Legal BS:
The author is in no way responsible or any or all incidental and consequential damages or incidents arising from the use of information contained within or influenced by this Novice FAQ.

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• SAFETY
  First a word about safety. RC Helicopters are not toys. They are highly advanced, precision machines that have the potential for causing serious injury or death. Never loose respect for your heli and always be concious of the devastating effect a mishap may cause. Rotor Blade tip speeds routinely exceed 250 mph and a 10 lb heli traveling at 70 mph has a enormous kinetic energy that is released at the point of impact. People have been killed and maimed so please fly responsible and remember to keep your and the spectators welfare in mind.

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• INTRODUCTION
  RC Helicopters have been defined as 1000 very expensive flying parts desperately trying to get away from each other. They are probably the hardest of the RC flying models to master. It may take months to become proficient in hover and years to become an accomplished aerobatics pilot. However the rewards are great. Few other models offer the diversity and challenge a helicopter provides. It is not a hobby for the inept or frugal, helis do not tolerate mistakes or cheapskates. Everything must work perfectly in harmony to enable a helicopter to beat the air into submission. Forces are delicately balanced. Unlike an aircraft which will do it's utmost to continue flying despite the pilots attempts to control it, a heli is inherently unstable and it is a constant battle to keep all forces in eliquium. Observe the controls when an accomplished pilot is hovering and you will notice constant minor adjustments to the sticks although the heli seems to hold rock solid in mid air. This comes after many hours of diligent practice after which corrections become natural like balancing a bicycle. The heli pilot is also part engineer, scientist and physicist. Do you have to know exactly how everything works? No, but to notice and troubleshoot problems one must first know how it's supposed to behave. It helps to build the heli from a kit to understand the assembly, ARF kits and preassembled used helis should be taken down and reassembled. Enjoy the challenge.



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• THE FIRST THINGS TO DO:


1. Read all the books, magazines and web pages
   There is an incredible amount of information available that will answer most if not all of your questions. Read Schluters 'Heli Manual' for a comprehensive history on the development of the RC heli in Germany. Paul Tratelius' book 'The Basics Of RC Helicopters' is excellent for answering many fundamental questions. 'Ray's Complete Helicopter Manual' is an invaluable reference going into many technical details and concepts. There are at least 30 web pages at any given time dealing with RC helis and 100s more with airplanes. Visit them all and bookmark them for later review. See the Links page for a small list or go to http://towerhobbies.com and look at their Links page.


2. Learn the Language.
   Dealing with a complicated mechanical / electronic device like a RC Helicopter requires a understanding of basic physics, aerodynamics and mechanical principles. By necessity specialist terms are used in the construction and flying of aircraft and helicopters. You can pick up many concepts just by reading the books, mags and web pages. Do not be afraid to ask for clarification on something like an 'adjustable swashplate phase timing anti-rotation link.'
3. Visit the local hobby shop and flying club.
   Local heli pilots will be an invaluable help in initial flight setup and adjustment. It is extremely difficult to correctly setup a first helicopter without expert assistance since there is no baseline reference for the novice to draw on. Local pilots can help select the most appropriate heli / engine / radio combo and help guide the beginner through the initial steps. Do not be afraid to ask even the world champion pilots questions, there is no heli pilot that is not proud of their machine and would not talk your head off if given the opportunity. As Curtis Youngblood once said: "I like simple questions, usually I can answer them". Just don't try to talk while they're in the middle of their 3d routine. If possible try and buy your helicopter and parts locally. It might be a bit more expensive but it supports the struggling local hobby shops. Also the salesperson / owner will gratefully help with any questions and can set up local contacts. In addition, local pilots or shops might have used equipment for sale that can save you hundreds of dollars.
4. Go to a Helicopter Fun Fly.
   There are many gatherings of Helicopter enthusiasts all over the US and in many other countries. Over a 1000 helicopters in national gatherings, these fly ins are an experience not to be missed. You don't have to fly, just look around and take lots of pictures and ask questions. Most helicopters ever made are usually available for close inspection and flight reports. Aerobatic routines, scale fly bys, beginner clinics and great raffle prices (helicopter kits, engines and radios at bigger fly ins) will all be vying for your attention. Most clubs require that you join the AMA. Mainly for the liability insurance but there are other benefits of belonging to a national group. It's about U$58 a year including a magazing subscription.
5. Buy a Simulator
   A sim like the NHP, FMS or Realflight2 is a important training aid. For under U$200 it is possible to explore heli flight without the investment and risk of actually flying a model. The good ones like NHP and RealFlight 2 use your computer radio's trainer jack so all the fancy programming functions are available. Also the feel is the same since the actual transmitter is used in the sim. If you don't like helicopters, the sim can be sold at a minimal loss. U$200 seems like a large amount of money to spend on a simple computer program, but after preventing two crashes with the real model, the outlay is pretty much recouped. See the Avionics Page for screen shots and revues of several Sims.



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• REQUIRED STUFF TO FLY RC HELIS
  
• The Helicopter
1. Which one to get?
   Discounting Electrics and Gasoline powered models, there are 3 general sizes classified according to engine displacement. The 30, 50, 60 and 90 size are identified by the size of their glow engines. Increasing with size is the complexity and cost of the initial kit, repair parts and operating expenses. Each size has its advantages and drawbacks. A 30 size plastic framed heli costs less to own, has an inherent ruggedness and is generally easy to maintain and setup. However it is more affected by wind gusts and is harder to see at a distance. Still, a basic 30 model is the preferred trainer. Top of the line aerobatic 30s can rival a 60 in cost but posses a flight capability equal to all but the most expensive 60 size competition helicopters. A 60 or 90 size heli is more stable in windy conditions, easier to see at a distance and possesses an unmatched power to weight ratio. Besides the more expensive initial heli kit, consideration should also be given to the higher cost of the bigger engine, repair parts, fuel and the required high quality servos. The 50 size was introduced to bridge the gap between the basic 30s and the high performance 60s. Today 50's fall between the two with aerobatic capabilities to rival competition 60s and a lower operating cost due to smaller components. In the end a selection of a helicopter familiar to local pilots will greatly facilitate obtaining assistance. Most any 30, 50 or 60 can be setup to make an excellent trainer. 30 size helis are also less intimitating and many pilots like to fly their less expensive small boys while giving their U$3000 contest machines a rest. Electrics are an emerging field which has shown increased popularity due to recent advances in battery and motor development. However electric helis are build very light and are therefore fragile and their run times on a battery charge is around 5 minutes. This short flight time and fragility do not make a recommended helicopter for training. Gasoline (Petrol) helicopters can make fine trainers but are usually advanced kits which require some experience in building. They do have the advantage of requiring less starting equipment, a lower fuel cost and minimal smoke and oil spray during flight.


2. Ease of Building / Setup
   If there are no local pilots or they fly every imaginable brand, an important criteria for new pilots should be the ease of assembly and setup of the helicopter. Kits from different manufactures vary widely in their quality, assembly ease, depth of instructions and configuration. Some kits simply bolt together and fly adequately. Others require serious time in adjustment, maintenance and setup but reward the owner with superior flight performance. High maintenance / build time helis include X-Cell, Intrepid and Vigor. Raptor, Venture, Caliper, Sceado, Shuttle and Hawk are simpler and easier for a beginner to conquer.
3. Parts availability / Prices
   Nothing is worse than sitting out perfect flying days waiting for a 95 cent part that is backordered 2 months. A local hobby shop (if there is one) may only stock parts for one type of heli so support for your model might depend on mail order. Availability is less of a concern for popular models such as the X-Cell, Raptor, Sceado, Freya and Shuttle series. Major importers for them strive to keep all parts in stock at all times. Other helis such as Century (2 places for parts), DHNP, Vario and Robbe might have a harder time finding replacement parts. Available parts mean nothing if they are unaffordable. Some heli spares carry a criminally high price tag while for others the same part costs half as much. Pricing is pretty arbitrary with some 60 size parts cheaper than the 30 size counterparts, but owners of exotic European or competition machines can expect to pay for their exclusive name tag. Aftermarket parts by reputable manufacturers or used items from other pilots can sometimes lower replacement costs considerably.
4. Survivability / Maintainability
   Ruggedness and the ability to survive the hard use of a Novice are important for any heli used in the initial stages of learning. Plastic framed helicopters have a fair amount of flexibility which allows them to rebound from impacts. Aluminum frames tend to bent but can be straightened with some effort if not overstressed and cracked. Carbon fiber and G10 frames have a high rigidity and limited flex and either return to their original shape or break cleanly. Plastics framed helis like the Raptor, Shuttle and Hawk are the preferred configuration. Other frame materials may offer better structural integrity but will cost more to repair more often. Maintenance requirements and ease of access vary widely between manufacturers. Simple 30 size helis run for many flights with only a modicum of upkeep like oiling bearings, cleaning off dust and grit and replacement of high wear items. Others like the X-Cell need constant love and attention to maintain their peak efficiency. Just like a race car Vs the family car, high performance comes at a price.
5. Flying Characteristics
   There is no such thing as a dedicated trainer helicopter. All helicopters in production today from the smallest to the biggest have flight capabilities only explored by the worlds top 3D aerobatics pilots. A helis' setup however can be altered to provide the characteristics and response tailored to a beginning flyer. A flatter Pitch range, smoother tail rotor response, limited throttle curves and the addition of bigger training gear can make even the highest performance helicopter into a docile hovering trainer. Most heli models are designed to cater to a wide variety of flying styles from gentle hovering to wild 3d aerobatics. Specialist models made for FAI precision flight or purely 3D freestyle are of extremely high quality with a corresponding astronomical pricetag.
6. Good Starter Helis - in order of preference:
   30 size - Thunder Tiger Raptor V2, Hirobo Sceadu, Century Hawk SE.
   50 size - Hirobo Sceadu 50, Raptor 50V2, Century Falcon SE.
   60 size - Hirobo Freya, Raptor 60 V2, XCell Fury.
   
• Heli Dictionary and Parts Diagram
  Much terminology is used in both full scale and model helicopter design and the novice can quickly become overwhelmed by the many strange descriptions and names. Below is a diagram of an Intrepid 60 size glow powered helicopter with the main parts labeled. Following is a short list of terms and definitions.
  
  • Swashplate - stationary lower part and rotating upper part allows servos to change main blade and flybar paddle pitch.
  • Anti-Rotation Link - keeps lower part of swashplate from turning. Aileron / Elevator interaction / timing can be adjusted on some models.
  • Mixing Levers - move the main blade pitch and flybar paddle pitch. Have different ratios depending on style of flying.
  • Flybar - stabilizes the main rotor disk. Length, paddle size and weight affect the cyclic response of the heli. Heavy / small paddles give mellower response.
  • Flybar Paddle - assists in changing main blade pitch. Size and weight affects aeropatic ability and steadyness in hover.
  • Main Rotor Blade - generates lift to allow the heli to fly, made out of wood, fiberglass, kevlar, aluminum or carbon fiber. Length varies with helicopter size.
  • Main Rotor Blade Grips - hold the mainblades and contain up to 3 sets of bearings. Made of fiberfilled plastic or aluminum.
  • Main Rotor Head - metal or plastic headblock contains bearings and seesaw for flybar, spindle(s) to retain main blade holders and dampening system for main rotor blades.
  • Tail Rotor - opposes the torque reaction from the main blades. Driven by wire, belt or tube. Blades vary in length with helicopter size.
  • Tail Rotor Gear Box - driven by main gear, contains gears to drive tail rotor hub and blades.
  • Clutch - allows engine to idle without driving main and tail blades. Clutch engages at higher engine rpms.
  • Clutch Bell - aluminum, steel or plastic bell, has interior lining to allow clutch to engage at higher engine rpms.
  • Cooling Fan - fan attached to engine blows cooling air over the engine cylinder head. Made of plastic or aluminum.
  • Cooling Shroud - directs airflow from cooling fan over the engine cylinder head fins. Made of plastic.
  • Main Gear - driven by pinion gear on clutch bell. Reduction is around 9:1. Has teeth on top for use by tail rotor pinion gear pickup. Autorotation bearing is in center of gear. Made of fiberfilled plastic.
  • Tail Boom - hollow tube of varying length, contains tail rotor drive wire/belt/tube on the inside and the tailrotor control rod on the outside. Made of aluminum or carbon fiber.
  • Tail Boom Support Struts - increase rigidness and prevent some resonant vibrations of the tail boom.
  • Tailrotor Control Rod - metal rod running from the tail rotor servo to the tail rotor gear box and changes the pitch of the tail blades to yaw the helicopter.
  • Landing Gear - supports heli on ground. Made of plastic and / or aluminum. Width and size vary by helicopter.
  • Servo Tray - frame to which the electronic components such as servos, gyro, battery and receiver are attached with screws, zipties, rubber bands or velcro.
  • Engine - internal combustion engine either 2 or 4 stroke. Burns either glowfuel, gasoline or methanol. Size varies with heli.
  • Main Fuel Tank - semiclear plastic tank holding fuel for the engine. Comes in 6 to 20oz capacity depending on heli size.
  • Horizontal / Vertical Fin - help to stabilize the helicopter in forward flight. Often removed for hardcore 3D aerobatics to reduce drag.

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• The Radio System
  1. Computer Radios
     This is a area where the most expensive radio set affordable should be considered. Inexpensive radios without computer programming, while perfectly useable, are outgrown within months. A high quality, versatile radio will make flying a heli much easier and more enjoyable. Computer programmable radios like the Futaba 6XH or the JR642 should be the absolute minimum investment. The Airtronics R8000S is the best of the low-end radios. The Futaba 9CHx and the JR9Z give the most bang for the buck and will serve for many years well into competitive flight. The debate of FM (PPM) Vs PCM continues to rage. PCM, or Pulse Coded Modulation, Transmitters encode the radio signal into digital form and the receiver reconverts it. It has the advantage of slightly better interference rejection and the Fail-safe function. PCM Fail-safe will move the servos to a preselected position so in case of radio link loss the throttle can be moved to idle resulting in a reduction of crash damage and preventing a runaway helicopter from injuring pilots and spectators. Downside is that PCM masks small glitches that can alert the pilot of impending radio failure. Both FM and PCM work fine in all helicopters with the exception of gasoline powered ones where PCM is recommended to prevent ignition source interference. PCM radios carry a higher pricetag mostly due to the higher quality servos and computerized receiver bundled in the set. The difference in Aircraft and Helicopter radio models is some switch positions on the transmitter, better servos and a bigger battery in the heli version. Most computer radios hold airplane, glider and helicopter software and are switchable between these modes.
     
  2. Radio Selection - in order of preference:
     Here are some good choices in computer helicopter radios:
     Basic: Airtronics R8000, JR 6012, Futaba 7C, Hitec Eclipse
     Middle: Futaba 9CHx, JR 8131 or 9Z/NL>
     Advanced: Futaba 9ZHW(S), Futaba 14MZ, JR10SXII
     
  3. Servo Selection
     Here are some good choices in Servos in order of preference:
     Budget (30): Hitec 545,Futaba 3001, JR 517, 811
     Best (30/50/60): Futaba 9202, JR4131, AIRTRONICS 94735
  
  Expensive (30/50/60): JR or Futaba Digitals, JR4000, Futaba 9402
  

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• The Gyro
1. What is it?
   A gyro is a yaw rate dampening device which prevents any uncommanded sudden movements by the tail. While it is possible to fly a heli without a gyro it is definitely not recommended to learn without one. Gyros try to hold the tail in a steady position by sensing any yaw movement and then applying a counter command to the rudder servo. There are now two major groups of gyros. The 'Conventional' gyros which include both mechanical and piezo versions and dampen the yaw axis. The other is the 'Heading Hold' kind. In HH mode the gyro will not only dampen the yaw but also return the tail to the previous position in effect keeping the helicopter pointed in one direction regartless of wind, torque changes and flight direction. In this mode the tail must be flown constantly since the heli will not weather vane and straighten out in the direction of flight. HH gyros are suberb for backwards and heavy 3D flight. Beginners also benefit since the tail will not swing around when learning to hover. The pilot has control over the rudder servo by overriding the gyro signals with stick input. There are programming setups for computer radios which provide for exponential, linear or rudder stick dependend amount of the tail rotor servo arm deflection. Gyro gain is the amount of dampening the gyro applies to the t/r servo. It is most often maximized for hovering maneuvers and reduced for aerobatic forward flight. The amount of maximum gain possible is depended on the speed of the rudder servo and the amount of slop in the tail rotor control linkage. A high speed servo (Futaba 9253 or JR8700G) is highly recommended as slower servos are not able to keep up with the speed of corrections the gyro outputs. This is displayed by a condition known as tail wag when the tail wags back and forth at high gyro gain. Lowering the gain, installing a higher speed servo and eliminating slop in the t/r control linkage reduces this event to a minimum. Correct installation and setup of the gyro is very important as flights with reversed gyros or tail rotor servos tend to be over within seconds.


2. Piezo or Mechanical
   A mechanical gyro uses deflection in small motor driven flywheels to sense the yaw movement. A sensor detects the movement of the flywheels which are centered by two small springs. In a piezo gyro a suspended piezo-electric crystal develops a error voltage as yaw movement excerts a force on the sensor. There are no moving parts to wear out and a resistance of 300g to impacts is claimed. Sophisticated software is used to optimize the holding power around center. Heading Hold gyros use software to hold the tail on a preselected heading. There used to be a big price difference between electro-mechanical and piezo gyros. Now with prices much closer there really is no reason to settle for a mechanical unit. Piezos have a much lower current consumption (10ma Vs 300ma) giving longer flights, never wear out, have better performance and are able to survive a crash that would destroy a unit with moving parts.
3. Gyro Selections
   Here are recommended Heading Hold gyros:
   Futaba GY-401 HH piezo with 9253 servo (U$ 200)
   Futaba GY-502 HH with 9253 servo (U$ 275)
   CSM ICG540 Heading Hold piezo (U$ 220 approx.)
   Futaba GY-601 with special servo 9151(U$350)
   JR 5000 with JR8700 servo (U$400)
   Here are Conventional Gyros:
   Generic Piezo (Century PG-01) (U$ 99)
   Futaba 501 piezo (U$ 340)
   JR 3000 piezo (U$ 375)
   JR 1000/900 piezo (U$ 275/250)
   

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• The Engine
1. Description
   Most model engines are of the glow fuel powered, 2 stroke internal combustion type. Oil for lubrication and cooling is carried within the fuel at about 16 to 25% of main volume. The oil is either synthetic, castor or a blend of both. Synthetic oil does not leave a brown residue when burning but castor has slightly better high temperature characteristics. Ignition is provided by a Glow Plug which has a wire coil that is initially heated by a starting battery. Once the engine is running, the chemical reaction between the fuel and noble metals in the plug maintains a coil temperature high enough for ignition. The fuel is mixed in a carburetor which has (usually) two needles for adjustment of low speed and high speed mixture. The correct mixture adjustment is critical to the proper operation of the engine. Too rich a mixture can result in hard starting, low power and the bogging down of engine rpm during max. power usage. A lean mixture results in overheating with possible loss of the glow plug or major engine components as well as a slow decrease in available power. Four stroke engines use 4 strokes for one power cycle and use intake and exhaust valves similar to a car engine. They run quieter, are more fuel efficient and produce high torque at lower rpm so heli gearing must be changed to accommodate the differences. There are several helis that use 4 stroke engines but higher maintenance and higher engine cost has limited the spread of these types. Gasoline weedeater type engines are available on several 60 size models. Low fuel cost, no oil waste or smoke and less support equipment are attractive benefits from this type. Special synthetic Oil in the ratio of 20 to 1 is mixed with regular gasoline making for a very low fuel operating cost. While heavier and more complicated than glow engines, gasoline burners are a good choice where glow fuel is expensive or not available.


2. Reliability
   In a helicopter engine reliability is everything. A aircraft engine failure might be an annoyance followed by gliding to the ground but in a helicopter engine failure is often followed by catastrophe. Most heli engines today display impressive reliability and quality of construction. Major manufactures like OS, YS, Enya, Webra etc have refined their construction and design to the point where out of the box performance is more than adequate. Higher performance and competition engines are by their nature more finicky and present problems to new comers without extensive engine tuning experience.
3. Ease of use
   I really hate it when I spend all day at the field cussing at the engine vice cussing at my inaptitude in flying. If it doesn't run it's a paperweight. If you are tempted to save a few dollars and go with a 'lesser known' brand remember that you get what you pay for. In the end the more expensive and better engine is ordered anyway. Seek out the assistance of experienced flyers and engine tuners for purchasing the engine for your heli.
4. Fuel, Plugs, Exhaust
   Glow fuel is a mix of about 16-24% oil - synthetic or castor, 0-30% nitromethane with the balance methanol. It is extremely poisonous and flammable and should be handled with care. The nitromethane in the fuel provides an increase in power and burn temperature albeit at a higher cost. Fuel selection is often dictated by local conditions. North American flyers enjoy a much lower cost for high nitro fuels at about U$20 per gallon for 30% nitro fuel and subsequently engines for this market are designed for running on a high percentage (10 to 30%) nitromethane. In European and Asian markets fuel costs range up to U$100 for a gallon of 15% nitro fuel and so engines in these areas are tuned to use as little nitro as possible. For US pilots, 15% nitro, synthetic oil fuel is the basic stable for heli engines. Popular US fuel brands include CoolPower (synthetic), Omega (castor blend), PowerMaster and Wildcat.
   To ignite the fuel the glowplug maintains a high enough temp for ignition by a chemical reaction with the glow fuel after the ignition battery has been removed. Plugs come in different heat ranges from cold to very hot. Most reliable and consistent plugs have been identified as the Enya#3 and the OS#8. While these plugs are more expensive than others, the reliability and increase in service life more than makes up for the initial outlay.
   The exhaust is an important part of the power package. They fall into two general kinds: muffler and tuned pipe. A muffler is a canister, sometimes with internal baffles for reducing noise, that allows expansion of the exhaust gasses prior to venting them into the air. Tuned pipes are setup to a specific length so the pressure waves from the engine exhaust are reflected back to the cylinder causing a kind of supercharging effect for increased engine power. Pipes are used mostly with lower nitro fuels to compensate for the lower power output. Pipes have to be set up very carefully and mixture settings on the engine carb are somewhat critical. It is therefore recommended to stick with mufflers for a much easier time in tuning the engine.


5. Popular Engine Selections and Mufflers/Pipes in order of preferece:
   For 30s: OS37SX, Webra 32, TT39 - Any can muffler, Hatori, Helimax or Genesis Pipe .
   For 50s: OS50SXH, TT50, Webra 50 - Hatori SB5 muffler, Century 3033X muffler, Curtis Muscle Pipe 1.
   For 60s: YS61SH2, OS61SXWC, TT70PRO - Hatori 666 style muffler, X-Cell Nitro Pipe muffler, Curtis Muscle Pipe 1.
   For 90s: YS80STH, YS91STH, OS91SXH SE, Webra90 - Special Hatori or KSJ mufflers, Curtis Muscle Pipe 2.
   
   
• The Price to Pay
1. Initial Investment
   At first glance the price for starting into RC Heli flying is comparable to starting with a trainer aircraft. However, helicopters require additional accessories and equipment that can raise the capital outlay at an exponential rate. For some reason manufacturers and retailers seem to think that just because you fly a helicopter you have much more free capital to spend on that machine. Helicopter specific parts carry a higher pricetag than comparable items for aircraft use. Lets look at the initial damage to your wallet for a basic, beginner helicopter setup:
   The helicopter itself is from U$ 200 to U$400.
   The engine and muffler U$ 150 to U$ 250.
   Radio control set U$ 250 to U$ 500.
   Piezo gyro U$ 150 to U$ 200.
   Ground support equipment (starter with battery & charger, glowdriver with charger, fuel and pump, pitch gage, oil, grease etc) U$ 120 to U$ 200.
   Metric tools (Allen wrench set, phillips and straightslot screwdrivers, pliers, socket set, plug wrench, ball link pliers, tool box etc) U$ 75 to U$ 100.
   Misc. Items (beer for instructor, bandaids, spare parts [main blades, tailblades, mainshaft, spindles, gears, tailboom], sunblock etc) U$ 50 to U$ 100.
   Computer Simulator U$ 200
   

   This is a complete setup to get this thing into the air. Total cost if starting from scratch is about U$ 1000. You can save mucho $ if the local club or other pilots have used equipment for sale.

2. Upgrades
   There are upgrades available for all helicopters on the market today. Some kits really do need some additional parts to make them easier to fly but for the most part a well constructed kit will fly out of the box without expen$ive add on items. Many upgrades come in shiny colors such as MinAirs Gold parts, T&T blue and purple or Zeal yellow. For a pilot learning to hover few if any add-ons will make the heli fly any differently. You can reduce the cost of upgrade parts, such as a metal swashplate by waiting until the original plastic unit is worn and then replacing it with the more expensive, reliable and accurate part. Most upgrades are bought more for the mental peace of mind than for actual performance increase. A tricked out heli with all available upgrades incorporated may be more than double the cost of the original baseline kit. Example is the XCell 30/40 and the XCell 46 Graphite. Essentially the same machine, the 46G has allmost all the fancy upgrades and so costs U$ 680 vice the basic XC30s U$ 360. Of course the 46G is now much more precise and pretty but a beginner would hardly notice the difference in identically setup machines. So save some cash in the beginning, spend it on the radio and fuel and as parts wear out replace them with quality upgrades.

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• GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS
  
• Required Tools (all metric) and Accessories
  1. Allen wrenches or drivers - the expensive hardened type at U$15 each in 1.5m, 2mm, 2.5mm and 3mm.
  2. Nut Drivers, 1/4 in socket set, open end wrenches
  3. Needle Nose Pliers and Diagonal Cutting (Dikes) pliers or Leatherman type multi tool
  4. X-acto knife, scissors, tweezers.
  5. No1 and 2 Phillips, No1 and 2 straight screwdrivers. Note that Japanese helis use JIS type Phillips screws which are different than US Phillips.
  6. Pitch Gauge, Blade balancer if building wood blades, Dubro HiPoint Balancer, ESV volt meter.
  7. Alcohol/Paint thinner, blue loctite, Teflon grease, Teflon oil.
  8. Fuel filters, silicone fuel line, fuel shutoff clips, foam for radio, glow driver for plug, fuel pump and fuel, electric starter with appropriate adapter, 12v battery for starter, battery chargers.
  9. CA superglue, epoxy, goop/PFM/Zap-A-Dap-A-Goo.
  10. Training gear made of 2 crossed wood sticks with 4 balls on the end of the sticks, rubber bands for skit mounting.
• Optional Tools and Accessories
  1. Velcro strips, zip ties, twist ties.
  2. Balllink pliers, hemostats, big sledgehammer.
  3. Battery Charger/Cycler, LED battery level meter, field quick charger
  4. Skytach, prop tach, Dremel Tool with access. kit.
  5. Cell phone, ice water, first aid kit, spare helicopters

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• PREFLIGHTING THE HELICOPTER
  
1. First Flight / Post Crash Pre-Flight Checklist
2. Daily Pre-Flight/Pre-Start Checklist
3. Daily Post-Flight/Shut-Down Checklist
4. Post Crash Checklist
5. Sample Pitch and Throttle Curves
6. Engine Troubleshooting Matrix

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• FIRST FLIGHTS
  
1. Learning to Fly
   There is one fundamental rules that are almost universally accepted:
   1: Get an experienced heli pilot for the first flight.
   2: If there is no local pilots available see rule #1 and travel.
   
2. Setting Up
   Setting up is done at home after the heli construction is completed. Do not try this at the field with a Swiss army knife. Feeding an experienced heli pilot at your place is a good way to obtain help. Following the instructions included by the manufacturer is not a bad starting point. For learning to hover a pitch / throttle setup for advanced aerobatic flight is not recommended. Initial flights are done in the Normal mode so Idle Ups should be disabled. This will setup most Computer Helicopter Radios with Hover at 3/4 stick and inverted hover at 1/4 stick. I have a Futaba 8UHP so the following is mostly based on the 8UHP menus but is applicable to all computer sets.
   Novice Flyers should disable the Idle-Up 1 and Idle-Up 2 flight modes until ready for fwd flight.
   The top of flight curve is 100% or +10 deg. That way the flight pitch range setup is linear with equal travel of all servo horns, bellcranks, mixers etc around that 50% 0 deg point.

   Here is what it all should read:
   

   Curve Point:             1        2        3        4        5
   Normal: Pitch deg/%   -5/20%   -2/35%   +0/50%   +5/75%   +10/100%
            Throttle  %   0        20       30       50       100
   
   Idle Up 1:            -10/0%   -5/25%   +0/50%   +5/75%   +10/100%
                         100      50       30       50       100
   
   Idle Up 2:            -9/5%    -4.5/28% +0/50%   +4.5/72% +9/95%
   (Extreme 3D)          100      55       40       55       100
   
   Throttle Hold:        -4/25%   -2/35%   +0/50%   +5/75%   +10/100%
                         5        5        5        5        5
   
   
   Novice= 0/0/+8     Idle-Up 1= Disable    Idle-Up 2= Disable
   
   

   Mechanical adjustment of the tailrotor control rod is required at first flight. Important - refer to the gyro instructions for any deviations to this procedure.
   A large open area, preferably with short, soft grass is required at this point. The site could be a soccer or football field, an empty parking lot or ideally the local flying field. It is imperative that spectators maintain a safe distance of at least 100m/yrds. Asphalt or concrete lots are fine but any damage is multiplied by the unyielding nature of the surface. With the engine running gently increase throttle to make the heli light on the gear but do not lift off. At a safe distance look at the mainblades and adjust their tracking by either raising the pitch of the lower or reducing pitch on the higher by adjusting the head linkage.

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3. Trimming for stable Hover
   Any fall will not hurt the heli, only the sudden stop at the bottom. A experienced pilot is invaluable at this stage to assist in this part. For first hover strictly observe a height limit of 6in (30cm). At 6in with training gear it is very hard to damage the heli even if it goes totally out of control. Stand at the left or right rear of the heli at about 5m/yrds distance for a partial side view. Increase throttle/collective until the heli just clears the ground. Note any tendencies for the heli to move fwd, back, left, right or if the nose swings clockwise or counterclockwise. After about 1 second land the heli and adjust the trim on the tx to counteract the observed drift tendencies. Note that the tailrotor blows air to one side so the heli must lean in the same direction to counter the airflow pushing effect. Do this several times until the heli stays fairly stable in one place. Shut the heli down and mechanically adjust the pushrods to return the tx trims to center. Continue these bunny hops, increasing hover time at 1 second intervals. Do not get discouraged or impatient as even the world champion pilots started out this way. Overconfidence or impatience can result in vast bills and lots of practice on reassembling new parts. At this time also observe the engine to spot any lean/overheating or too rich/4 cycle operation, too rich is better than too lean.

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4. Hovering Exercises
   Once a full tank can be hovered in one place at BOTH the right and left side begins the time for basic flight excercises.
   1. In a hover at 6 to 12 in, move the heli between the right and left hover positions, landing and taking off each time. Then hover over each landing spot and do not touch ground for the entire tank.
   2. Hover either right or left and slowly move fwd a few meters then land. Take off and move back to the original spot. Then hover fwd and back, then fwd, left, back, right, fwd in a square going both ways.
   3. Go right/left and try turning the heli a bit in the direction of flight each time eventually flying by in front of you looking at the heli from the side.
   4. Learn to hover sideways, both sides. Start by turning your body with the heli and then gradually turning back to look straight at the side. Try thinking of Nose Up and Nose Down and Roll In and Roll Out when looking at the side.
   5. Learn to hover Nose-In. This means relearning hovering from step one. Throttle/collective still functions as before but the cyclic stick is reversed. An easy way to remember is to move the stick in the direction you don't want the heli to go. Tailrotor control still moves the heli in the same direction as long as it is viewed as clockwise or counterclockwise rotation vice nose left or right. Stick at 6in altitude and alternate between nose-in and tail-in to prevent unlearning either one.

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