RC Coaxial Helicopter - Top Benefits of Starting on a Coaxial RC Helicopter

Oct. 27, 2010 - PRLog -- RC coaxial helicopters are the way to go if you want to dip your toes in the radio controlled model helicopters hobby. Here are the top benefits of trying out these magnificent flying machines before attempting single rotor fixed pitch or collective pitch helicopters.

1. RC Coaxial Helicopters are generally less expensive

Of course you have to compare apples with apples, so there are a number of points  to take into consideration. You can probably get a very small collective pitch machine (the length of your hand) at a price level near a fairly large 340mm rotor diameter coaxial like my Nine Eagles Swordfish shown in the pictures at http://www.webadjust.com/article-directory/rc-coaxial-helicopters-images-nine-eagles-swordfish.php  

These coaxial helis are mostly 4 channel mahines, whereas the collective pitch models operate on 6 channels.

2. RC Coaxial Helicopters are very stable

The two counter-rotating rotors of these helicopters make them extremely stable. Helicopters are essentially unstable compared to an aeroplane, as the rotating main rotor produces an opposing force which constantly tries to swing the body in the opposite direction. This force then needs to be controlled by the tail rotor. In RC Coaxial Helis the two rotors produce balancing forces, making these helis relatively easy to master. This means you can concentrate on other things, like giving the correct control inputs when doing nose-in hovering or other potentially disorientating maneuvres.

3. RC Coaxial Helicopters teach you proper controls

My Swordfish doesn't have a tail rotor. Rudder inputs are dealt with by the speed controller on the two main rotors. The heli turns in the rotational direction of the slower rotor at a given moment. However, I am actually learning the correct control configuration compared to the 6 channel collective pitch (CP) models. This makes the later transition easier. On the CP machine the same rudder input will control the pitch and/or speed of the tail rotor to the same effect, namely turning the heli's nose.

Have a look at these pictures of my Swordfish RC Coaxial Helicopter in action: http://www.webadjust.com/article-directory/rc-coaxial-hel...

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Neels Theron likes to fly RC helicopters - and also to write about flying them! You can see a short video here of him messing around with his Swordfish - small circuit, nose-in hover, and losing altitude unintentionally, barely scraping through: http://www.webadjust.com/article-directory/radio-controll...