RC Electric Helicopters

RC electric helicopters have become the fastest growing area in the Radio Controlled hobby industry, even overtaking airplanes in some countrys. This is because flying RC helicopters was once a very costly hobby but the introduction of the electric RC helicopter has drastically dropped the price to fly and maintain them. In recent years the RC electric helicopter has become widely available and much easier to fly, bringing in countless new enthusiasts to the RC flying hobby.

There are essentially three groups of RC electric helicopters - Fixed Pitch, Collective Pitch,and Coaxial. Fixed Pitch being commonly abbreviated FP and Collective Pitch being commonly abbreviated CP.

Coaxial RC Helicopters

Most RC electric helicopters follow a traditional helicopter build with a single main rotor for lift and a tail rotor for stability, but there are some that have two main rotors, one on top of the other, and no tail rotor. These are called coaxial, dual rotor or contra-rotating helicopters.

The two main rotors on coaxial RC helicopters spin in opposite directions and as a result the rotors cancel out each other's torque to stop the helicopter from wanting to spin in circles, so a tail rotor is not necessary for stability. These types of helicopters are usually very stable in flight and can be flown around just as easily or even easier than a conventional single rotor helicopter.

Fixed Pitch RC Helicopters

The fixed Pitch model has been very popular with newcomers to the RC flying hobby. The FP electric RC helicopters are an excellent choice for beginners of the hobby who want a more realistic looking helicopter, but don't want to spend a large amount of money.

Usually sold as Ready To Fly (RTF), these helicopters can still be a challenge to start off with, and definitely have a learning curve, but they are a cheap and good introduction to multi-channel RC helicopter flying. Also, spare parts for these kinds of helicopters are easily available, and affordable. Spare parts are a very important factor to consider when purchasing a RC electric helicopter because a large part in learning to fly an RC helicopter is buying spare parts, for those less than ideal landings.

Collective Pitch RC Helicopters

Prevailing the Fixed Pitch helicopters in terms of intricacy and complexity are the 6 channel Collective Pitch (CP) helicopters. These helicopters have a steeper learning curve than the other models, but if you take the time to learn them, the CP helicopters will reward you with a smoother and more advanced flying quality.

Even though CP helicopters are usually marked as 'suitable for beginners' it is important to remember that learning to fly one takes a lot of time and practice. An RC flight simulator is an excellent way to train yourself to fly an RC electric helicopter before actually purchasing one.

The RC flying community is a very diverse bunch and everybody has their own tastes, some people like the big moves and some people like the 3D stuff. The term '3D' in the RC helicopter world means that the helicopter is able to do very advanced aerobatics, almost like an insect, but this kind of aerobatic flying takes many hours of practice to master and perform.

The great thing about RC electric helicopters are that they are available to anybody and at very affordable prices. Despite whatever model you choose to purchase there is a RC helicopter to suit just about any budget or preference when it comes to Radio Controlled flying.

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