RC helicopters have been proven to be one of the toughest, yet most enjoyable, radio-controlled vehicles to own and operate. It takes a lot of time and skill to be able to master what some consider the art of flying an RC helicopter. If you're new to the whole radio-controlled helicopter craze that's growing by leaps and bounds on a daily basis, this article will give you a basic understanding of how RC helicopters fly and how they work.

How Do Radio Controlled Helicopters Work?

You may not know this by looking at them, but an RC helicopter is a pretty complicated toy to play with. On top of having many moving parts to operate, a radio-controlled helicopter is made even more complicated by having a radio transmitter and radio receiver thrown into the mix. Actually, the transmitter and receiver are very important for flying an RC helicopter because they send and receive the radio signals that tell the helicopter what to do.

The transmitter is the hand-held device that you use to tell the RC helicopter what you want it to do. The receiver is the device that receives the radio signal inside the RC helicopter and passes it on to the rest of the electronics of the helicopter so that it can perform as its been instructed to do.

It's very important that you have a fully charged transmitter and receiver when you take your RC helicopter out for a flight. If one or the other dies while you're trying to pilot, you're looking at an expensive, so always be sure they're both fully charged when you take them out.

How Do RC Helicopters Fly?

The same principles that allow full-size military helicopters to fly also allows RC helicopters to fly as well. The two main components that allow an RC helicopter to fly are the main rotor and the tail rotor.

The main rotor is the large blade that sits on top of the helicopter. This is the rotor that provides the power associated with lift off and flight. The main rotor usually spins at a constant speed and induces lift by changing the pitch or angle of attack of the blades. The greater the pitch is, the more lift the rotors will provide.

As the main rotor spins, it puts a twisting force on the rest of the helicopter and that's where the tail rotor steps in to help out. Basically, the tail rotor helps to counteract the spinning force of the main rotor and helps keep the helicopter straight. The tail rotor is like a rudder on a ship: it goes the opposite direction so that the helicopter can be steered. The tail rotor is connected to the main rotor through a belt or torque tube and in most cases the tail rotor will spin 3-6 times for each time that the main rotor spins.

It's also important to know that when you're learning to fly an RC helicopter that you learn to fly with the nose of the helicopter and not the tail. Many amateurs get distracted by what the tail is doing and don't realize that the helicopter is going to fly wherever the nose is pointing, even if it's pointing right at a building or a person! So always know what's going on with the nose of the helicopter so that you're in complete control of piloting it.

How To

How to Make Remote Control Toys

Remote control toys have been around for nearly a century. In that time, they have evolved from a difficult hobby for serious electronic engineers to a fast-paced, easy-to-use diversion available to nearly anyone. Although there are plenty of complete, assembled radio-controlled cars, boats, helicopters, and airplanes, many people prefer to put an RC toy together their own. It is relatively easy to do, and gives you a sense of accomplishment that using a ready-made remote control toy doesn't convey.

Things You’ll Need:

Transmitter Receiver Servos Speed controller Battery pack Charger Craft knife Glue Paint Paintbrush

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step1

Decide on the type of remote control (RC) toy you want to make. The best beginner project is probably a remote control car or boat, because it is simple. You might also consider remote-controlled gliders or planes.

Step2

Figure out how many channels you need to control your toys. Every task requires a channel. For example, an RC car requires two channels--one to turn the wheels and one to control the throttle. A plane requires at least 3 channels. one for throttle, one for the flaps, and one for the rudder. If you want to be able to turn on lights, that requires extra channels as well.

Step3

Pick out a radio controller, receiver, and servos. For safety reasons, radio-controlled planes use different channels than boats and cars do, so choose a remote designed for the type of toy you want to use.

Step4

Buy a kit. RC plane kits marked RTF (ready to fly) and RTR (ready to run) are already put together. If you want to make your own RC toys, avoid these kits and get ones that require more assembly. Alternately, you can individually buy the parts to put together a remote control toy instead of getting them in kit form. Also buy glue, paint, paintbrushes, and a hobby knife.

Step5

Buy the rest of your control and power equipment. For any remote-control toy you will need a motor, speed controller, rechargeable battery pack, and recharger.

Step6

Put the toy together. Most kits will require you to cut out a few parts and trim edges before gluing the pieces together. Once you are done, you can paint the kit or add decals to make it look more realistic. If you are using individual parts picked out by hand, you may want to consult a hobby shop worker to make sure you are doing it right.