Although helicopters are available in Nitro, gas and petrol powered formats, RC electric helicopters are one of the most popular choices. They are light, easy to fly, and the best for beginners.
Here, we will describe the various electric helicopters available, so you can choose what is best for you. The first thing to decide is – do you want to buy a RTF (ready to fly) part-built, or full kit model? In many ways the kit form is best, as building your own machine allows you to “see” deep into the workings of it. At some time you may need to repair or replace components and this is far easier to do if those components were first installed by yourself.
However, not everyone is mechanically minded or has the time to build from scratch. In this case, a part-built kit is the answer. In these, the main body is assembled leaving the owner to install the main working parts such as the engine, rotor blades and radio pick-ups. Since these are the parts of an RC helicopter most likely to need attention, this is a good alternative for those wanting to do some of the work themselves.
The third option is, of course, the RTF (ready to fly) electric helicopter. Most of the simple, palm-sized models are of this type. For the true beginner, this would seem to be the obvious choice. However, ready-built doesn’t necessarily mean easy to fly! There are other things to consider, such as the number of channels and whether the craft is fixed or collective pitch.
The ease of piloting your aircraft is governed by the number of channels the radio transmitter has. Each channel performs a certain function, thus the more channels there are, the more functions you have to control. RC helicopters are available as 3, 4, and 6 channel craft. Although it is possible for a beginner pilot to learn a 6 channel operation, it is best to start with 3 or 4 channels.
3 Channel electric RC helicopters are the easiest of all helicopters to fly. They are all only suitable for indoor use. The 3 channels control fore and aft (backwards/forwards) motion, up and down, and left spin/right spin. Popular with children and adults alike, they are an excellent introduction to the world of RC flying.
The 4 channel RC Helicopters have the above 3 functions, plus the ability to fly left or right. For many reasons these are a favourite for beginners as, despite their more complicated operation, they are still easy to learn and provide the best route for progression to the most advanced 6 channel RC helicopters. They are still fairly small however, and are best suited for indoor use unless the weather is very calm.
6 channel radio control helicopters are best suited to those with previous RC experience (for example, with fixed wing planes) or people who can confidently fly 4 channel craft. The extra channel allows for far more manoeuvrability and aerobatic display work. Naturally, this makes 6 channel RC helicopters more expensive, and generally only suitable for outdoors work. Beginners are much more likely to have crashes and cause real damage with 6 channel models. Whilst it is tempting to go for the biggest and best you can afford, it is best to work up to these.