How to Choose a Power Supply 28Apr09
Posted by tanker in Beginner, General Heli, Products.add a comment
Integy Super Power Station
If you decide to fly electric helis one of the first things you are going to need after getting the heli ready to go is batteries. In order to use your batteries you are going to need a charger, and to be able to use a charger you are probably going to need a power supply. But which one to get? Ah, well read on… (more…)
Blade CX3 Available Soon 29Jan09
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Blade CX3
Horizon Hobby has a new Blade CX3 coaxial helicopter available for pre-order. Besides a new MD 520N scale NOTAR fuselage it also uses the Spektrum AR6100e receiver. Hopefully they have improved the drift issues of the CX and CX2. Horizon says it is “compatible with most Blade CX2 option parts.”
Blade mCX — Review 29Jan09
Posted by tanker in Advanced, Beginner, General Heli.add a comment
Blade mCX
Horizon Hobby released the Blade mCX at the end of 2008. It is a tiny coaxial helicopter only 8″ long and weighing only 1 oz. We have seen many tiny helis before and they have all been terrible so we expected the same from the mCX. We could not have been more wrong! The Blade mCX flies even better than its larger CX2 sibling. It is an amazingly stable and well mannered helicopter and easily the best choice for newcomers to the hobby. Veterans will also enjoy it for indoor flying and precision flying competitions with friends. (more…)
Free RealFlight G4 to G4.5 Upgrade 21Nov08
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If you already own RealFlight G4 you can upgrade to the latest RealFlight G4.5 for free! You have three options: First is to run the upgrade from the RealFlight Launcher, download the upgrade file, or download an upgrade DVD iso image. The upgrade is just under 1GB. See the full options on the upgrade page.
Free Add-Ons for RealFlight G4/G4.5 21Nov08
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RealFlight has released updated versions of Expansion Packs 1-4 as free downloads. The new sets will work with RealFlight versions G4 and G4.5. The files are zipped and are 10-40MB in size.
There seem to be a number of new aircraft including an F-15, A-10, P-47, and a number of Extras. The heli front is a bit more sparse with just a Raptor 30 and 60, Cencept EP, and a Caliber 30.
An Introduction to RC Helis 01Oct08
Posted by tanker in Beginner, General Heli, Podcasts.add a comment
Model Airplane News magazine has a nice video cast, The Radio Control Show Episode Three, that covers the basics of RC helis and how to fly a coaxial heli. It goes over the basics of the hardware and heli controls. If you are thinking of starting in the RC heli hobby this is a good show to watch.
Note: The show is streamed and cannot be downloaded. Total run time is 12 minutes.
Also see our Learning to Fly RC Helicopters Part 1 and Part 2.
Learning to Fly RC Helicopters — Part 2 27Aug08
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Well if you are reading this we assume you have read our Learning to Fly RC Helicopters — Part 1 and followed our advice there. If so then you must have been bitten by the heli bug and are looking for more! Now it is time to move from the small coaxial heli and/or flight sim on to a ‘real’ heli.
Your next step though should be, again, the flight simulator. If you have not acquired a quality sim yet now is the time. It is not impossible to advance without it but you will spend more money in repairs than you will on a sim. If you do not have access to a computer that can run one of the better sims then at least get one of the lower-end choices. (more…)
Inside Heli is Back! 12May08
Posted by tanker in Beginner, General Heli, News, Podcasts.add a comment
The observant among you may have noticed that our podcast link to Inside Heli changed to All Things That Fly awhile back. This is because they changed the format of the show, as well as the name, from heli-only coverage to, well, all things that fly. I guess there was enough of an outcry over the lack of proper heli coverage so they have brought back Inside Heli. The show is on the same ATTF feed but now has Chris and James doing a separate show every week or two.
Episode #18 covers some nice topics for beginners including head speed and Episode #19 covers the Blade 400 and flight sims.
What Size Heli to Start? 18Apr08
Posted by tanker in Beginner.add a comment
A common question from beginners is, “What size heli should I start with?” Of course in this case by ’start’ we mean you have been through the basics of hover training and are ready to move on to a ‘real’ helicopter. The primary choices now are the 450-, 500-, and 600-sized helis. There are some that fit in between those sizes but the question is still basically small, medium, or large? (more…)
T-Rex 600 Torque Tube — Review 11Apr08
Posted by tanker in Advanced, Beginner, Products, TRex.add a comment
Align’s Torque Tube for the T-Rex 600 is one of the first upgrades you should consider for your T-Rex. The Torque Tube replaces the entire belt assembly for the tail including the front and rear gearboxes. Instead of the belt a carbon fiber rod runs inside the tail boom and drives the tail rotor. This upgrade thus eliminates all issues with the tail belt including tightness issues, skipping, belt wear, noise, etc. The TT is virtually maintenance free once installed and all you will need to do is ensure the gears stay clear of debris. If you do have an accident there are of course replacement parts to get your TT back in action. (more…)
