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.

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.