The Bladerunner Micro Mosquito is a small electric RC helicopter. It flies very well out of the box, but several users have come up with modifications which improve it’s appearance and flight characteristics. This article lists the different possible modifications, and explains how to do each one.

Increase The Speed Of The RC Helicopter

One of the most popular modifications involves increasing the horizontal speed of Micro Mosquito. This can be done in one of two ways:

1. Shift the center of gravity forward - If the balance point of the Micro Mosquito is moved forward, then it will move forward faster. You can do this by adding small weights under the Micro Mosquito’s main rotors. This will result in increased forward speed, but decreased backwards speed.
2. Get a different tail rotor - Standard mini heli tail rotors will fit the Micro Mosquito’s tail motor shaft. Mini heli tail rotors move air more efficiently in one direction than another, so using them on the Micro Mosquito will let you control the pitch in one direction more effectively. Normally, it is better to have more control in the forward (nose down) direction of travel.

Decrease The Weight Of The RC Helicopter

There are a number of ways that you can decrease the Micro Mosquitos weight. Decreasing the weight will provide longer flight times and more performance.

1. Remove the rubber “feet” - You can do this by pulling them off of the Micro Mosquito’s legs.
2. Remove part of the plastic shell - You can unscrew and remove the bottom part of the Micro Mosquito’s body, which will dramatically reduce the weight of the RC helicopter.

Optimize The Radio Range Of The RC Helicopter

The range of the radio transmitter is fine for flying inside a house, but more range is required for flying in a gym or other open area. This is one of the more technical mods, so proceed at your own risk. I have not actually tried this, but this thread on RCGroups.com says it should work. Follow this procedure carefully:

1. Open the transmitter case - Do this by removing the 5 screws found on the back of the transmitter case.
2. Remove the circuit board - Remove the three screws holding the circuit board down, and gently remove it.
3. Remove capacitor C15 - Flip the circuit board over, and look for a capacitor marked C15. It should be on the left side of the circuit board. De solder this capacitor and remove it carefully. There should be no contact between the solder pads where the capacitor used to be.
4. Re install the circuit board - Put the circuit board back on and replace the three screws that you took off earlier.
5. Close up the case - Put the back of the transmitter case back on and screw it in place with the five screws you removed earlier.

Unfortunately, we know very little about this mod or if / why it works. Any comments on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Remove the Throttle Spring From The Transmitter

Normal radio transmitters do not have a spring restrained throttle. Pilots of larger RC helicopters appreciate the control that not having a throttle spring provides, so here is how you remove it:

1. Open the transmitter case - Do this by removing the 5 screws found on the back of the transmitter case.
2. Find the spring - It should be behind the throttle stick.
3. Remove one of the two screws the spring is attached to - And then put the screw back. You can leave the spring in the case or remove it entirely, it doesn’t really matter.
4. Reassemble the case - Put the transmitter back together using the 5 screws that you removed earlier.

Now the throttle lever will stay where you last left it, so that the Micro Mosquito can hover without constant control input.

Improve Flight Stability and Control

Here are some tips to improve how the Micro Mosquito flies.

1. Tilt the tail rotor - The micro mosquito tends to spin when the throttle is accelerated, sometimes leading to a hard landing. You can fix this problem by twisting the tail boom about 5 degrees to the left (when viewed from behind). Twisting the tail boom is easier if you heat it up slightly beforehand.
2. Add weight to the main rotors - The inertia of the main rotors causes them to self stabilize when spinning. You can increase this tendency by coiling a small amount of very thin wire over the outer rotor wire. Do this twice on opposite sides of one main rotor, and then repeat for the other main rotor. As long as you don’t add too much weight this should improve the RC helicopter’s stability.

Color!

Here are some tips and tricks you can use to personalize your Micro Mosquito:

• Remove the case and spray paint it - take all of the radio components, batteries, and motors out of the Micro Mosquito’s body and spray paint it any color you like.
• Fuel tubing effects - Get a piece of clear fuel tubing from your local hobby store. Then push one end over one of the Micro Mosquito’s green LED eyes. Bend the piece of fuel tubing over, and push it on to the other LED. When the helicopter is turned on, the light should produce a really cool neon tube effect. This is also a great way to move the center of gravity forward, so the helicopter goes faster.
• Insect antenna - Use stiff wire and make a pair of insect antenna. You can glue these to the Micro Mosquito’s body to create an insect appearance. Be sure to keep them away from the main rotors. Just like the fuel tube mod, this will move the center of gravity forward and cause the helicopter to move faster.

Spare Parts / Experiment Pack

Need parts for your Micro Mosquito? RCtoys.com has a great selection and a special package of parts, chosen for easy modification. You can build all sorts of RC vehicles using the micro mosquito and it’s components. Get out your tools and let your imagination soar!