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How To Fly A Radio Controlled Helicopter
People say that flying a helicopter is like talking, eating and playing piano at the same time. I have never tried myself (neither the 3 things above together, nor flying a real helicopter), but from people who have done it I know it's really hard. Fortunately flying an RC Helicopter is easier. But it still follows the same logic. |
Photo by Locutis at Flickr
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Typical Radio Controlled Helicopter
The hobby-grade RC helicopers are simpler than the real helicopters however you can't escape the physics. The helicopters must fly without rotating around their center. This is the problem which all rotorcraft, including radio controlled, must solve.
Because of this issue, there are two types of RC choppers. The first type looks like the real helicopters and have one big propeller on top and one small on the side of the tailpiece. The small propeller is there to react in the opposite direction of the main one. This way rotation of the fuselage is avoided.
The second popular type has two main propellers on the top, each of them rotating in the opposite direction. This way the helicopter achieves balance.
Both types of helicopters usually have similar remote control tools.
So How To Fly RC Helicopters?
Most RC helicopters can fly up and down, left, right, back and forth. Usually you won't be able to control the speed unless you've got a very advanced model.
The most typical configuration on the remote controls contains 3 pieces: horizontal control, vertical control and balance.
There isn't really much to say about how exactly you can control your chopper, as you can master it only with practice. After a week or so you can be a good RC pilot.
Some Common Issues
Flying an RC is not a rocket science but it still hides some pitfalls which may disappoint you especially in your first tries.
- The helicopter is not picking up. This usually means the battery is low. Some RC toys must be fully loaded before they can fly
- It's flying too quick or too slow. Until you get used to the control you may be pushing the buttons a bit too far or not far enough. In 90% of the cases the problem is in the pilot.
- The room is too narrow to fly. If your helicopter is too big, it may be designed to fly outside. Check the manual. Or move to a larger room :-) Most RC helicopters are designed for indoor usage.
I know this article did not teach exactly how to fly your own RC toy. The specific controls may differ depending on the brand and model. We will discuss the most popular brands in the other articles on this site.
Until then if you want to go deeper into learning, check out this resource as it goes deeply into the matter. If you prefer video, here is the first from series of video tutorials on flying RC helicopter. You'll find the links to the other tutorials there as well.
