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How to Start Flying Scale Model Airplanes

By Brian on Tuesday, February 28th, 2012 | No Comments

Almost or many RC airplane enthusiast dream of having their favorite full size replica to bore holes in the sky. But it will not be easy just to copy the exact dimension of the full size airplane and then scale it down to what ever you desire, like for example 1/8 scale, ¼ scale so forth and so on. Even though you know how to use CAD software to design and draw the airplane, without considering the aerodynamic principles, you won’t have a stable airplane. So this is the first step on how to fly scale model airplanes. It will be impossible to fly your scale model airplane without considering the aerodynamic design. Again, before you attempt to build & fly your very first scale model, you should have already build your skill to at least an intermediate level. Meaning, flying a non-scale shoulder wing design type of model airplane. Then choose the trainer type full-scale model airplane like the Cessna 150 or J3 Piper Cub.

At least those airplanes have a built-in stability design. The wings constant chord and rectangular (for J3 Piper Cub). High wing location, meaning the wings is above the fuselage, which have pendulum stability. Landing gear is tricycle type (for Cessna 150). But wait, does this mean the stability is the same when you scale down those airplanes? The answer is No. Those airplanes will fly terrible when you scale it down and copy the exact dimensions. Like what I’ve mentioned previously, the aerodynamic design should be considered. This phenomenon is known as ” The Scale Effect”. You can’t scale down the air molecules & the viscosity of air. The behavior will be different. The wing location & wing area, horizontal and vertical stabilizer area & location, airfoil design, plays a major role on its stability.

Redesigning the airplane is essential. The model has to be redesigned based on the lift and drag coefficients and Reynolds number on its miniature dimensions to achieve stability. This is why some Almost Ready to Fly, Ready to Fly or Kits have 30% or 40% scale specification. Meaning only 30% was copied from the full size airplane. Possibly the horizontal stabilizer area was modified or vertical stabilizer. Changed the airfoil type or wing area. In order to achieve stability. The closer its size to the full size airplane, the more you can copy the exact dimension and behavior. This is why ¼ scale model airplanes are popular to those really serious on RC airplane modeling. Considering the cost and set-up, danger to life and property, it will only be possible for those who were well to do. Imagine how many gallons of fuel it will consume! You will also need bigger flying field. Good thing that gas or petroleum engines (chainsaw engines) are fit to use in those monsters which reduces the cost of fuel. Unlike using methanol, castor oil and nitromethane for fuel on glow engines.

So before having any expectations on acquiring one, first consider those facts.

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How A Hobbyist’s Grandpa Inspired Him To Purchase A Dragonfly RC Helicopter

By Brian on Thursday, February 23rd, 2012 | No Comments

Below is a story about a grown man and the inspiration the grandfather had that instilled him to buy a kind of remote control helicopter. It is told in a first person voice.

Once, my grandfather told me a story that encouraged me to buy a dragonfly t487 remote control helicopter.

When he was a little boy, my grandfather live in rural Pennsylvania where his nearest nearby was about six miles away. With this kind of distance, no doubt there weren’t many kids to hang out with. He said the way he killed the afternoons, he’d catch the dragonflies out by the little swamp near the back of his house. One summer, a cousin of his came to visit from New Jersey.

This cousin was from a suburb of New York City and not accustomed to doing the things that my grandfather was. However, my grandfather wanted to show him how he passed the time and took him down to that pond. Needless to say, when he saw the dragonfly my grandfather was trying to grab for, he yelled loudly, ran back to the house to stay inside and did not come out the entire rest of summer. His cousin was more into matchbox cars at the time. When he got older, my grandfather joined the armed forces and was one of the first United States soldiers to fly a helicopter during any combat.

Due to the funny summer cousin story involving the dragon fly (I have heard it many times over the course of my lifetime.) and the career path he had chosen, defending our country in the U.S. Air Force, when I discovered the dragonfly tt487 remote control helicopter, I purchased it as tribute to my grandfather (Around four years ago, he passed away from prostate cancer. He was 75 years old,) and because this helicopter is a great flying device.

However, my son never got to know his great-grandfather so whenever I get the chance, I take the prospect to let him know how great a man my grandfather was. Even more so, when we are flying the dragonfly tt487 remote control helicopter in the large meadow behind our home.

My son loves to remind me that I often tell him the dragonfly story. He makes fun of me like I did to my grandfather for repeating the same silly story. So far, I have told him this story about ten times, unlike the 15 to 20 I heard growing up. However, I hope this shows my son and makes him realize the significance of family and how the ancestors were. How we should be thanking them for all the blessings and the good fortune we have in our lives today.

I pray all the time that the story of his great-grandfather will get passed on to his son or daughter when he grows up and have his own family. Maybe they will be flying their own dragonfly tt587 remote control helicopters.

Of course, this assumes if I do not get to tell the story first about the man who I admired most and who shaped my life to give me the strength and courage to succeed in all my endeavors every single day.

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A Brand New Big Electric RC Helicopter : The Hurricane 550

By Brian on Sunday, February 19th, 2012 | No Comments

Electric RC helicopters are becoming more and more popular everyday. However, one of their main criticisms is that they lack of big models. Most electric RC helicopters are of the 400 size, which are not even as big as .30 size nitro helicopters – the smallest kind. Electric RC helicopter pilots who wanted to fly bigger models had pretty much only one model to choose – the T-REX 600 which although performs extremely well, comes with a hefty price tag. Now, from the production line of GAUI, maker of many successful models such as the Zoom and the Shogun, comes another model to fill the void in the big electric helicopter market: the Hurricane 550. With a much lower price, the Hurricane 550 will undoubtedly provide pilots who want to try their hands on a big electric model helicopter with a promising alternative.

In The Box:

The Hurricane 550 comes as an ARF (almost ready to fly) kit and claims to be 95% pre-assembled from the factory. You still to install the radio receiver, servos, and the gyro – a task which usually takes at least an hour for beginners. Nevertheless, the main frame, the head set, and the tail come already assembled. The frame is made of a plastic composite material which is strong and durable. The way that each pieces are put together should is quite impressive. Although the model is pre-assembled, the manual provides a comprehensive instruction on how to completely rebuild it from scratch. This is very thoughtful as lacking these instructions would make extensive repairs a daunting task.

The canopy comes already pre-painted. For many people who painting is not their strongest trait, this canopy is great news. On the other hand, others who enjoy airbrushing their own helicopter may be less appreciative. On the quality side, it should be noted that the canopy is noticeably thinner than other models, making it more brittle-prone. However, its thinner canopy is a good weight-saver. This kit also includes a motor and a speed controller. The motor, the 800 KV outrunner, has been upgraded to generate less heat and consume less power.

As for the battery, the Hurricane draws its required 22.2 V from two 11.1V packs. Personally, I think this is a very smart way to implement its power system – unlike the T-Rex 600 which requires a whole new expensive battery pack.

The wooden blade that comes included with the kit is already sufficient. However, for modelers who would like something different, this model can take any blades that is suitable for a .32 size nitro helicopter; namely blades from the 470-550 size.

In Flight:

In flight the Hurricane 550 proves an able helicopter. Beginner to intermediate pilots should find that this model is great fun to fly, nimble and crisp. It is not as aggressive and the T-REX 600, but then again, you wouldn’t want to push this model to fly out the most demanding 3D maneuver as the swash plate is made of plastic. As for the flight time, this model can stay in the air for 8 minutes of ordinary flight and 5 minutes of 3D flight. All in all, although this model doesn’t come with the aluminum tails, carbon bodies, and the shiny accessories of the T-REX, it is definitely worth its price.

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Why Fly Electric Rc Helicopters

By Brian on Monday, February 13th, 2012 | No Comments

RC Helicopters stand as one of the most fascinating field of the RC hobby world. Very few can resist its charm. Nevertheless, not too long ago they also carried an extremely heavy price tag and required more maintenance than a ten-years-old car. To make matters worse, flying one required countless hours of practice and tremendous amount of patience. However, all that is about to change. With the introduction of electric RC helicopters, flying these amazing models are not as far-fetched as they used to be.

First is silent and clean RC Helicopters might be amongst the most fascinating radio controlled models, however, one undeniable fact still stands against it; they make more noise and create more pollution than a breaking down truck. This makes flying around the neighborhood almost impossible. The problem of noise, pollution and size is almost entirely eliminated with the electric models; the amount of noise greatly decreased while the amount of pollution vanished altogether. These two facts allows these machines to fly anywhere without causing too much annoyance to other people. Second is low cost flying RC Helicopter used to set people back thousands of dollars. People had to buy the helicopter kit, servos, engine, starter, gyro, receiver, radio controller, a hundred other equipments, and of course – fuel. When everything has been purchased, you still have to assemble it! On the other hand, electric helicopters almost always cost less than 200 dollars with cheaper but better versions coming out regularly. Even better, most of these helicopters come ready to fly right out of the box. In addition to that, every necessary equipments and accessories often come included as well. Finally, by using batteries, the running cost of these helicopters is greatly reduced as it is no longer necessary to buy gallons after gallons of gas. Third is reliable and easy to fly: With gas helicopters, countless crashes occur not because of pilot errors, but because the engine fail in midair. Who’s to blame? After all, everybody knows that gas engines aren’t the most reliable thing in the world. They also notoriously require constant tinkering to run smoothly. On the other hand, electric helicopters fly undeniably more reliable.

 

 

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