Electric RC helicopters can be a challenge! Most everyone agrees that RC model helicopters are the single most challenging R/C models to build and operate, and electric helicopters are no exception. In fact, because their flight times are shorter than gas powered units, it can hinder someone just learning the ropes and their sensitivity to wind can intimidate beginners too.
They're mechanically complex and they require you to master two distinctly different skills, forward flight and hovering. To pilot them successfully, your FULL attention is required. There have recently been some very impressive advances which give more hobbyists a good shot at getting electric RC helicopters in the air and keeping them there.
But if the question is, "Should my very first R/C model be a helicopter?"...I'd have to say no. You'll be much more ready and relaxed with a heli if you learn to fly a plane or glider first. We strongly recommend that you visit our airplane section, where there's no shortage of other exciting ways to go airborne. But if you've already mastered a plane and feel ready for the demands of a an electric RC helicopter...read on for more details!
What Can an Electric RC Helicopter Do? The answer is, just about anything that involves flying! They'll hover in one spot. Fly backwards and sideways. Do pirouettes while in forward flight. Perform stall turns, loops, rolls, standing loops and rolls (a loop or roll with no forward speed)...even fly upside-down and hover while only inches off the ground. Let's see an airplane, or even a full-size helicopter, do that! In normal forward flight, electric helicopters fly at about 20-30 mph and approximately 150 feet high.
PREREQUISITES
It helps to have good building skills for assembling electric rc helicopters. If not, take the time to develop them in this hobby. You'll need a sufficiently large space and hopefully uninterrupted time...from 2 hours for a simple setup to hundreds of hours for more complex RC model helicopters. Have an open mind and be willing to learn new things. Being methodical will help solve many problems you'll encounter in the hobby. You don't need fast reflexes to succeed, but you must be able to develop new ones. Optimism and sense of humor can help, especially after an electric RC helicopters mishap. More often than not, patience is a virtue.
DUE DILIGENCE
Find a local club and flying field to get a firsthand look of the exciting world of electric helicopters and meet the flyers - they will become valuable help. If there are no local clubs, check out Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) and its monthly publication Model Aviation and try to find the closest club in your area. Try to attend a fly-in of electric helicopters or an airshow nearby (see calendar posted in Model Aviation or ask your local hobby shop) and watch how the pros do it.
Once you're committed to the hobby, apply for an AMA membership as soon as possible. It's a requirement for clubs/flying fields, and you'll get a very good insurance policy, too. Get some literature, either an RC heli magazine, a book, or video tape and I highly recommend checking out these RC heli videos.
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