Radio Control Fun

[SkyDancer]

I enjoy doing R/C Helicopters as a hobby. I started with the Blade MCX Micro Copter for indoor use. It's a blast to fly it in the house because my celings are 18 foot cathedral style.

I just recently stepped up to the Blade SR which I use for very light wind outdoors. Just starting to master the takeoff and hover with the Blade SR. I purchased the Phoenix R/C Flight Simulation software that allows hooking up a copter's handheld transmitter. I'd rather make my mistakes using the simulator before jumping fully into flying the Blade SR. I have as much fun flying the simulator on my laptop as I do flying the real thing.

I bought a flat 7-inch x 7-inch LED platform made for underlighting plants at night and revised it into a lighted heliport to practice indoor landings in the dark using the micro Blade MCX.

Attached are some pictures of the Blade MCX micro taking off and landing onto the little heliport platform I rigged up using the plant platform.

Image 1 - Just sitting on the heliport platform doing initial gearing and servo checks.
Image 2 - Starting the spin up.
Image 3 - Doing a control surface chackoff.
Image 4 - Forward rotation off the heliport platform.
Image 5 - Landing onto the heliport.

Just something to share with those who enjoy R/C stuff...

[Gaiiden]

very cool. Have an indoor copter for kicks, but someday I will get around to getting an outdoor model. Been wanting to get into R/C planes & helis since I was like 12, but always have money goin elsewhere. Someday...

[SkyDancer]

Originally Posted by Gaiiden

very cool. Have an indoor copter for kicks, but someday I will get around to getting an outdoor model. Been wanting to get into R/C planes & helis since I was like 12, but always have money goin elsewhere. Someday...

I was the same way. I started about a month ago. I just walked into the hobby store and bought the Blade MCX coaxial (dual front rotor and no tail rotor) micro-copter for my indoor practice.

Then after a couple weeks of that I moved up to the Blade SR outdoor single pitch rotor copter which has a tail rotor as well. The SR is heavy enough to be flown outside in winds under 5 mph.

There is actually an indoor single front rotor Blade SR that is just a little bigger than micro MCX that one can step up to before moving to the bigger Blade SR for the outdoors. But I decided to skip the intermediate purchase and put the money toward the purchase of the Phoenix R/C simulator software instead. I decided it was better to practice and crash on the computer rather than loosing the outdoor Blade SR to a hard crash into the ground. Also the Phoenix software will allow you to connect the Blade SR transmitter to the computer and fly the simulator chopper on your desktop.

[djpathfinder]

Wait till you go into a 400 size heli and then a 600. I started with an Air Hogs Helix, then TRex 450, Trex 600, Blade MCX, and Trex 250. Would love to get a Mini-Joker 2 and dabble in aerial photography.

You're right, a simulator as a beginner is a huge tool to help you understand orientations and control. It's hard to resist "pissing around" with the sim, but if you want to get really good, use it like you're flying a real RC heli and avoid things that you would not do in real life. I spent a good 12 hours on the sim before even hovering my Trex 450 for the first time. Realize though that the flight sim gives you a perfectly set up heli and perfect flight conditions, so in a way unrealistic compared to flying for real (you'll see this eventually), but nevertheless a good tool to learn a new maneuver.

One day you may want to get into CCPM helis (main and tail rotors). They are more unstable than co-axial helis (2 main rotors), but very fun. The larger the heli, the more stable it is. Eventually, you may want to fly outdoors, and you'll want to jump in to a 0.50 (600 size) or larger heli. I quickly got myself a Trex 600 electric as well. I've stuck with electrics b/c I can't be bothered carrying and maintaining a nitro heli. I'm interested in scale flying and not interested in 3D at all. I bought an Airwolf fuselage for my Trex 600 but haven't had a chance to build it yet. Helis are a lot of fun, very addictive and a huge money pit of a hobby! Funny enough, I've curtailed my RC heli habit in exchange for buying my 370Z and all the mods. Anyways, enjoy...

[Chriz]

Flew my friends rc helicopter once...into a tree
told me to stick with cars.

[SkyDancer]

Originally Posted by djpathfinder

Wait till you go into a 400 size heli and then a 600. I started with an Air Hogs Helix, then TRex 450, Trex 600, Blade MCX, and Trex 250. Would love to get a Mini-Joker 2 and dabble in aerial photography.

You're right, a simulator as a beginner is a huge tool to help you understand orientations and control. It's hard to resist "pissing around" with the sim, but if you want to get really good, use it like you're flying a real RC heli and avoid things that you would not do in real life. I spent a good 12 hours on the sim before even hovering my Trex 450 for the first time. Realize though that the flight sim gives you a perfectly set up heli and perfect flight conditions, so in a way unrealistic compared to flying for real (you'll see this eventually), but nevertheless a good tool to learn a new maneuver.

One day you may want to get into CCPM helis (main and tail rotors). They are more unstable than co-axial helis (2 main rotors), but very fun. The larger the heli, the more stable it is. Eventually, you may want to fly outdoors, and you'll want to jump in to a 0.50 (600 size) or larger heli. I quickly got myself a Trex 600 electric as well. I've stuck with electrics b/c I can't be bothered carrying and maintaining a nitro heli. I'm interested in scale flying and not interested in 3D at all. I bought an Airwolf fuselage for my Trex 600 but haven't had a chance to build it yet. Helis are a lot of fun, very addictive and a huge money pit of a hobby! Funny enough, I've curtailed my RC heli habit in exchange for buying my 370Z and all the mods. Anyways, enjoy...

I noticed in the simulator that the larger scale choppers seem to fly with greater stability and react in a much less sensitive way to transmitter controls. I figured it is because they have more mass and therefore are more likely to move slower.

What exactly is a 3-D model as compared to the other model types? What does the designation "3-D" mean?

[SkyDancer]

Originally Posted by Chriz

Flew my friends rc helicopter once...into a tree
told me to stick with cars.

I have chopped up my leg one time with the Blade SR. I wasn't expecting it to roll on its "training" balls toward me. It cut my left leg in three places and my right leg in a single place. The rotor can really be deadly if you aren't careful and respect it NOT as a toy.

[djpathfinder]

Originally Posted by SkyDancer

I have chopped up my leg one time with the Blade SR. I wasn't expecting it to roll on its "training" balls toward me. It cut my left leg in three places and my right leg in a single place. The rotor can really be deadly if you aren't careful and respect it NOT as a toy.

Yes, that's exactly the attitude and respect you have to give spinning blades...even though they are "toys", they aren'tt, and can be very dangerous. Can you imagine what larger carbon fibre blades can do to someone or something? Join a local RC heli club if you have one. Lots of good info, safety tips and safe places for you to fly as you progress with the hobby. They can even help you develop your flight skills.

3D refers to the type of flying where you flip and twist the heli (included inverted flight) in ways a real heli can't do. You can go on youtube and search rc heli, 3d, F3C and you're bound to come across some videos of 3D flying. I'm into more the realistic scale flying myself...smooth, slow and controlled, which in many ways is harder to do than 3D.

[Gaiiden]

Yea the 3D flying stuff is just absolutely insanely awesome. YouTube it!!!

[shabarivas]

hahah i have a typhoon2 3d plane - wayy too much fun... but yea... no simulators for me

[Afterburner]

I fly R/C planes, the nitro powered ones, not electric. I started with a .40 trainer and worked my way up to the aerobatic one I fly know. I have had a couple bad cuts before, those things are dangerous. I accidentally dragged my hand through the prop while it was idling and got 3 deep cuts in my fingers that bled like crazy. If that thing was going full power I have no doubt it would have taken my finger right off. Once you go past air hogs, they aren't really toys anymore.

[SkyDancer]

Originally Posted by Afterburner

I fly R/C planes, the nitro powered ones, not electric. I started with a .40 trainer and worked my way up to the aerobatic one I fly know. I have had a couple bad cuts before, those things are dangerous. I accidentally dragged my hand through the prop while it was idling and got 3 deep cuts in my fingers that bled like crazy. If that thing was going full power I have no doubt it would have taken my finger right off. Once you go past air hogs, they aren't really toys anymore.

I don't know anything regarding the noitro powered models. I assume when you say nitro you mean NOS? Does it get mixed with gasoline or just run pure? How long of a single run do you get out of a nitro powered plane or heli? How do you inject it into the fuel tank? What is it's cost? Where do you go to get the nitro?

[djpathfinder]

For R/C vehicles, you have two basic types of powerplants: electric or combustion. I don't know much about combustion engines but there are three types: gasoline, nitro and turbine. Nitro is one type of fuel...doesn't work the same as NOS in real cars...it's not injected when needed. You buy nitro from the same hobby store you buy your R/C airplane or heli kits. Power needs between airplanes and helicopters are different. The helicopter have higher power demands, just like aerobatic/3D flying requires more demand than gentle cruising.

Turbine-powered aircraft are cool. They are very expensive and use up a lot of fuel, but sounds like the real thing. Search turbine RC airplane (or heli) on youtube and you'll see what I mean.

[SkyDancer]

Here is something different as a hobby - shooting down RC airplanes:

YouTube - Shooting RC aircraft

YouTube - RC Plane vs AR15 Machine Gun

YouTube - SHOT THE RC PLANE WITH BIG GUNS

In the last video - the shooting of the plane is near the end. This would be a blast to do if a safe and secure place is used......

[djpathfinder]

How about this...huge heli, check out the recoil:
YouTube - Killer RC Helicopter