Remote Controlled Helicopters- Have Fun Flying Them

Helicopters are fascinating machines to look at. Their rapidly rotating rotors and their glistening bodies are quite appealing to everyone. Many of us like them simply because of the fact that they are the only type of aircraft that are able to take off and land vertically and provide hovering capabilities. Many amongst you would love to fly them if not own them. Well, some of you might have been lucky but for those of you who havent come anywhere closer than travelling in these machines, here is a chance ot own as well as fly one. Go buy yourself a remote controlled helicopter. They are no toys anymore but have come almost close to the real thing, except the small size.

In case you are still wondering, let me explain in. Remote controlled helicopters are not a full sized machine. It is just a model version of it powered by smaller engines and controlled by a radio (popularly known as R/C). It was first developed in West Germany by Dr. Dieter Schulter. Although its initial reception was skeptical and apprehensions regarding its work ability were openly expressed, it was not until the successful flight of British R/C Autogiro in 1978, that people finally rose to acknowledge the capabilities of this rotary winged aircraft.

But the ride till here hasn't been so smooth. In fact, there were more than a handful of problems to overcome in the design. The most common and essential one was the airlift to be achieved. Given the size of the helicopter and the weight of machines attached to it, it was becoming difficult to get the necessary airlifts. A heavy weight object needed sufficient power to fight against the lighter air. But adding more power machine meant more weight, which again would require more power to lift the increased weight. A vicious circle continued till a breakthrough was made and the R/Cs stand where they are today.

Once the problem of attaining necessary lift was overcome, attention was paid to their flight control systems. In the remote control helicopters of today, a series of flight controls are used to guide and control the model helicopter. These are separated into three parts. Cyclic control ensures the pitching and rolling while the collective control changes the pitch of rotary blades. There is an anti-torque control for changing the direction of the nose of the aircraft with the tail rotor.

At present there are various types of remote controlled helicopters available in the market. Their distinction is made on the basis of the engine used to power them. The three type of engines are nitro, electric and gas engines.

Made of aluminum, plastic or glass reinforced plastic, these models are not just for the recreational purposes of people. With competitions like 3D masters in UK and Extreme flight championship in USA, they are now being used for aerial photography, filming and remote observation or inspection. So next time someone teases you for your fear of flying , just turn your controlled helicopter in their face.