micro heli MADNESS

Model Airplane News, May 2004 by Bell, Rick

JOIN THE QUIET INDOOR REVOLUTION

Micro helicopters are a fascinating aspect of the RC hobby; to me, they are the ultimate flying machines. It's absolutely exhilarating to fly a miniature helicopter in a living room, backyard, or local field without having to lug around the field equipment that's associated with larger glowpowered helicopters or worry about the noise they generate. Unlike the micro helis of a few years ago, today's current crop has the same flight characteristics as their larger brothers and are fully aerobatic and 3D capable. They can fly inverted, do loops, rolls, stall turns and autorotations.

Micro helis are also a great choice for someone who wants to learn to fly a helicopter without a big cash investment, and they are perfect for seasoned heli pilots looking for an impromptu flight when the opportunity presents itself. With the new developments in lithium batteries and brushless motors, we now see flight durations of more than 20 minutes-with power to spare. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

HELICOPTER TYPES

Micro helis can be broken into two groups: fixed pitch and collective pitch. Fixed pitch means that the angle of the main blades is fixed; speeding up and slowing down the main rotor controls the heli's altitude. This type is less expensive and less complicated than a collective-pitch heli, and it uses a simple 4-channel radio. Most fixed-pitch micros use two motors: one for the main rotor and one for the tail rotor; the onboard electronics control both. The electronics include the receiver, 2 microservos and a piezo gyro. On some electronics, the gyro is integrated in the receiver. Because of its simple, mechanical nature and light weight, if you crash a fixedpitch heli, it will typically survive with little or no damage. That quality is very much appreciated by inexperienced pilots.

To vary the altitude of a collective-pitch heli, you increase or decrease the angle of the main rotor blades; this feature is what allows the heli to perform exciting aerobatics. Because it's similar to a larger glow-powered heli in both mechanical layout and performance, you'll need to use a helicopter radio.

The heli type you choose will depend on your budget and which performance level interests you the most. If you just want to hover around in the living room or occasionally chase the cat, a fixed-pitch heli is the obvious choice, but if all-out performance is what you want, then a collective-pitch heli will keep you on your toes for a long time.

micro specs

MS COMPOSIT

Hornet II & Hornet CP-X

The Hornet II and Hornet CP-X are the newest members of the popular Hornet line from MS Composit. The Hornet II is a little larger than the basic Hornet and features a redesigned mainframe and landing gear for easier assembly, a sleeklooking canopy, factory-installed motor capacitor board and slick carbon-fiber main blades. Its size makes it more stable, so beginners will find it easier to fly. The Hornet CP-X is an all-out, SD-capable hell right out of the box, and it comes with a new precision tail rotor, 3D flybar paddles, a carbon-fiber fin set and a 120-degree CCPM control system. Each of the MS Composit helis requires 4 microservos, a 10A ESC, a piezo gyro and a heli-capable transmitter.

IKARUS USA

Piccolo Fun & Piccolo Pro

The Piccolo is the heli that started the micro-heli revolution. The Piccolos are very affordable entries into the helicopter world. Like all micros, they can be flown in your home regardless of the weather, and they feature simple and robust construction. The Piccolo Fun uses 2 microservos and an electronic mixing board, and the Pro requires a third servo and a heli radio.

CENTURY HELICOPTER PRODUCTS

Hummingbird V2

Century has recently released the V2 version of its popular Hummingbird. The heli is now lighter and stronger than the original, and it has a new-style canopy. It comes with a high-performance 370 motor and balanced main rotor blades. Several versions of the Hummingbird are available; choose from just the heli, to complete packages that include radio systems. For all you scale buffs, Century has four scale fuselages that come finished and ready to go.

EXCEL HOBBY

Cupid

The Cupid comes 100-percent ready-to-fly with a painted body; just add batteries to the transmitter, charge the flight pack, and you'll be good to go. The package includes the helicopter, motors, a receiver, an electronic mixing board, a gyro and a 4-channel transmitter. Rugged and light, the Cupid can withstand a lot of punishment thanks to its tough ABS plastic and carbon-fiber construction. A factory-painted Hughes 500 body is available.

HOBBY LOBBY

Aero Hawk

The Aero Hawk comes in three versions: a Hughes 500 (civilian and military) and pod-and-boom. All are complete, ready-to-fly and come with the transmitter, a gyro, a mixing board, a speed control, battery and charger. The main and tail rotor blades are fixed pitch and controlled by individual motors; the mixing board contains two speed controls and handles both rotors. Through a BEC, the flight battery powers the receiver, servos and motors.