 30s.

There are many and important differences between the airplane and the helicopter. Although we are not going to talk about the plane much, its basic idea is that it has to execute a forward motion in order to be able to move. The wings have the purpose of generating a force which neutralizes the gravity force when they are moving through the air, and this is exactly what makes the plane fly.

The helicopter is very different. Its ability to hover into the air without even moving is unique. This is caused by the continuous motion of the blades. This has a main factor, like in the case of airplane wings, the air resistance force.

The force which the rotating blades generate is equal to the weight of the helicopter when the helicopter hovers. If the pilot wishes to take the helicopter to a bigger height, the blades’ positioning angle must be modified. The pilot has the ability to do this simultaneously with all the helicopter’s blades.

The helicopter has only one engine, and this engine is used to spin the rotor. Although most helicopters have a single main rotor, there are some who have two. They are meant to offer a greater stability for the helicopter by spinning in different directions.

Most helicopters have a single main rotor though and a smaller one which produces a horizontal force at the tail of the helicopter. If, by any chance, the engine fails in mid-air, the main rotor’s spin will be significantly reduced. This means that the rotor won’t be able to provide the necessary ascending force for the helicopter to fly.

However, even in this desperate situation, a helicopter can still land safely, especially if there’s an experienced pilot on board. This can be done through a method called auto-rotation. This is also one of the main advantages of the helicopter, the fact that even in the most difficult conditions it can bring a pilot safely to the ground.

Helicopters have many uses, from warfare to saving lives or as a transportation means. The most technologically advanced ones are a menace on any battlefield, due to their sheer maneuverability and stealth. There are also big helicopters used to carry military equipment from place to place. Also, rich people can afford helicopters which are able to get them from place to place very quickly.

Then, helicopters are also used in rescuing people from difficult situations, in places where nothing else could reach. For example, countless persons have been saved from remote mountain tops or from rough seas. This could have never been possible otherwise, and this is maybe the biggest utility of a helicopter.

Top Reasons To Fly Electric Model Planes

By: Victor Epand
Fewer numbers of moving components. Electric motors do not have a high number of parts such as crankshafts or pistons, etc. They also do not have any carburetor to regulate the gasoline flow. A brush less electric motor is a sealed unit and it requires only a battery to be connected to it. A gasoline motor on the other hand will require valve setting after some hours of flying. It also requires lubrication in the form of oil to be mixed along with the gasoline to lubricate all the inner parts. This results in smoke coming out of the engine and it also leaves an oily residue on the body of the plane. An electric motor is also steady and does not vibrate like a gasoline motor. Electric motors can also be easily fitted to a big propeller, but a gasoline engine would need a complex clutch system to attach it to a big propeller.

Higher efficiency. An electric motor has almost double the efficiency as compared to an equivalent gasoline engine. This means that electric motors convert power into energy in a much better way than gasoline engines convert fuel into energy. Cold or humid climates do not have any effect on electric motors, but gasoline engines might need to have their settings changed to make it work efficiently in different weather conditions.

Higher reliability. Electric motors are also very reliable as compared to gasoline engines. The brush-less electric motor is virtually bullet proof and hardly ever breaks down. Gasoline motors can have reliability problems due to the sheer number of parts required to run it.

Electric motors are silent. Electric motors make no noise, vibration or give out harmful emission. 2-Stroke engines emit a lot of smoke and also emit a high-pitched whine, which could get you into trouble if you are flying your plane in a residential area. Electric planes can be flown almost anywhere because they are noiseless and smoke free.

Just plug and fly. Electric motors do not have any idling jets or airscrews to be set before any flight. All you have to do is to connect it to the battery and it is ready to fly. However, in the case of a gasoline engine, some expertise is required to set the idling rpm and the flying rpm.

Ease in re-charging. An electric motor can be charged at home, in your car or in your boat. Whereas, a gasoline motor will require the proper fuel mixed with the right percentage of lubricants to make it run properly.

It is these above factors, which make electric motors the first and better choice for not only model planes, but also model helicopters, cars, boats and trains.

So You Want To Start Flying German RC Airplanes!

By: Jerry Johnson
So you want to start flying German RC airplanes! You have looked around and did your research. You are headed out to purchase a big ole RC controlled model jet fight. Whoa! If you never flown a remote control airplane before, maybe you should learn to stand before walking and then walk before running. A big warbird such as a radio controlled jet is galloping not running.

Ok, so where do I start. Many RC modelers will prefer gliders for the novice flyers. The RC gliders are usually what they started off with to get their feet wet. The 6 foot wingspan of glider class is a perfect size. It is large enough to easily fly but small enough to fit in your car. You will find that beginner gliders are lighter, fly slower and are more tolerable to the non-flying (grumpy) community than gas powered planes. They have no noise or mess. It makes the first time experience a lot more pleasant not having to deal with a lot of other factors.

Gliders are cheaper (the entry level models) than the nitro powered planes. There is no fuel, batteries, and starter etc. to buy. The electric flight models are silent and clean. You will find more tolerance from neighbors around the flying field. All I need is the RC glider and more than likely spare battery packs. With RC gliders, you can fly from smaller fields. Nitro powered RC planes will let you fly longer but because of the noise and weight, you might have to go a field with the population is not a factor.

I really like the looks of German RC Airplanes. Try to be patient. They look cool, inviting, and powerful. It is your choice for your first RC model but try to stay away from those smooth speedy scale jobs! Remember, these machines are fast and they fly furious hard. Have you ever heard of an airplane crash? Buy one of these RC airplanes as your first RC entry and you will become very familiar with crashing. Crashing means breaking. Breaking means it cost you money. I know the trainers aren't as cool looking as a RC F4 jet airplane but using a trainer to learn to fly will make you a better pilot. Hey the Air Force doesn't just put a student pilot in a jet and start training. They use trainers.

RC flying is fun. RC flyers are a friendly group of folks. They can help you learn the sport. They are usually ready to help anyone who asks for help. RC flying is a great hobby. Now go enjoy your self and off into the wild blue yonder!

7 Tips To Maximizing Your Battery Performance

Battery technology seems to have taken a leaping step recently, allowing electric RC models to go places where once only nitrous model could go. Leading this innovation are the Li-Po or Lithium Polymer batteries which has become the standard power source for electric powered helicopters, planes, cars, boats, and almost every other type of model. However, these batteries are not exactly cheap, and improper operations will have detrimental effects. Here are seven tips to maximize your battery performance.

1. Break In New Batteries

Although not as big a deal with newer Li-Po packs as it was when NiMh and NiCad batteries were kings, it is still recommended that you fully charge the battery before first use. Fully discharging and charging batteries a few times before first flight or will also give your battery a little bit extra lifetime and power.

2. Keep the pack clean

This is probably one of the most overlooked aspects of battery operations. It is a good idea to keep the battery pack clean, and this is especially important for the dean connectors. If the dean connectors are dirty, the connection may be obstructed and could result in a mid-flight power failure. The easiest way to clean dirty contacts is simply with alcohol and cotton swaps.

3. Keep up the battery’s health by constant exercise

Leaving the battery inactive for a long period of time shorten its life and decrease its total potential. You should use your battery pack at least once every one to two weeks. Fully discharging then charging the pack will also quell this problem.

4. Take breaks between flights

A fully charged li-po pack has enough power for a 10-minute flight. However, to fly for ten minutes straight on one pack is not recommended. If you have two packs, it’s best to fly a 5 minute flight, switch to a fresh pack, fly for another 5 minute, and then switch back to the old pack. Doing this will greatly increase the life-span on the battery.

5. Do not charge when hot

Never charge the battery pack while it is still hot. Battery pack becomes very hot right after a flight; you must wait until it cools down before charging it again. Charging a still-hot pack is one of the most successful ways to shorten a battery’s life.

6. Store them well

To store the battery for a prolonged period (a month or more), the best way to store them is in a clean, dry, cool place away from metal and heat. Remember also that battery packs loose charge over time even without usage.

7. Avoid hard impact

Individual cells within a battery pack can be damaged upon heavy impact which could cause circuit leaks and can be dangerously unstable. There is also no way to repair a damaged cell. Try your best not to crash, but of course, we all already do.

How to get started flying RC helicopters

RC helicopters have become a very common RC toy lately and come in a variety of prices and types. Many problems that beginners face are what type of helicopter to choose, power source for it and whether they want an indoor or outdoor one. With many more options on top of those you can imagine how difficult it is for beginners to take off, literally. First let's talk about the different power sources that a RC model helicopter can have, and which one will best suit you.

If you are a beginner RC helicopter pilot, then the best power source for you is electric. Electrically powered chopper engines are still very fast, but yet still quiet, and can maneuver just as good a full sized fuel powered one! Another main attraction to electric helicopters is the fact that you don't have to deal with messy fuels or with tuning the engine at all. Plus fuel cost money and electricity is much cheaper. If you are a beginner then I definitely recommend that you get an electric powered RC helicopter and then progress your way up to a glow powered one.

Glow engines have been used in RC airplanes for some time now, and have made there way over to helicopters. Glow engines have a simple ignition system that uses a glow plug rather than a spark plug. The glow plug is heated by a battery operated glow starter, and meanwhile the modeler uses a starter to turn the engine over. When fuel enters the combustion chamber, it is ignited by the heated glow plug and the engine starts up.

If you want to seriously get into the RC helicopter hobby, then a glow engine chopper is perfect for realism, building, maintaining and flying! You will be able to personalize your chopper exactly the way you want it, like hover time and rotor speed. Once you get a feel for your helicopter, and have everything adjusted perfectly, your helicopter will fly just the way you want it and not the way some factory decided it should.

The next challenge beginner helicopter pilot's face is learning how to fly their chopper. This is a big problem since a helicopter is the hardest aerial vehicle to fly and having a miniature version of one doesn't make things easier. If you have no helicopter flying experience and you try to fly it, most likely it will crash into the ground. To save yourself frustration you need to learn how to properly put it together and fly it.

I recommend that you read the instruction manual, front to back, before you attempt to put it together and when you actually do, make sure you tighten every bolt and include every screw. One missing screw or loose bolt can throw the whole helicopter off and send it crashing to the ground because it is unbalanced.

Learning how to fly a RC helicopter is a challenge within itself, and could never be fully taught over the internet or through some book. The best way to learn is to get real flying experience with an instructor at first, and then on your own later. You can find an instructor at a local RC airplane and helicopter club. RC airplane clubs are most common and exist in just about every state and country, and since most of them will have experience with planes they most likely will also know how to fly RC model helicopters too.

How fast can a radio-controlled model helicopter fly?

Top speed during straight and level flight is approximately 50 mph. However, some fliers using streamlined fuselages designed for aerobatic competition claim that their models have hit speeds of over 100 mph! How far can a radio-controlled model helicopter go?

The model's range is limited not by its radio equipment, but by the pilot's ability to follow and control it. Therefore, you can fly an R/C helicopter as far as your eye can see. The radio will control it from up to approximately one mile away. How hard is a helicopter to build?

What attracts lots of people to helicopters is the fact that there is really no gluing, sanding, covering, etc. It's all just a bunch of nuts and bolts with a few precision machined parts thrown in! You might say it's sort of an advanced "Erector set." Just as anybody can fly one, so too can anybody build one, that is anyone who is willing to follow the instructions. If you can build an R/C car you can build an R/C helicopter. Generally it should take a beginner about four to five evenings to assemble a .30 size heli and get it ready ready to fly. Your local flying club or hobby store can help you if you run into trouble. How do you control it?

As with full-sized helicopters, radio controlled helicopters are controlled with five functions:

THROTTLE and COLLECTIVE PITCH of the main rotor blades is mixed together. As you advance the "throttle" stick of the radio controller, not only is the engine power increased, but the pitch of the main rotor blades is also added collectively to make the helicopter go up (or down as the "throttle" stick is brought back). Ideally, the proportion of throttle and rotor blade collective pitch is mixed so that the rotor head speed is always the same.

The TAIL ROTOR BLADES are there in the first place to counteract the torque created by the engine power used to turn the main rotor blades. Without a tail rotor the helicopter would just keep spinning around out of control. The pitch of the tail blades is controlled by you in order to tell the helicopter which direction it "faces." Technically, the axis about which the tail rotor turns the helicopter is called the "yaw" axis (this would be a line drown straight down through the main shaft).

The FORE-AFT CYCLIC control changes the pitch of the main rotor blades only at one point around each 360 degree revolution of the rotor blades in cycles or cyclically. When this happens the helicopter will "nose up" or down in order to move the helicopter forward or backward. The axis about which the helicopter "noses up" or down is called "pitch" axis.

The LEFT-RIGHT CYCLIC is the same as described for fore-aft cyclic except that the pitch of the main rotor blades changes at a different point (90 degrees later) throughout each 360 degree revolution in order to "bank" the helicopter to the right or left. The axis about which the helicopter banks is called the "roll" axis.



Imagine all this going on around 1,6000 times per minute! If this seems complicated, don't worry. You don't really have to understand it because the controls will do their job and the helicopter will fly with or without your technical knowledge of how they operate. You get to do the fun part!

What types of things can an R/C helicopter do?

Just about anything you can think of (that involves flying). That's another attraction that helicopters seem to have. They can hover in one spot, fly backwards, sideways, or do pirouettes while in forward flight, stall turns, loops, rolls, standing loops and rolls (a loop or a roll with no forward speed), tumble, and most amazingly to the laymen (and even to most accomplished fliers too) they can fly upside down and hover inches off the ground! Let's see an airplane or a full size helicopter do that! Where can you fly it?

This again is up to your common sense. It is strongly recommended that you check with your local hobby store, the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics), and IRCHA (International R/C Helicopter Association), to see if there is a model club in your area. A club flying site is usually the best area to fly. Otherwise just look for what might be a suitable flying area keeping in mind the size of the site, who owns the property, electrical lines, houses and neighborhoods, kids, etc. Use good judgement. When learning, you will find that you are most comfortable and relaxed when you are all by yourself. A well-lit parking lot at night is even a good place for just learning to hover. How hard is it to fly?

Of all the radio controlled vehicles out there, no question about it, helicopters are the hardest to fly. Don't let this scare you! Many times you will hear some clever analogy of how hard it is to fly a helicopter . . . "It's like standing on a beach ball on one foot while trying to balance a broomstick in the palm of your hand on a windy day." Clever, but these people probably have not even flown a helicopter themselves. Yes, they are difficult to fly, but anybody who really wants to learn to fly one can do so with some time and perseverance. The nice thing is that you can learn how to fly all by yourself, though it is highly recommended that you have us at least help you set up your machine. All you have to do is progress at a rate that you are comfortable with. Soon you will be hovering, and then into forward flight, and then loops and rolls, and then who knows what! How long does it take to learn to fly?

This all depends on how hard you work at it. Generally, it will take most people two or three weeks of practice maybe three to four evenings a week to learn to hold a fairly solid hver. After another month or so, you will be comfortable with forward flight. By the end of the third month you can be performing loops. It all depends on your personality, interest level, and how much you enjoy flying. We have seen many people doing loops and rolls within a month's time! The key point to remember is to have fun along the way. You may have fun just flying around, or you might be the type who always wants to get the most out of your machine so you will work very hard at executing maneuvers with precision. It all depends on you. Do you have to start with R/C airplanes first?

NO! With helicopters you start flying from the ground up. Having flown an airplane certainly cannot hurt, but as far as hovering goes, it is completely different from an airplane anyway. Vice, versa. If you started out on helicopters you probably would pick up airplane flying a little quicker, too. Who will help me fly it?

Most hobby stores that sell helicopters offer flying lessons, or they can help put you in touch with a model club in your area that can help you. Are helicopters dangerous?

At a glance a helicopter may appear to be harmless, but when the engine is spinning the blades at over 2000 RPM (275 mph), you can easily see how much energy this model has. Helicopter pilots must be very careful to choose a location that is a safe distance from spectators, buildings, trees, and roadways. To avoid accidents, they must also pay attention to the condition of their machine. Do you have to use a helicopter radio? How many channels?

Highly recommended, but not necessary. A helicopter radio has special throttle/collective-pitch/tail mixing functions that are not available on airplane radios. These mixing functions make the helicopter much easier to set up and fly. Special features such as "throttle hold" and "idle up" also increase ease of aerobatics. The helicopter will fly with a minimum number of 4 channels by directly linking throttle and collective pitch on one servo or channel. The minimum number of channels available on a helicopter radio is five: throttle, collective pitch, tail rotor pich, fore-aft cyclic and left-right cyclic. More channels may be used for other purposes: gyro switching, lights, landing gear. Do I have to use a gyro? What does it do?

Yes you have to use a gyro (if you really want to learn at a quick rate with less crashes). Just as you will buy a helicopter radio sooner or later, you will end up buying a gyro even sooner if you don't right at the initial purchase. Until you know the difference, you can't really appreciate how much one will help you. What a gyro does is act as automatic pilot for the tail rotor (the function that tells the helicopter what direction to face). When learning, it is important that the helicopter is always facing the same direction as you are (the nose pointing away from you and the tail pointing towards you). This way every input that you give to the helicopter will be the same direction you are facing. Right is right, left is left, forward is forward, etc. If the helicopter is sideways to you or facing you, until you are ready to control the machine in this orientation, you will be very confused. The gyro will help the helicopter always face the same direction. It compensates for wind and over controlling the function. It dampens the "twichiness" of the tail.