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.

MiniCopter: Adventure Flight for the Nintendo Wii is a new video game where you control various RC Helicopters. The game is controlled by the Wii remote or a classic controller - your choice. MiniCopter: Adventure Flight has 42 different missions and 7 landscapes making this game a blast for any RC helicopter fan. Your RC helicopters can be modified with various body kits and performance parts to improve performance. A two player mode lets you and a friend race your rc helis in an effort to collect the most rings.

Here are some screen shots from the MiniCopter: Adventure Flight for the Nintendo Wii.

See 117 more screen shots

Read more about MiniCopter: Adventure Flight, an RC helicopter video game, at the IGN Web site.

Popular toy manufacturer WowWee has announced the Flytech Bladestar, a totally new type of rc helicopter which should become available this Feburary.

The BladeStar rc helicopter uses a single main blade along with small propellers mounted on the ends of two arms or ‘booms’. Sensors incorporated into the Flytech BladeStar allow it to fly autonomously and avoid bumping into walls or objects. In addion to this ‘auto pilot’ mode, it can also be controlled using its 3 channel digital IR remote to control (with beginner and expert level settings).

See a video of the BladeStar on YouTube.

The BladeStar rc helicopter recharges from the remote control and reports indicate that it will fly for 5 to 15 minutes and take about 20 minutes to charge. An optional combat feature which will allow you to shoot other BladeStar rc helicopters out of the air (or get shot out of the air yourself) had been mentioned. The Flytech BladeStar rc helicopter is suitable for indoor flight only, and is constructed from durable crash-resistant materials. Additional information is available on the official web site.

Interactive Toy Concepts has announced a remote controlled toy it is billing as the world’s smallest helicopter. It is a smaller version of their Micro Mosquito helicopter, called the Mosquito Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV). The Mosquito MAV is an indoor RC helicopter measuring only 2.5 inches tall, 4 inches long, with a rotor diameter of 3.5 inches.

The Mosquito MAV features dual counter-rotating rotors geared to a single motor, with a vertical tail rotor for yaw control (steering), much like the Interactive Toy Concepts Black Ghost, but smaller. It has a twenty foot range, and is powered by an internal lithium polymer battery that lasts for 7 minutes. Recharging is said to only take five minutes, which would make it one of the fastest charge times on any rc helicopter. This Mosquito MAV helicopter will be available this year at most major retail and electronic stores for $49.99.

The Mosquito MAV combines the style of the Micro Mosquito with the design and precise flight control of the Black Ghost, all in the smallest helicopter design so far.

Using the Draganflyer electric remote control helicopter (manufactured by Draganfly Innovations Inc) Vanderbilt University has developed the Vanderbilt Embedded Computing Platform for Autonomous Vehicles (VECPAV). This system is able to control an aerial or ground vehicle autonomously (without a pilot).

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (PRWEB) November 20, 2007 — Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN has successfully used the Draganflyer electric rc helicopter for autonomous vehicle research, involving flight by computer control without human input. The project is called VECPAV (Vanderbilt Embedded Computing Platform for Autonomous Vehicles). VECPAV is intended to create and develop autonomous control systems for unmanned aerial and ground vehicles. These control systems eliminate the need for an operator by substituting intelligent control software and electronics. This research is part of a larger project aimed at improving the design of hybrid systems which use embedded electronics and software to control mechanical devices used in performance-critical and safety-critical applications.

Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN has successfully used the Draganflyer electric rc helicopter for autonomous vehicle research, involving flight by computer control without human input. The project is called VECPAV (Vanderbilt Embedded Computing Platform for Autonomous Vehicles). VECPAV is intended to create and develop autonomous control systems for unmanned aerial and ground vehicles. These control systems eliminate the need for an operator by substituting intelligent control software and electronics. This research is part of a larger project aimed at improving the design of hybrid systems which use embedded electronics and software to control mechanical devices used in performance-critical and safety-critical applications.

Having autonomous control over a vehicle creates many benefits and removes the need for continuous human input. This could be applied to full size vehicles, allowing cars to drive themselves, or allowing automated vehicles to perform tasks in hazardous conditions. This would eliminate the risks normally faced by an on-board operator. By removing the operator and related systems from the vehicle, it also allows for increased payloads, smaller sizes, and increased mobility.

The VECPAV system uses a sensor tracker to monitor the motion and position of a Draganflyer rc helicopter by using identifier points on the helicopter. The system then analyzes this data and sends commands back to the Draganflyer rc helicopter through a radio control transmitter, telling the Draganflyer rc helicopter to maintain position or move through its flight plan. Videos of Draganflyer helicopters flying autonomously can be found on the VECPAV homepage, and This YouTube Video. In addition to being successfully used to control Draganflyer electric rc helicopters, the VECPAV system has also been implemented on ground based scale model vehicles.

As a result of his efforts on the VECPAV project, team leader Prof. T. John Koo has been recognized with an NSF (National Science Foundation) CAREER Award: Computation Platform for the Design of Hybrid Systems. This award is considered a highly prestigious honor. Prof. T. John Koo is now at Shantou University, China, where he plans to build on and extend what he has achieved at Vanderbilt.

The Draganflyer radio control rc helicopter has also been used in similar projects such as the MIT Aerospace Controls Laboratory’s UAV SWARM Health Management Project and the Stanford Testbed of Autonomous Rotorcraft for Multi-Agent Control. The Draganflyer rc helicopter is well suited for these applications because it is a stable aerial platform with fewer moving parts than a standard rc helicopter. The Quad-Rotor Draganflyer rc helicopter manoeuvres by varying the thrust generated from each of its four rotors. With one rotor at each corner, differential thrust causes the airframe to rotate and change direction. This eliminates the need for the linkages and components used on conventional rc helicopters that vary the pitch of the main rotor blades in order to manoeuvre. With fewer moving parts, there are fewer things to wear out, and less maintenance required. Because it is an electric rc helicopter, the Draganflyer is safe to use indoors. Its small size allows it to be used in smaller areas than conventional rc helicopters. The Draganflyer rc helicopter is manufactured and sold by Draganfly Innovations.

Hiroki Ito is one of four Japanese team members to place in the top 10 of the Japanese F3C Competition on October 20-21, 2007 while using Thunder Power RC batteries.

Competition Winners:

• 1st - Ito (EP Thunder Power RC)
• 2nd - Sensui
• 3rd - Dobashi
• 4th - Hashimoto
• 5th - Sawamura
• 6th - Kobayashi (EP Thunder Power RC)
• 7th - Kunii (EP Thunder Power RC)
• 8th - Iso
• 9th - Nonogaki
• 10th - Hutatugi (EP Thunder Power RC)

Traplet Publications, has published three new books on rc helicopters and one new rc helicopter DVD.

Three new model rc helicopter books:
R/C Model Helicopters: A Guide for Beginners by Malcolm Messiter (covers electric power as well as internal combustion engines and includes tips and advice on buying, building, flying and maintaining model helicopters - everything the beginner needs to know, from choosing or building the model to installing the components of the radio)
Building Scale Helicopters by Peter Wales (who won the Top Gun Trophy for helicopters in 2001 and went on to win the US Nationals for RC Helicopters for the following three years)
3D Helicopter Flying by Russ Deakin (covers the many skills that are needed in order to take part in 3D helicopter flying)

New rc helicopter DVD:
Small Rotors DVD by Nigel Cartwright (an introduction to the wide range of model helicopters available from low-cost beginner’s models to powerful advanced helicopters, capable of full 3D aerobatics)

About Traplet Publications
Traplet Publications (traplet.com) is based in Malvern, Worcestershire, UK. Traplet publishes a range of magazine titles including Model Helicopter World, R/C Model World, Quiet & Electric Flight International, RC Jet International, Military in Scale, Truck Model World, Radio Race Car International, Marine Modelling International, as well as a wide range of books, DVDs and plans. Traplet also publishes a range of sewing and craft magazines, books and DVDs.

The Bladerunner Black Ghost is the latest invention from Interactive Toy Concepts Ltd. The Black Ghost is a mini co-axial infra-red indoor rc helicopter that is extremely lightweight, simple to fly and great for flying indoors in your home. No previous RC helicopter experience is required to fly the Bladerunner Black Ghost. The Bladerunner Black Ghost RC Helicopters will be available early next month, and should be a popular item this Christmas.

The Bladerunner Black Ghost can fly up, down, turn left, right all while moving forward at a constant rate. The coaxial, contra-rotating rotor blades make the Black Ghost extremely stable and easy to fly. The tail rotor controls left and right rotation.

Like the popular Havoc Heli the Bladerunner Black Ghost IR Helicopter features a micro infrared receiver that allows the Bladerunner Black Ghost to be extremely lightweight; only 16g (0.6 oz). The Black Ghost’s infrared remote control gives the it a range of up to 10m (30ft). The controller also doubles as the charger. The Black Ghost is available on 2 infrared bands so 2 can be flown at once.

Billed as the worlds smalled remote control helicopter, the new Heli-Q is scheduled to hit stores in Japan next month. Manufactured by Tomy (know as Takara-Tomy in Japan), this helicopter will compete for market share with the popular infrared helicopters including the Silverlit Picco-Z helicopter (Air Hogs Havoc Heli in North America).

In March 2006 Tomy merged with Takara, the manufacturer of other popular IR (Infra-Red) remote control toys such as the Digi-Q 1/128th scale RC car. Based on the quality and amazing miniaturization shown by the Digi-Q, the Heli-Q should live up to the high expectations of miniature helicopter enthusiasts.

The Heli-Q will fly for 5 minutes on a 20 minute charge. A rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery built into the helicopter will allow it to be charged over and over again. The Heli-Q is incredibly light and designed for indoor use, however it will stay steady and fly well because of the stabilizer bar built into the top of the main rotor. Biased for forward flight, the pilot will have control over altitude and direction. The transparent front dome gives the Heli-Q indoor infrared RC helicopter a realistic look, and the tiny size will allow it to be used even in small rooms.