Rave ENV Info 22Feb10
Posted by tanker in Advanced, General Heli, News.add a comment
Curtiss Younglood Enterprises finally posted the official info page for the new Rave ENV .90 helicopter. It has a bit more info for the nitro version than the electric version but the basic info is all there. They also posted the full manual that does contain everything you want to know. Unfortunately, the manual is in an inline viewer format (you can print it but only a page at a time) and not just a downloadable pdf. On the plus side the manual is very well done and covers all versions of the ENV as well as very good setup information.
Futaba GY520 Setup Video 12Feb10
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Futaba has a very helpful video on programing the GY520 gyro with the GYLink software. If you want to get up to speed fast on setting up the GY520 check it out. Note, you will need the separate Futaba PC Interface for GY520 (CIU-2 USB adapter) to use the GYLink software.
Synergy E9 12Feb10
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RC Heli Resource has some great photos of a new .90 sized electric heli, the Synergy E9. It is a dedicated electric heli based off their nitro model. It looks very nice with a tube driven tail and conventional flybar. The heli flies on 12S power and Synergy recommends the Neu 1920-1Y (510kv) motor and Castle Creations Phoenix ICE HV 160A 50V ESC.
Align T-Rex 450 Sport — First Look 03Feb10
Posted by tanker in Beginner, News, TRex.add a comment
450 Sport
Align recently released its newest heli, the T-Rex 450 Sport. The heli came as a bit of surprise after the fairly new 450 Pro and Super Pro. What is surprising are the amount of changes the Sport introduces. The Sport is aimed at new fliers. It is not simply a 450 Pro with some plastic parts but a new design of its own with lots of metal. The Sport certainly builds on much of what the Pro introduced but it has a number of significant changes geared towards the new flier and the possible crashes those at that stage of their flying may have:
- A new frame design that returns to the split frames similar to the T-Rex 450 SE V2.
- The new frames feature a new layout that makes the servos easier to install and replace.
- The relatively fragile Torque Tube and gears have been replaced with a traditional belt.
- A beefier tail case to help it survive damage.
- Thicker main blade grips and tail blade grips.
- A handful of smaller changes.
450 Sport Frames
All in all the changes add up to a heli that is a blend of the SE V2 and the Pro. It is somewhat lower in cost but is also more durable. It does have slightly less performance than the Pro, but for its target market of beginning and intermediate heli pilots the 450 Sport has performance to spare. If you are new to heli flying and looking for a quality 450 class heli that is more durable and bit more timid than the 450 Pro then this may be a good place to start.
There is also the Super Sport combo package that comes with Align servos, gyro, motor and esc.
Specifications:
Accessories:
Blade mCX Tandem 12Jan10
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mCX Tandem
E-flite and Horizon Hobby have a new mCX RC heli out now, the Blade mCX Tandem. It is a tandem heli very similar in look to the Chinook. It is a bit larger than the coaxial mCX and uses a larger 250 mAh battery. Horizon has a nice video overview of the mCX Tandem. There is also video of an earlier look at the mCX Tandem. Initial reviews of the little heli have been very positive and it is currently difficult to get from many retailers. Looks like this is a another must get indoor heli.
New JR X9503 Radio 12Jan10
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JR X9503
Horizon Hobby just announced a new version of JR’s venerable 9-channel X9303 transmitter the X9503 (available soon). It is essentially identical to the X9303 but now has 50 model memory and a back lit screen. Horizon has a quick video discussing the X9503. It ships with the R921 Rx but no servos. The biggest disappointment is that it does not have the same 2048 resolution as the DX7 SE (and 12X). [Note: Radio Control Heli Pilot Vol 2 2009 magazine has an article that states the JR 9303 radio does have 2048 resolution when used with the AR7600 receiver. We assume then that this holds true for the X9503 but have not seen anything official in this regard.]
Horizon Hobby also has a number of other interesting videos on their various products.
[Updated: 12FEB10]
RC Helicopter Magazines 20Dec09
Posted by tanker in Beginner, Publications.add a comment
There are a number of magazines available that cover the RC heli hobby. These are great for not only keeping up on the latest products but are also great resources for reviews and tips and tricks for the new flier and veteran alike.
RC Heli Magazine (http://www.rchelimag.com) — This is a great magazine that covers all RC Heli activities. Great reviews and setup information.
Model Helicopter World (http://www.modelheliworld.com) — Another good magazine. The only problem is it is a UK publication so some of the areas covered, and the ads, are not applicable to those of us on the other side of the pond.
R/C Model Aeroplane / RCM&E (http://www.modelflying.co.uk) — Another UK-based RC magazine. R/C Model Aeroplane is the U.S. version of RCM&E. As far as I can tell the coverage is identical only the name is different. It has high quality reviews and build articles and usually a good amount of heli coverage mixed in with fixed wing. As with all foreign publications the only real problem is that some of the products and almost all of the advertisements are not useful for those in the U.S..
Rotory Modeler Magazine (http://www.rotory.com) — Another dedicated heli magazine that has been around over ten years now. It has some good articles but is not professionally published and, as a result, the editing and writing suffer and the layout is amateurish. You can buy the back issues in pdf format.
Model Airplane News (http://www.modelairplanenews.com) — They have produced some nice heli issues (summer and winter) titled Radio Control Helicopter. Hopefully they will do more. The regular mag usually has some heli coverage as well.
Radio Control Heli Pilot (http://flyrc.com) — Produced by the same folks that do Fly RC magazine, Radio Control Heli Pilot is a special publication dedicated to helis. They have done two issues so far.
Fly RC (http://flyrc.com) — Another primarily fixed-wing RC magazine but they do tend to have regular heli coverage as well.
RC Sport Flyer Magazine (http://www.rc-sf.com) — Another good magazine with light heli coverage. They cover a lot of electric aircraft so there is some useful crossover there as well.
Backyard Flyer (http://www.backyardflyer.com) — They occasionally have some heli coverage and also cover electric flying.
Shape 9.0 Rigid 18Dec09
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Well we have yet another .90-sized electric heli announced. It looks like the Shape Rigid, from Henseleit Helicopters of Germany, is getting close to release. There was video of it back in the prototype stage and now there is some video of what looks like a possible production ready version.
There is also the Rigid Story video parts one and two (dialog is in German but you get the idea).
Interesting design overall but it really needs a different canopy design.
KDE Direct Electronic Pinion Support Upgrade 15Nov09
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KDE Direct Pinion Support
KDE Direct have a new add-on to their T-Rex 700 electric conversion kit. They have now produced an Electronic Pinion Support Upgrade. This is a rather ingenious little device that bolts above the motor and provides a full bearing support to the top of the pinion. The idea is to eliminate lateral flexing of the pinion and reduce wear and possible stripping of the main gear.
Because the Support mounts to the motor mount only and not to the frame it is hard to say how much flex it will actually eliminate but it will certainly help to some degree. As always, KDE provides clear installation instructions.
JR Sylphide 90E 06Nov09
Posted by tanker in Advanced, General Heli, News.add a comment
Ok, this is just starting to get silly now. RCHeliResource.com has shots from the Tokyo Hobby Show that reveal a brand new .90 sized electric heli being produced by JR. No further details yet. At this rate we’ll be seeing a new .90 sized electric every week in 2010!
