Ensuring that your RC helicopters rotor blades track properly is just as important as blade balancing. This article will show you how to quickly and easily balance your RC helicopter’s rotor blades so that they track properly through the air.

RC helicopter blades are balanced along their vertical axis before flight, but they can still travel through the air in a less than optimal path. If the rotor blades have slightly different shapes, then each blade will try to follow a different path while spinning. You can check to see if your RC helicopter’s rotor blades are tracking properly by following this procedure:

1. Get a friend that is willing to help you balance your model.
2. Mark one rotor tip with bright adhesive tape.
3. Have your friend hold the transmitter, while you hold the model so that the rotor blades are at eye level.
4. Be careful not to hold the blades too close to your face, and have your friend increase throttle to full.
5. Watch the rotor blades edge on. If you only see one profile, then they are tracking correctly. If you see two then they will have to be corrected.

Fortunately, there is a simple and cost effective way to fix badly tracking rotor blades. If you have a collective pitch helicopter, then you should be able to adjust the pitch of each rotor blade. A fixed pitch RC helicopter can be balanced by adding tape between the top surface of the rotor blade and the root holder. You can also try gently flexing one rotor blade to increase the camber of its airfoil.

The new Hirobo XRB shuttle boasts some exciting new features not normally found in RC helicopters of it’s price range. It features a coaxial design, making it an ultra stable training heli for almost any pilot.

The Hirobo XRB shuttle measures 36 cm in length, 160 cm in height, and has a main rotor diameter of 160 cm. This small form factor let’s it fly indoors easily. The Hirobo mini shuttle weighs only 165 grams, and includes a lipo balance charger.

The Megatech Micro Flyer is a two channel RC helicopter built to extremely small dimensions. A durable plastic body and stable coaxial design make it the perfect RC helicopter for kids.

The Megatech Micro Flyer includes a charger that is built right into the transmitter. This lets you charge the RC helicopter on the field, maximizing flying time.

A simple to use transmitter operates on the radio band, not the line of sight infra red frequency that is often used with micro helicopters. The transmitter also uses buttons instead of sticks, requiring less skill to operate precisely.

The Megatech Micro Flyer uses a coaxial design, giving it good flight stability. A separate tail rotor is used to control yaw.

The Megatech Micro Flyer is a great, easy to fly electric RC helicopter for beginners. You can read more about it on it’s website

RC helicopters are not toys, and can cause serious injury if misused. This article lists the various safety tips that you can use to stay safe when building and flying your RC helicopters.

Prevent Building Errors

When building the RC helicopter, it is imperative that you follow all of the manufacturers instructions. Not only will this give you a more enjoyable building experience, but it will also increase the chance of a successful first flight.

• Use a thread locking compound on each bolt that does not have a lock washer. This prevents bolts from vibrating loose during flight.
• Make all bolts and screws tight, but not tight enough to strip screws or round off screwdrivers. Over tightening screws and bolts can cause structural damage to the RC helicopter.
• Keep the different radio wires of your RC helicopter away from moving parts.
• Lubricate all moving parts.
• Route the antenna wire through the RC helicopter in such a way that it does not get tangled or caught in any parts of the RC helicopter. Losing a part of the antenna in flight can cause a crash.
• The power switch should be oriented so that it cannot accidentally be turned off. If the switch is mounted horizontally, make sure that the on position is towards the back. If the switch is mounted vertically, the up position should turn the RC helicopter on.

While At the Flying Field

When you are at the flying field, follow these tips to ensure your and others safety.

• If you are flying at a club, then there should be a frequency board with clips attached. Before you ever turn on your radio system, make sure that your pin is on the board, next to your radio frequency. This prevents conflicts between different RC helicopters, ensuring everyones safety.
• Keep a first aid kit in the car, or leave one where everyone can find it.
• Remove the main rotor blades before you start the engine for the first time. This will prevent them from spinning and causing injury if the engine starts at a high throttle setting.
• Perform a full range check of your radio equipment before each flight, according to your radio systems instructions.

Starting the Engine

Starting the engine and carrying the RC helicopter out to the runway is one of the most dangerous parts of any flight. Following these tips will help keep you safe.

• Make sure that both the transmitter and receiver are on before starting the engine.
• Hold on to the rotor head to prevent it from moving, if the engine starts to move the rotors.
• Make sure that the throttle hold and idle up setting on the transmitter are off.
• Keep the transmitter neck strap away from the throttle lever.

While Flying

• Keep the RC helicopter away from other aircraft and people.
• Use sunglasses on a bright day, so that you don’t lose the helicopter in the Sun.
• Stand 15 to 20 feet away from the RC helicopter when flying.
• Fly with a friend, so that he/she can help you if there is an accident.

After flying, clean the RC helicopter throughly and pack all of your tools neatly. This will help make sure that you don’t lose anything, and will keep your RC helicopter in good condition and ready for the next flight.

The Bandit X-Cell 450 is a new miniature electric RC helicopter, built by Miniature Aircraft. It has an impressive list of features; here are some of the most important:

• Graphite chassis
• Metal rotor head
• Adjustable motor head mixing
• Graphite main rotor grips
• Molded canopy

There are many different 450 size RC helicopters on the market, but Miniature Aircraft sets itself apart by providing outstanding quality in its products. The bandit is no different, and is remarkably easy to assemble.

When you want to take your electric RC helicopter flying to the next level, the Miniature Aircraft X-Cell Bandit 450 is an excellent choice.

The Blade CP Pro 2 is a sophisticated electric RC helicopter, capable of extreme 3D maneuvers right out of the box. It includes many features not usually found in RC helicopters of its price range, including:

• A Spectrum 2.4 Ghz radio system
• A heading hold gyroscope
• A three cell 11.1 volt, 800 Mah lithium polymer battery
• Three digital, sub micro servos coupled to a swashplate (120 degree control)

The Blade CP Pro 2 provides full cyclic collective pitch control – driven by three digital servos linked to an included mixer. Because of this the Blade CP Pro 2 is a sophisticated RC helicopter – best flown
by experienced pilots.

A powerful 370 sized brushed electric motor provides more than enough power for the RC helicopter, and the N60 tail rotor provides rapid control response.

The Blade CP Pro 2 is a great RC helicopter, packed full of features that any experienced RC helicopter pilot will appreciate.

Interactive Toy Concepts Ltd. has recently released a new micro RC helicopter, further adding to their impressive selection. The Micro Nano uses dual tail rotors to achieve 3 channel control (up/down, left/right, and

forwards/backwards.) It does this by angling the tail rotor blades so that they face outwards from each other. When one tail rotor is spun, it will turn the RC helicopter, but when both are spun, they create an upwards or downwards flow of air. This allows the RC helicopter to climb and descend on the pilots command.

The Micro Nano’s design is based on the popular Black Ghost RC helicopter, so all of the black ghost parts will work with the Micro Nano. If you need replacement parts for your Micro Nano, you can get them at www.rctoys.com

The popular toy RC helicopter maker, Interactive Toy Concepts Ltd., has recently released two new small infrared RC helicopters. The Iron man helicopter sports a red color scheme, and the incredible hulk helicopter is painted in green.

At a first glance, these micro RC helicopters look like entirely new concepts. However, we have found that both the Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk use the same design as the Bladerunner Black Ghost RC helicopter released last year. All of these RC helicopters use a coaxial design, and have two channel infrared (IR) radio systems.

Because the Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk helicopters use the same design as the Black Ghost, all of the parts are interchangeable. This means that you can use all of the tail props, main rotor blades, and other parts available for the Black Ghost with your Iron Man, or Incredible Hulk RC helicopter. The colors of the parts even match!

The auto rotation is one of the most interesting, and challenging maneuvers that an RC helicopter can perform. Autorotation is the state of flight where the RC helicopters rotors spin freely, without input from the engine. This means that the rotors only have 2 energy sources: their own momentum and the upward motion of air over the blades, caused by the helicopters descent. In an autorotation landing, the pilot needs to manage the descent speed of the rc helicopter, so that enough energy is left in the blades to reduce the landing speed to a safe amount. This picture shows the difference between powered and autorotation RC helicopter flight.

Not only are autorotations a crowd pleasing maneuver, they are of vital importance during an equipment failure. If the engine of the RC helicopter stops for any reason, then auto rotation flight begins immediately. It will be up to the pilot to handle the situation accordingly an land the RC helicopter safely.

Fortunately, there is a way to practice autorotations safely, without excessive risk to the RC helicopter. Begin by setting the throttle hold position to about 30 percent, or just enough such that the RC helicopter will barely hover. Mark the throttle hold switch by placing a piece of fuel tubing over it. This will let you find it quickly, by giving it a different feel than the other switches.

You can master the autorotation by following this procedure:

1. Learn to control the descent – The first step is to learn how to fly a controlled descent under low power. Take off, and then start by turning the RC helicopter so that it faces into the wind. Then reduce your throttle and collective pitch so that the RC helicopter descends gradually. Keep the nose pointed straight ahead, and keep the RC helicopter level. After you have descended to about 20 feet, increase power and level off. Continue these practice runs until you become very confident.
2. Now try it with low power – After you become comfortable with descents at normal throttle settings, you are ready to try them with the throttle reduced. This will allow you learn to autorotate, while allowing you to bail out if the situation becomes dangerous. Practice step one again, but this time do it with the throttle hold engaged. You will want the RC helicopter to be very high when trying this for the first time. Like before, have the RC helicopters nose pointing into the wind. Engage the throttle hold, and use the collective to control the descent rate. Just like in step one, increase the throttle and level out at around 20 feet above the ground. Repeat this until you are comfortable with descents at low power, and then attempt a controlled landing. Landings at low power involve the following steps:
   1. Entry – This occurs when you reduce power, and start to descend.
   2. Descent – Descent should be relatively rapid, so that more energy is left in the rotor blades for landing.
   3. Flare – As you near the ground, pull the nose of the helicopter up and use the collective to reduce descent speed.
      
   4. Landing – Use the last of the rotors momentum to slow your final descent to a safe amount, and land the RC helicopter.

   It is very important that you let the RC helicopter descend relatively rapidly at first – you will need the extra rotor speed to land safely.

3. Reduce throttle power - After mastering a controlled descent and landing at 30 percent throttle, continue practicing at lower and lower throttle settings. Eventually, you should be able to execute a polished landing with the engine at idle.

Congratulations! You have just mastered autorotation landings.

A new RC helicopter has recently appeared on the market, claiming to be the world’s fastest. Designed by world class RC helicopter pilot Curtis Youngblood and Next D Designs, it appears very impressive. Take a look at this video, showing the Rave 450s incredible rotor speed.

Next-D Rave Teaser by Curtis Youngblood from RCHeliResource.Com on Vimeo.

The Rave 450 sports a carbon fiber fuselage, tube driven tail, and an all metal head. We look forward to learning more about this exciting new RC helicopter.

This looks like a very promising RC helicopter, but we couldn’t find any technical specifications on the manufacturers website. They will be releasing more details about the Rave 450 in early to mid summer.