Too many people purchase their Radio Control Helicopters thinking they need never do more than learn how to fly it. When it starts to feel ‘less than perfect’ they decide it’s worn out, and go off to buy another one.
This is stupid. RC Helicopters need regular servicing to perform at their best. In this way they are just like the real thing. Would a pilot dump his ‘bird’, just because she’d started misfiring? Of course not!
Everyone should learn the basics of adjustments on their helicopter, in particular, the swash plate. The reasons are many.
Ready to fly Electric Helicopters are always thoroughly checked before shipping, to ensure they fly as well as possible. However, once they’ve been owned for a while, some of those settings will be out of alignment, either through crashes or just general wear and tear. The swash plate and its components get more wear and tear than any other part of the craft.
Adjustments have to be made after upgrading or replacing parts. The rotor head is where many of these upgrades take place. For example, you can replace plastic components with machined ones, or use an improved design of swash plate. Again, swash plate levelling will be an important part of this.
Lastly, a swash plate tool is essential for any RC Electric Helicopters that have been built in kit form.
The swash plate is probably the most important part of the rotor head, as without it you can have neither cyclic or collective control. But too many people assume that flight problems with their RC Helicopters are down to the blades, flybar, or worn out servos.
It’s true you should check all these things – as well as the centre of gravity. But the swash plate should really come first.