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RC helicopter transmitter modes

The set-ups for rc helicopter transmitter modes follow the ones for rc airplanes in terms of pitch, roll and throttle.

Helicopter transmitters differ from airplane transmitters in that a few extra channels are usually required, with the broad exception of fixed pitch helis.
These channels are controlled by the switches and/or programmable settings of the transmitter.

As with rc airplanes, only modes 1 and 2 are commonly used by the majority of radio control helicopter pilots.


The four different modes are illustrated below:


Mode 1

Mode 1 set up

Stick controls are:
left stick operates fore/aft cyclic & left/right yaw, right stick operates throttle/collective & left/right cyclic.


Mode 2

Mode 2 set up

Stick controls are:
left stick operates throttle/collective & left/right yaw, right stick operates fore/aft cyclic & left/right cyclic.


Mode 3

Mode 3 set up

Stick controls are:
left stick operates fore/aft cyclic & left/right cyclic, right stick operates throttle/collective & left/right yaw.


Mode 4

Mode 4 set up

Stick controls are:
left stick operates throttle/collective & left/right cyclic, right stick operates fore/aft cyclic & left/right yaw.

As you can see, mode 3 is the opposite to mode 2 and mode 4 is the opposite to mode 1, giving complete right handed/left handed user options.


Pros and cons of each

No mode is better than another one, but there are pros and cons to each setup.

Take mode 1 for example; the two primary pitch controls are on separate sticks. This is good because if you move each control independently then there is no chance of you inadvertently changing one while moving the other.
But mode 2 has both these primary controls on the same stick, which replicates the cyclic stick of a real helicopter making the control of your model more true to life.

It is possible to buy an rc transmitter and change the mode yourself, but this involves dismantling the case and changing the position of the small springs connected to the gimbals, in order to determine the throttle stick.
We don't recommend you try this unless you are competent with this kind of delicate work, and dismantling a newly purchased transmitter would almost certainly invalidate the manufacturer guarantee.

 

Related pages

RC airplane transmitter modes - same info for planes.

Radio control gear - what it is and how it works.

Radio control functions - further info on frequencies and functions of rc gear.

RC airplane frequencies - info on the designated frequencies and a table of them.