If you answered YES to the question above, you have come to the right place !

The world of Radio Control helicopters can be both frightening and exciting all at the same time. Your eagerness when you first crack the seal on your brand new purchase can be exhilarating but also come with some uneasy feelings of crashing.

Which helicopter is right for me?

The world of radio control can be an exciting and stress relieving activity once you master the basic controls of radio control. Knowing where to begin is most of the time a deal breaker when it comes to getting into the world of RC. Many people are hesitant about trying out their first RC helicopter even though they may have wanted to get into this leisure activity for many years.

What if I crash and break a part on my new helicopter ?

Where can I find parts for my new helicopter and how much will those parts cost to either buy and/or install. This is probably one of the most common questions. And the store where you bought your new helicopter is probably the best place to turn to for parts too. They will even suggest potential upgrades if the plastic parts that you get with your new helicopter have aluminum upgrades.

What if I practice inside and run into something?

These questions are common when deciding on whether or not you should get into radio control.  The best advice anyone we can give you is to do your research. Find a reliable site such as ours that will guide you from the very beginning to more advanced stages of radio control flying.

Where do I begin?

Your first step in deciding on whether or not to get into radio control helicopters is passion. Do you have the passion to master a new skill? In the beginning, radio control flying will no doubt be frustrating as crash rates among newbies are often high, you will need to realize that once you master some simple controls and practice, practice, practice, flying will be more enjoyable and relaxing.

Once you have gotten over your fears of flying you will need to decide on what helicopter is the best for you.  Always start with an electric helicopter, this battery powered machine is safer than its gas powered counterpart and much cheaper. You do not want to start out with a huge, powerful, extremely expensive helicopter when you have not mastered take off and landing.

The Micro category is a great start !

Two helicopters that we recommend for beginners are:

1.  Blade mCX RTF Helicopter

2.  Blade CX2 RTF coaxial Micro Helicopter

These two helicopters are user friendly right out of the box. All you have to do is open the package, install the batteries and you are ready to fly. We recommend using all of the battery power that comes pre-packaged prior to recharging so that you will have a full, strong charge once you do your initial charge.

We also suggest purchasing training guides, they make look a little awkward at first but these will help you to master the art of landing right side up! They are inexpensive and act the same way as training wheels on a bicycle.  As soon as you learn to land properly, your “training wheels” come off and you are ready to fly. The training guides can be picked up anywhere you buy your radio control helicopters, your salesperson may even suggest them if you let them know you are a first time buyer.

You may require some help setting the “trim” once you begin. Trimming is simply adjusting your surface controls so that your helicopter will hover is steady position without veering off in one particular direction.  As soon as you have your trim set to the proper settings your helicopter should be able to hover in one position, we recommend getting used to just hovering for at least 5 to 10 minutes (It may seem boring I know, but trust us it will be worth it !)

After you feel comfortable with hovering, you can begin to move your helicopter forwards and backwards.

Ooops I crashed ! What do I do now ?

So, you have been slowly flying around for a few minutes when BAM! you smack into the wall, your helicopter falls to the floor and you panic. Don’t worry, everything will be ok !  Crashing your helicopter is the most common thing to do, even professional flyers experience this, and just imagine that their helicopters are quite expensive and replacing parts is NOT cheap.

Luckily, with your model any of the parts of your helicopter can be replaced cheaply and easily ! All of the parts of your helicopter are either plastic or metal. The shell of your helicopter can very cheaply be replaced at your local hobby store or online. These individual parts normally get snapped or screwed together and you are off to fly some more very quickly.

The most common part that breaks on helicopters, when it comes to new radio control flyers are the blades. We recommend buying a couple of extra packages of blades (usually 2-4 blades per package) when you purchase your helicopter because you are almost guaranteed to snap a blade very quickly. Your helicopter will still fly if the blade is not too damaged but if you have taken a huge chunk off of it, it is definately time to replace them.

These parts are easily removed and replaced, (please click here for a short How-To guide to replacing your blades)
Another common part that may get broken if you are practicing inside is breaking or snapping your swashplate or lower rotor head. These come standard plastic on your new helicopter, but it may be wise to upgrade to metal pieces. If you break these in a crash you will be out of commission until you replace these parts and although it isn’t terribly complicated, it will take more time than simply replacing your blades.

Crashing into objects is also an inevitable result of new helicopter flying, having a wide open room with little or few obstacles is your best bet in mastering your basic commands. Once you have practiced you can upgrade to trying to maneuver around objects, but to start, stick with wide open rooms or your backyard (just ensure you pick a calm, windless day or you may have trouble)

Learning to fly a radio control helicopter can be a rewarding and relaxing activity. It is fun for the whole family and once your initial frustration wears off and you are comfortable and relaxed you will have many hours of flying fun.

Product Description:

The Apache Helicopter is the most advanced, versatile, deployable, and maintainable multi-role combat helicopter in the world, and now you can be the pilot. This 4 channel RC Apache Helicopter, gives you complete control of its flight. Full function remote controlled forward, backward, up, down, left and right. It flies over 30m high. 4 channel radio control duel propeller system and stable hover. It also features a revolutionary co-axial rotor technology and an 850mAh Li-Po rechargeable battery. It can fly up to 10 minute flight times with flight range of 120 ft. Factory assembled ready to fly.

Product Details:

• Item Weight: 1.5 lbs
• Item Model Number: XTApache678
• Manufacturer Recommended Age: 10 years and up

The RC Apache Helicopter could quite possibly be one of the best RC helicopters out there for under $100.  Once trimmed correctly, the response from the controls  are quick and precise. This helicopter can be flown inside or outside (with the absence of wind) and will provide hours of enjoyment.

With its sleek military look, a price that can’t be beat and its ease of learning the controls, this is one of your best bets for anyone who is relatively new and inexperienced to RC helicopters.

Product Description:

The flight experts have done it again. The Blade® CX3 RTF gives pilots unbelievable micro-heli excitement. The CX3 includes a radio system equipped with Spektrum™ 2.4GHz DSM2™ technology in the LP5DSM transmitter and Spektrum AR6100e receiver, providing 5-channel control with interference-free flying. It’s covered with an attractive police trim scheme.

Just like its predecessor, the Blade CX3 offers first-time heli pilots exceptional stability and incredible control through the coaxial, counter-rotating head design and 3-in-1 control unit. In addition, this CX3 also features two feather-light S60 Super Sub-Micro servos that provide full cyclic movement of forward, backward and side-to-side maneuverability. The Blade CX3 also includes a heading lock gyro to provide better control and locked-in performance. As with other co-axial Blade helicopters, no flying experience is required to begin your heli flight with the Blade CX3. This indoor helicopter is 100% factory-assembled, test flown and ready to fly out of the box, no assembly or setup required—and nothing left to buy. The Blade CX3 is the first coaxial heli to incorporate a heading lock gyro, a Spektrum DSM2 2.4GHz radio system and a scale body all in one convenient ready-to-fly package.

Product Details:

• Advanced 3-in-1 control unit including main motor ESCs, mixer and heading lock gyro
• The heading lock gyro in the CX3 offers incredible hold and control to maximize your flight experience.
• Product Dimensions: 23.5 x 10.2 x 8 inches ; 4.8 pounds

The transmitter requires 4 AA batteries and these are also found in the box and take just a few seconds to install.  The transmitter in the RTF (Ready to Fly) model is pre-programmed for the Blade CX3 so once the batteries are installed, most of the hard work is done. The Blade can be flown comfortably indoors in even modest size rooms.  A large area such as a school gym or enclosure will give you enough room. The Blade CX2, and this new one, the CX3 are very stable and very easy to learn.

Reactive Torque

The big rotor in a helicopter is creating a lot of reactive torque in the opposite direction. Therefore the helicopter will want to spin in the opposite direction of the rotor. This also means  any change in engine power to the rotor or collective pitch will produce corresponding changes in torque.

There are three ways to deal with this reactive torque:

1. By using a tail rotor which is the most common solution in today’s helicopters. In this situation the force from the tail rotor must match the main rotor to cancel out the reactive torque and preventing the helicopter from spinning.  This movement is called the YAW.
   
2. An alternative way to control yaw is to use a coaxial rotor, because they will spin in opposite directions.

   With electric coaxial rc helicopters this is easy to do with two separate motors when they are spinning at equal speeds. However when trying to control a heli with two rotors and having to change torque between both blades to get movement does require some practice.

3. The least common solution is called NOTAR (No Tail Rotor) and instead uses air pressure to counter act the thrust created by the main rotor. This air pressure is piped down the over sized tail boom and vented out to the sides.

Product Description:

Air Hogs RC Reflex Micro Helicopter Pro (27 MHz) The ultimate indoor radio-controlled helicopter, this Air Hogs Reflex Helicopter features stabilizing counter-rotation blades and 2 drive rotors for accurate forward, left/right and even reverse control! This micro-sized helicopter can be easily controlled in small spaces. Pilot your own helicopter indoors – with amazing 6-way control! The crash-resistant foam fuselage is perfect for a nice big room without too many obstacles. Throttle up and down, or bank left and right using the 6-way controller. Twin drive props provide directional control while the dual rotors lend stability. Includes a set of spare propellers and battery. Runs on an included rechargeable lithium polymer battery. The controller operates on 9V battery which is not included. Recommended for ages 10 and older. Helicopters are more challenging than planes and a lot more fun! Includes: Powered steering and ultimate stability 6 way directional control 1 set of spare propellers included Includes all batteries and charger LIPO battery and charger included Twin rotors for stability Twin drive props for precise directional control Fly 5-10 minutes per battery charge Crash-friendly foam fuselage No assembly required Available in RED or ORANGE (both operate at 27 MHz).

Product Details:

• Item Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Item model number: 44283
• Manufacturer Recommended Age: 8 years and up

Another durable heli. The propeller blades on this Air Hog are jointed at the hinge, so they give when they come into contact with something. So  even if you broke a blade or two off the hinge and easily snapped it right back into place. It also comes with a pair of replacement blades should you need them.

It’s easy to operate, though it takes a while to get a hang of the controls precisely. I was extremely surprised at how powerful and maneuverable it is. The battery with this micro helicopter when fully charged, will last you about 10-15 minutes, and will recharge again within half an hour. When the battery’s drained because you start to lose altitude and maneuverability. If you are looking for something for the kids to play with too this is by far one of the better toy helicopters to try.

Product Description:

The Blade® mCX is an ultra micro-sized version of the Blade CX/CX2, offering first-time pilots the ability to learn how to fly with ease and experienced heli pilots the ability to fly anytime, anywhere indoors. The Blade mCX offers unsurpassed stability and incredible control through the coaxial, counter-rotating head design and Spektrum™ 2.4GHz DSM2™ control. And, thanks to its rotor span of just 7.5 inches and one-ounce flying weight, the Blade mCX can be flown indoors almost anywhere—from an office to a small bedroom or living room.

The Blade mCX comes 100% factory-assembled, flight-tested and ready to fly right out of the box—no assembly or setup required. Included in the box is the Li-Po battery and convenient AA battery-powered DC Li-Po charger, 4-channel transmitter equipped with Spektrum 2.4GHz DSM2 technology, and 8 AA batteries (4 for the transmitter, 4 for the charger). The DSM2 technology offers freedom from frequency restrictions and allows the Blade mCX to be flown anywhere, anytime indoors with precise 4-channel control. Even though this is a micro helicopter the Blade mCX is also very durable.

When it comes to ultra-micro™ heli fun everyone can enjoy, you simply can’t beat the value and performance of the Blade mCX. It’s just another way E-flite is advancing electric flight.

Product Details:

• Product Dimensions: 16.5 x 6.5 x 9 inches ; 2.2 pounds
• Item model number: EFLH2200

RTF in the product name really means “Ready-To-Fly”. All you have to do is take it out of the box and charge the battery up to full. It’s not fast, but it isn’t supposed to be. One of the best features of this helicopter is the dual rate function of the remote. And the reason is it functions as a type of governor on the controls to allow you to get used to flying. By default the remote is set on a high rate, which means there is no governor. By pressing down on the right stick, the control speeds are cut in half, allowing for much easier control for the beginner flyer.

The most frustrating part is the battery. It takes approx. 20 min. to charge for a 6-8 min. flight time. We recommend buying a couple of extra batteries for this one.

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However to improve stability some electric radio controlled helicopters are configured for a coaxial setup or twin rotors. The benefit of having two rotors mounted is so they can spin in opposite directions and counter act the torque produced by the spinning rotor. It is also important to note that in a coaxial configuration there is no tail rotor. So you might ask yourself how does a coaxial helicopter change directions with no tail rotor. Well as long as the two rotors are spinning at the same speed the helicopter will hover. As soon as one increases speed torque will be generated again and you will be able to change your direction.

In most coaxial helis the top blades are mounted on the main shaft and the lower blades are mounted on a hollow shaft that runs inside of the main shaft. Twin servos (side by side electric motors) then control one of the two shafts independently.

This design is also used in life sized helicopters as can be seen here of a Russian Air Force Kamov Ka-50 attack helicopter.

Example of an electric coaxial radio controlled  helicopter:

Blade CX2

Product Description:

The Blade CX2 takes the excitement and beginner-friendly flight stability of the original Blade CX and adds Spectrum 2.4GHz DSM radio control that lets you fly anywhere, anytime without ever having to worry about interference. It’s the first ready-to-fly RC aircraft of any kind to come with this extraordinary technology built in. In addition, the 4-in-1 control unit has been updated with improved gyro and tail control that gives the Blade CX2 even better tail response while minimizing drift. Two feather-light S60 Super Sub-Micro Servos provide powerful, precise cyclic control. Topping it all off is an aggressive new body design that looks fantastic in flight and is unlike anything else out there.

Product Details:

• Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 9.8 x 7.5 inches ; 4.4 pounds

Everything you need to fly is already built, and all you have to do is take the helicopter out of the package.  Since this helicopter is designed to have two coaxials it makes flying much easier for beginners because the dual rotors make the setup more stable. After charging the battery, learning to fly the Blade CX2 was relatively easy. Spending the time to propperly trim in the Blade will do wonders for learning how to fly.

Remember this helicopter is a hobby grade helicopter and will take some practice to get used to flying it.  We also reccomend buying at least one pack of upper and lower blades if not 2 packs of upper blades and one pack of lower blades, as you WILL crash while learning. A spare battery is also a good investment to keep downtime to a minimum.

For beginners we also recommend buying the landing guide accessory for more stable landings during training.