Like most scale pilots, I want my scale Apache helicopter to fly smooth, just like the real full scale. In the R/C world, you will find yourself having to deal with, 2 blade fly bar-less, 3, 4, 5, and 6 bladed heads that leave you with a hard to control scale helicopter. I wish I [...]
Contributor Rob Landry has been using the new Novarossi .57 in his Raptor X50, and he likes what he’s seeing! He writes, “I have gotten to really like this engine. Novarossi is my engine of choice in my on-road and off-road cars, and the new .57′s 3-needle carb makes a HUGE difference from the older [...]
Using the proven design of the Thunder Tiger Titan X50, this electric, flybarless machine is sure to be a leader in its class! The Titan X50E is ideal for 3D flying and should be the heli to beat at this summer’s competitions. It also features machined aluminum control arms, hardened main and feathering shafts, carbon fiber blades, [...]
Flybarless helicopters and their electronic control systems continue to be the wave of the future in model helicopters and are showing up in ever-increasing numbers at our flying fields. New precision-made flybarless rotor heads and advanced stabilization electronics are being developed to make flybars and paddles a thing of the past. The complete removal of [...]
If you ever wondered what 3D RC Heli night flying is all about, check this clip out. Posted by RacerBoom, this bit of nocternal pyrotechniqes features Bobby Watts and Bert Krammerer at the Heli Invasion Night Show.
Every helicopter pilot should be proficient in performing autorotations to cope with engine or motor failure. They are demanding and should be practiced periodically. The model should have sufficient pitch range before you attempt this maneuver. A steady breeze of about 10mph will make initial attempts easier. The engine should be running at a fast [...]
Improvements in RC helicopter design and performance have resulted in the almost universal use of the ball link in all modern helicopter control systems. Most major manufacturers make their own ball links to their specifications, with their name, logo or other such mark on the body of the link. Although these links are slightly different, [...]
The latest in aerial photography and videography is this Draganfly X8, a unique machine powered by eight motors, each with its own rotor blade! This stable flyer can carry 1.7 pounds of equipment and features 11 onboard sensors and a sophisticated autopilot to self-stabilize during flight. Its foldable carbon-fiber frame makes transport easy. Police departments across the [...]
We liked this piece by Slate’s technology columnist, Farhad Manjoo. His article is subtitled, “Quadcopter drones are amazing and cute and will probably destroy us all.” Read on for Farhad’s interesting take as well as video of a micro quadcopter recital as well as a quadcopter ”blooper” reel. It was way back in May 2010 that [...]
Jan Henseleit has a long history of manufacturing and producing only the finest RC helicopters for the discriminating enthusiast. You won’t find a Henseleit Three Dee RIGID (TDR) on your local hobby shop shelf as each kit must be ordered directly from Jan (jan.henseleit@henseleit-helicopters.de). Jan builds these kits one at a time and ships it [...]
There are some maneuvers that are truly unique to RC helicopters, and the rolling tailslide is one of them. Performing what appears to be a suicidal maneuver and turning it into a controlled and graceful 3D move is always a crowd-pleaser, and while there are many maneuvers that are similar between airplanes and helis, this [...]
A scale RC helicopter never fails to grab everyone’s attention at the field. Scale helis have always had a special fascination for me and in recent years it seems the distributors and manufacturers have taken notice of the increasing interest level many of us have in this phase of RC. Scale helicopter fuselages are readily [...]
Straight from a science-fiction movie and ready to fly, this machine is engineered to be remarkably responsive and fun to fly. It features AS3X stabilization system, so it has control that rivals that of much larger machines. Indoors or out, breezy or calm, the mQX will let you fly with complete confidence. The RTF version [...]
This how-to from Tony Iannucelli shows how easy it is to add a Thunder Tiger scale fuselage to a .50-size helicopter,–in this case, a Thunder Tiger Titan 50. The flight photos were taken by Paul Tradelius. Several years ago, when Thunder Tiger announced the availability of their line of scale helicopter fuselage kits, the Raptor family of products [...]
