RTF RC helicopters

- what to expect

Gas powered RTF rc helicopters have been around for a number of years but it was always hard, if not impossible, to find a good electric RTF helicopter - they just weren't available!

The now famous Ikarus ECO Piccolo was the first mass-produced RTF electric rc helicopter to hit the shops, back around 1999. Its immediate success was a clear sign that an electric RTF helicopter that could be flown indoors was very marketable. Other rc manufacturers soon began to follow suit, and since then electric RTF rc helicopters have continued to swamp our hobby and toy stores.

In that same amount of time, there has been a huge electronic revolution; radio control technology has advanced an incredible amount - electric motors, battery packs, servos, receivers, gyros, and ESCs have all been dramatically reduced in size and weight, allowing RTF helicopters to become smaller, cheaper, more widely available and easier to fly than ever before.

Browse a good selection of electric RTF rc helicopters here, if you're looking to buy.

But just how Ready To Fly are RTF rc helicopters?

Ready To Fly radio control helicopters come in many shapes and sizes these days, and it is fair to say that some are more RTF than others.
It's a very serious point, because a beginner pilot who is none the wiser could end up having a very nasty experience with a so-called RTF helicopter that in fact needs some degree of setting up before flight.

Of course, the term Ready To Fly does refer to the fact that the model, whether helicopter or airplane, doesn't require any assembly work and the motor and radio gear is fully installed and set up at the factory. RTF by definition, therefore, is a very fair description.

But the reality is that many models are sold with the slogan "Flies straight out the box" attached to them, and this is rarely the case. It's not such a critical issue with RTF rc airplanes, but helicopters have spinning blades that can do a lot of damage in inexperienced hands - far more than an airplane propeller can (although these hurt too...).
So, the letters RTF should never be interpreted as "Flies straight out the box" when it comes to rc helicopters. Maybe a new labeling of 'FSOTB' should be created, just to clarify things....

As an example, I have a Walkera Dragonfly 4 helicopter - one of many 4 channel, Fixed Pitch (FP) electric RTF rc helicopters on the market these days:

Above, the Walkera Dragonfly 4 as purchased - RTF, but definitely not 'FSOTB'!

It's sold as an RTF rc helicopter, and indeed everything that you need is in the box (other than transmitter batteries) but there are certain things that need doing to it pre-flight (read about them) to ensure a safer experience.

Having said that, there are some RTF helicopters that don't need much, if anything, doing to them and there are a handful around that are literally 'FSOTB'. The better quality coaxial electric rc helicopters such as the Blade CX3 from E-flite, shown left, are very flier-friendly straight from the box, and this has made the whole CX range a huge seller worldwide.

Coaxial (dual rotor) electric helicopters like the Blade CX3 are a lot easier to fly than single rotor models; they are more stable and can be controlled much easier - even on a first flight.

Good helicopters such as the CX3 (and in particular the Blade mCX) have amassed a huge number of sales globally, contributing greatly to a large influx of new rc pilots into the hobby of radio control flying. The gentle flying characteristics and affordable prices of such RTF rc helicopters have been the two big selling points.

Of course, the supply of electric helicopters isn't limited to 4 channel Fixed Pitch or coaxial models. Proper 6 channel 3D-capable Collective Pitch ('CP') electric helicopters such as the Blade 400 CP, pictured below, also make up a large chunk of the radio control helicopter market.

Gas RTF RC helicopters

Gas powered RTF rc helicopters are several steps above and beyond electric helis, in terms of cost, amount of extras needed and, most of all, learning curve.

They are, of course, ultimately very rewarding but you do need to be very aware of what's involved with gas rc helicopters, and equally sure that you want to take up this ultra-exhilarating section of the hobby before you start flexing your credit card!

Having said that, models like the very popular Thunder Tiger Raptor RTF are a good place to start if you don't want to work your way up through the electric helicopter ranks. In fact the Raptor is one of the most popular entry level gas helicopters around, and has been for many years.

The Raptor RTF package includes all the necessary bits, but getting it checked over and set up correctly by an experienced model helicopter pilot is of paramount importance, and learning to fly such a heli is a serious process that must an rc flight simulator, or an rc helicopter instructor, or both!

Whichever type of RTF rc helicopter you choose, you can be certain of one thing - you are entering the most rapidly expanding and exciting sector of the radio control flying hobby - a sector that seems to have a strong future ahead of it, for anyone to enjoy regardless of helicopter-flying experience!

Browse a good selection of electric RTF rc helicopters here.

Electric rc helicopters - more info on these popular models.