We mentioned a couple of articles ago the events you have to look forward to over the next few weeks. If you haven’t already heard about the 3D championships that are taking place this upcoming weekend then where have you been?

Another event to put in your diary for the beginning of October is the bi-annual fly-in event at Charmouth, Dorset. The autumn event will take place on the 10th and 11th of October at the Newlands Holiday Park. The event is always great fun and with flyers from around the country competing you won’t be disappointed at the thrills on offer.

The event in March was fantastic so the autumn event is attracting a lot of attention. Because the event takes place at a holiday park, there are usually some caravans available at the site for you to stay in to make a weekend of it. Competitors must have proof of BMFA membership and a minimum A(H) certificate if you want to fly solo.

To give you a little help with the directions the Postcode for the park is DT66RB and the postcode for the flying field (which is on the other side of the road) is EX138SZ.

The Walkera Airwolf is a top quality RC helicopter with a co-axial design and twin rotor blade system. This brand new Walkera model is really easy for the beginner to fly, yet it still has all the characteristics you would expect of a fully controllable helicopter and every aspect has been wonderfully recreated.

If you remember the series during the 1980s then you’ll be excited to know that this replica aircraft is finely crafted. It has an authentic scale appearance and it really is an excellent micro electric helicopter.

Some of the main features of the Airwolf include 2.4Gz of frequency; this results in a longer flight time and a longer life of your batteries. It is well built and is made from tough helicopter parts. Everything you need is included in the package, apart from the batteries which are required for the transmitter.

This helicopter is not a toy however and should only be used by those over 14 years of age. It can be flown in the house or in the garden if you are feeling a little more adventurous. Be careful when flying this model elsewhere, especially in adverse wind conditions.

So, if you are looking for an introduction into the world of RC helicopters, you wouldn’t go wrong with the Walkera 5G4Q3 Airwolf model.

If you have mastered an indoor beginner’s RC helicopter and are looking to purchase the next level up, you could do far worse than opt for the E-SKY Co-Comanche. This 4 Channel RC helicopter is much larger than the beginner 3 Channel models and will allow you to take your hobby more seriously.

These RC helicopters are also a quality choice as a first introduction into the hobby as this model will enable you to develop the crucial skills needed to master and control the even larger and more advanced 6 Channel versions.

With this helicopter you still have very precise control over the aircraft and can fly forwards, backwards, left, right, up, down and also spin left or right on its axis. These models are fantastic quality and very reasonably priced, although they are generally for indoor use.

As well as this model, there are also a range of options to choose from by Walkera, such as the Airwolf and Chinook. These RC helicopters are similar to the E-SKY model and are also for use indoors. If you are confident flying the helicopter and there is very little wind, then you can fly these outdoors as well.

Whichever model you decide upon, these 4 Channel models are certainly more challenging than the beginner 3 Channel models. They are great intermediate helicopters to buy.

If you have decided to get yourself involved with one of the most exciting hobbies around today, then you may now be looking at the kind of model you want.

You can do your research on all the different models available and select a high quality machine for yourself. However, before you jump headfirst into a purchase, bear in mind that each model has its strong points. It’s just about selecting the right RC helicopter for you.

If you are still a bit unsure, you can speak to someone more experienced with radio control helicopters such as a reputable and well-established RC stockist. They should be able to advise you on which model may be best for you.

Most RC enthusiasts would usually recommend starting off with a small electric helicopter; there are many of these models to be found on the market today. You should do some research and find out if there are any local RC clubs in your area. These organisations are usually willing to help new starters get familiar with flying an RC helicopter.

You can also make use of the many valuable resources to be found on the internet such as RC helicopter forums and fan sites.

Once you have chosen a model, learning to fly your new helicopter can be the most rewarding part of it all. It can be challenging and requires time to get used to it, but stick with it and you won’t be disappointed.

It is important to consider the safety issues when using LiPo batteries to power radio control helicopters. In the last article we looked at the things that you can do with these high performance batteries, so now we will look at the things you should avoid.

Here are some of the things you should remember when using these batteries and in order to remain safe.
If you use a charger that has not been designed for use with LiPo batteries you may cause a fire hazard as the battery cells are liable to explode.

Do not ever fully discharge your LiPo battery pack as if you discharge it beyond its critical minimum voltage level it could cause damage to the battery. However, you will find that some speed controllers do have a cut off point to prevent over-discharge of the battery.

Another thing you should be careful about is if you have a crash, make sure you check the battery. If the battery is damaged in any way, do not bring the battery back into your house. Due to the nature of these batteries, a chemical reaction may have taken place and the damage battery could potentially cause a fire. Make sure you isolate the battery for an hour or more.

Always remember to keep these points in mind when charging and using LiPo batteries for your RC helicopter.

If you want to utilise the latest in RC helicopter power then LiPo batteries provide the best performance you can get. However, you first need to understand LiPo batteries and how they work as they are very different from batteries that were used in the past.

If you follow these dos and don’ts of LiPo batteries, you will surely get the best performance out of them, keeping yourself safe at the same time.

You can store these batteries when they are partially charged as they will still maintain their performance levels during short periods of non-use. There is no need to cycle them.

If you are storing the batteries for longer periods of time make sure the cells are fully charged and then discharged down to around 50-60 percent of their full capacity.

Only use a good quality LiPo charger which is specifically designed to charge these types of batteries. This will ensure the batteries remain safe, as using the wrong charger could cause a fire hazard.

You can charge LiPo batteries without having to worry about discharging or cycling them as they do not develop the same memory or voltage depression characteristics as the previous NiCd batteries.

Remember there are serious safety issues when using these LiPo batteries. We will look at some of the don’ts in the next article.