Technology Articles

Ever since being a little kid I was interested in remote control vehicles and toys. One vehicle I always wanted was a remote control helicopter. Helicopters are truly amazing aircrafts. They can fly like an airplane plus they can do many things an airplane could only dream of, like hover. Helicopter can fly forward, backward, side to side, hover, straight up and down, and even rotate completely on their vertical axles.

When you think about all the different directions and abilities a helicopter has why would you not want one? A real life helicopter is definitely out of reach for most people so what is the next best thing? A smaller remote control one. Well as I found helicopters are one of the most complicated and difficult aircrafts to learn to fly. So are their remote control counter-parts. The other down side of remote control helicopters is their price. They are very complex and technological advanced aircrafts. As a result they are very expensive.

That was 20 years again though. Remote control helicopters have came a long way in those years and have gotten easier to fly and easier on the wallet as well. Remote control technology overall has really improved and became more affordable over the years. Now there are several different remote control helicopter options and some are even good for beginners.

The easiest remote control helicopters to learn to fly are the 2-channel micro helicopters. Most people consider these more of a toy than a serious remote control aircraft. They are not capable of all the functions of a real helicopter but they are inexpensive and easy to fly. Micro remote control helicopter are great for beginners.

A step above micro remote control helicopters are coaxial helicopters. Coaxial helicopters have two main rotors which spin in opposite directions. This eliminates the need for a tail rotor. Coaxial helicopters are usually 3 or 4 channels and are capable of all the functions of a real helicopter except 3D and inverted flight. The coaxial rotors as make them easier to fly and more stable. Coaxial remote control helicopters are also great for beginners. Just remind these are not toys like the micro helicopters and will take some learning and patient to learn to fly. Price wise you can get complete kits ready to fly for under $200.

Next up are 4-channel fixed pitch remote control helicopters. These are a step above coaxial helicopters. Real helicopters have what is called collective pitch. These means the main rotor blade pitch can change. This allows the helicopter to go up and down very quickly. Well with a fixed pitch helicopter the pitch of the main rotor is fixed hints the name. The helicopter goes up and down by how fast or slow the rotor blades spin. Fixed pitch helicopters are a bit easier to than collective pitch helicopters because you have one less control to worry about when flying.

Last you have full blown 6-channel remote control helicopters. These remote control helicopters can do everything real life helicopters can do and much more. They can even fly inverted and do some amazing 3D maneuvers. They will take longer to learn to fly and will cost more to setup and maintain but they are definitely worth it. Take your time and do some research on these. It is well worth it.