Choosing A Good Helicopter

Well, that's debatable. For one thing, the inexpensiveThere are several different people who are
electric helicopters are very difficult to fly in the wind.considered to be the inventor of the helicopter. I could
Yes you can buy a pretty good one for around $200.write a book explaining it in detail, but I'll cover a couple
The CX is the easiest to learn to fly as compared toof the primary contributors to the development of
the CP and the equivalent, but all helicopters, fuelrotary wing aircraft. The ancient Chinese invented a
powered or electric, are difficult to teach yourself totoy for children that you can still see today. It consists
fly. Chances are good you will break many parts in theof a propeller and a shaft through the middle of it. If
learning process and most likely give up after spendingyou spin it quickly in your hands or with some other
too many hours fixing, practicing and/or tons of moneyforce such as a rubber band you could make it lift up
in the learning process. Hate to discourage you, but thisand hover briefly before coming back to the ground.
is the reality of RC helicopters.The first recorded depiction of a possible manned
People seem to think because the helicopters arehelicopter is a diagram drawn by Leonardo da Vinci in
electric and cheap; it will make it easier to learn how tothe 1400s. The knowledge of physics necessary to
fly. I've trained something on the order of 300 peoplesuccessfully build a working model did not yet exist, but
to hover and fly helicopters over the years and I knowhe understood the concept of an "air screw" that if
for a fact that is the safest, easiest and cheapestturned fast enough would be able to drive the machine
way to learn.and a pilot into the air.
Fuel powered helicopters are difficult to learn to hoverOver the course of the next few centuries many
and fly, small electric helicopters are even harder andother people toyed with the idea of a helicopter, but
the tiny ones are worse. You will need a large openagain the amount of power necessary to drive such a
area to practice hovering and even then, chances aremachine into the air was not possible to generate. The
you will break things. This is something you willinvention of the internal combustion engine made the
unfortunately find out after you spent quite a bit ofpower requirement a reality. The next hurdle that
money on your helicopters and replacement parts.needed to be overcome was the concept of torque -
If you haven't already, tried installing a new and/orthe phenomenon that causes the body of the
different type of glow plug. It is possibly there is a holehelicopter to spin in the opposite direction of the main
in your fuel line inside of your tank where the fuel line isrotor.
attached to the metal pick up. That would cause it toPaul Cornu invented a working piloted helicopter in
stall when the tank is half empty. The engine might be1907, but it was not a successful design. It only
overheating due to the lean mixture caused by thegenerated enough lift for about 7 seconds. Another
possible split fuel line. There are so many electricFrenchman, Etienne Oehmichen built and flew a
helicopters out there and it depends on what youworking helicopter for about 1 kilometer in 1924.
consider is too expensive.As early as 1910, Russian born Igor Sikorsky began
Save your $100 because buying those helicoptersworking on development of a manned helicopter. By
would be a total waste of money. As the saying goes,1940, his working design had become the model for all
you only get what you pay for. The same goes formodern helicopters. It consisted of a main rotor and a
the cheapest electric ARF airplanes. You will need atail rotor that is used to counteract the torque
proper trainer airplane, and any RC warplane is wellgenerated by the main rotor. This design is still used in
beyond any beginner's abilities.a vast majority of helicopters today, which is why
Learning to fly RC airplanes is something that isSikorsky is considered the father of the modern
possible to learn on your own, but definitely nothelicopter.
recommended. If you ever get a chance to find a clubThere are many other men who contributed to the
or an experienced flier who will let you fly a properdevelopment of rotary wing aviation - too many to list
trainer, then you will see what I'm talking about. I believehere, but a thorough search of the library and/or the
collective helicopters are easier to fly than fixedinternet can give you tons of insight into the
pitched helicopters. You are correct about the CP. Thedevelopment and design of all different types of
small electric helicopters are for the most part arehelicopters.
harder to fly than fuel powered helicopters.