Here are some advice for beginners who are thinking about getting into the RC helicopter
hobby. These are based on a detailed log I've kept since I started the hobby in 1988. It's important to plan in advance as this can be an expensive hobby with a starting cost of at least $500 to $1000, or more.
PREREQUISITES
It helps to have good building skills. If not, take the time to develop them in this hobby.
Have an open mind. 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 in the hobby, but you must be able to develop new ones.
Optimism and sense of humor can help, especially after a mishap.
More often than not, patience is a virtue.
DUE DILIGENCE
Find a local club and flying field. Get a firsthand look of the hobby 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 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. I highly recommend Rotory Modeler. (Check the links section for additional resources)
Before you spend money, visit the local hobby shop, or ask for catalogs from places like Horizon Hobby, Tower Hobbies, and Ace Hobby. Check a magazine for advertisements, and get an idea of pricing and availability of parts.
CHOOSING & BUYING EQUIPMENT
Choose a heli that others fly locally, with its parts easily available. This minimizes
downtime and expenses while learning. Popular .30 size helis are recommended.
Collective pitch helis are recommended as they are easier to fly than fixed pitch helis,
and only slightly more expensive.
Although .60 size helis fly better than .30 size, they are significantly more expensive,
and in my opinion, doesn't make beginners learn better.
Modern electric helis fly well, but their flight time may be too short for learning, and
their sensitivity to wind can intimidate beginners. You'll need to worry about correct motor/pinion/gear ratio, and it can be more expensive than a .30 size heli. Don't learn on it unless you have an expert who flys one and can help you.
All modern radio transmitters have more than enough features for beginners. Any heli radio will work, but don't
skimp on the servos.
The mid-range "computer" transmitters with LCD displays are worthwhile, since they make
setting up easier than doing it mechanically. Beginners should avoid the top-of-the-line
transmitters since they are very expensive (~$1000), but those who are serious should invest in one.
Gyro for the tail rotor is highly recommended. Even the cheap mechanical ones work well, so save money and avoid dual rate or heading hold gyros until you become a proficient flyer. Piezo (solid-state) gyros are worth the extra expense for electric helis due to lighter weight and smaller current draw.
Horsepower is a heli's friend. Get the biggest displacement engine that's recommended for the heli. Make sure it will fit without modifications, and try to get one that local flyers are familiar with.
Don't forget the support equipment for your heli, like starters, batteries & chargers,
hoses, glow plugs, filters, etc.
If you can't get a flying demo, avoid second-hand built helis. Learn building and setting up skills with a new heli first. Once you are a proficient flyer/builder, you'll be better equipped to find that great deal on eBay.
It's almost a guarantee that those who become addicted to this hobby will own more than
one heli. Wait on buying expensive upgrades or another heli (fancier radio equipments, .60 size or scale helis) until you learn the basic flying skills. This will help minimize expenses if you crash, or decide to exit the hobby.
BUILDING & PREFLIGHT
As the saying goes, RTFM! (Read The !@#$% Manual) Follow the instructions whenever possible.
Be patient and deliberate when building a heli. If you aren't an experienced builder,
don't guess if you aren't sure - ask for help.
Make sure you have the right tools for the job (metric wrenches, correct size screwdrivers,
thread locker, proper glue). Don't take this for granted.
Balancing components on a heli is critical, so if instructions call for it, take your time and get it right! Use your common sense.
Lock nuts and using thread locker (i.e. Loctite) are very important, so don't neglect them. You don't want your heli to come apart (especially from vibration) in midair!
It's important to set up the linkages mechnically correct to make the heli fly properly. This will
also help later on when you are fine-tuning the control throws from your transmitter. Follow instructions
and ask for help if uncertain. Make sure all the controls are smooth and not binding.
It's better to have too much control throws than too little because it's easy to reduce them
from the transmitter. Helis with too little control throws are difficult to fly, and hard to adjust.
The CG (Center of Gravity) of the heli should be just below the main shaft or forward (nose
heavy). Nose heavy helis are less intimidating to fly.
SET UP & TRIMMING
It's very important to know how to handle your engine, so ask the expert a lot of questions. You'll need to know how to adjust the air/fuel mixture with the needle valve. Rich = more fuel, lean = less fuel.
Overheating heli engines are usually caused by mixture too lean - it will lose power suddenly, and
in extreme cases, it will stop. Not something you want to deal with while learning. Always err on the side of rich mixture when adjusting the needle.
Your engine is running right when you can see smoke in the exhaust. If you don't see much smoke and the engine is beginning to wail, it's about to overheat. Stop or idle the engine and richen the mixture.
Weather changes affect mixture, so be sure to adjust the needle for humidity, temperature, and altitude changes.
Final trimming of the heli requires a series of ~5 second hops. Adjustments
should be made while the heli is on the ground. This is where an expert can save you a lot
of time by trimming the heli for you.
If built correctly, the heli should be able to lift off just above midstick on throttle.
Adjust the pitch curve (and keep the throttle curve linear as a beginner) if necessary.
Once collective/throttle is adjusted, trim the tail rotor and adjust the gyro gain
(if in doubt, set it higher) to stabilize the heading.
The expert may perform series of vertical climbs for accurate adjustment of the collective/tail mixing on your transmitter. Don't try this until after learning how to hover.
With collective/throttle and tail rotor adjusted, cyclic (fore/aft, left/right) can be
trimmed to minimize drifting.
Make sure you are comfortable with the control throws. If not, ask for expert help.
LEARNING THE BASICS
Be patient and let your reflexes develop at a comfortable pace. Crashes occur when you
can't react due to "brain fade."
Flight simulators will develop your reflexes faster, but your decision skills will still
have to be learned by practicing the real thing.
Training wheels or floats are highly recommended. Try to find a large flat area (parking
lots, large grass field) to let the heli drift around.
Pick a calm day or a steady wind of less than 5 mph during learning. The wind is usually
calm in the mornings. Face the heli headwind.
Learn how to be smooth with the collective/throttle first. Work on smooth lift offs
and touchdowns. Don't worry about the heli drifting for now. Walk with the heli.
Next, learn the cyclic by preventing the heli from drifting, but don't worry about
keeping it on a spot. If your brain gets tired, set the heli down (smoothly, with down
collective) and take a break, and try again.
Once comfortable with collective/throttle and cyclic, work on the tail rotor by changing
the heading slightly left and right.
Work on viewing the heli from different angles. (left-rear & right-rear). On calm days,
use the tail rotor to change orientation, and on windy days, keep the heli steady and walk
around.
Once comfortable with above, get used to viewing the heli directly from both the left
and right side. This is harder than it looks. If your brain gets tired, re-orient the heli
to a comfortable view with the tail rotor, then land the heli.
Practice hovering the heli at higher altitudes. Get used to viewing it from below.
You may choose to take the training wheels off, but save it for nose-in hover later. The
heli should feel lighter and more responsive. Practice soft spot landing the heli. You can
reduce the gyro gain to develop your tail rotor reflexes.
