Helicopter engine

[Herbiev]

Hi all. I am interested in building a r/c helicopter. I know they are very difficult to fly (tail rotor speed control) and also to build. Also the electronic side is very dear and complicated but i have allowed funding for that. To make a start i would like to know the best engine to build.
Tia
Herbie

 

[bearcar1]

A very light one would be a good start. ;D :hDe:

BC1
Jim

 

[Jasonb]

Brushless would be the best

For an IC engine you either want a high performance glow engine with a good size cooling head or again a high performance 4 stroke. I think you will be hard pushed to be able to build an engine with the right sort of power to weight ratio that the off the shelf engines have.

With the performance that can now be had from brushless electric motors, li-po battarys and radio/gyros that are integrated with the speed controller you would be better off forgetting IC and going electric.

J

 

[Stan]

A few years ago, weed-eater engines were the power of choice. Very light and high power to weight ratio.

 

[ninefinger]

Herbie,

For starters try buying and assembling an inexpensive (relatively) electric R?C helicopter - they've come way down in price from what they were 10-15 years ago.

Look for a "450" size electric in an Almost Ready to Fly (ARF) or Ready To Fly (RTF) set. I've ordered for hobbyking.com and had ok sucess and also from ehirobo.com.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_listCategoriesAndProducts.asp?idCategory=320
http://www.ehirobo.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=334_174&products_id=9569

I've owned (now sold) 2 of the copterx 450 heli's and they were fine machines for the price.

Mike

 

[Tony B]

Have a look here http://www.rchelicopterfun.com/rc-turbine-helicopter.html should fined what you need
But a turbine is a nice choice it you are building the engine

 

[Troutsqueezer]

I started flying RC helicopters back in '82 with the Cricket. They've come a long way since.

My advice: Buy Great Plane's Flight Simulator and learn to fly your chopper there first. They have nearly all makes and models to emulate, from the smallest to the largest. The smallest 3D versions are the toughest to fly due to light weight and how easy they are influenced by backwash and breezes. It is better to crash the software model at no expense than to keep replacing tail rotors, main rotors and hardware on the real thing (they do like to soak you for those parts, too). And you will crash, hundreds and hundreds of times until you get your muscle memory ingrained. It is worth the $200 or so for the program and will pay for itself many times over. Plus, it is a lot of fun, especially when you plug into the model jet aircraft and try to fly through the open barn doors without hitting the barn (barn storming). You do need a fairly powerful computer for full effect, however.

-Trout

 

[blighty]

are you talking about making the whole heli your self? i.e not buying a kit then sticking your home made engine in there.

what ever the case, it would be best if you could tell us what size of heli your after. we could then find out what size engine you need to power said heli. then on to 2st or 4st, gearing, cooling and how you going to start the thing? belt start, rear cone or top start.

as you are a beginner then power is not what you want. i often hear you need power to get you out of trouble, but it also gets you into trouble a LOT quicker and its usually the power that got into trouble in the first place.

also helis have been around for a long ish time, all this power is quite new. 10 years ago they where still flying 60 size helis with wooden blades, standard servos and a mechanical gyro.

 

[camm-1]

I have been flying RC helis since 1982 with a brake on the 90.s
Now its realy fun and I fly 3D that you couldnt dream of at 1982 ;D
To a beginner I would say:
1. Buy a good simulator, Phoenix, is the best for helis.
2 Dont start with a smaller than a 500 or 600 zise, the small ones is realy tricky
bigger more stable.
3 A big used nitroheli is cheap now days as most of hardcore pilots chose electric because its much
more powerfull ( my latest electric engine Scorpion 4225-520 LE in my 700 peaks about 12 hp ;D)
So a big nitro you can get a lot of practise time on that you dosnt get on el. then you have to charge
after ca 6 min.
But anyway dont get a small one.
Ove

 

[Swede]

Helicopters of all sizes are cool.

I have a question that's bugged me for years. Helicopters are universally acknowledged as a beast to fly, very tricky. Given that we now have unmanned drone helicopters that proves it can be done, plus solid state gyros, accelerometers, and other advanced sensors, why aren't they making models with autopilots, or at the very least, a system that would allow a guy to push a "recover" button that would command the helicopter to assume a stable hover?

I know gyros are out there for models, but they don't seem to work that great, and everyone is still crashing regularly. Am I missing something?

 

[petertha]

Swede, check this out. The future has arrived!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQIMGV5vtd4[/ame]

 

[petertha]

1. Buy a good simulator, Phoenix, is the best for helis.
2 Dont start with a smaller than a 500 or 600 zise, the small ones is realy tricky
bigger more stable.

Im a long time RC plane guy, lots of pattern & racing experience. But I find myself getting the bug for (electric) heli's, just for something different. Some active Heli guys here told me the exact same thing. I bought the Phoenix software & Im convinced it's money well spent. I suspect my brain & fingers are so 'airplane' hard wired I have to 'think' again, but Im pretty sure I would have wrapped up plenty of helis into a twisted balls learning & thats not much fun. Anyway, its a very neat program, they have come a long ways.

There is tons of info on this helifreak forum. Many beginner videos & helpful people answer questions. When it comes to scratch building & modding, I lurk on what they call the cad cam forum. Guys making frames with homebrew cnc cutters & machine custom components etc.

http://www.helifreak.com/forumdisplay.php?f=202

Heli based photo/videography is a another sub-niche unto its where building/modding seems to be required. Guys making their own gadgets to accomodate cameras & such. Here is a typical link, but lots more with google.
http://www.cnchelicopter.com/servlet/StoreFront

And like their airplane counterparts, there are some incredible scale construction efforts
http://www.helitreffen-stadtsteinach.de/index.html

 

[deverett]

'They' say that if you can play the piano, you should be able to master helicopter flying relatively easily. And also 'they' say that if you have flown conventional planes, you have to unlearn everything you know about that discipline.

Written as a non-helicopter flyer, but a multi crasher of radio (un)controlled planes.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

 

[Herbiev]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I shall take the advice given by a few members and get a simulator before starting any construction work
Thanks again
Herbie