Welcome to the world of R/C Helicopters. The helicopter is probably the most challenging form of radio control model, being mechanically complex in nature, and requiring 100% concentration while operating.

Flying a model chopper is not unlike balancing a metal bearing or a marble on a piece of glass. If the mechanics of the chopper have been adjusted and aligned very well, it is similar to having a flat piece of glass. If the chopper is not set up just right, it is like having a convex piece of glass where the bearing wants to keep rolling off to one side.

The first thing the budding helicopter pilot must realize is that the model works on the very same principles as the full-size and controlling the chopper is just as difficult, if not more-so due to size and orientation. It is not simply a matter of pushing one button for up, and another for forward flight, etc. Flying a helicopter, just like flying a model aircraft, is a skill that must be learned and that can only happen with practice . . . now that I have you thoroughly discouraged! Although building and flying a model chopper can be complex, it is also extremely satisfying. Being able to accurately control a vehicle which you can hover, fly forward, backward, sideways, and do all kinds of interesting manoeuvres and aerobatics, as well as land at your feet, is very exciting.

There is a trade-off, however, and that is the cost and complexity of the rotor head. There are a great deal more moving parts in a collective pitch rotor head and thus, they are more expensive. Most current choppers are of the collective pitch variety.

On a standard, collective pitch helicopter there are four controls and these are operated by five channels of your radio system. These controls are the collective pitch, the fore and aft cyclic pitch, the side to side cyclic pitch, and the tail rotor pitch. The collective pitch must also be coupled with the throttle of the engine so that when more load is put on the main rotor blades by increasing the pitch, more throttle is applied to help overcome the additional drag.

The engine of a helicopter drives both the main rotor shaft and the tail rotor via a series of gears and a clutch. As the motor comes to speed, the clutch engages and begins to turn both rotor systems. Generally, at this point, there is no pitch on the main rotor blades and thus no lift. The throttle is increased until the main rotor blades are brought up to speed. To lift the helicopter collective pitch is applied.

Because, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, when the engine is forcing the rotor blades to turn in one direction, the body of the helicopter will want to rotate in the opposite direction. The function of the tail rotor is to correct this tendency. The tail rotor blades provide enough thrust to the side to keep the helicopter pointing in one direction. By increasing or decreasing the pitch of the tail rotor blades the direction the helicopter is pointing can be changed.

The cyclic control permits the main rotor blades to be varied independently making the helicopter move in a horizontal direction. If one of the rotor blades increases pitch as it approaches the rear while the opposite blade decreases in pitch while approaching the front during its rotation, more lift will be produced in the rear, tilting the helicopter forward, and thus moving the helicopter in a forward direction. The same principle applies for side to side and rearward, allowing the helicopter to fly in any direction.

The control of the cyclic and collective pitch is transferred from the radio servos to the rotor blades via the swash plate. Part of the swash plate is stationary while the other part is allowed to rotate with the rotor head. Control linkage is connected from the servos to the stationary part of the swash plate as well as from the rotating part of the swash plate to the rotor head.

The Helicopter

When choosing your first helicopter you first have to decide which type of chopper you wish to purchase, a collective pitch machine, or a non-collective pitch machine. If you are starting the R/C hobby from scratch and must buy everything, I would strongly suggest the collective pitch machine. Although it is a bit more expensive initially, it is by far the more versatile of the two and will help you enjoy more advanced stages of the hobby after you have learned to fly. You will also find the learning process easier with a collective pitch machine.

On the other hand, if you are already into radio controlled aircraft and have an aircraft radio, and an aircraft engine in the range that would fit a non-collective machine, this route may be desired to drastically reduce the start-up cost and to get you involved in the sport with less money. Once hooked however, you are bound to want to move up to a collective pitch machine. I am going to assume you are starting from scratch and will continue with the idea of starting with a collective pitch helicopter.

Unlike aircraft where there are specific trainer models geared solely for the first time kit, the differences between helicopters is more suttle with the major difference being size and precision. The larger and more precision a machine is, the better it will fly. These machines would make great training helicopters but they are usually alot more expensive, with high precision parts, and would be very costly to repair in the case of a crash. They are better suited toward competition and the experienced modeler where accidents are usually minimal.

Keep in mind, when learning to fly a helicopter you are bound to have a crash or two and parts are going to have to be replaced. Replacing parts on a precision machine could really run you a bill! A good place to start would be a machine designed for a .30 size engine, a stable flyer with collective pitch, and one with a good avialability of parts.

The Radio

As mentioned earlier in this introduction, a proper helicopter radio differs from a standard aircraft radio. There are certain functions that must be mixed electronically and these are found only in radios designed for this purpose. More and more often, one is able to find radio systems that have functions suitable to both aircraft and helicopters. If you think you may be involved in both aspects of the hobby, you may wish to choose one of these for your system.

Other things to think about when purchasing a helicopter system are the servos and the battery pack. It is desirable to choose servos that have output shafts that are ball bearing supported. Since the pressure and vibration on the servos in a helicopter is usually greater than in a plane, bushing servos tend to wear out very quickly and lose their precision which is extremely important in the controlling of a helicopter. Because you are using a minimum of five servos and a gyro (to be discussed later) in a helicopter, and the higher frequency of control input, it is very desirable to have a larger battery pack than the standard 600 maH pack that comes with most aircraft radios. A pack in the range of 1000 to 1200 maH is a better pack to consider. Many helicopter radios take both of these concerns into consideration and come packaged with five BB servos and a large batter pack. You can learn more about radio control systems in our section "Introduction to Radio Systems".

Gyroscope

A gyroscope, or gyro, is an electro-mechanical device used in a helicopter to help semi-automate the response of the tail rotor. In the case of an R/C chopper, the device fits electrically between the receiver and the servo that controls the pitch of the tail rotor blades. A sensor measures any unwanted change in yaw of the aircraft and will correct the situation by increasing or decreasing the tail rotor pitch to stabilize the movement.

Although not absolutely necessary, it is strongly recommended that a gyro be used in every helicopter. Controlling an overly sensitive tail of a helicopter is most frustrating and the gyro can help make the flying much easier and more pleasurable. Gyros are made by most radio manufacturers for operation compatable with their systems.

The Engine

The helicopter engine is similar to a 2-cycle aircraft glow engine except that it has a larger heat sink head for better cooling, and a carburettor with improved mid-range adjustment. When purchasing the helicopter engine, the muffler is not included. Usually the muffler comes with the helicopter kit.

Different motors facilitate different starting methods. Some come with a pull start system for very simple starting. Others use a cone start where an electric starter is used in a manner similar to starting an aircraft. Still others use an electric starter and a belt for starting. Please refer to our section "Introduction to Model Engines" to learn more about the operation of the engine.

Tools

Since the helicopter is purely a mechanical device, tools for assembly usually include items such as screw drivers, ball drivers, nut drivers, wrenches, pliers, etc. In addition to these there are a couple of specialty tools that come in handy when assembling and setting up the mechanics of your helicopter.

One tool you may want to consider to assist in assembly is a set of ball link pliers. The ball link is the most popular linkage piece on a helicopter and virtually all choppers use them. The ball link pliers greatly assist in the removing and adjusting of these links. A second tool that is extremely valuable during set-up is the rotor blade pitch guage. This device can help you line up your rotor blades so that your pitch is correct. A blade pitch guage can go along way to helping avoid costly crashes and frustration down the road as so much of your chopper's well being depends on how well it is set up initially and maintained throughout its lifetime.

Field Equipment