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!

Use this handy glossary of remote controlled helicopter terms if you hear something about RC helicopters and don’t know what it means.

A – B – C – D – E – F – G – H – I – J – K – L – M
N – O – P – Q – R – S – T – U – V – W – X – Y – Z

- A -

12V starter

An electric motor used to start RC helicopterengines.

2.4 Ghz

A radio frequency used by spread spectrum radio systems.

3D

A RC helicopter which can maneuver in 3 dimensions freely (I.E an RC helicopter which can hover upside down).

72 Mhz

A frequency band used by RC aircraft in North America. 72 Mhz radios are gradually being replaced with spread spectrum (2.4 Ghz) technology.

- B -

Batteries

An array of electro chemical cells used for the storage of electricity. Each cell is a device which can convert chemical energy directly into electricity (the flow of electrons). Each cell has two terminals (positive and negative) connected to a pair of internal electrodes suspended in an electrolyte. A battery is composed of multiple cells.

Brushed Motor

An internally commutated electric motor, which runs off DC (direct current) power.

Brushless motor

An electric motor which uses an electric control system instead of brushes. Brushless motors are more efficient, more reliable, and last longer than brushed motors. Brushless motors are frequently used in CD ROM drives.

Buddy Box

A dummy radio transmitter used by a student pilot, linked to a real radio transmitter used by the instructor. This allows the student to control the RC helicopter, while the instructor can take control if the student loses control.

- C -

Carburetor

The carburetor mixes fuel with air. It then sends this mixture to the cylinder, where it is burned.

Center of Gravity

The point on any object where the gravitational forces are balanced (balance point).

Coaxial

An RC helicopter design which uses two main rotors, placed on top of each other. There appears to be only one axial, but the main axial is actually composed of two axials, one inside the other. This design is frequently used in small inexpensive RC helicopters.

Collective

The collective is a control function on the RC helicopter where the swashplate moves upwards or downwards evenly. This increases or decreases the pitch of the rotor blades collectively (at the same time). The change in pitch will cause the helicopter to rise or descend.

Conventional Design

Conventional RC helicopters use one main rotor to generate lift, and a smaller tail rotor mounted at the end of the fuselage to control yaw.

Crash

An unplanned and sudden landing, usually resulting in damage to the RC helicopter.

Cyclic

Cyclic pitch is used to control the RC helicopters pitch (orientation). When the cyclic is used, the swashplate tilts, changing the pitch of the rotor blades cyclically. This “bends” the rotor disc in one direction, and the resulting change in thrust will move the RC helicopter in that direction.

- D -

Drag

Drag is the force which resists the movement of a solid object in a fluid or gas (air). Drag is the opposite of thrust, and can be reduced by using a streamlined fuselage.

- E -

Electric

Electric power is becoming more popular amount RC helicopter enthusiasts. Electric power is quiet, clean, and can deliver just as much power as a comparable gas or nitro engine.

Engine

An engine burns fuel to turn a shaft, directly converting stored chemical energy into kinetic energy (motion). Engines can be either gas or glow, with gas being favored among larger models.

Engine break in

If your engine is new, run a few tanks of fuel through it before you fly for the first time. The manufacturer will provide a manual explaining how to do this. If you can, perform the break in with the engine attached to a work bench, and a propeller installed.

- F -

Field charger

A battery charger that can be run off of a 12 volt field battery.

Fixed pitch RC Helicopter

An RC helicopter that does not change the pitch of it’s rotor blades.

FM

Frequency Modulated.Modern RC helicopters use either an FM radio system, or the newer spread spectrum technology.

Four forces of flight

Thrust, weight, lift and drag. In order to fly, the thrust must exceed the drag and the lift must exceed the weight.

Fuel

Can be either gas or nitro. Nitro engines burn a blend of nitromethenol and castor oil, while gas engines burn gasoline.

- G -

Gas

Gasoline. Only the largest fuel powered RC helicopters use gasoline as a power source. Most small and mid size helicopters use nitro fuel or electricity.

Glow Driver

A small electric plug which heats the glow plug during engine start up

Glow plug

A part of the engine which burns nitro fuel by a catylitic reaction. The glow plug needs to be heated with a glow driver to start the engine.

Ground Effect

When the helicopter hovers close to the ground (less than one rotor diameter), the downwash from the rotor blades creates a high pressure bubble of air. Flight performance is changed when the helicopter is close to the ground, requiring the pilot to pay extra attention.

Gyro

A gyroscope is a device which maintains it’s orientation in space. When installed in an RC helicopter, the gyroscope eliminates any unwanted movement of the tail (yaw). There are two kinds of gyroscope available: rate, and heading hold. Read the article on RC helicopter gyros to learn more.

Gyro Gain

Gyro gain is the sensitivity of the RC helicopter gyroscope. A high gyro gain will resist tail motion, while a low gyro gain will allow it. Use a high gyro gain when learning how to fly RC helicopters, and a low gyro gain when performing aerobatics.

Gyroscopic Precession

Any spinning object acts as a gyroscope, including the main rotors of the RC helicopter. The rotors spin, but any pitch change will only take effect until approximately 90 degrees from the point where the change was applied.

- H -

Heat Sink Head

RC helicopter engines come with large heat sink head. This is important, because the engine is not exposed to the airstream. The heat sink head radiates the heat generated by the engine.

Hover

A helicopter hovers when it is at rest relative to the ground while flying.

- I -

Infra Red

The red portion of the invisible electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared light is sometimes used to control cheap micro electric RC helicopters.

Instructions

The single most important part of any RC helicopter, whether its a kit, ARF, or RTF. Also, the most frequently ignored / misused.

Instructor

A more experienced RC helicopter pilot, who teaches student pilots how to fly their RC helicopters safely.

- L -

Landing Skid

Landing gear for an RC helicopter (what the RC helicopter rests on when landed)

Lead Acid

A type of battery used in cars and flight boxes, due to it’s large capacity. These batteries are very heavy, so they are not used in RC helicopters or other RC models. Usually, they are avaiable in various capacities, all at 12 volts.

Lift

The upwards force acting on an RC helicopter (or any RC aircraft). This is the force which keeps the RC helicopter flying. Lift is generated by a difference in atmospheric pressure between the top and bottom rotor blades, causing a downward flow of air, resulting in an upwards propulsive effect.

Lipo

Lithium polymer battery. These batteries are very light, and have a huge capacity. Because of this, they have almost entirly replaced NiCd or NiMh batteries in RC helicopters. They have a volitile chemistry, so they must be supervised when charging or discharging. Unlike NiCd or NiMh batteries, they cannot be completely discharged. If the voltage of each cell in the battery pack drops below 3 volts, the pack will be destroyed.

Loop

An aerobatic maneuvre, performed by causing the RC helicopter to travel 360 degrees in a verticle motion.

- M -

Memory Effect

Does not actually exist. This “effect” is the illusion of a battery pack losing capacity due to over discharge or over charge. The memory effect actually consists of two separate effects: Cell aging, and voltage depression. Voltage depression is caused by the buildup of crystals inside each cell. This increases the internal resistance of the cell and leads to a rapid decrease in voltage. Cell aging works in the same way, except that it occurs gradually over time. These two effects are the reason that rechargable batteries wear out. Most prevalent in NiCd batteries, it can be repaired to some extent by discharging each cell to near its minimum voltage, and then fully charging the battery pack. Prevent damage to your battery packs by not over charging or discharging below the minimum capacity.

Micro RC Helicopter

Used interchangably with Mini RC Helicopter, ususally meaning a small, inexpensive, 2 channel RC helicopter.

Mid Air Collision

A mid air collision between two RC helicopters or other aircraft. A mid air collision usually results in the destruction of both aircraft involved. It is very hard to determine who is at fault after a mid air collision, so it is generally best when pilots take their own losses.

Mini RC Helicopter

See micro RC helicopter.

Mixture

Refers to the amount of fuel and air in being burned in the engine. Adjust the mixture by using the needle valve, so that the engine runs smoothly.

Mode 1

Mode 1 RC transmitters are commonly used in the United States. On a mode 1 transmitter, throttle and the tail rotor are controlled with the left stick, while the cyclic and elevator functions are controlled using the right stick.

Mode 2

Mode 2 transmitters control cyclic and elevator with the left stick, and throttle and tail rotor with the right stick.

Motor

An electric motor is a device which uses the relationship between electricity and magnitism to turn a shaft and do work. Electric motors can be either brushed, or brushless.

- N -

NiCd

Nickel Cadmium. This is a type of rechargable battery . These batteries are becoming less popular due to voltage depression , which increases the internal resistance of the battery when it is over charged or over discharged.

NiMH

Nickel Metal Hydride. This is a type of rechargable battery, which is frequently used in radio equipment. NiMh batteries do not suffer from voltage depression to the same extent as NiCds. This makes them a great choice for RC cars, which can discharge a pack rapidly.

- P -

Pitch

Pitch has two definitions:

1. The tilt of the RC helicopters rotor blades – can be fixed or cyclic collective.
2. The attitude of the helicopter itself (the vertical tilt of the nose)

Pod AndBoom

A typical RC helicopter design, consisting of a canopy section (pod) and a tail rotor mounted at the end of a long rod (boom). This design is common with high performance, 3d models and beginner trainer models.

PCM

Pulse code modulation. PCM works exactly like PPM, except that the initial pulse is coded. After receiving the initial pulse, the receiver will only respond to signals with a properly coded timing pulse. This helps eliminate interference, but it can be

PPM

Pulse proportional mode. FM radios can send an initial timing pulse to the receiver. This pulse notifies the receiver that the transmitter is going to send more signals, in the form of additional pulses. Each channel of control receives one pulse containing position information for the servo. A higher pulse rate will increase servo responsiveness.

- Q -

Quad Rotor

A quad rotor helicopter uses four separate rotors to fly. Quad rotor helicopters are fixed pitch, and maneuver by using differential thrust.

- R -

Radio

A control system used in RC helicopters, which uses radio waves to communicate between the transmitter and reciever.

RC

Short for radio control. A Radio control aircraft uses radio waves to control it’s flight functions. Radio waves are long wavelength electromagnetic radiation, occurring in the radio wave region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

RC Aerial Photography

The act of taking pictures from the air. See these articles about RC aerial photography to learn more.

RC Heli

An abbreviation of RC helicopter

RC Helicopter

A remote controlled aircraft which uses horizontally oriented rotors to produce lift.

RC helicopter kit

A RC helicopter kit contains the parts needed to build the RC helicopter, and a set of instructions. A radio and engine are not included, so you will need to purchase them separately.

Repairs

Repairs to an RC helicopter need to be performed whenever it becomes damaged. Here is an article about RC helicopter repairs.

Roll

An aerobatic maneuver performed by rolling the RC helicopter on its side, through 360 degrees. Roll can also refer to any rotation about the horizontal axis of the helicopter.

Rotors

The main rotor(s) is a pair of thin wings placed on top of a spinning shaft. Moving these rotors through the air generates lift. The tail rotor works in the same way, but it is oriented differently and is smaller.

- S -

Scale

An RC Helicopter which has been built to look exactly like a real, full scale helicopter.

Semi Scale

An RC Helicopter whose design has been inspired by a real helicopter, but is not an exact small scale copy.

Servo

Servos are small electronic devices responsible for moving the different control surfaces of an RC helicopter. Servos come in several varieties, including:

Standard Servos -

Standard servos use an analogue amplifier and a cored motor. These are great general purpose servos, but they lack the precision and lifetime of higher quality core less and digital servos. Some standard servos use ball bearings to support their output shaft, which greatly increases their precision.

Coreless Servos -

Coreless servos are like standard servos, except that they use a higher quality coreless motor. They have a better torque and resolution than standard servos.

Digital Serovs -

Digital servos have a digital amplifier and use coreless motors. This gives them an incredible resolution (precision of movement).

Simulator

An rc flight simulator is a program which runs on a personal computer, and simulates RC aircraft flight. The FMS (flying model simulator) is one of the best free simulators avaiable.

Sport

A sport RC helicopter can be used as a trainer, or perform aerobatic maneuvers.

Spread Spectrum

A spread spectrum radio system operates on the 2.4 gigahertz band, and actively scans for open channels before establishing communication with the RC helicopter. Spread spectrum technology is becoming more popular, because it eliminates any possibility of radio interference between models.

Swashplate

The swashplate is a device which transforms linear motion from the servo arms, to the rotational motion required by the rotor blades. Read an article about how swashplates work.

- T -

Tail Rotor

The tail rotor is a smaller rotor mounted at the end of the tail of the RC helicopter. The tail rotor is oriented at 90 degrees to the helicopter fuselage, so it can control the yaw.

Tail Rotor Compensation

Whenever the throttle or collective is increased, the tail will turn. Tail rotor compensation automatically increases the speed of the tail rotor to compensate for this.

Throttle

The throttle is the control function responsible for controlling the speed of the engine.

Throttle Cut

This function will turn off the engine, by reducing the throttle to idle cut off.

Thrust

The force caused by the movement of the RC helicopter rotors. In order to move forward, thrust must be greater than drag.

Training gear

Training gear can be attached to an RC helicopter to help stabilize it while learning how to fly. You can make training gear using ping pong balls and stiff wire.

Transitional Lift

The additional lift obtained from the increased efficiency of the main rotor blades while horizontal. The increased lift is caused by the increased airflow over the rotor blades, and increases with the speed of the RC helicopter.

Transmitter

The transmitter relays the pilots commands to the RC aircraft, by sending radio waves.

- U -

UAV

Unmanned aerial vehicle. Usually, this term refers to an unmanned aircraft with a sophisticated auto pilot.

- W -

Weight

The weight is the effect of gravity on the RC helicopter. In order to fly, thrust must overcome weight.

- Y -

Yaw

The side to side motion of the nose of the RC helicopters nose. Yaw is usually controlled with the tail rotor, but some coaxial RC helicopters control yaw by varying the speed of their top and bottom rotors.

Fathers’s Day is coming up, so most of our readers are probably looking for Father’s Day gift ideas and things to do on the special day. Most people celebrate Father’s Day by giving gifts, and then spending time together as a family. RC helicopters make an ideal father-child hobby, and also make a perfect gifts. There are many different kinds of RC helicopters available, here is a short list of the types we believe are the best for Father’s Day gifts.

• Larger Beginner RC Helicopter – There are some RC helicopters available which are designed specifically for beginners to learn how to fly with. The Esky Lama is a great training RC helicopter due to it’s stability and the included flight simulator software. Esky Lamas can be flown indoors and outdoors if there is no wind.
• Small / Micro RC Helicopter - There are lots of tiny RC helicopters available on the web. Most of the time, Micro RC helicopters operate on only two channels (rudder and throttle). This makes them very inexpensive and easy to control. Micro RC helicopters can be flown almost anywhere, including gyms, offices, schools, and living rooms on Father’s Day.
• Indoor Coaxial RC Helicopter – If you want a small RC helicopter that can be flown indoors with ease, we suggest some of the many coaxial models available. Try to get one with a tail rotor because it will allow pitch control.

Get Dad something more interesting than a tie this year. An RC helicopter can provide fun for the whole family on Father’s Day, and be a nice surprise for Dad. Have a happy Father’s Day!

The 2008 F3C Asia Oceania RC Helicopter Championship competition began yesterday, May 27. In this FAI (International Aeromodelling Commission) sanctioned event, 18 world class RC helicopter pilots will compete for the continental championship. The pilots come from many different countries, including Japan, The Philippines , Korea, China, Singapore, Thailand, and Australia. The F3C is the sub section is the FAI responsible for RC Helicopter Aerobatics. Despite bad weather threatening to shut down the event, the competition continues. Round 2 results are as follows:

1. Manabu Hashimoto
2. Yukihiro Dobashi
3. Minoru Kobayashi
4. Kazuyuki Sensui
5. Alvin Alcantara
6. Choi Won Ho
7. Mark Alcantara
8. Zhang Songhua
9. Wang Shang-Jia
10. Yuen Yiu On James
11. Feng Shuai
12. Guo Wulie
13. Walther Qing-Xiang Chong
14. Frederick Qing-Yuan Chong
15. Justin Neri
16. Lin Hen Pu Chinese
17. Niwat Tirawat
18. Peter Riekst

You can read more about this exciting competition at the 2008 F3C AOCC website.

Spin Master has created a set of micro RC helicopters capable of aerial combat! The kit includes two micro RC helicopters, each with their own controller. Each helicopter controller features a button which, when pushed, will shoot the other helicopter down. It does this by emitting infra red light (invisible, long wavelength light), and directing it towards the other helicopter. If the attacking helicopter is aimed correctly, the light beam will activate a sensor on the other helicopter, causing it to momentarily lose control. Fortunately, the helicopter will recover from this unstable flight before hitting the ground.

The micro RC helicopters use a fixed pitch design (the angle of the blades do not change). This adds to their durability and design simplicity. Controlling the micro RC helicopters is easy, use the left control stick to control the altitude and the right stick to control direction. The included weights are a nice touch, which allow you to trim the mini RC helicopters motion.

Since the micro RC helicopters are constructed out of light weight foam, crash damage is minimized. All of the parts used are standard, so replacements are easily available. You can even customize your helicopter with colored rotor blades!

The micro battle helicopters are great for flying indoors, and for holding air raids in the living room.

www.drinkstuff.com has recently introduced a new kind of RC flying machine. Their design is modeled after the Harrier jump jet used by the military. Jump jets are jet aircraft that use thrust vectoring to hover so the can take off and land without needing much runway. They do this by altering the direction of the exhaust from the nozzles of their engines. By directing the airflow from their engines towards the ground, jump jets are able to maneuver in the same way as helicopters. This is greatly beneficial in situations where runway space is limited (like the deck of an aircraft carrier). Learn more about the Harrier Jump Jet.

Is the Jump Jet Really an RC Helicopter?

The RC jumpjet works in a similar way to the real Harrier jump jet, but instead of directing the thrust from one main engine, four small electric propellers are attached to the main fuselage. By altering the rate at which each propeller spins, the direction and speed of the aircraft can be controlled. Many different RC helicopters use this quad rotor design, including the Draganflyers. The only thing that makes this aircraft different than a quad rotor RC helicopter seems to be the added set of wings and a tail. We believe that this is purely cosmetic, included so that the helicopter looks more like the real Harrier jump jet. This video shows the flying characteristics of the RC Jump Jet, which are strikingly similar to those of a RC helicopter.

Regardless of whether the jump jet is an RC helicopter or not, it still makes an interesting toy, and should be more than sufficient for conducting bombing raids in the office.

RC helicopters are the perfect platform for aerial photography. Recent developments in wireless video systems, gyroscopic stabilization and electronics have made it possible to take high quality images and video with a RC helicopter.

Alan Ramsdell is an electrician and long time RC enthusiast who lives in Sanford, Maine. Recently, he has begun retrofitting one of his RC helicopters with a high resolution digital camera to do RC aerial photography. The helicopter is also equipped with an infrared sensor mounted on the tail, which can sense the temperature difference between the ground and the sky. It uses this to self stabilize, and helps to steady the camera when doing RC aerial photography.

The modified RC helicopter is also equipped with a radio which sends a wireless video signal to the ground, so that Ramsdell can see what the camera sees. Once the helicopter is in position, a switch on the transmitter will trigger the camera. This allows the helicopter to be used for very high quality, targeted RC aerial photography.

RC photography is a great way to get aerial pictures and video, without the expense of hiring an actual plane and pilot. Depending upon the features of the RC helicopter, and whether its an off the shelf solution or you built it yourself, you can expect to pay anywhere from $2000 to $20,000 for equipment.

Learning to fly RC helicopters can be difficult, so its best to get a trainer model, learn with an instructor, and then progress to RC aerial photography. Ramswell’s website: www.maineaerialphotography.net has many stunning examples of RC aerial photography, produced using his own invention.

seethru.co.uk has created an addictive flash helicopter game. The object of the helicopter game is to fly your helicopter through the levels, while avoiding hitting the floor, ceiling, and other obstacles. You can play the helicopter game at several websites, including www.addictinggames.com.

How to Win the Helicopter Game

Here are some tips to help you win the helicopter game:

• Remain focused – This helicopter game requires concentration to win. Don’t look away from your computer screen or you will crash.
• Don’t try to play the game for very long periods of time. You will lose your concentration and crash.
• Make sure that your monitor brightness is turned up. It’s easier to play when you can see the game well.
• Find a website that hosts the helicopter game, and displays it at a large size. If the game has a maximize option, use it.
• Turn up the sound, it helps to hear when the helicopter is climbing.

The Helicopter Game on Your iPhone and iPod

It is now possible to add the RC helicopter game to your iPhone! Download the helicopter game for the iPhone. You control the helicopters flight by tapping the screen. The helicopter game has also been ported to several other platforms, using the popular open source Rockbox firmware. This lets you play the helicopter game on several different platforms, including the iPod.

Have fun playing this addictive helicopter game!

Every RC helicopter needs to control their direction and altitude. Most often, this is accomplished by changing the pitch of the rotor blades. This results in a change in airflow from the blades and causes the RC heli to move in the desired direction. By changing the pitch of the rotor blades, fine control can be achieved. RC helicopters can be built that eliminate the need for pitch control. Fixed pitch RC helicopters are a great way to start flying rc helicopters, because of their simple controls. In this article, how they work will be explained.

In order to understand how fixed pitch RC helicopters work, we will consider a fixed wing aircraft. Airplanes fly because as air moves over the wings, a difference in air pressure between the top and bottom is created, causing lift. Increasing the lift we can be done in two ways. The velocity of the air moving over the wings can be increased, or the curve of the wing can be steepened. The rotors on an RC helicopter are like like the wings on a plane, so the simplest way to increase lift is to make them spin faster. This will make the helicopter travel upwards. Likewise, when we want the helicopter to descend, the speed of the rotors is decreased.

RC Heli Design – Quad Rotor

Several RC helicopters are built with four main rotors, mounted at a right angle to the aircraft. The quad rotor design allows four channel control, without the complexity of variable pitch. A flight computer can read the input from a radio receiver and then change the speed of each motor, so that the direction of the helicopter changes. This also allows automatic stabilization of the helicopter.

RC Heli Design – Conventional

A fixed pitch RC helicopters direction of travel can be changed in two ways. If a rear rotor is included, which is mounted at a right angle to the fuselage (body of the helicopter), it can be used to push the helicopters nose in a certain direction.

RC Heli Design – Coaxial

Two main rotors can be linked to separate motors. By spinning each rotor at a different rate, the yaw (direction) of the helicopter can be controlled. Each rotor can be placed on the same axial. The coaxial design reduces the size of the helicopter, so that it can fly indoors. More about coaxial helicopters. The fixed pitch coaxial design also frees an extra channel of control. If we don’t need the tail rotor to control the direction (yaw or pitch, depending on the application) of the RC helicopter, we can instead mount it in the same direction as the main rotor blades, allowing pitch control of the helicopter.

Cyclic collective pitch is used by RC helicopters to control flight. In a previous article, fixed pitch helicopters were explained. Fixed pitch helicopters change their direction and altitude by changing the rate at which their rotors spin, and sometimes by using a tail rotor. Finer control can be achieved by changing the pitch of the rotor blades. By changing the pitch of the blades, the airflow from them can be changed, moving the helicopter in different directions. Changing the pitch of the blades is more efficient than just increasing the speed of the blades. In this article, the mechanics of variable pitch helicopters will be explained.

How The Swashplate Works on RC Helicopters

In order for the rotor blades of an RC helicopter to change pitch, there must be a way to transform the linear motion of a servo arm into the rotating motion required by the rotor blades; this is accomplished by using a swashplate. The swashplate is a mechanical device, consisting of two plates mounted to the main rotor shaft. One of these plates is attached to the servo controls and the helicopter body, and the other rotates with the helicopter rotors. As can be seen in the picture, the swashplate transforms the motion of the servo arms into motion of the upper plate. Each rotor is connected to the upper disk of the swashplate, and so they will move as the bottom disk moves. The horizontal rods visible in the picture represent where the servo arms would connect, the number of rods included depends upon the individual helicopter. Every RC helicopter that can change the pitch of its rotor blades will have a swashplate attached to its main axial. There are many different implementations of swashplates, but each follows the same basic design shown in the image. In a conventional RC helicopter, two servos are used to control the swashplate. One servo is used to control the horizontal motion (bank) and the other is used to control the forward and aft motion (pitch).

RC Helicopter Collective Pitch – Climbing and Descending

When a RC helicopter needs to climb or descend, it uses collective pitch. When the command is given for the helicopter to climb, the servos push the entire swashplate upwards. This has the effect of simultaneously increasing the pitch of all the rotor blades. When the pitch is increased, the rotors grab more air as they move, and so lift produced is increased. This increase in lift occurs evenly, so the helicopter does not turn. When the helicopter needs to descend, the swashplate is lowered in the same way. This will decrease the amount of lift produced from the rotor blades.

RC Helicopter Cyclic Pitch – Attitude Control

Changing the bank and pitch of the helicopter requires the swashplate to tilt. This is accomplished by tilting the lower disk of the swashplate. When the lower disk is tilted, the upper disk will also tilt, while it is spinning. The main rotors, which are attached to the upper swashplate will also tilt. In order for this to happen however, each rotor must be given time to “fly up”, or “fly down” to the location where it needs to be. This is accomplished by using pitch links, which provide each rotor with the information of where it needs to go, before it has to be there. The net effect is that the blades move cyclically, and tilt the motion of each rotor in one direction. The swashplate can be tilted in any direction, so the helicopter can change its pitch and bank in proportion to the commands given by the transmitter.

RC Helicopter Cyclic Collective Pitch Mixing (CCPM)

Model RC helicopters can use more than two servos in combination to control the motion of the swashplate. Software running on the rc transmitter (radio) tells each servo how much to move to achieve the desired motion of the RC helicopter. Each linkage to a servo is represented by a silver rod in the above picture. All of these rods are placed equidistant from each other. A swashplate mix refers to the number of linkages attached. For example: a two linkage swashplate would be controlled by two servo rods, placed 180 degrees apart from each other. A three linkage swashplate would use a 120 degree swash plate mix. The swash plate in the picture above has 6 control rods, and so it would use a 60 degree swash plate mix. Most RC helicopters will use a swashplate with between two or four control rods. The largest RC Helicopters use 4 control rods, because of the extra strength they give the swashplate mechanism.

In Summary

• Every RC Helicopter that can change the pitch of its blades has a swashplate.
• The swashplate consists of two disks, one which spins and one that does not.
• The bottom swashplate does not spin, and is connected to the servo control rods.
• The swashplate consists of two disks, one which moves and one that does not.
• To rise or descend, the rotor blades move collectively
• Pitch and bank require the swashplate to move cyclically.
• Pitch links control the position of each blade.