ALUNAN CITRA

Alright, you've built your model, you've programmed your radio, and tomorrow is the big day. You're going to fly your heli for the first time. It's normal to be a bit nervous, you've spent a lot of money on your new heli, and a lot of time building it. OR perhaps you bought a ready to fly model, no matter it's new, and you spent your hard earned money on it! Here's some tips to have success with your first flight!

1: Charge those batteries!
That includes your receiver pack, and your transmitter. Whether your model is electric or nitro, it is really important to have your batteries fully charged. Nothing's worse than watching the day pass you by when you sit and charge! It's a great idea to charge your batteries the night before, that way you don't have to spend a bunch of time waiting at the field for them to charge, plus most transmitter and receiver batteries do much better with a slow overnight charge.


2: Pack up and don't forget stuff!
While at the field you'll want a tool box with the tools you used to build your helicopter. Ideally, if you built your model perfectly you wouldn't need any tools, but you'll want them there just in case. Don't forget your Transmitter, Your glow igniter, your fuel, your fuel pump, your starter, and of course your Heli! It's also a good idea to bring the manual for your Heli, Transmitter, and gyro! Chances are you'll be doing some fine tuning and the manual may help. If you've never flown before, it would be a good idea to bring the training gear or rotopod.

3: Setup all your gear!
Pick a spot at the field where you can set all your gear, HeliProz recommends flying at a sanctioned AMA flying site, so be sure you follow the clubs procedures regarding your frequency, some clubs still require you to pull a pin even if you're operating on 2.4GhZ. If there are any knowledgeable heli guys at the field already, see if any of them would be willing to help you out with your first flights. Most people are happy to help a beginner, as long as you don't request that they fix a bunch of stuff on your heli. WIth their help, check the basics, a range check should be performed each day before flying. Check that your servos are all operating correctly, and that the batteries are still charged.

4: Perform a pre-flight inspection!
Perform a Pre-Flight inspection of your model before you start it. Check your ball links, screws, nuts, blades, and all moving parts on your Heli. The more careful you perform the pre-flight inspection, the better chance you have of catching a problem before it causes a crash!

5: Turn on your equipment!
Turn on your transmitter, then the model, and start your heli, or if it's electric plug in the battery. Carry out your helicopter to the line watching to be careful that you're not getting in the way of any other modelers. Spool it up, and do your thing, fly circuits, or hover. Remember to be safe, and follow the established club rules. In most clubs safety is a BIG deal, and it should be a big deal to you too. When your helicopter is nearly out of fuel, or battery becomes low, land safely. Stop the engine, and when it is safe, meaning no other models are buzzing around your landed model, quickly walk out and retrieve your model.

6: Post flight inspection!
Return to the bench where you started your model, turn off the receiver, and then turn off the transmitter. If you grabbed a frequency pin, put it back so anyone waiting to use your frequency has a chance to fly. REMEMBER, DO NOT turn on your transmitter if you don't have the pin! Now is a great time to perform a post-flight inspection. Similar to the pre-flight inspection, check for worn or loose parts. It's a good idea to perform a pre-flight check, before every flight, and a post-flight inspection, after every flight. Nothing's worse than crashing the model because of a loose or worn out part!

7: About the batteries!
Make sure you keep an eye on the condition of your receiver and transmitter battery. You will probably get two to five flights off of your receiver battery depending on the capacity. If you have a field/fast charger, you can charge and continue to fly. Otherwise, you're done for the day!

There’s a lot of choices and we’re here to help. R/C Helicopters can be tough to get started in, but it is also one of the most rewarding, yet challenging hobbies you can have. With today’s modern electronics and well designed kits, it has never been easier to get into this exciting hobby.

The absolute best way to get started is with a simulator. There are several on the market, our favorite is the Real Flight G4. It is a window’s based program that comes with an interlink transmitter that simply plugs into the USB port on your computer. You can check it out at www.realflight.com. With this simulator, you can literally learn to fly (and crash) many different models of r/c helicopters, as well as airplanes and sailplanes. It’s about $200, which may seem expensive at first, but when you realize that each crash on your r/c model could cost $50 or more, the value becomes much more apparent.

Nitro or Electric?

Now you’ll have to decide whether you like nitro or electric. There are some pre-built ready to fly models available from E-Flite. They include everything needed to fly the model. They sell for around $200, and can be a lot of fun. The E-Flite Blade CX2 is one that I recommend if you have never flown an r/c model and are not really sure if are going to enjoy the hobby. Besides learning, the Blade CX2 is a lot of fun in the winter time, when it’s too cold to go outside. It can literally be flown in the living room. It is a coaxial design, which is extremely stable, and simple. It is not really a 3d helicopter, meaning it is not capable of aerobatics. E-Flite also sells the Blade CP, and the Blade CP pro. These models are also available as ready to fly models. They are more conventional in design, meaning they have a main rotor, and a tail rotor. They are not easy to fly, and I usually don’t recommend them as a first model, unless you’ve been practicing with a simulator.

Electric micro helicopters such as the Trex, can be a great first model. These models are typically available as kits, or arf’s (almost ready to fly). Just so you know, an ARF means that the airframe is mostly built, whereas a kit is completely unbuilt, and you will build it. Or if you like, you can call HeliProz and the guys there are usually willing to build a model for you (for a fee of course) though it isn’t really a service that HeliProz provides. In the small electric catergory, this sometimes includes a motor and an electronic speed control. You’ll also need a helicopter transmitter, servos, gyro, battery pack(s) and charger. You’ll need some basic tools to build your model like screwdrivers, and allen wrenches. HeliProz also sells tools that are perfect for building your model. You can expect to spend $800 to $1200 on a model of this size.

Nitro models are another choice. Don’t let the larger size and Internal Combustion engine scare you away. They are easier to work on and build due to their size, and are usually much more stable than the smaller electric models. Some examples are the Thunder Tiger Raptor, Compass Knight, and Hirobo Sceadu Evolution. Nitro models are available in several sizes. 30, 50, 60, and 90 size. The 30 and 50 size are nearly the same size, usually utilizing a nearly identical airframe, and the 60 and 90 size utilize a nearly identical size airframe. If you ask us, a 50 size model is about the perfect size for learning, and when you’re a better pilot, you can do all the 3d aerobatics you can imagine. If budget is a concern, a 30 size model is a decent choice, though it won’t have quite the power for hardcore 3d aerobatics. If you’re not interested in 3d aerobatics, then a 30 is the most economical choice. Some examples of 30’s are the Thunder Tiger Raptor 30, and the Kyosho Caliber 4, and the Sceadu Evolution 30. In a 30, you can usually get away with using cheaper servos, again keeping the costs down. A 60 size heli used to be the largest size of r/c helicopter, and is still a good choice if extreme 3d aerobatics are not what you’re looking to do. They are more stable than the 30, and 50 size models, although only a few choices for 60’s remain. The Thunder Tiger Raptor 60 is one and so is the Miniature Aircraft Fury Expert. The top class of R/C heli’s is the 90 class. Some examples are the Thunder Tiger Raptor 90, The Hirobo Freya Evolution 90, the JR Vibe 90, and Several models from Miniature Aircraft. We don’t usually recommend a 90 as a first helicopter, as they can be quite a bit more expensive than the other sizes, and can be unforgiving if crashed. They also tend to use a bit more fuel than the smaller sizes.