What You'll Need....
As someone who started flying only a few months ago I’m clearly no expert – which I guess is OK because I’m still going through the learning curve that you’ll be going through, and I can tell it like it is! In this article I’m going to cover the basics; like why joining a heli’ club, like the Norfolk Model Helicopter Club (NMHC), is a good idea; what’s the minimum you’ll need to buy and what else comes in handy; and my thoughts on buying new or second-hand. So, let’s get started…
In this article I’m going to cover:
- Join the club!
- Insurance
- What to buy - the minimum
- Helicopter and Engine
Join the club! 
Probably one of the best bits of advice I have been given is to join a model helicopter club. I believe this one piece of advice has not only got me started, but also enabled me to get to the stage where I’m already confident keeping my heli’ in the hover – well, more precisely: staying off the ground in roughly the same piece of air!
So how does joining a club help so much? Well, for one thing there are plenty of club members who are generous enough to give-up some of their flying time to help sort-out your machine. I was having a fair bit of bother in my early attempts at hovering; with the thing wanting to turn to the right and fly away from me – being none too good at landing at that point either this lead to quite a few heart stopping moments! Now, if I’d not joined the club I could’ve ended-up very frustrated and maybe eventually given-up, but instead I was able to get other experienced pilots to take my heli’ for a spin and give me a much needed ‘reality check’ – it wasn’t just me (phew!), it turned out that this trait is normal and it can be reduced in several ways (which I’ll be covering in future articles).
Joining our club also means you get the use of two fields which are safe to fly in; you get to mix with other like-minded pilots of all skill levels; and you get to see some pretty-nifty flying that gives you something to aim for.
Insurance
Whether you join a club or not you must have adequate insurance. Whilst modern radio controlled helicopters are extremely reliable, it’s still possible for things to go wrong. One member of our club had the misfortune to loose control of his heli’ and it went flying into the distance; eventually landing in a nearby camp-site. It turned-out that the receiver crystal had worked loose and it was lucky that no-one was injured. Becoming a member of the British Model Flying Association (BMFA) will ensure that you’re adequately covered, and it’s a pre-requisite of joining the NMHC.
What to buy – the minimum
The list below is what I consider to be the bare minimum you’ll need to get into model heli’ flying.
• Helicopter and engine
• Radio
• Gyro
• Fuel
• Starter
• Glow lead
• ‘Gell cell’ battery and charger
• Fuel pump
• Blade caddy
• Sticks & balls
• Tools & other bits
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Helicopter and engine
I’ll cover each of them in-turn in this and following articles, but for now lets start with the helicopter and engine. It’s pretty obvious you’ll need these (!) but there are some things to think about first, such as; should you buy new or second-hand; what size should it be; and how easy will it be to get spare parts?
Much of your decision will depend on your budget of course, with a second-hand set-up costing much less than new, but before you go down the second-hand route make sure you know what you’re buying. If the heli’ and engine have exhaust stains and scratches then it’s a fair bet they’ve not been looked after as well as they could’ve, and that could lead to trouble. You’ll also want to know about the heli’s history – has it ever been crashed; and has it ever cut-out during flight? There’s no sure way of knowing, but I’d suggest talking to the owner and getting them to fly it around the field; if the heli starts well and appears to be stable in the hover and forward flight it’ll probably be OK.
Of course one absolutely sure way of knowing a heli’s history is to buy it brand-new like I did! I chose to buy a kit and build it from scratch, but it’s also possible to buy heli’s that are almost ready to fly (a.k.a. ARF or ARTF). Buying ARF can get you to the flying field quicker, but it will also lighten your pocket by at least £150! Building from scratch is, in my view, the best option as you’ll not only have the great satisfaction of the achievement, but you’ll also be familiar with its workings and you’ll also be happier when you need to rebuild it after a crash!
Once you’ve decided whether to buy second-hand or new the next decision will be the size of heli you want. Aside from electric heli’s – like the Ikarus Piccolo and MS Hornet; which are truly tiny machines mostly suited to indoor flying – there are several standard ‘sizes’ of model heli. The ‘size’ refers to the engine and they’re known as 30; 60; and 90; or petrol. The latter is usually based on a 25cc petrol engine, much like you’d find on a strimmer!
Your choice of heli size will again be determined as much by your budget as anything else, so it’s important that you’re well informed before making a decision. As with most choices there are pro’s and con’s, and there are also many polarised views on which size of heli a newcomer should purchase. I must therefore state that the following is only my opinion and you will likely find many who disagree!
It’s true that most newcomers will be urged to buy a 30 size helicopter and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that – 30 size heli’s are mostly inexpensive to build and repair, and you’ll find many model shops have them in stock. The trouble is that, in order to keep costs low in the ultra-competitive 30 size market; manufacturers tend to reduce component specification which results in a ‘softer’, or less responsive, machine. Coupled with that fact that a 30 is also smaller and lighter – which means it’s more susceptible to weather conditions – you end-up with a heli which is less stable than a 60 or ‘90’, and stability is something you really could use when learning to fly!
Bigger is better then – right? In my opinion – yes, but there are the down-sides of cost and availability. Not only does it cost more to purchase a ‘60’, it’s also more expensive to repair and parts may not be as readily available. Note that I only mentioned the 60 – even I wouldn’t suggest you go out and buy a 90 as your first machine! Nineties are truly awesome beasts and I’d guess they’re a real handful. They’re not that common either, being relatively recent additions to the scene, so you’ll tend to find them being used by the pro’s in competitions.
Having bought a Sceadu 30 kit myself, why am I suggesting you should consider buying a 60 size kit instead – after all; I’ve never flown a ‘60’? Well, whilst it’s true that I’ve never flown a real ‘60’, I have been training on a flight simulator which very closely matches my Sceadu’s abilities. I’ve also flown the simulator’s 60 sized machines and I can tell you there’s a huge difference. My opinion has also been informed by the many more experienced columnists in such magazines as RotorSport (sadly no longer in print) and Model Helicopter World. Oh, and if you’re into scale helicopters there are many more body kits available for 60’s than 30’s.
Well, that’s about it for this time, but hopefully I’ve whetted your appetite for model heli flying. In the next article I’ll cover the rest of the list, but if you’re eager to find-out more then why not pop-along to the flying field and see it all for real? You’ll find details in the ‘Our Club’ section of this website. Also please take a look at Safety for Beginners.
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