This article lists 11 pro tips to help you get the most out of your RC helicopters.

• Secure Radio Components With Velcro – Rubber bands are frequently used to secure RC helicopter radio components. Rubber bands stretch and loosen under stress. You can help secure your radio components by adding Velcro strips, which keep the rubber bands from being stressed too much.
• Easy Switch Marking – RC helicopter radio transmitters have many switches, and remembering which switch does what can be difficult. Fix this problem by slipping different colored fuel tubing over each switch so that you can tell between them at a glance.
• Keep Your Clevises Closed – Almost every RC helicopter uses plastic or nylon clevises to connect servos to their respective control surfaces. You can ensure that they never come undone in flight by slipping small pieces of fuel tubing over the closed clevises.
• Avoid Plastic Swelling – Many plastics swell and distort when introduced to light oil lubricants. If you need to lubricate plastic parts use petroleum jelly to lubricate them.
• Tail Boom Guide Adjustment – RC helicopters use guides to support the tail rotor pushrod. If these guides aren’t aligned properly there will be excessive friction between the pushrod and tail boom. Prevent this problem by carefully adjusting the tail boom guides so that they’re perfectly straight.
• Avoid Double Sided Tape Residue – Many RC helicopter servos are secured with highly adhesive double sided tape. Double sided tape secures servos to the fuselage well, but it can leave a sticky residue when removed. Prevent this by applying scotch tape to the servo case before applying the double sided tape.
• Extend the Needle Valve – If you fly a fuel powered RC heli, then you will need to adjust the mixture using a needle valve. Unfortunately, engines are mounted inside the RC helicopter and can be hard to reach – especially while running. Make your needle valve more accessible by attaching a piece of wire, and routing it outside the fuselage. Make a 90 degree bend at the end of the wire. This let’s you adjust the needle valve by turning the wire, and keeps your hands away from the rotor blades.
• Extend the Power Switch – Reaching the power switch can be hard if it’s mounted inside the helicopter fuselage. Fix this the same way that you extended the needle valve: simply attach a wire, bend one end at 90 degrees, and then route it outside the fuselage.
• Extent the Vertical Fin – RC helicopters use vertical fins to prevent the tail rotor from hitting the ground. If you fly from a grass field, the vertical fin can sink into the runway and damage the tail rotors. Prevent this by adding a piece of wire to the bottom of the bottom of the vertical fin, so that the helicopter rests on it when landed.
• Keep Metal Parts Lubricated – Metal parts wear out after excessive usage. Maximize their lifespan by lubricating them with a light oil.
• Reroute the Charging Cable – You can make it easier to charge your RC helicopters batteries by routing the charging cable outside the fuselage, and attaching it to one landing skid with cable ties.

We hope that these tips make flying your RC helicopter even more enjoyable.

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.

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.

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.

After building your rc helicopter, you will need to make several adjustments before flying. This is a critical step, small errors here could lead to a crashed rc helicopter later on. Be sure to carefully follow the instructions that came with your model while making these changes. We will explain one or two things that probably differ from your instructions, but follow these general tips, and you will have an rc helicopter suited to learning to hover.

We talked about the set-up of the throttle in the article titled “Choosing a Radio For Your RC Helicopter“. You will need to ensure that every control moves freely. Do this by disconnecting the linkage from the servo, and move it back and forth. If it moves with little resistance, and moves the control surface as much as it needed, then it’s fine. Match the throttle servo arm to the throttle by adjusting the throw of the servo, or the length of the servo arm. Make sure that the throttle is neither completely closed on idle, or over driven when open. Make these adjustments with the throttle servo disconnected, so as not to overdrive it accidentally. The throttle arm should be 90 degrees to the body of the servo when at idle, to improve the effectiveness of the trim. When the throttle stick and the trim at at idle positions, the carburetor should be closed. This will turn off the engine, and it is important that you be able to do so in an emergency. When the throttle trim is increased fully, it should move 1/8 of an inch. This movement should allow the idle of the rc helicopter to be adjusted, and the engine to turn off.

The tail rotor will need to be adjusted so that the blades have a small positive angle of attack when the rudder servo is neutral.

The gyroscope will need to be adjusted so that it controls one quarter of an inch of the rudder movement.

Collective pitch can be adjusted until the movement is from 0 to 5 degrees. This aids in making the rc helicopter more controllable when learning how to hover. Having negative pitch available can allow the rc helicopter to descend very rapidly, and large positive pitch can make it climb higher than is desired while learning how to hover.

The collective pitch can be set using the pitch gauge using the following method:

1. Turn the radio system on.
2. Level the swashplate using the elevator trim tab on the transmitter.
3. Attach the pitch gauge to a rotor blade, making sure to keep the tail boom, flybar, and swashplate level.
4. Using the transmitter, move the collective pitch to it’s upper and lower maximums, and note the pitch on each.
5. The pitch range is the difference between the upper and lower pitch limits, we want a window of 5 degrees.
6. The window can be adjusted by changing where the push rod attaches to the servo. Moving it in will cause the window to decrease, and moving the push rod farther away will decrease the window.
7. The maximum pitch needs to be 5 degrees, do this by altering the length of the rod from the head to the swashplate
8. Repeat steps 3 to 7 for the other rotor blade.

By following these simple procedures, you can prepare the rc helicopter for it’s first flight, and reduce the chances of a crash.

In Part 1 of this tutorial, we looked at the different terms that you would encounter when shopping for rc helicopters. In Part 2 we will look at different points to consider when buying your first rc helicopter.

Should You Buy A New or Used RC Helicopter:

• Most new rc helicopters are sold in kit form, with the consumer assembling the product. This can be a problem for the novice, as kits can have several hundred parts.
• If buying used, ask to see the rc helicopter flown. It normally does not matter if the rc helicopter was ever crashed, as long as the broken parts have been replaced.
• If you are unsure about the condition of the rc helicopter, you can always ask another pilot to look at it with you.

Operating Costs of RC Helicopters:

• Visit your local hobby store and look at the various parts you will need. The cost of replacement parts is important.
• Find out what kind of fuel or batteries your rc helicopter uses. Costs vary depending upon the amount of nitro in the fuel or the number and capacity of lipo cells.
• If you plan to become a member of your local rc club, consider the membership costs.

Where to buy RC Helicopters:

Consider these points when choosing where to buy your rc helicopter.

Online:

• There are many online hobby stores. These stores usually have lower prices than conventional hobby stores due to the increased number of sales.
• Obtaining your rc helicopter at an online establishment usually means you can get your heli sooner, even if it is out of stock. A conventional hobby store can take weeks to restock a part you might need.
• When purchasing your helicopter on the web, it can be harder to find exactly what you need. Instead of being able to ask a store representative to help you find what you need in person, look for the availability of ‘live help’ or ‘live chat’ features .
• If you do purchase your helicopter online, make sure that the organization is respectable, and that they will stand behind their product.

Hobby store:

• At a hobby store, you can actually see and touch the items you are buying. This helps when comparing brands and to get a feel for the scale/size of the rc helicopters.
• Also, the dealer will most likely have several used models available. When the time comes to get a new rc helicopter, these can be a good deal.

Selecting an rc helicopter can be a daunting task, especially for the beginner. The first step is to know your options. To begin, we will examine the different types and configurations of rc helicopters available.

RC helicopter rotor blades can be fixed pitch, or collective pitch. An rc helicopter relies on the lift generated by it’s rotors. These rotors are comparable to the airfoil on the wing of an airplane. When the blades are locked at one angle, we refer to the rc heli as fixed pitch. This means that the blades always cut into the air at the same angle. This design has several advantages. The design is simpler, more durable, and easier and therefore cheaper to manufacture. The overall cost of a fixed pitch rc helicopter will be less than the cost of a comparable collective pitch model. The major disadvantage of the fixed pitch design is that the vertical component of flight becomes less controllable. Because the angle at which the blades cut through the air is constant, the only way to vary the amount of lift produced is to increase the rate at which the blades spin. This is accomplished by increasing the engine speed. The problem with this system is that because of inertia, the speed of the engine cannot be changed or controlled as rapidly as the servo you would use to control vertical thrust in a collective pitch rc helicopter.

In a collective pitch rc helicopter, the angle of the blades is changed to control the amount of upward thrust. Unlike a fixed pitch helicopter, when the command is given for the helicopter to climb or descend, the pitch of the rotor blades changes and the engine speed remains constant. The servo controlling the pitch of the blades (and the climb rate of the rc helicopter) only has to alter the position of the the rotors, which can be done rapidly with relatively little resistance. This is capable of a more rapid response than the engine having to accelerate the entire drive train and rotors up to a new speed. Clearly, the collective pitch design provides better control but at a higher price.

Cyclic pitch is the term applied to an rc helicopter which maneuvers by changing the pitch of each individual blade at different points along the path of rotation, causing them to generate more thrust on one side of the rc helicopter than the other. This will tilt the rc helicopter and result in horizontal motion.

An important option is known as auto rotation. In a fixed wing aircraft, if the engine were to stop, the plane becomes a glider with the wings still producing lift. The same can happen in an rc helicopter that is equipped with auto rotation. In an rc helicopter without auto rotation, the engine is connected to the rotors with out the ability to disengage – meaning that if the engine were to stop, the blades would do the same. This would result in the pilot losing control and the helicopter crashing. With auto rotation, the blades will spin freely during an engine failure. They will still generate some lift, allowing the pilot to maintain control and land. This is normally accomplished by a one way clutch or bearing. Auto rotation is a good feature to have because it may save your rc helicopter if the engine were to fail.

When manufactures refer to the size of a helicopter they are most likely talking about the displacement of the engine, rather than the size of the helicopter itself. Engine displacement commonly ranges from .30 to .90 cubic inches. Each size has it’s advantages and disadvantages, and these will be examined in depth in part two of this guide. For now though, the rule of thumb is that a larger engine is more powerful and will burn more fuel.

Pod and boom is a term applied to the type of helicopter where the body is composed of a ‘pod’ where the radio, engine, gears and other components are kept. The ‘boom’ is the part of the helicopter that holds the tail rotor. This is a common type of rc helicopter, accounting for the majority of the models available. This is different from the scale model style, where the entire model is designed to look just like the real thing. These generally have large fuselages which make them easier to see. They are also more aerodynamic. But for the beginner, pod and boom design is recommended, because of availability and durability.

Now that you are familiar with the different types of rc helicopters available, you are ready to make an informed choice on the type of model to buy. We will show you different points to consider when buying your first rc helicopter in the second part of this guide.

Flying your rc helicopter for the first time can be risky, especially if you have not had prior experience. Using a simulator is a good way to see what the hobby is all about and to practice without risking a crash.

There are many simulators available, both commercial products and free software. Any of them can provide a realistic way to try flying an rc helicopter. There are several benefits of using a flight simulator, the most important being you cannot damage a model while learning how to fly. Simulators can provide a good way to improve your flying skills. Many simulators support using your actual rc helicopter transmitter to control the simulated model, further enhancing the realism, while others require the use of a controller specifically designed to connect to your computer and simulate an rc transmitter. RC helicopter simulators will allow you to fly a variety of models, under different conditions. Most simulators will allow you to adjust various flight parameters. This means that you can simulate your own rc helicopter, and even simulate equipment failures. Unlike real flying, the simulator is not dependent on weather or time of day. Some simulators have training systems that will let you control different axis of motion, while the simulator controls the rest. This makes learning easy for the beginner.

Some available simulators include:

• The Dave Brown Products Ratio Control Flight Simulator 2001
• The Great Planes RealFlight R/C Flight Simulator G-3
• The Flying Model Simulator (FMS) – free!

There are many more simulators to be found online. Much of this software is upgradeable, and expansions can be either ordered, or found online. Flight simulators are a great way to learn to fly, without risking your expensive model.

What do you do if you want to learn to fly an RC helicopter, but you don’t want to take the chance of crashing it on your first try? If your RC transmitter has a standard trainer port or buddy port connector, you can use it as a controller for a computer based flight simulator. All that is required is a USB FMS interface cable with the correct end to plug into your transmitter, and the simulator software to run on your PC. Using your actual transmitter you use when flying your real rc helicopter on the flight simulator software allows you to familiarize yourself with the controls in a safe environment.

Screenshot of an RC helicopter model in the FMS Software

Free FMS Flight Simulator Software For Your PC

The most well known free software that can be used with these cables is called the Flying Model Simulator, or FMS. You can download this from the FMS Homepage. The FMS flight simulator is extremely good, it allows you to load many different models of aircraft and landscape that can be found on the internet. Even without an RC TX, you can install this program and fly aircraft with you keyboard. This software is compatible with Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP. It will not work with Vista or Mac operating systems.

Connecting Your Transmitter to Your Computer

GWS sells a great FMS transmitter to USB interface cable in three types: Futaba, Hitec, GWS and JR. These GWS interface cables take the signal from the trainer/buddy port on standard RC transmitters and convert it into data that your computer interprets as coming from a USB joystick or game controller.

Getting Help with the FMS Software

The FMS Forum is a great community resource for learning and troubleshooting the FMS Flight Simulator Software.