It is possible for an RC helicopter to use more that two main rotor blades. With four evenly spaced rotors (quad-rotor) the thrust from all the RC helicopter’s rotors is combined to generate lift, and the thrust produced by each individual rotor can be varied to allow the RC heli to maneuver.

Decreasing thrust on rotors at or near the front will cause the RC helicopter’s nose to drop. This results in a forward tilt and forward motion. The same method can be applied to the rotors on the back or side, allowing the RC helicopter to move backward and side to side. Draganflyer RC Helicopters use quad-rotor design.

More information can be found in Wikipedia’s quad-rotor helicopter article.

The BladeRunner Recon is a soon to be released indoor electric RC helicopter with built in micro wireless spy camera. This radio control BladeRunner Recon spy helicopter has a video camera built right into the nose.

The video signal is sent by wireless signal back to a 2.2″ LCD screen built right into the transmitter. This displays a real time picture from the Recon rc helicopter’s point of view.

The BladeRunner Recon’s receiver can also be connected to your tv, for a larger view. It can even record still images and video clips of lengths up to one minute on its internal memory, which you can download to your computer through a standard USB port. A USB memory stick can be used for longer clips.

The BladeRunner Recon is a 3 channel rc helicopter. This means it can be maneuvered up & down, turn right & left, and move forward & backward. Two sets of blades are included with the BladeRunner Recon, one “beginner” set for practice, and one “pro” set for serious use. More Bladerunner parts can be purchased at RCToys.com.

The BladeRunner Recon comes ready to fly with no assembly required.

Manufactured by Interactive Toy Concepts, the BladeRunner Recon is expected to be available this fall, for a price of aproximately $200 US. View more Bladerunner Series RC Helicopters.

Most radio control helicopters use a common layout, with one large main rotor on top generating lift, and a small tail rotor. This is called the Sikorsky layout.

When the rc heli’s horizontal main rotor turns generating upward thrust, it also generates torque which causes the helicopter to rotate in the direction opposite to the rotation of the main rotor. This is countered by sideways thrust generated by a vertically mounted tail rotor. An explanation about the way this works can be found in the Antitorque section of the helicopter article on Wikipedia.

Also, by varying the thrust produced by the tail rotor the RC heli can remain in one position, or intentionally rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise.

An example of a conventional RC helicopter is the eXtreme 450 Brushless 3D electric helicopter made by Thunder Power RC. Smaller examples include indoor mini helis and mini bell IR helicopters.

An RC helicopter using a contra-rotating propulsion system will have two rotors spinning in opposite directions. This allows the torque generated by the rotor blades to be canceled out, and removes the need for a tail rotor to keep the RC helicopter from spinning. Without a tail rotor, the rc helicopter’s tail boom can be eliminated, saving weight.

One possible contra-rotating layout has one rotor blade mounted at each end of a long fuselage, as it is for the full scale Boeing CH-47 Chinook, and is known as a tandem rotor. This concept is explained well by the Tandem Rotor article on Wikipedia. Alternatively, both contra-rotating rotors can be placed on the same shaft, resulting in a coaxial design (sharing the same axis). Another good Wikipedia article on Coaxial Rotors explains the theory behind this.

Coaxial rc helicopters are very stable and easy to fly. The Bladerunner series of indoor rc helicopters made by Interactive Toy Concepts, and the ESky Lama V3 and Lama II V4 electric RC helicopters are examples of designs using co-axial rotor blades.

RCHelicopter.com provides information on rc helicopter news, applications & uses, design & construction, power systems, components, and more.

RCHelicopter.com announces the launch of its new informational website. This new online rc helicopter information resource is billed as “Your information source for all things RC Helicopter.”

RCHelicopter.com provides guides and informational articles covering all aspects of remote control RC helicopters. “We saw the need for a place to put together information of interest to rc helicopter enthusiasts and make it available to the community,” says RCHelicopter.com. “We wanted to provide as much information as possible, with a focus on what individuals in the rc helicopter community are looking for.” Take the example of a beginner who is looking for an explanation about the different types of rc helicopters. They would need information that would let them make an informed decision on what they need to get into the hobby. To find this, all they need to do is go to www.rchelicopter.com and check out the articles under remote control RC helicopter design and have a look at the section showing examples of rc helicopters of each type. For someone who wants to learn how to fly, the rc helicopter flight school section contains information on how the controls work and tips on using flight simulators for training. For experienced users, there are articles covering rc helicopter power systems, radio control systems, rc servos, helicopter stabilization systems, and flight data recording & monitoring systems for RC helicopters. The latest news and information section contains articles of interest to rc hobbyists of all levels.

The new RC helicopter website features a streamlined and ordered layout, with a category tree on the left hand side. Clicking on any of the main categories will cause all of its articles to be displayed, along with articles from included sub-categories. Lower on the left hand side are links to other resources and shortcuts to recent posts. At the bottom left the RC Helicopter.com RSS feed is made available. On the right hand side, links to news articles about rc helicopters from external sites are displayed. The center of the home page is devoted to the articles, which are the heart of the site. These are listed starting with the most recent at the top. Selecting any article summary will cause the full version to expand and display.

What information is available and what categories are covered at RCHelicopter.com? The news category features articles on the latest developments in the rc helicopter industry. For information on using rc helicopters to take aerial photographs or video, check out the sections on wireless video and still cameras. There are also categories about commercial, military, and police applications. For individuals interested in technical details, there are categories with information about the different designs and construction of various types of rc helicopters from conventional and co-axial to quad and multi-rotor. The flight school section contains useful articles and tips for beginners. Information on rc helicopter components is also available in categories from power systems (including electric and fuel) to radio control systems, servos, and stabilization methods.

Whether you are considering getting into the rc helicopter hobby, are learning to fly a new helicopter, or are an experienced pilot, check out www.rchelicopter.com. The information available there is sure to peak your interest.

We’re launching the new RCHelicopter.com! The new RCHelicopter.com is your information source for all things RC Helicopter.