With these reasons you can draw a conclusion that those who buy electric RC Helicopter want convenience more than real experience. There are those who prefer to build model RC Helicopter by themselves to add to their ever-growing collection. Are RC Helicopters much harder than planes? RC Helicopters are more complicated to fly than airplanes however it is possible to learn to fly a RC Helicopter by yourself which is next to impossible for an rc airplane because with a RC Helicopter you can fly a little bit 2 inches off the ground and land safely. RC Planes are nice in that they’re much more relaxing to fly than a RC Helicopter but the coordination you learn from flying RC planes is not so useful when flying RC Helicopters that it warrants buying a whole airplane first. For those who have heard this for the first time you should realize that you only require standard parts from an auto parts and hardware store to create a helicopter (that can really fly). One of the most thrilling experiences you can have is to fly an aircraft on your own. That is.

Do not let the helicopter hit you! This is a habit you definitely want to avoid. Gas RC Helicopter is relatively larger than other type of RC Helicopters while electric RC Helicopter can be categorized into 3 sizes- that is electric mini and micro. One last reason is that gas RC Helicopter is the best thing you get before you move to ultralight helicopter. Thus one you have a gas RC Helicopter you don’t have to require yourself to upgrade unlike if you have an electric RC Helicopter. See micro helicopter dragonfly.

With a pre-built ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) kit like the Raptor you’re only a few hours from ready to hover when you get it in the box!. Practice turning the heli a little bit to the right and left. Get used to the perspective in real life. The sim experience only helps. Practice flying the heli out and back (tail in both ways) Practice a little side to side slow-flying. Wind conditions; the bigger the helicopter the more wind it can cope with.

If you want to fly with the airplanes (which they tend not to like when you hover all over the runway) you will need AMA insurance. http://www.rchelicoptersguide.info/mini-micro-mosquito-rc-helicopter/micro-helicopter-dragonfly.php If you are planning to fly your RC Helicopter on open spaces then the electric RC Helicopter is your ideal size. On the other hand if you only prefer indoor flying then you can either choose the mini or the micro.

These RC Helicopter parts can cost you a little under a thousand dollars if you know how to select good parts.In other words after you have bought and first flown your radio-controlled helicopter you might not be able to fly it again. The there is one thing that rc pilots are conscious about that is the closeness of the rc to the real helicopter. Gas RC Helicopter is powered by an engine that is ran by fuel.

Practice flying around backwards slowly. This is very difficult. Practice flying around backwards while inverted. Yikes. The Real McCoy. I suggest that you should wait to fly the real thing until you can confidently fly around in the simulator and land without crashing. You will be much better off in the event of an emergency and learn quicker too. Also see helicopter rc parts. Usually beginners tend to buy electric RC helicopter because it is much cheaper than gas rc’s. RC Helicopter simulators fun too. I like to push it to the limits and do all sorts of weird things I would never do for real.

Rc helicopter has become one of the more popular “boy toys” that hit and hit big. Its popularity is not surprising at all. Imagine fulfilling your dream of flying an aircraft without spending too much. And most of all: without leaving your foot off the ground. Now that’s a good plus factor if you simply don’t want to risk your life flying with a spinning rotor above your head.

Rc helicopter usually come in either gas or electric powered. Here are the things you should know about the two:

Electric rc Helicopter – If you are a novice rc enthusiast, then the most advisable thing to buy is the electric rc helicopter. The reasons are simple. Electric rc helicopter is simpler than other types of rc helicopters especially the gas rc’s. With the electric, you don’t have to deal with the engine and the gas it will consume. You would not need to have proper knowledge about mechanics just to make it fly. You don’t have to spend a lot of time reader the manual just to understand how it works. And if the helicopter fails, you don’t have to figure out how to fix it.

If you are thinking that electric rc helicopter would not fly for long then you should change you perspective. Most modern electric rc’s are powered by lithium batteries and coupled with brushless motors. This makes it fly much longer. In fact it can out last some of the gas rc’s.

And last thing: It is quiet on air thus you cannot disturb other’s privacy.

Gas rc Helicopter – A more experienced rc helicopter pilot prefers gas powered rc helicopters for several reasons. One is, flying gas rc helicopter flies like flying a full-size helicopter since the sound that the engine creates can trigger excitement. Oh! You might think that it is quite absurd. But no! The sound of the engine makes it more exciting to fly. Another reason is that gas rc helicopter is more complicated that keeps its pilot more addicted with it. Why? This is because the pilot is not only limited to flying the helicopter alone. Pilot is involved with how the mechanics of the RC. This gives him more reason to become excited on the RC.

Choosing between an electric RC helicopter and a gas RC helicopter is up to you. Evaluate carefully so that you get most out of your rc flying experience.

Decision on what type of rc helicopter to buy depend on you. But with a more reflective mind, you can arrive with a right selection. Now, if you are thinking of buying a gas rc helicopter over electric rc helicopter, then here are the things you should know…

Let us begin by discussing briefly the electric rc helicopter.

Most, if not all rc helicopter novices begin with electric rc helicopter for several reason. Electric rc helicopter is cheaper than gas powered. It is also easier to fly since it does not require an engine. And finally, electric rc helicopter produces no noise and no smell.

With these reasons, you can draw a conclusion that those who buy electric rc helicopter want convenience more than real experience.

Although there is nothing wrong with it, electric rc helicopter is not for people who require more than just simplicity.

Now we ask: Why choose gas rc helicopter?

Forget about the price since gas rc helicopter does not come cheap. Also, forget about the noise because it comes with the engine, the sound cannot escape your ear. But here lies the answer to the question.

Serious rc pilots prefer noise and price over silence, economy and most of all convenience. The complexity of the engine makes it more attractive to those who want to enjoy the real experience of flying a helicopter. You never saw an electric full size helicopter, didn’t you?

The there is one thing that rc pilots are conscious about, that is the closeness of the rc to the real helicopter.

Another thing that set gas rc helicopter apart from the electric one is the level of respect and concentration required on flying each and every time. Since it involves gas and an engine, rc pilots take it more seriously. Added to this is the type of thrill that is involve every second of flying.

One last reason is that, gas rc helicopter is the best thing you get before you move to ultralight helicopter. Thus, one you have a gas rc helicopter, you don’t have to require yourself to upgrade unlike if you have an electric rc helicopter. But in the case you want to upgrade to ultralight, you can easily get familiar with flying since you have already been with an engined-helicopter.

And oh, before we forgot, gas rc helicopter teaches you the basic of the helicopter flying more than any type of rc helicopter around.

Before you buy an electric rc helicopter, there are things you need to know.

Here are the pros and cons of electric rc helicopter

Pros

Electric RC helicopter is one of the more favorable kinds of rc helicopters out there in the market for several reasons:

·It is easy to fly

If you are beginning to take interest on rc helicopters, then the best way to a good start is to buy an electric rc helicopter. It is easy to fly since it only requires batteries for power. You don’t have to deal with engines and engine malfunction. You also don’t have to buy gas to make it fly. With electric rc helicopters, you don’t have to have knowledge about how engines work. You don’t need to tinker complicated moving parts since there is none. All you need to know is where the controls and your rc is flying in no time.

·It is quiet

Other rc helicopters, especially the gas powered, create a lot of noise. And this is often times annoying not only to you but also on your neighbor who wants to get some quiet moment alone. Thus, you cannot fly them around your neighborhood. The good thing about electric rc helicopter is that it creates no noise at all. Without an engine, your rc will fly silently anywhere you want it to fly without disturbing the peace.

·It is safe

Batteries are generally safe to use. This also goes with electric rc helicopter. All you have to do is to recharge it when it is empty and it will be off again in the air. You don’t have to deal with flammables and you don’t have to deal with engine at all.

Cons

Just like any other products, electric rc helicopter has its drawbacks. Here are those:

·The experience is less exciting

Full-size helicopters have engines and no helicopter is powered by electric current. So you cannot get a helicopter-like experience if wit electric rc helicopter. The engine noise adds up to the experience. Without it, it may be boring.

·Activity is limited

With electric rc helicopter, all you have to do is charge, fly, re-charge, fly, re-charge again, and fly again. Until you get to hate it. Like what was said earlier, you are limited to flying. Aside to that, no more.

Other RC like gas rc helicopter is more than flying, you get to tinker with the engine and in the process, get more excited every time you fly.

RC helicopter has become one of the more popular “boy toys” that hit and hit big. Its popularity is not surprising at all. Imagine fulfilling your dream of flying an aircraft without spending too much. And most of all, without leaving your foot off the ground. Now that’s a good plus factor if you simply don’t want to risk your life flying with a spinning rotor above your head.

Rc helicopter usually come in either gas or electric powered. Here are the things you should know about the two:

Electric – If you are a novice rc enthusiast, then the most advisable thing to buy is the electric rc helicopter. The reasons are simple. It is simpler than other types of helicopters especially the gas rc’s. With the electric, you don’t have to deal with the engine and the gas it will consume. You would not need to have proper knowledge about mechanics just to make it fly. You don’t have to spend a lot of time reader the manual just to understand how it works. And if the helicopter fails, you don’t have to figure out how to fix it.

Most, if not all novices begin with electric for several reason. Electric ones are cheaper than gas powered. It is also easier to fly since it does not require an engine. And finally, electric rc helicopter produces no noise and no smell. With these reasons, you can draw a conclusion that those who buy electric ones want convenience more than real experience.

Although there is nothing wrong with it, electric rc helicopter is not for people who require more than just simplicity. If you are thinking that electric rc helicopter would not fly for long then you should change you perspective. Most modern electric RCs are powered by lithium batteries and coupled with brushless motors. This makes it fly much longer. In fact it can out last some of the gas rc’s.

And last thing: It is quiet on air thus you cannot disturb other’s privacy.

Gas – A more experienced pilot prefers gas powered for several reasons. One is, flying gas rc helicopter flies like flying a full-size helicopter since the sound that the engine creates can trigger excitement. Oh! You might think that it is quite absurd. But no! The sound of the engine makes it more exciting to fly. Another reason is that gas rc helicopter is more complicated that keeps its pilot more addicted with it. Why? This is because the pilot is not only limited to flying the helicopter alone. Pilot is involved with how the mechanics of the RC. This gives him more reason to become excited on the RC.

Forget about the price since gas rc helicopter does not come cheap. Also, forget about the noise because it comes with the engine, the sound cannot escape your ear. But here lies the answer to the question.

Serious rc pilots prefer noise and price over silence, economy and most of all convenience. The complexity of the engine makes it more attractive to those who want to enjoy the real experience of flying a helicopter. You never saw an electric full size helicopter, didn’t you? The there is one thing that rc pilots are conscious about, that is the closeness of the rc to the real helicopter.

Another thing that set gas rc helicopter apart from the electric one is the level of respect and concentration required on flying each and every time. Since it involves gas and an engine, rc pilots take it more seriously. Added to this is the type of thrill that is involve every second of flying.

One last reason is that, gas powered helicopter is the best thing you get before you move to ultralight helicopter. Thus, one you have a gas powered helicopter, you don’t have to require yourself to upgrade unlike if you have an electric powered helicopter. But in the case you want to upgrade to ultralight, you can easily get familiar with flying since you have already been with an engined-helicopter.

And oh, before we forgot, a gas powered helicopter teaches you the basic of the helicopter flying more than any type of rc helicopter around.

RC Helicopters, one of mankind’s the most fascinating invention, grab people’s attention wherever they are flown. Not surprisingly, RC Helicopters earned its place as one of the most intriguing hobby to pursue. This fact probably came to be because of the addictive, gripping and exciting nature of this leisure pursuit. To add to that, the models themselves represent the finest modern day miniature technology can offer.

Not long ago, very few have ever had the pleasure of getting a taste of flying these amazing machines. For a simple reason – once upon a time they cost way too much to buy and way to expensive to maintain. Alas – many thought this hobby would be and forever remain amongst one of those exclusive to the rich. Also, some people did not like the smell of gasoline exhaust or the loud noise of the engine. Fear not! Those days are gone!

Most people can now very easily afford to fly RC helicopters thanks to the tremendous improve of batteries, motors, and general electronics in the past few years. These innovations result in a new field of RC – electric RC helicopters – which at the same time opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. These include flying helicopter indoors and right at your own backyard while at the same time causing absolutely no pollution and much less noise. Moreover, maintenance costs which used to scare most people now shrink down so low that it won’t hurt your wallet in any way.

Recent technologies also allow these new breed of RC to be built much smaller than their predecessors. This not only fulfills many people’s childhood dream of indoor flights, it also makes for easy transporting. Not that it has to be carried very far since it can be flown right at your house. The need for tedious maintenance greatly decreased as well. You can forget hauling around heavy flight box full of equipment. If any repairs became necessary, it can usually be carried out in full with nothing more than a screw driver. Often times repair can be made using bare hands.

Reliability of these electric machines improves greatly when compared to the gas versions because they use electrical motors instead of nitro engines. Electric motors come much cheaper, much less tedious, and much less dirty. Unlike gas engines, electric motor almost never cuts out like an engine does. This means no more stalled engine in mid air!

Don’t think for one second that electric flights won’t last long. Modern RC models use Lithium Polymer batteries. These types of batteries will allow electric flights to last as long as – or longer – than gas-powered flights. Moreover, when running out of gas, nitro helicopter engines will suddenly cut out. On the other hand, their electric brothers will slowly power down, providing ample time to safely land.

Beginners will find that it’s now much easier to get a hang of this hobby. Whereas nitro helicopters can easily draw buckets of sweat from learning pilots, these new electric ones prove much easier to master. No longer are six channels required to fly, now helicopter pilots can start learning at only 2, 3, and 4 channels. Some models even use two main rotors that turn in opposite directions, eliminating the need for a tail rotor. This means one less channel to worry about while learning. And what’s more, most of these beginner helicopters fly right of the box. No more spending weeks trying to assemble complicated kits.

On the other hand, for experienced pilots, high-end modessuch as Align’s T-Rex 450 and T-Rex 600 offers high performance 3D crafts that will excite even the most avid pilots.

Where once flying a small model helicopter around in your own home was once a far-fetched dream, electric RC helicopters has made that dream a very vivid and extremely enjoyable reality!

In contrast to electric helicopters, there also exist gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters that you should really check out, if you think you have it in you.  Of course, the gas powered helicopters can be more work intensive, but they can also be more rewarding.  You see, it is the gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters that are capable of really showcasing the best agility level and the highest, fastest flying capabilities.

At least that’s what I’ve typically found with my helicopter purchases.  Either way, you can really have a ton of fun with gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters and if you don’t mind replacing their fuel when it runs out and working carefully to avoid fire when you’re setting them up for flight, you can really have a wonderful time.

I remember once helping another shopper with a gas or nitro powered remote control helicopter purchase, and they really found that they could have much more fun with this type of helicopter than the electric helicopter that they were using before then, because the electric one just didn’t respond as well to the remote control.  I don’t know for sure if this is the case universally, or if this particular customer found that gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters were better than electric helicopters based on a single, isolated incident, but I do know that when I discuss which helicopter is better with other professional fliers, I typically get the same answer.  Gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters are indeed more work, but they are also unparalleled in their ability to fly well.

For instance, let’s say you want to fly your helicopter further backwards than any other person and make it to the Guiness Book of World Records.  Well, I have typically heard that people find the gas helicopters to last longer-the electrical charge in electric helicopters runs out before the fuel does.  That said, the gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters are also much more expensive, and you do need to know that you have to restore the gas whenever it runs out, and cleaning the apparatus also takes more ingenuity and work.  But of course, if you’re up for the challenge, the rewards are well worth it.  Just make sure that when you purchase gas or nitro powered remote control helicopters, as with any large transaction, that you are buying from a reputable independent or commercial dealer, and you have researched the price trends in your area, so you know you’re getting the best deal you possibly can for your money.

There is little more frustrating that purchasing your first real gas or nitro powered remote control helicopter and finding out that your next door neighbor got a similar one for a lot cheaper, and is happier with it because they had money left over to take a trip out to the country and really fly it around.  The choice is up to you, but if I had to choose one, I would choose the gas helicopter over the electric one!

As a professional helicopter flier, I often find myself writing reviews for remove control helicopters, and this includes electric helicopters.  The electric ones are often the ones with the most agility, which is very important to many consumers, but you can probably imagine that these helicopters are also the ones that can be dangerous if you try to fly them in the rain or near power lines.  So whenever I write reviews for remote control electric helicopters, I make sure to emphasize the potential pitfalls and I test each one carefully.

I am not like some of the other reviewers that just writes an endorsement for any old remote control electric helicopters just because they are getting paid to do so.  In fact, sometimes, I will actually turn down the opportunity to promote remote control electric helicopters of a certain brand because I deem them dangerous for the typical consumers, and I worry that people will read my review, go out and purchase a specific brand of remote control electric helicopters and end up getting really injured.  One occasion of this happening with a colleague really hit home with me, and I’d like to elaborate on it a bit.

This friend wrote a gleaming review for remote control electric helicopters, and I had warned him that the brand he was writing about was not always the most reliable, and sometimes they used cheaper materials to cut corners.  Well, he was too entranced by the amount of money offered for this short review, so he wrote one that was just brilliant, and he posted it online and in print for everyone to see.  Lo and behold, sales in that helicopter skyrocketed, and people for the most part were happy with them after the first few weeks of purchase.  Then bad things began to happen.  People reported the remote control electric helicopters shorting out and a few peoples’ helicopters even caught fire because of faulty wiring.

One person had to go to the hospital because they tried to put the fire out in their remote control electric helicopter and they couldn’t put it out fast enough.  And a small explosion was enough for one consumer to lose a finger.  As you can imagine, the reviewer just felt horrible about giving this company such a great review for their remote control electric helicopters when he had never even checked them out.  The saddest thing was that this reviewer then left the helicopter business because he felt so shamed about leaving an un-researched review and hurting his trusting readers.  I tried to get him to come back to the helicopter company after he was away for a few years, because I knew that flying helicopters was his passion, and I just felt so bad that he had deserted it.

It was obvious that he was depressed by the entire incident, and he ultimately did go back to flying in recreational meets, but he never regained his great name or reputation, and he was demoted to the ranks of recreational fliers from them on.

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Nitro-powered Thunder Tiger Raptor 60

Electric-powered Venom Air Corps Ocean Rescue

Electric-powered Align T-rex 450SE

This Heli-Max Axe Micro CX model helicopter is an example of a micro-sized coaxial model. Note the size comparison with the cellular telephone at right.
Radio Controlled helicopters (also RC helicopters) are model aircraft which are distinct from RC airplanes because of the differences in construction, aerodynamics, and flight training. Several basic designs of RC helicopters exist, some more maneuverable than others (such as helicopters with collective pitch). The more maneuverable designs are often harder to fly, but benefit from greater aerobatic capabilities.
Flight controls allow pilots to control the collective and throttle (usually linked together), the cyclic controls (pitch and roll), and the tail rotor (yaw). Controlling these in unison enables the helicopter to perform most of the maneuvers an aeroplane can do, and many that aeroplanes cannot, such as hovering and backwards flight; in this manner, they are quite similar in operation to full-sized helicopters.
The various helicopter controls are affected by means of small servo motors. A piezoelectric gyroscope is typically used on the tail rotor (yaw) control to counter wind- and torque-reaction-induced tail movement. This “gyro” does not apply a mechanical force, but rather, electronically adjusts the control signal to the tail rotor servo.
The engines used are typically methanol-powered two-stroke motors, but gasoline, jet turbine and increasingly electric brushless motors combined with a high-performance lithium polymer battery are also used.
Types of R/C helicopters
Power sources include:
Nitro (nitromethane-methanol internal combustion)
Electric
Gas turbine
Petrol / gasoline
Mechanical layouts include:
CCPM in all power sources
Fixed-pitch electric
Coaxial electric
Nitro helicopters are currently more common than electric helicopters. Practical electric helicopters are a relatively recent development and are rapidly developing and becoming more common. Gas-turbine helicopters are also increasing in popularity, although the high cost puts them out of reach of most people.
Nitro
Nitro helicopters come in different sizes: 15, 30, 50, 60 and 90 size. These numbers originated from the size of nitro engine used in the different models (0.30 cu in, 0.50 cu in and so on). The bigger and more powerful the engine, the larger the main rotor blade that it can turn and hence the bigger the aircraft overall. Typical flight times for nitro helicopters is 7-14 minutes depending on the engine size and tuning.
Electric
Recent advancements in battery technology are making electric flying more feasible in terms of flying time. Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries are able to provide the high current required for high performance aerobatics while still remaining very light. Typical flight times are 4-12 minutes depending on the flying style and battery capacity.
In the past electric helicopters were used mainly indoors due to the small size and lack of fumes. Larger electric helicopters suitable for outdoor flight and advanced aerobatics have become a reality over the last few years and have become very popular. Their quietness has made them very popular for flying sites close to residential areas and in places such as Germany where there are strict noise restrictions. Nitro helicopters have also been converted to electric power by commercial and home made kits.
The smallest remote-controlled production model helicopter made (Guinness World Records 2006) is the Picoo Z sold at many toy stores (although this is infrared controlled, not radio), electronics stores and internet stores, costing about $30 (?15). The next smallest is the Mosquito counter-rotating blade helicopter, which is also a battery-operated R/C helicopter.
Several models are in contention for the title of the smallest non-production remote-controlled helicopter, including the Pixelito family of micro helicopters, the Proxflyer family, and the Micro flying robot.
A recent innovation is that of coaxial electric helicopters like the aforementioned Mosquito. The system’s inherent stability has, in recent years, made it a good candidate for the design of small models for beginner and/or indoor use. Models of this type, as in the case of a full-scale helicopter, eliminate rotational torque and extremely quick control response, both of which are very…(and so on) To get More information , you can visit some products about promotion gift;porcelain mug, disposable juice cup, . The Rechargeable Battery Heated Stadium Seat Cushion & Bench Warmer products should be show more here!

Well, where to start with this one… This has got to be one of the coolest yet frustrating things anyone has ever bought me. Let me explain… My girlfriend bought me this for Christmas from Buzzflyer.co.uk for around £110, as soon as I opened it I was like a kid at 10 years old again. On the box it said for indoor/outdoor flight so naturally the box was flung open and the battery was straight on charge ready for a bout of flying round the living room.

What’s in the box?

1 x Assembled Esky Honeybee Helicopter

1 x 4CH Radio Handset and aerial

1 x AC adapter

1 x 12V Battery lead (to charge the helicopter battery from a 12V car battery etc)

1 x Transformer

1 x Lithium Polymer (LiPo) Battery

1 x Plastic bag of bits and bobs

1 x Instructions

The Esky Honeybee is billed as an RTF helicopter (Ready To Fly, for those not in the know) which means that in theory all it should require is a quick charge and off you go.

Naturally being a bloke there was no need to read the instructions so I just plugged the battery into the beast and off I went. It very quickly became apparent that this is definitely NOT an indoor toy, in fact it is not even a toy at all come to mention it.

Obviously what’s the first thing you do when you get a toy helicopter? You got it, stick on maximum revs and see what happens! That’s where this thing went from 0 to lethal in less than a second. It looked so innocent sat on the floor till I whacked the throttle up then I seriously began to fear for my safety. The downdraft from this thing was amazing considering the size, what looked quite small in the beginning now seemed relatively large once the blades were spun up, and what a noise! To put it into context; have you ever seen hypnodisc on robot wars? Now imagine that but flying uncontrollably around your living room at head height, brown pants moment I think you’ll agree! I ducked for cover as the beast ploughed straight into the wall, slid down, and proceeded to have what looked like an epileptic fit on the floor. My first venture and already a broken part (albeit minor and not detrimental to operation). “Ah” I thought, “probably better off outside”.

So out I went, only a slight breeze so I thought to myself “perfect” – mistake number 2.

Full throttle once again (this time from a safe distance). The helicopter took straight off and was instantly carried by the slight breeze at a rate of knots till it was out of sight. I ran over to it only to find it looking like a wet dog on a cold day, all bunched up and twitching.

This time I had broken several major parts so I packed up my helicopter and walked home in shame to figure out what I was doing wrong and order some spare bits (which weren’t cheap). “Suppose I best read the manual” I thought.

Ah… Apparently you have to set the helicopter up first as regards to the balancing of the main rotor, paddles, and the weight distribution so that the centre of gravity is directly beneath the rotor shaft. This is EXTREMELY important if you want any kind of stable flight. Instructions for this can be downloaded here.

The next thing you have to do is set up the gain and trim of the tail rotor; this is so that while throttling up the main rotor the helicopter will remain stable and pointing in the same direction.

With these tasks complete I then took the helicopter to an empty squash court with a friend who had also bought a honeybee helicopter (although he opted for the 6 channel collective pitch model, boy did he regret that later).

This time I was dead careful, I slowly increased the throttle until it was very light on the ground then applied a short burst just to get it in the air and out of the ground effect (this is another thing I learned, after experimenting trying to get the honeybee to hover in my kitchen it would constantly drift to the left no matter what controls were applied. After a bit of research I discovered that it’s something to do with the way the air flows when the rotor is so close to the ground that makes it act in this way. Hence the term ‘ground effect’. The only way you can get the helicopter into a stable hover is to quickly apply the throttle in a short burst so that it rises out of the ground effect to about knee level where it will become more stable.)

It then became apparent that I was out of my depth, I thought being only a 4 channel helicopter it couldn’t be that hard and I would have become a master of flight before the day was out. That day turned into about a month of practice, several expensive crashes, and 2 body injuries from the main rotor and I’m still not great although I’ve become quite good at a stable hover. Flying a RC helicopter is a lot more difficult than it looks!

On the same day of the first proper maiden flight in the squash court, my friend opted for the same initial response as I had when first getting the heli out of the box (it was the first time he had ever turned it on) only this time he didn’t get away with a minor breakage as with mine. He pushed the throttle to maximum and with the 6 channel Honeybee having more power it took off like a trident missile straight into the squash court wall and folded up like a spring loaded deckchair. It was a write-off. Less than 1 second total flight time and it cost him a fortune (not to mention hours of build time and bleeding thumbs) just to get it back to a reasonable flying condition only to have a similar incident the second time round! He was nearly in tears and I tried to be sympathetic but I couldn’t help crying with laughter, bad I know but the comedy of the situation was hard to ignore!

My advice would be don’t buy this particular RC helicopter if you have never flown one before. The damage caused by learning to fly it will drive you insane not to mention the cost and time to rebuild it. If your serious about it get some advice before you buy one and try to get some proper training from someone who already knows how to fly RC helicopters. Trust me it will save you a lot of headaches not to mention a hefty repair bill. One plus side of the honeybee FP (fixed pitch blades) is that the battery lasts ages. On a full charge the Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery gives a good 30 minutes of continuous ‘attempted’ flight.

The principle behind an electric helicopter is a good one and I admire what Esky have tried to do by creating a cheap offering but to me the build quality was a bit lacking, only very slight knocks would cause something to break which means the novelty wears off extremely quickly.

If I had to buy one again I would go for the Micron V2 which is a tiny indoor helicopter the advantages of this is that the build quality looks substantially better than the honeybee, and the size is such that you can actually fly it in your living room which means that any major crashes and knocks are likely to be absorbed by soft things such as sofas and carpets.

Conclusion

Great idea in principle, but the build quality is a bit lacking.

John’s Reviews rating

4/10

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