Are you're thinking about which r/c helicopter to buy your hubby or son (or wife/daughter!)? If the person you are buy for has not flown a model helicopter before then this is the article for you. So what is the best radio controlled helicopter for you? Well there is no easy answer to that question, so please read on;

Small Electric Counter-rotating blade helicopters

The tiny counter rotating helicopter - Blade MCX	The Larger counter-rotating Blade CX2

This style of helicopter is a very popular beginners model, mainly because they tend to be cheap and very easy to fly. Many of them can also be flown indoors however with exception of the very small version such as the Blade MCX (shown in Fig.1) the air disturbance the helicopter causes can make it difficult to fly if flown in a typical sized room (e.g. 12ft x 12ft). Therefore the larger counter-rotating helicopters are better suited to flying in calm conditions outside. It is not advisable to fly the very small helicopters such as the Blade MCX outdoors, since even the lightest of breeze where you would consider there to be no wind can uncontrollably carry the helicopter away.

An exmaple of full sized R/C Helicopter - the Knight 50	An owner and his Knight 50

Whilst the counter-rotating helicopters are great for the beginner because they teach the basic concepts of control they do not prepare you for flying a typical full size radio controlled helicopter. There is a high degree of skill required to hover a full size r/c helicopters and therefore whilst their counter-rotating cousins are relatively safe and great fun for flying round the dinning room on Boxing Day they provide only very basic control skills.

Small Electric R/C Helicopters

Full Sized Radio Controlled Helicopter

T-REX 600N Nitro Pro

Now we are into the realms of the full sized, full price model helicopters. There are many people who start with these models (including myself). The models usually are built from a kit and are considered a part of ‘proper modelling', where a basic level of engineering is required to maintain the helicopter. With a few basic tools almost anyone is capable of building the kit assuming the instructions provided with the kit are followed, however before attempting the fly the newly built model it is best if an experienced model helicopter pilot checks the build and performs test flights to ‘trim' the model. Having the model properly set up before attempting to learn to fly it can save a lot of time and money. An improperly set-up model may be impossible to fly. If you don't know anyone that is an experienced flyer then often the model shops are willing to provide this service or a local club (such as the Norfolk Model Helicopter Club) often has pilots that are willing to lend a hand.

They typically come in two types, electric or internal combustion (otherwise known as I/C, glow, nitro, gasser or petrol engines). The most common sizes for full size electric helicopters are ‘500' to ‘600' and for I/C what is known as ‘50' sized. The numbers relate to the size of motor where a 600 electric is generally equivalent to a ‘50' sized methanol/nitro-methane powered 2 stroke motor.

Electric (state of the art) Brushless Motor	OS 50 Hyper Niro/Methanol Powered Engine

The ‘50' refers to the size of the piston in cubic inches and is the equivalent to approx 8cc, these models start at around £550 for a basic setup including engine and radio.

Another popular size is the ‘90' size engine and helicopter and are the equivalent of approx 15cc. However the 90 sized models are more expensive to buy and run with a typical basic model costing around £950 including engine, radio and blades.

HELICOPTER TRAINER U/C

A training undercarriage is a absolute must. If a beginner does not use a training undercarriage then it is highly likely the model will tip over on the first attempt to fly breaking blades and more.

Depending on the individual person these models can be difficult to get to grips with and it can anywhere take between 2 weeks and 2 years to learn to hover. Learning to fly a circuit (flying at speed round and round in a oval pattern) can take several months or years. However the hobby is extremely addictive and for most it does not matter how long it takes, each small step is a major achievement. Using a simulator can speed up the learning process significantly and reduce the number of crashes, [read this article] for more information on simulators.

Electric helicopters are generally more expensive than I/C helicopters as you will need to buy expensive lithium polymer (Li-Po) batteries, speed controllers and a special Li-Po charger. Where a typical basic ‘600' sized setup will cost around

Hand Starter	Starter Panel

However with an I/C motor there is additional equipment need such as starting and fuelling gear which will generally add around £120 to the overall cost.

These larger sized helicopters are dangerous and therefore it is highly advisable to join a club where you can get experienced advice on how to start out, find out [how to join us].

Simulators

There are many different simulators on the market. Generally you should expect to pay between £80 and £170 for one which includes a hand control unit. The hand control unit is required if the person you are buying for does not already have a modern transmitter which is compatible with the simulator.

Views from the 'Relex' Simulator

It is debatable whether it is best to use a ‘dummy' transmitter as can be supplied with the simulator or whether it is best to use a transmitter. Using your own transmitter means that you become used to the controls and it more closely mimics the flying environment. However using your transmitter does expose it to additional ‘wear and tear'. However I personally prefer to use my transmitter and have never noticed any detrimental affects.

Summary

If the final intention is to fly a full sized r/c heli, money is not an issue then the counter-rotating helicopter is a great way to start out which can be flown whilst building the full sized one. However most of us are not in a position to buy both so if the intention is to eventually fly full sized heli then I would recommend starting the way you mean to go on, it is a significant investment but there is little that will prepare you to fly it. The second hand market is a real option but it is best to seek advice from an impartial experienced helicopter modeller. The NMHC club has instructors that can offer valuable impartial advice so please come along and meet us.

A counter-rotating helicopter makes for a good present for just about anyone, but their fun is limited to indoors and the ‘novelty' can quickly ware off.

If you don't want to waist any money and know the person you are buying for is really interesting in flying the full sized model helicopters, don't want to fork out in excess of £500 for a full sized model just yet but want an appropriate affordable present, then perhaps a simulator is for you. If you don't already have a transmitter then make sure you buy a simulator that has one included.

The small, cheaper electric helicopters can be very difficult to fly and repeated crashes with little success will often put off someone who would otherwise be perfectly capable of flying a more appropriate model.

As a rule, excluding the counter-rotating helicopters, the bigger the helicopter, the easier it is to fly (albeit more intimidating!).