Micro RC helicopters
- the 'Must Have ' radio control aircraft!
True micro rc helicopters are becoming more available nowadays, a long time after other radio control micro models hit the shops.
This is because model helicopter technology is far more complicated than any other rc vehicle or aircraft technology, and so it's taken manufacturers longer to produce the appropriate components that are small enough and cheap enough to allow mass-production of true micro rc helicopters.
But, fortunately for us, such helicopters do now exist and are readily available. Two shining examples are E-flite's Blade mCX and Blade mSR, both shown below:
Above, the Blade mCX and mSR will both sit comfortably in your hand!
The Blade mCX (and newer MCX S300) and mSR micro rc helicopters each represent a very different style of helicopter, coaxial and single rotor respectively. Both are sold with the latest 2.4GHz radio control technology (both are available in RTF and BNF versions) for interference-free flying around the home.
Both of these Blade helicopters represent the forefront of micro radio control helicopter technology, and the mSR especially bridges a huge gap between harder to fly single rotor helicopters and easy to fly coaxial ones, like the mCX.
The Blade mSR features a unique design of rotor head which gives the helicopter the stability of a coaxial rc heli but the agility of a conventional, single rotor model. This is great news for anyone who's been struggling with micro single rotor helicopters because, despite their tiny size, such helis do have a steep learning curve.
One example of such a conventional single rotor micro rc helicopter is the Walkera 4#3B, pictured left (widely available on eBay).
In fact this tiny 4 channel radio control helicopter was the first RTF micro Fixed Pitch helicopter available, and has proven to be a huge success for Walkera, and understandably so!
I've got one myself and can say that the 4#3B is a superb little helicopter, but don't be fooled in to thinking it's a toy - as previously mentioned, the learning curve is steep with this kind of helicopter; the advantage is that its tiny size means that little damage is done to itself, you or property when things don't go to plan!
Of course, micro rc helicopters can replicate any full-size helicopter configuration and the Blade Tandem Rescue helicopter is a twin rotor example. Easy to fly and as stable as the original mCX, it's sure to be a big hit with micro heli fans!...
Low-cost micro helicopters
By far the cheapest micro helicopters on sale now are not, in fact, radio control in the true sense of the term, but are controlled by infra-red technology, in much the same way that your TV or DVD player remote operates.
The Silverlit Picoo Z was the first to appear late in 2006, getting in to the record books for the world's smallest 'rc' helicopter! The Picoo Z is now marketed as the Havoc Heli and still sells in huge numbers even though many manufacturers have since jumped on the bandwagon and followed suit.
Above, the Havoc Heli sits comfortably in the palm of your hand!
See more micro rc helicopters here.
The popularity of these tiny helicopters reached new limits in the rc world once videos of them started appearing on YouTube - we all wanted one! It is indeed incredible to think that a controllable model helicopter can be bought for around $40 and flown around the living room! True testament to the rapidly changing face of radio control flying.
Such IR micro helicopters won't give you the same level of exhilaration as, say, the Blade mCX and Walkera 4#3B shown above but they are a great product and a lot of fun - for not a lot of money!
So as the seemingly unstoppable electronic revolution continues, just how small will rc helicopters and airplanes go? Will we soon be able to buy a 6 channel 3D helicopter the size of a Havoc Heli?... I hope so!!
See the micro rc helicopters shown above in more detail.
Related pages
Blade mSR - overview of the E-flite Blade mSR.
Blade mCX - review of the E-flite Blade mCX.
Walkera 4#3B - review of my 4#3B micro helicopter.
Electric rc helicopters - more info on the larger models.
Coaxial rc helicopters - more info on how they work.
Micro rc airplanes - an overview and examples.
Indoor flying - examples of rc aircraft suitable for indoor flying.
