Electric RC helicopters
- Coaxial, FP or CP?
In recent years, electric rc helicopters have become very widely available and much easier to fly than ever before, making them the ultimate 'must have' radio control model and bringing countless new people to the rc flying hobby.
As a result, they now make up the fastest growing sector of the hobby, even overtaking airplanes in some parts of the world, and the examples shown on this page are some of the helicopters that have been responsible for this massive explosion in popularity.
Essentially there are three groups of electric rc helicopter - coaxial, Fixed Pitch and Collective Pitch, the latter two being commonly abbreviated to FP and CP respectively.
Coaxial electric RC helicopters
Most electric rc helicopters follow the conventional layout with a single main rotor and a tail rotor, but there are some that have two sets of main rotors, one above the other, and no tail rotor; these are called coaxial, dual rotor or contra-rotating helicopters. The E-flite Blade CX3, shown above, is a fine example.
Based on the real life MD 520N helicopter, the Blade CX3 is successor to the hugely popular Blade CX2, the best-selling coaxial rc helicopter to date.
See the Blade CX3 MD 520N in more detail.
With coaxial rc helicopters, such as E-flite's Blade CX range, the two main rotors spin in opposite directions to one another. As a result, the rotors cancel out each other's torque and so a tail rotor is not necessary - that's one less channel to worry about when learning to fly! This type of helicopter is very stable in the air and can be flown around just like a conventional single rotor helicopter.
Coaxial helicopters have the big advantage of being a lot easier to master, and the good ones such as the Blade CX2 and 3 can be flown right out the box with little or no setting up involved.
In comparison, a single rotor RTF electric rc helicopter advertised as "Can be flown straight from the box with NO experience!" invariably needs some tweaking here and there, and some very sensible practice.
Fixed Pitch (FP) electric RC helicopters
The next step up from the coaxials is the Fixed Pitch model, and these have also been very popular with newcomers to the hobby.
FP helicopters such as the Walkera Dragonfly 4, shown below, have amassed huge sales globally, and there are currently several such helicopters available from different manufacturers, all based on the same design (the Venom Night Ranger and EF Sabre, for instance).
Sold Ready To Fly (RTF), the FP 4 channel electric helicopters are great for beginners who want a more realistic looking helicopter, but don't want to spend a large amount of money. Such helicopters are still a challenge to begin with, and have a definite learning curve, but are a good, affordable introduction to multi-channel rc helicopter flying.
Also, spare parts for this kind of helicopter are very readily available, and cheap. This is an important factor to consider because a big part of learning to fly an rc helicopter is buying spare parts, after those 'heavy landings'!
The Walkera Dragonfly 4 has been, and continues to be, a very popular seller although it has since been updated to a newer version. I've got one myself, and you can read about it in more detail through these pages.
Search eBay for the Walkera Dragonfly 4, if you're looking to buy one.
Collective Pitch (CP) electric RC helicopters
Succeeding the Fixed Pitch helicopters in terms of complexity are the Collective Pitch (CP) helicopters such as the Blade 400 (below, left) and newer Blade SR (below, right).
Although such helicopters have a steeper learning curve still, the Blade SR has been specifically designed with the novice CP pilot in mind and is the easiest of all Collective Pitch rc helicopters to master, having had the inherent instability that single rotor helicopters suffer from drastically reduced by slowing the head speed and dampening the control sensitivity. This particular electric RTF helicopter is a perfect introduction to collective pitch flying.
The Blade 400 is a larger, more conventional CP helicopter that's fully 3D capable and not so easy to master. The term '3D' means that the helicopter can perform very advanced aerobatics, but this kind of flying takes many many hours of practice and a great deal of confidence!
Above, the Blade 400 and Blade SR are two very good CP electric rc helicopters
See these Collective Pitch helicopters in more detail.
But even though many CP helis like the Blade 400 are marketed as 'suitable for beginners' it's important to remember that they are serious business. Learning to fly one takes a lot of time and practice, and the purchase of an rc flight simulator such as the Phoenix is highly recommended as a serious training aid. It's an extra cost of course, but well worth it if you're even half-serious about the hobby.
Another aid to look at if you're intent on buying a CP helicopter, is John Salt's eBook Setup & Tips for 400 Size RC Helicopters. Although it focuses on the E-flite Blade 400, it isn't limited to that helicopter and is an essential resource for anyone looking at getting in to CP helicopter flying.
Remember: With any single rotor electric helicopter of 3 channels or more it's very important to understand that they do have a steep learning curve and should never be classed as a toy; spinning rotor blades can do a lot of damage, and all rc helicopters have to be treated with a great deal of respect at all times! Only coaxial rc helicopters, talked about at the beginning of the page, are much easier to fly with no experience.
Regardless of the type of model you choose, the great thing is that electric rc helicopters are now available to the masses, and at very affordable prices. And the range is such that there's a helicopter to suit just about every budget, preference and flying need.
The traditional horror stories of how expensive and difficult radio control helicopters are to fly are no longer strictly true. This is excellent news for the hobby, an improvement long overdue!
And with the majority of electric rc helicopters, so long as you are sensible and follow the manufacturer's instructions closely, there's no reason why you should have any serious problems or difficulties with learning to fly your helicopter safely.
But, again, if you are even half-serious about flying rc helicopters, do consider investing in an rc flight simulator. Modern simulators like the Phoenix are well worth getting, and you can practice safely without worrying about damaging your own helicopter. Highly recommended!
The electric rc helicopters on this page can all be seen in more detail here.
Related pages
Coaxial rc helicopters - more info on how they work.
Micro rc helicopters - when mini helicopters get a lot smaller.
Gas rc helicopters - if you have a somewhat fatter wallet.
RTF rc helicopters - what to expect with a Ready To Fly heli.
FP v. CP - Fixed or Collective? Points to consider.
RC flight simulators - if you're serious about flying model helicopters.
How helicopters fly - learn how these machines stay in the air.
RC helicopter controls - a basic look at how a model heli is controlled.
My 4 channel FP - what to expect from such a model.
My Blade 400 - review of this popular CP electric helicopter.
