There comes a time when you want to spread your wings with your helicopter. You’ve mastered the art of flying and you’re competent with the six channel RC helicopters. So now, it’s time for a Walkera 4G3 Micro 3D 2.4G.

The helicopter looks unique and just one session of flying it, will confirm that it is indeed, a very special model.

This comes as no surprise considering that Walkera are known for producing new and unique models. But even by their standards, this helicopter is extraordinary.

For a start, it measures just over 30cm, which, for a six channel helicopters is extremely small. But don’t worry, it still has all of the functions of a full sized six channel helicopter and they are extremely precise.
This helicopter flies well straight out of the box, but if you want to get used to it, it’s a good idea to turn the servo extend on the receiver down. This will create a more forgiving flying experience that will be easier to control.

Once you are used to it though, this helicopter has the potential to go extremely fast. And with it being highly responsive to elevator, rudder and aileron inputs, even the tightest of turns can be taken with ease.

When you’re just starting to learn to fly RC helicopters, it is a good idea to stick to models which are designed for indoor use.

There’s nothing worse than taking your shiny new helicopter out of its box, only to be hit by a gust of wind, lose control straight away and see it nose dive into the grass.

It is advised that you build up to outdoor flying by practising in the comfort of your own home. And there are several helicopters designed for this very purpose.

The Walkera 53Q Daulphin 2.4GHZ CNC has the very latest 2.4GHZ technology and it has a high quality and durable CNC rotor head.

It’s a high quality model which is extremely detailed and it is designed for indoor use.

But the great thing about this helicopter is that it can be taken outside once you have built up your confidence with it. It is recommended that you only take it out in calm weather though.

And why not get your friends to bring theirs along too? Because with the functions of automatic code pairing and ID assignment, this helicopter can be flown in the same field as other Radio control helicopters.

When it comes to RC helicopters, there are so many different designs to choose from. But one of the most striking of these is the E-SKYHoneybee.

The E-SKY Honeybee King 3 – 35 MHz and 2.4 GHz Versions are the latest versions of the popular E-SKY Honeybee King. These new models feature a powerful brushless motor and speed controller, head lock gyro and come with a 1500mah LiPo as standard.

This helicopter looks amazing but most importantly, it flies like a dream. The performance is faultless and it is a reliable helicopter which responds well. The extra weight and power that it has makes it a really stable model and the stainless steel flybar, main shaft and tail shaft are much stronger than the helicopter’s predecessor and the head design is much improved.

Although not ideal for beginners, the E-SKY Honeybee King 3 is an ideal step up from a co-axial or 4 channel fixed pitch model. If you are a beginner and you would like the challenge of learning on these RC helicopters, then it is recommended that you use a training stand.

This model is ready to fly straight out of the box. So what are you waiting for?

As far as boys toys go, the E-SKY Co-Comanche has got to be one of the most perfect examples of how to kill two birds with one stone.

If you have ever found yourself donning the camouflage gear and army crawling your way around your garden, then the E-SKY Co-Comanche is the helicopter for you. Not only will is satisfy your RC helicopters hobby but it will also please that little boy inside who has always wanted to play army.

The realistic, semi-scale military helicopter is modelled on the original RAH-66 Comanche and is an easily controlled model.

The helicopter features counter-rotating main blades that cancel out the rotational torque that makes hovering a challenge in conventional helicopters. These blades also make rudder turns much easier as they slow down one or the other blade without affecting the stability of the aircraft.

The helicopter comes with a USB flight simulator cable and free FMS flight simulator software to help you learn to fly the helicopter on your PC before you take it out of the box.

Once the helicopter is out of the box, it is extremely easy to fly and the four in one controller along with the servos are really responsive, which is particularly good for a beginner model.

Finding the right helicopter for you is not an easy task. But the model that you choose often comes down to how experienced you are at flying. With so many models on the market, you are spoiled for choice, but a bit of research is the best way to determine which helicopter is best for you.

For any beginner, the best options are the three channel RC helicopters. These can fly forwards/backwards, up/down, and left and right. These are ideal for any beginner because they can be flown around indoors and are therefore great for practising control and flying techniques.

Once you have mastered flying your three channel helicopter around your living room, you may want to consider a four channel model. This is a larger model and can really improve your flying skills with precise controlling. These too, are best used indoors, but they can be taken outside if the weather conditions are good.

Once you have mastered the art of flying RC helicopters, you are ready for the six channel helicopter. On these models, the angle of the main rotor blades changes when you alter the throttle. This makes them incredibly sensitive to your movements.

Most RC helicopters have a fly bar, but for you novices what is it? It’s the small bar above or below the rotor blades that looks like its got paddles on the ends. But what does it do?

The fly bar is an essential component of your RC helicopter, it is usually situated under the main rotor blades and helps control the pitch of the main blades and stabilise the helicopter in flight. It does this by taking signals from the swash plate to aid cyclic-changes.

The fly bar is set at a 90° angle to the main rotor blades and stabilises the copter by moving up and down to remain horizontal during cyclic movements. It in fact affects the rotor pitch itself so absorbs any effects from sudden gusts of wind. Even if the chopper tilts, the fly bar will want to stay horizontal which is what provides the compensatory effect to the rotors.

You can usually change the fly bar weight which will in turn affect the stability of the copter. All you need to decide is if you want the copter more stable or more manoeuvrable. All you need to remember is further out, more stable – further in, get ready for aerobatics!

How big can RC helicopters get? Well, to go by the well known phrase ‘The sky’s the limit’ they are getting bigger everyday! One fantastic model we saw recently was a 1/8 scale model of a Russian Mil Mi-24. The copter looks fantastic and is a brilliant homage to the actual version. The actual Russian gunship copter can travel at 208 mph and its rotors measure nearly 60 feet in length with a body length of over 60 feet. That means the scale model is a whopping 7.5 feet long. It might not be the best copter to try to build or fly if you are a beginner, but for all the RC helicopter enthusiasts out there it is a good look at what can be achieved with a little time and patience.

RC helicopters are a great hobby and there are many clubs around the UK you can join if you are new to the sport or even just to meet like minded friends who will be able to offer help and advice on the build process and where and how to fly your machine.

Most beginners choose an electric RC helicopter if they are just starting out. They may have bought the kit as an RTF (ready to fly) and be ready to move onto the next step. So, do you choose a part built kit or a kit that needs to be built from scratch?

If you choose a kit that needs to be built from scratch you will of course learn all the idiosyncrasies of your copter so when anything goes wrong you will stand a better chance of repairing it. However, not everyone has a post grad degree in engineering so what do you get if you buy a part-built kit model? Normally the main body of the copter is pre-assembled leaving the buyer to fit the parts such as the engine, rotors, and radio parts. This is great for the person that likes to have a go at building but does not want to wait too long before their first flight.

The next thing the beginner will need to decide upon is the number of channels you want to control; usually RC helicopters can come in 3, 4 or 6 channel versions. Having only 3 or 4 things to control if you are a newbie is probably the way to go as the 6 channel versions can be quite a handful.

RC helicopters have seen somewhat of a resurgence of late. Largely due to the small infra red types you can now buy quite cheaply from gadget shops and large department stores. If you are new to RC helicopter flying you might wonder what all the fuss is about. Well once you have flown you won’t look back.

RC electric helicopters are by far the easiest way to get into RC helicopter flying, they are lighter than their nitro or petrol counterparts, easier to fly and so great for newbie’s.

So how do you decide what model to buy? When you start to look around you will see that you have many options from the outset. Do you get a RTF copter (ready to fly)? Or perhaps a part built kit or a full kit model? The choice is of course entirely yours and it will depend on how serious you are going to take your new hobby.

RC helicopters that come in kit form are usually the best buy. They may need a little more time and effort to build than the part built types but in the building process you will get to know everything about the model meaning that when something goes wrong you will be best placed to repair it yourself.