RC Helicopters

Maker Faire 2009 Report

Daniel Switkin — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:31:23 -0500

The 2009 Bay Area Maker Faire was held in San Mateo, California on May 30th and 30st. This unique event combines electronics, robotics, radio control, crafts, sculpture, and much more, and has some of the coolest things you can find this side of Burning Man. I'm going to concentrate on the radio controlled projects I saw.

Some of the RC naval vessels, ready to fight.

A detail of the gun turrets.

One big feature of the show is radio controlled naval warfare. Scale modelers from a local club brought their World War I and II cruisers, destroyers, and battleships to duke it out in a makeshift lake. These feature working, CO2-driven weapons which fire BB guns and ball bearings in an effort to sink enemy ships. Some of the larger boats featured rotating gun turrets, automatic reloading, and water pumps to stay afloat as long as possible. The battle I saw had about ten ships fighting in two teams, as Axis vs. Allies. It was pretty entertaining to watch and we did see one boat completely sunk.

Some of the kites used to lift the camera rigs.

A home-made KAP mount.

Wireless video from the kite (must be on a different frequency than the transmitter).

Another larger SLR rig.

In one of the indoor exhibits there were a variety of kite aerial photograph RC rigs. Most had two servos giving pan and tilt control, with a third servo or an infrared trigger to trip the shutter. Several systems also had realtime wireless video transmission back to the ground to aid in composing the shot, using the digital camera's video output jack. The cameras ranged from small point and shoots to digital SLRs, presumably according to the lifting power of the kite and the budget/risk the photographer wants.

The Maker Store was also fun to browse. They had a seemingly endless variety of electronic kits, some radio controlled, some autonomous, and some just fun. I also met some guys from DIYDrones.com, who had a Multiplex Easy Star on display with an Arduino-powered autonomous setup. It was able to fly between GPS waypoints and even return automatically to the launch coordinates if the radio signal was lost.

An amusing dust buster robot.

Battlebots!

One well-armored vehicle.

Finally, I saw a few more unusual projects. There were several battle bots, each weighing more than 200 pounds. There were also some amazing metal spheres roaming around an outdoor area, playing music, avoiding obstacles, etc. Then there was the enormous, hydraulic-powered Electric Giraffe, which can both roll and walk. It was controlled by a Spektrum DX7. And maybe most impressive to your average Star Wars geek, were near-perfect, full-size, radio controlled R2-D2 models. These were easily realistic enough to be used in the movies themselves.

The roaming metal spheres.

The Electric Giraffe. Did I mention it was big?

R2-D2, with and without the skin.

I've only scratched the surface of what goes on at Maker Faire - it's well worth attending yourself. You can check out Gizmodo's Maker Faire coverage for more from the show, or check out some YouTube videos.
read more »

Futaba 2.4 GHz Compatibility Chart

Daniel Switkin — Mon, 25 May 2009 08:57:50 -0500

As pilots switch more and more to 2.4 GHz radios, compatibility has decreased significantly. Gone are the days of universal PPM receivers that can handle positive and negative shift from any brand transmitter. With 2.4 GHz, you must buy your receiver from the same manufacturer as your transmitter, or 2.4 GHz module.

That's not the only gotcha though. Within each system, there are some hiccups too. Futaba has a somewhat confusing chart on their site showing the compatibility of various systems. To make it more legible, I've removed the land systems and cleaned it up:

Futaba 2.4 GHz Compatibility Chart (air systems only)
		Receivers
Transmitters		R606FS	R6004FF R616FFM R607FS R617FS	R608FS R6008HS R6014FS	Protocol Selection
6EX 2.4GHz		Y	Y	N/A
7C 2.4GHz		Y	Y	N/A
TM-7(*)		INC	Y	N/A
TM-8(**)	7ch Mode	INC	Y		Via Switch
TM-8(**)	8ch Mode			Y	Via Switch
T10C 2.4GHz (with TM-10)	7ch Mode	Y	Y		Via Menu
T10C 2.4GHz (with TM-10)	10ch Mode			Y	Via Menu
T10CG 2.4GHz	7ch Mode	Y	Y		Via Menu
T10CG 2.4GHz	10ch Mode			Y	Via Menu
TM-14	7ch Mode	Y	Y		Via Menu
TM-14	Multi-channel Mode			Y	Via Menu
LEGEND: Y: Supported INC: Incompatible N/A: Not applicable (too few channels)

In truth the only incompatibility is when using the TM-7 and TM-8 modules, which don't work with the discontinued R606FS receiver. But it's also important to remember that you can't use a 14 channel receiver with a 7 channel transmitter like the 7C. Happy flying!

Flying An RC Helicopter With An iPhone

Daniel Switkin — Sun, 03 May 2009 10:22:39 -0500

Of all the unusual ways to control an RC helicopter, this has got to take the cake. A guy named Josh has figured out how to use his iPhone as an RC transmitter and has successfully hovered his T-Rex 450 using it. Check out the video here, and his site for the details:

As a fellow software engineer, I have to say that using SSH over WiFi to pull this off is really cool. Now he just needs to find a smaller router. Very clever and original!

Toledo Show 2009 Report Part Two

Daniel Switkin — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:51:23 -0500

Welcome back! If you missed it, check out part one of our Toledo Show coverage.

Miniature Aircraft

Miniature Aircraft was one of only three dedicated helicopter manufacturers at the show (the other two being Hirobo and Thunder Tiger). Among other models on display was the new X-Cell Fury gasser. My apologies, I thought I picked up a flyer with the details, but can't find it.

The Miniature Aircraft booth.

The X-Cell Fury gasoline-powered heli.

I was drawn to the Razor 600E, an electric powered heli with an unusual gearing system. Rather than changing pinion gears, you change a pulley mechanism between the motor and the rest of the gearing. This should make it easy to change headspeed, and allow this 600 mm heli to accept power from 6S LiPo up to 10 or even 12 cells in series.

The Razor 600E electric heli.

A close-up of the Razor 600E frames. Notice the 120 degree servo placement.

The Razor 600E data sheet.

Precision Aerobatics

Precision Aerobatics, along with 3D Hobby Shop and Extreme Flight, is one of the top-tier ARF makers. I hadn't seen the recent Extra 260 before in person, but it appears to follow on nicely to their existing 46-48" lineup. It has the same carbon fiber reinforced frame as the popular Katana MD, plus an airfoil tail. Both models sold out on the show floor, but P.A. was offering free shipping for orders placed at the show. I caved in and ordered the red Katana MD I've been eyeing for about two years.

It must be Christmas: a tree of Precision Aerobatics ARFs.

The interior of the Extra 260.

The P.A. Extra 260.

Horizon Hobby

The Horizon Hobby booth was one of the largest on the show floor, encompassing all the Spektrum, JR, Park Zone, E-flite, and other family brands. They had two models of the Vibe series of JR helicopters on display. The Vibe 500E is a full-optioned 425 mm blade heli, which competes with the T-Rex 500 and the MSH Protos. In exchange for the $699 street price, the Vibe 500E comes with all the CNC upgrades you'd typically buy separately. It has one piece skids and a clean frame design, although the belt drive to the tail was surprisingly thin. It is designed for an E-flite Power 25 heli motor or equivalent.

The Horizon Hobby booth.

The Vibe 500E next to the Vibe 90.

A close-up of the Vibe 500E.

ParkZone had the new four channel Sukhoi SU-26 micro on display, which belongs to the popular Ember and Vapor line of indoor flyers. It's only available as a bind-n-fly, for use with your existing DSM2 transmitter. In theory it should work with the transmitter that comes bundled with the Vapor, but they recommend a higher-end radio with expo for the Sukhoi. E-flite was also showing the Celectra four port charger, which handles four of these micro one cell LiPo batteries at a time.

The E-flite range of electric micro helicopters.

The Sukhoi SU-26 four channel micro plane.

The E-flite Celectra four port battery charger.

The E-flite 4-Site F3P 250 ARF is a new 3mm Depron indoor plane designed for competition. This biplane has similar construction to the existing Enticement monoplane, including optional airbrakes. These planes are not designed for wind or outdoor use, so make sure you have a large venue to fly them in. The 4-Site will sell for $65.

The E-flite 4-Site ARF.

The revised Funtana 125.

The Yak 54 90 size ARF from Seagull.

The Funtana 125 ARF has undergone a redesign. In addition to new graphics, it now has an airfoil tail, which is to be expected in a 70" wingspan plane. Optional side force generators are included, and it will sell for $299. Also new is the Yak 54 ARF 90 size in a sharp yellow and black color scheme, for $199.

Thunder Tiger

I spent some time looking at the Thunder Tiger Innovator, a completely new collective pitch helicopter. This ready-to-fly pair of models is designed as a complete system, and doesn't look like anything else out there. This has both advantages and disadvantages. In exchange for proprietary battery packs, you get cell voltage monitoring, and a very cool battery tray which drops down beneath the canopy. The flybar has the paddles molded in for fewer parts and a perfectly balanced head. The Innovator is available in a semi-scale Hughes fuselage for more casual flying, and a pod-and-boom fuselage for 3D flying.

The two models of the Innovator.

The yellow battery tray pivots down below the canopy for loading.

Another view of the Innovators.

The Raptor 50 Titan SE.

A scale MD530 fuselage.

Two scale Cobra bodies to fit the 325 mm Mini Titan mechanics.

Saturn V Rocket and 60% Extra 260

One of the most outrageous things at the show was Steve Eves's 1:10 scale Saturn V Rocket. At 36 feet tall and weighing 1600 pounds, this incredible model isn't just huge - it's designed to fly. It is scheduled to launch on April 25th in Maryland. We wish the team the best of luck.

The enormous Saturn V rocket.

The 60% Extra 260.

Not exactly a park flyer.

Speaking of huge, Elie Houayes brought his 60% Extra 260 to the static display. Eli goes by Snapasaurus on Flying Giants, and does everything big. When I guessed if he was using the 3W 212 cc gas engine, the largest I was aware of, he laughed and told me he was using the 342 cc version! This engine is designed for ultralight full-scale aircraft, not RC. These photos don't do justice to how large this plane is in person.

Eagle Tree Systems

Eagle Tree was showing their new GPS V3 module, which is substantially smaller and lighter than the previous GPS Expander. They also had a web cam hooked up to a PC to show off the On-Screen Display Pro, which can superimpose a huge range of parameters over a video image.

The new, smaller Eagle Tree GPS sensor at top, compared to the existing unit.

A demo of the Eagle Tree OSD Pro.

A data sheet from Eagle Tree.

Hitec/Multiplex

I was very happy to see the new Multiplex Funcopter in person for the first time. This durable, fixed-pitch helicopter is larger than a T-Rex 450 and is based on the Lite Machines Corona design. This prototype was still the only unit in the U.S. so far, and is not expected to go on sale until August.

The new Funcopter.

The plastic frames hold a 3S 2100 LiPo with velcro.

These are tentatively the electronics that will be included in the receiver-ready version.

The huge, direct-drive brushless Himax motor.

The Funcopter is a good size heli.

A close-up of the Funcopter head.

My first impression was how heavy the ready-to-fly model felt. The front of the canopy slides off easily, and will either be retained with magnets or snaps. We could not determine how the tail portion of the fuselage comes off. I confirmed that the tail rotor is driven by a shaft geared off the unusual, direct-drive main motor. The head design looked strong and the landing gear felt resilient. I also determined that there is enough room behind the main shaft to mount a standard size gyro like the Futaba GY401 to the top of the frame, without hitting the fuselage. Overall I was impressed and am looking forward to flying it.

The Hitec/Multiplex booth.

The new Merlin powered glider, which is smaller than I expected.

Innov8tive Designs/Scorpion

Innov8tive Designs, the U.S. distributor of Scorpion products, had a large booth which a huge variety of motors and speed controllers. I got to chat briefly with Lucien Miller, the man who never sleeps, who was showing a few interesting upcoming products. Besides the enormous high voltage ESCs, going up to 250A, he had a sample of a Scorpion inrunner motor. From what I can tell, the goal is to address every electric power system need, from park flyer to giant scale. I'm using Scorpion motors in my E-flite Taylorcraft and Century Swift 16 with great results so far.

Miles of Scorpion motors, as far as the eye can see.

A prototype Scorpion inrunner.

This enormous ESC is rated up to 68V and 250A.

The Scorpion S-5545-16 outrunner.

Castle Creations

The Phoenix ICE data sheet.

Castle Creations had a display of the upcoming Phoenix ICE ESCs, which are due to ship in mid-May 2009. They will come in 50A, 75A, and 100A versions, and all feature a 5A switching BEC built-in. Maybe even more interesting is that they all feature data logging capabilities, similar to the Eagle Tree products. In addition to the standard voltage, amp draw, watts, and cumulative milliamp hours, the ICE ESCs also monitor motor RPM and ESC temperature without the use of external sensors. As with the rest of the line, USB connectivity to your computer is accomplished with the CastleLink interface, which allows downloading and graphing of the log files. Castle also plans a version of the ICE line with a large heatsink, meant for helicopters and other low-airflow applications.

Patrick also showed me the upcoming line of brushless motors, the details of which have not been announced. They will be using premium quality steel and bearings, and are designed for high efficiency. It appears Castle is jumping into electric motors in a big way. They will continue to distribute the Steve Neu motor line for those who want hand-wound boutique motors.

Other Products

Here's a sample of other products from the show floor.

Mike Fritz's asymmetrical Boomerang.

The ICARE booth.

The Magellan E, top, and Magellan XL, bottom from ICARE.

The Aero Model booth.

Hacker motors, growing on a tree.

The Hangar 9 Toledo Special 40-50 ARF.

Orest Drobey's scale B-36 with six pusher props.

A scale Navy bomber.

Sepp Viberlacher's Hawker Hurricane.

An F-15 Eagle.

Chris Wolfe's A-7E Prototype.

Tejera Micro Systems had a four port micro battery adapter for their Extrema charger.

The OMP booth.

Jeff Holsinger's gorgeous turbine-powered helicopter.

A close-up of the propane starter, ECU, and wiring.

A123 M1 packs for the T-Rex 500.

A view from one corner of the main show floor.

Swap Shop

The second floor of the SeaGate Convention Center features the annual swap meet. This ranged from individuals to smaller vendors, filling up hallway after hallway, and a number of smaller conference rooms too. I also saw many new products at 20% off the normal online prices.

One of the swap shop rooms.

The upstairs hallways were packed with swap shop tables.

Matt Chapman Talk

On Saturday afternoon, airline captain and full-scale air show pilot Matt Chapman gave a lecture followed by a Q&A session which was very interesting. By his own admission he's something of an amateur in radio control but still loves it, and works with Hobbico to build scale models of his full-scale planes. He told a great story about how the "paint ball" color scheme gave the Great Planes designers heartburn, but how they actually learned a lot from it. He also got more serious at times and talked about how many of his fellow air show pilots have been killed over the years, and how almost every accident was preventable. I won't spoil his other anecdotes, or what he thinks about Chuck Yeager, but if you get a chance to see him speak I definitely recommend it.

Matt Chapman with his Eagle 580 replica.

The program of speakers and talks.

A little bit about Matt's fullsize acrobat.

Conclusion

The Toledo Show, now in it's 55th year, is a very impressive event, and a lot of fun to attend. I spent two full days from nine to five on the show floor, and could easily have gone back Sunday. The combination of the show, plus the ETOC competition in the evenings, makes for a terrific weekend.

Throughout the show I asked vendors what they thought of the attendance, and the general feeling was that the show was as big as ever. I suspect the Toledo Show is far enough away from the AMA Show in California three months earlier to attract a large crowd from a different part of the country. My only disappointment was the small helicopter turnout. There were no booths from Align, Century, Gaui, Kyosho, Mikado, MSH, or Outrage.

Hope to see you in Toledo, Ohio next year, I'll definitely be back. Thanks to Mark Livingstone for his help. read more »

Toledo Show 2009 Report Part One

Daniel Switkin — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:42:15 -0500

The 2009 Weak Signals Toledo Show was held April 3rd-5th in Toledo, Ohio. This event is a hallmark of the RC industry and attracts the full range of manufacturers, distributors, and vendors from all over.

The main show floor is quite large. I'd guess it's about four times the size of the WRAM Show in New York. There is also a substantial swap meet upstairs plus some additional vendors, and a series of lectures on Friday and Saturday.

If that's not enough, the Electric Tournament Of Champions (ETOC) competition is held in the evenings about two miles away. Check out our coverage with over 100 photos of the competition.

Phlatboyz

Mark and Trish from Phlatboyz were showing off two versions of their low-cost foam-cutting CNC machines. The new Mark II is still being finalized, but early tests show it can cut around ten times as fast as the original. They had a huge range of planes and other objects which their machines had produced, including a full-fuselage Corsair. Their software is open source and they have an active community of users creating models and modifying the hardware.

The Phlatboyz booth.

The Phlatprinter Mark II.

The controller board on the Mark II.

One of the wilder foam creations from Phlatboyz.

Hobby Lobby

After taking a break from the WRAM Show this year, Hobby Lobby was back with a large booth, and seemed to be selling well. I happened to be in the booth when Jason Cole climbed up on the counter and yelled "Free Hats!" He immediately got mobbed as you might expect. He also showed me the FlyCamOne2 and mentioned that a version 3 was on the way. We'll try to bring you a review in the coming months.

The Hobby Lobby booth.

Jason Cole tossing out Hobby Lobby hats.

The Hobby Lobby booth continued.

MRC

I spent some time at the MRC booth looking at the Hirobo line. They were showing the new SDX .50 size nitro heli, along with the micro electric Quark. This fixed-pitch single rotor design was almost as stable as a coaxial helicopter, which is impressive. I also looked at the 425 mm blade electric Lepton EX heli, although I didn't care for the frame design.

The Hirobo SDK.

A view of the Hirobo lineup.

The Hirobo Quark.

Hovering the Quark hands-off.

Some of the Hirobo scale fuselages.

Hobbico

Hobbico had one of the largest booths, as expected, and was showing a number of upcoming products. Futaba had a new 8 channel FASST receiver called the R6008HS. It is designed specifically for digital servos, and they claim it has a latency of 7 milliseconds, down from 14 ms on the current R608FS model. They also had the new GY520 gyro, which is even smaller in person than it looks in photos, and will be shipping soon.

The huge Hobbico booth.

The new Futaba R6008HS receiver.

The tiny Futaba GY520 gyro.

Lastly, Futaba has listened to their customers and created the T10CHG transmitter, which integrates the 2.4 GHz radio board into the body and eliminates the module system. It also places the antenna on top, which not only looks better, it also puts the weight of the transmitter on the carrying handle when laid down. Tower Hobbies is listing these already at a $50 premium, which seems a bit outrageous. If anything, the integrated system should be cheaper, as it's less flexible.

The full line of Futaba air radios (surface radios were on the other side).

The integrated version of the 10C 2.4 transmitter.

Another view of the 10C antenna.

Great Planes had a new electric pattern plane called the Sequence in the booth which was very attractive. This ARF will have a MAP of $199. They also had a new foamie called the Silhouette, a full-fuselage Depron acrobat with an airfoil wing.

The Matt Chapman Eagle 580.

The new Sequence pattern plane.

The new Silhouette foamie.

Heli-Max has three new super-micro helicopters on the way: a coax, a fixed pitch, and a collective pitch model. According to the rep they are based on Walkera designs but have been modified and styled to Hobbico's specs. All three will be sold in ready-to-fly configurations only, with an included 2.4 GHz transmitter. Bizarrely, this system is not compatible with Futaba's own FASST protocol, which precludes selling a receiver-ready version to existing Futaba owners.

The new Heli-Max micro lineup.

The coaxial version.

The collective pitch version - looks good.

I also spent some time looking at the X-Cell Furion 450 helicopter, made by Miniature Aircraft. The quality seemed very good, and in particular I liked the geometry of the swash servos, which all use direct links without bellcranks. The recommended power system includes a rebranded Scorpion motor and ESC, although the motor bearings have been upgraded.

The Furion 450 frame.

The Furion power system.

Kondor Model Products (KMP)

Kondor was showing the Iconic EP, a 51" wingspan pattern plane, with a composite fuselage and built-up wing. It is 53" long, has an AUW of 4.2 pounds, and is meant for a 4S LiPo power system. It was very attractive, but I was a little concerned about the quality of the manual. They also had a large selection of warbirds in the booth.

The KMP Iconic EP.

A KMP warbird.

A Douglas Dauntless.

A KMP Corsair.

Millennium RC

I was happy to see James and Karen again from Millennium RC. James has completed the Micro-3D, which is available now as a kit. This 22" acrobat weights less than 7 ounces ready-to-fly, and has a removable cockpit which gives access to the battery and receiver. They are currently working on producing ARF versions of the Micro-3D and the existing Micro-SS Biplane.

Millennium's upgraded Slow Stick landing gear.

The new Micro-3D.

Another view of the Micro-3D.

Aeroworks

Aeroworks added several new planes to their huge lineup. There is an Ultimate 20-300 in 50cc size, a 100cc Extra 300, and a .60-.90 size Yak 54. All three are part of the Quick Build series, which feature as much work done at the factory as possible.

The 50cc Ultimate 20-300.

The 100cc Extra 300.

A huge Aeroworks biplane.

The new Yak 54.

Extreme Flight

The first thing I noticed when walking into the Extreme Flight booth was the enormous, 123" Extra 300. This monster is design for the Desert Aircraft 170cc gas engine. At the other end of the spectrum was the Extra 300 EXP. This 48" electric plane has an airfoil tail and replaces the current Extra. It will be available in blue and red color schemes and looked sharp.

The Extreme Flight booth, with the massive Extra at left.

The new Extra EXPs.

The interior of the Extra EXP.

3D Hobby Shop

3D Hobby Shop came ready to sell, with a huge stack of boxes in their booth. They were showing the new 42" AJ Slick in a yellow trim scheme. It features the same top-loading battery via the removable canopy, and plug-in wings, as the 51" version. They also had a preview of the 46" Vyper designed by Scott Stoops, an electric pattern plane due this summer.

The 3D Hobby Shop booth.

The interior of the 42" AJ Slick.

The new 42" AJ Slick.

The 3D Hobby Shop range, with the Vyper in green.

The largest AJ Slick and the Extra 330.

2DogRC

The Raptor GS, distributed by 2DogRC, has opened up an entirely new category of flying. This incredibly small 3D plane can be hovered in a kitchen, and is made of EPP and carbon fiber. 2DogRC also had the smallest brushless outrunner I saw at the show, as well as Dualsky motors up to 900 watts and beyond. I also got to see the new 3-planes-in-1 Snap and Fly kit. This clever product uses a removable power pod containing the motor, ESC, battery, receiver, and servos. You just snap it into whichever plane you want to fly, and the tail servos connect to their linkages magnetically. Very cool.

The popular Raptor GS 3D foamie.

Now that's a small outrunner!

A 900 watt Dualsky 4250 outrunner.

FMA Direct

Following on the success of the Cellpro 4, FMA Direct recently introduced the Cellpro Multi4. It includes a backlit LCD, user-upgradeable firmware, and more. They also had a working demonstration of the upcoming CoPilot-II stabilization system. This new version can stabilize planes and helicopters, using a variety of sensors. My understanding is that it allows you to fly without interference, but if you get in trouble, you just release the sticks and let the system take over. The system will likely pay for itself in crashes avoided, particular for beginners.

The Cellpro Multi4 charger.

A demonstration of the CoPilot-II system.

A Yellow Aircraft composite F-22 Raptor.

Heli Wholesaler

Although Align was not present at the show themselves, Heli Wholesaler showed their range, including the new T-Rex 450 V3. It comes presented in an unusually nice box with all the parts laid out in separate compartments. They also had a number of Align scale fuselages, as well as Mavrikk blades and other products for display only.

An Align Airwolf fuselage for the T-Rex 500.

The T-Rex 450 V3, also known as the Pro.

Other Photos

The Sapac L-39 Albatros EDF jet.

The Sapac F-22 Raptor.

A large radial engine.

This beetle was more of a toy, but was actually kinda cool.

Need a cowl?

One view down the center aisle.

The Century Jet Models 62" wingspan F-22.

A variety of CJM landing gear.

Another CJM jet on display.

The Glowire booth.

Glowire on a T-Rex 450.

The BP Hobbies booth.

Quique Somenzini, a JR pilot, talking to two Futaba team pilots. Maybe there's hope for world peace after all.

The Balsa USA booth.

A 1/4 Scale Balsa USA SPAD.

The range of 3M Mintor Engines.

A large Dietrich Aircraft Extra 260.

A 44" SIG Demoiselle electric kit.

Keep reading...

Believe it or not, that's only half the show floor! Continue on to part two of our Toledo Show 2009 coverage. read more »

Century Swift 16 Improvements

Daniel Switkin — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:19:29 -0600

The Swift 16 tail boom compared to a T-Rex 450. Did I mention the Swift is big?

The Century Swift 16 is arguably the best value in large electric RC helicopters. Capable of spinning 500-550mm main blades, it's considerably larger and more visible than a T-Rex 500, which takes 425mm blades. Yet the Swift requires only 4S-6S LiPos, making it much cheaper to power than 600mm-sized electrics. To top it off, the kit has a street price of only $189 USD.

All of that value does come with a cost though. There are a number of minor design issues which you may need to work around. The purpose of this article is to describe those steps as they apply to the current Swift 16, and hope that some of this feedback makes it into the upcoming Swift NX.

Let's start with the head. For the most part it builds easily, and is of good quality. Previous generations had a problem where the feathering shaft introduced vibrations, and needed to be sanded down, but this has been addressed in recent kits.

The washout pins (at bottom left) need to be shortened.

The main problem which remains is the length of the washout pins. Even when fully inserted into the head block, they are simply too long. You'll quickly find that trying to set up +/- 10 degrees of pitch will cause the washout pins to touch the swashplate when cyclic is also applied. The simple solution is to grind these pins down. I took off about 2mm from each pin using a grinding bit on a rotary tool. There is room to take off a little more if you're looking for maximum collective pitch, but make sure the pins come down at least half way into the washout base at full negative pitch.

The kit paddles are very lightweight and should probably be solid and heavier.

The included paddles are very lightweight, and many pilots choose to replace them. The Thunder Tiger "Greenies" paddles are a popular choice. Others have had good luck with solid paddles from Mikado and Century. The stock flybar is 3mm, so buy paddles appropriately.

The bottoms of the blade grips are smooth, with no recesses for the locknuts.

One improvement I'd like to see in future kits is a change to the main blade grips. Currently, you need a wrench to hold the locknut at bottom while using a hex driver from the top. I find this makes it more tedious to install blades than necessary. An easy solution, and one used on other Century helicopters, is to have a recess in the bottom of the blade grip which holds the locknut and prevents it from turning. That way you only need the hex driver, and your other hand can prevent the blade from twisting in the grip as you tighten down.

Now let's move on to the motor mount. The current design has two holes to mount the motor, positioned front and back. This allows motors with different hole spacing to be fitted, and lets the motor move front and back to set the gear lash. The problem is that the rear hole is covered by the main gear. To install this screw, you must turn the main gear until the holes line up. That's mildly inconvenient, but the real problem is that the screw head may not clear the gear. In my case, the main gear was unable to turn with this screw installed. Ultimately I had to grind down the cap head screw and sand the washer to get the necessary clearance.

The rear motor mounting bolt interfered with the main gear.

It was necessary to grind the bolt down.

Installing the bolt through the main gear.

A much better solution would be for Century to redesign the motor mount with the holes to the left and right of the motor. Done like this, both holes would be in front of the main gear, making installation easier and interference impossible. Most compatible motors, like the Scorpion I used, have mounting holes that would fit this design, and any motors with wider mount spacing could be turned slightly.

The white tail pulley has a slight side-to-side wiggle.

One minor issue with the tail is that the tail gear pulley moves a bit from side to side within the gear box. So far it hasn't caused a problem, but it could be improved with a thin washer. Speaking of small parts, the Swift does not come with any spares. A few extra ball links, screws, etc. would cost almost nothing but make sure that customers don't get stuck because one tiny part got lost or damaged.

The canopy can be cut out to accommodate the battery.

Let's spend a moment talking about the battery. The Swift 16 suspends the battery under the frame, which puts the CG a bit lower than is desirable. It also makes changing batteries difficult. I have to lay the Swift 16 on its side, or turn it upside down to change the main pack. Additionally, the canopy is very difficult to install. Specifically, the rear attachment points are a beast to attach - I can easily spend five minutes fighting with them. A good tip is to cut the bottom of the canopy out so that it can be left on when changing batteries.

The Swift NX moves the battery under the canopy, placing it on an inclined tray. As long as the new canopy is easier to get on and off this should be a big improvement. Also, the current landing gear struts are too thin and flexible, which causes the entire heli to shake at a certain rpm during spool up and spool down. The new, thicker struts on the NX will hopefully fix this. In the mean time, many people substitute Align 600 landing gear.

The Swift 16 has an optional gyro plate which mounts on top of the boom, but no good place for the receiver. Some people mount the ESC on the side of the frames to make room for the receiver on the front tray. I mounted my receiver underneath the tail boom mount with double sided tape and a zip tie. It works but is not ideal. By comparison, the Swift NX frames have built-in mounting plates for the gyro and receiver, both behind the main shaft. This is a great change.

The optional gyro plate. This should be included standard.

The gyro plate installed.

I mounted the receiver inverted.

So, what else would I put on my wish list? I'd like to see better quality control, and a better manual. My kit was missing two ball links, had a damaged feathering spindle, and one of the pushrods was threaded wrong. It also came with black rubber bands meant for the old battery mounting tray, which can't be used with the new one. The current manual is OK but has a few steps out of order, and mislabels a couple parts. It also shows parts which have been upgraded or changed since the original design. It would help to correct these, and would be even better to change to a step-by-step instruction format.

Another look at the receiver and gyro mounting.

My kit was missing two ball links.

The finished Swift 16, ready to fly.

While this might seem like a long list, every model has its drawbacks, and none of these should discourage you from buying a Swift. I'm very happy with mine, and looking forward to seeing the product evolve with the Swift NX. With some relatively simple changes, Century could have the best beginner through intermediate large electric heli on the market. read more »

WRAM Show 2009 Report

Daniel Switkin — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:14:28 -0600

The show floor just after the doors opened.

The 41st annual WRAM Show was held in White Plains, NY from February 20-22nd, 2009. This mid-winter event has historically been the largest indoor trade show on the East Coast.

This year WRAM was noticeably smaller than the 2008 show. A number of vendors did not return, perhaps due to the economy or the performance of the show last year. In particular, Great Planes/Hobbico and Hobby Lobby were conspicuously absent. QuiQue's Aircraft Company, Hirobo, Eagle Tree Systems, and FMA Direct did not return either.

As a result, all the vendors and booths were consolidated on the main floor this year. That left the basement level open for a car track, and offroad rock climbing track, and the huge static display.

The rock crawling course.

The race track in the basement.

One of several tables in the static display.

There were a number of standouts among the scale models. There was an outrageous looking Crosby CR4 with impossibly small wings built by Keith Shaw. It weighed 7 pounds with a 48 inch wingspan and a length of 65 inches, and was powered by a geared Astroflight motor using eight A123 cells. Another beauty was a scale F7F Tigercat, with not only scale landing gear but a full working lights system. This twin used Axi outrunner motors.

The Crosby CR4.

An immaculate F7F Tigercat.

Next was an unusual subject, a Fieseler Storch by Sal Iasilli. The pilot figure was especially great on this 94" wingspan model.

The Fieseler Storch.

Fieseler Storch cockpit detail.

And then came the 1921 Postal Service Series Jalopaplane by Faye Stilley. This outstanding brass and copper colored finish is actually Monokote! There were no seam lines visible at all, even from six inches away. Hands down the sexiest plane at the show.

The Jalopaplane.

So pretty it deserves another shot.

Finally, there were two P-51 Mustangs from Matt Lupri. The darker finish Prudence model was a wood kit from Nick Ziroli plans, while the aluminum finish Miss Ethel was molded. Both are quarter scale and weigh close to 50 pounds. I have never seen detail like this in person before. The wheel wells weren't just painted - they had fake hydraulic lines! The weathering job and cockpit details on these were simply fantastic. The Prudence model had droppable fuel tanks, scale retracts, flaps, and a motorized sliding canopy. Just amazing.

The Miss Ethel P-51.

The Prudence Mustang.

The Prudence cockpit.

A little after noon saw the beginning of the indoor flight demos. There is a small space with a 20 foot ceiling which is enough for micro helicopters and indoor foamies. We caught a great demo by Justin Chi, who repeatedly touched the head button of his Gaui 200 on the floor in an inverted hover. Did I mention Justin is only 6 1/2 years old?

Justin Chi flying demos.

Kyle Stacey during the noon demos.

Kyle Stacey also flew the Gaui 200 in a duet with another pilot whose name was not announced. They took turns performing stunts over each other's helis, and then flying maneuvers together. At one point, both young pilots landed inverted on the ceiling together and held them there while they waved to the crowd. Great job guys.

Team Futaba and Team JR followed with 3D and precision indoor foamies, but we decided to move on and give other people a chance to see. This year there were no bleachers, so it was standing room only.

The VTOL standard RC Bug.

So what about the booths? Ron from Lightflite was back at the show with his range of RC Bugs. These indestructible EPP flying wings are still the most fun for the money I've had in this hobby, and I say that without any business relationship or compensation.

Ron had two one-of-a-kind prototypes at the show. The first was a standard size Bug that had been modified for VTOL. Many of us already launch our Bugs straight up by hand, but why not try it from the ground? Apparently the tricky part is landing vertically without tipping over. I just may have to try this.

Ron and the 36" prototype RC Bug.

The other cool prototype was a 36 inch wingspan Bug, with a fully symmetrical airfoil in the center section. Flat wing foamies tend to either climb or descend, and are difficult to fly level especially at higher speeds. This experiment is designed to address that problem, and also adds side force generators to improve knife edge performance. I hope this larger airfoil RC Bug makes it into production, as it looks like a blast. The current motor is an E-flite 450.

I stopped by the Castle Creations booth and got to chat with Lee Estingoy, who wrote a great article on building an LED nightflyer. I also got to check out their upcoming line of brushless motors, as well as the new Phoenix Ice speed controllers. These ESCs feature switching BECs good for around four amps and can handle 6S LiPo input. They also feature integrated data logging, which I believe is a first.

Castle Creations upcoming brushless motors.

Castle Creations Phoenix Ice ESCs.

At the Hitec booth I saw a prototype of the upcoming Aurora 9 transmitter. This 2.4 GHz radio uses the more robust frequency hopping system, but is only compatible with Hitec receivers. These will be labeled Optima and come in 6, 7, and 9 channel models at first. The Aurora 9 is a modular system and a 72 MHz unit is planned.

The Hitec Aurora 9 2.4 GHz radio.

The back of the Aurora 9.

The Hitec 2.4 GHz receiver lineup.

Perhaps the Aurora's most unique feature is a backlit touch screen. All the menus and programming are accessed this way, and it makes you wonder why no one else (except the $2300 Futaba 14MZ) has done it yet. I thought the ergonomics were very good with rubber grips on the back, although it's a shame the 2.4 GHz module has an external wire to the antenna.

Sharing a booth with Hitec was Multiplex, who had a number of planes on display, but unfortunately did not have the one model I really wanted to see: the new fixed pitch EPP Funcopter. I was told the first and only prototype in the U.S. had arrived the day before the show, and they weren't ready to display it. I was promised that it would make an appearance at the Weak Signals Toledo Show in April though.

I was happy to see AirfoilZ at the show, as I've been itching to try one of their planes. Jim Vigani, the designer, told me they were moving more towards the full fuselage models recently. Along those lines, he was showing the Yak 54, the Extra 260, and the new Edge 540. All three are around 40 inch wingspan and 24 ounces AUW, and share the unique plywood structure and Depron skin design. They are the most rigid foam planes I've seen to date. I caved in and picked up a Yak, to use with the newly-liberated electronics from my Reactor.

The AirfoilZ Edge 540.

The AirfoilZ Yak and Extra.

A vendor I hadn't seen before was Easy Tiger Models, who were showing a beautiful foam SR-71 Blackbird. This receiver-ready model included the dual EDF power system, all electronics, and even retracts for $289. The molded panel lines and scale details were great, and only minor assembly is required. You can watch a video of the Blackbird taking off from grass on YouTube. Easy Tiger had a number of other attractive jets as well, including a 48" wingspan F-22 powered by a 70 mm EDF engine.

A foam SR-71 Blackbird from Easy Tiger Models.

The Easy Tiger Models booth.

There were a bunch of cool odds and ends too. Thunder Tiger was showing a RTF submarine called the Neptune SB-1. Desert Aircraft was showing off their monstrous, four cylinder DA200 gasoline engine due in April. Finally, Polk's Hobby showed off a prototype of their 2.4 GHz transmitter, based on the Tracker design, along with an eight channel receiver.

The Thunder Tiger Neptune SB-1 submarine.

The Desert Aircraft booth.

The Desert Aircraft DA200.

The Polk's Hobbies Tracker 2.4 GHz radio.

An electric JR Vibe heli.

The Blade mCX under black lights.

WRAM also offers a series of lectures in the second floor conference rooms. This year I attended a great presentation by Tom Hunt, the organizer of the NEAT Fair and someone who knows more about electric power than almost anyone. The talk was on how to choose a propeller for electric flight. Tom's deep knowledge and high energy presentation made it quite worthwhile. He was also kind enough to post slides from this talk and from previous years on the SEFLI club's website.

Unfortunately this was the only talk I could attend. Dean Pappas, a Model Aviation columnist, gave a presentation on the history of spread spectrum which I would have liked to see. If anyone has video or slides from this talk, please let me know.

Lastly, there was the annual swap meet in one of the side rooms. It ranged from cars to planes and from junk to scale.

One view of the swap meet.

Swap meet continued.

Swap meet triplane for sale.

The 2009 WRAM Show was not as impressive as in the past, but there was a lot more to do than shopping the booths on the main level. I enjoyed it as a day trip and plan to return - hopefully some vendors will return for 2010. One key to getting the most out of the show is planning your time. In particular, the seminars are worth while and the demo flights are fun to watch. I think I'll schedule around them next year.

Looks like a turbo prop fuselage.

Beautiful seaplane.

Nice weathering on this Corsair.

Dan Landis's giant scale Yak 54.

It's not just an air show.

Scale kits on the show floor.

Multiplex Funcopter Announced

Daniel Switkin — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:52:05 -0600

Multiplex has released a PDF file of their 2009 product lineup. Perhaps the most interesting new model is the Funcopter, a durable, fixed-pitch helicopter with an EPP foam body. This new heli appears to be based on the Lite Machines Corona, which was famous for its resilient design, including hinged main blades that bend instead of break in a crash.

The Funcopter goes beyond the Corona by being designed for a direct-drive, brushless Himax motor. It also features a scale fuselage (approximately 34 inches long) which will appear larger in the sky, helping with orientation. The Funcopter is designed for 3S LiPo batteries in the 2100-3000 mAh range. It has a rotor diameter of 770 mm and an all-up-weight of approximately 1250 grams (44 ounces).

Two configurations with be available: the Assembled Kit (AK), with just the helicopter and motor, and the Ready for Radio (RR), with all of the on-board electronics. No pricing or availability has been announced yet, but a short movie has been posted.

Our take: This is a very interesting new product, and could easily become the standard beginner fixed pitch helicopter. It's both larger, heavier, and more visible than the current champ, the Esky Honey Bee Fixed Pitch, but being in a larger class, will obviously cost more. Besides being easier to see in the air, which means less chance of losing orientation, the Funcopter should also be more stable. I learned on the Honey Bee, and while it's quite durable, it's also the twitchiest heli I've flown.

Overall the Funcopter design looks quite good. This is the first single rotor helicopter I recall seeing without a main gear, so I'm curious to know how well the power system performs. In theory it means one less part to break and replace. I'm also curious whether the tail is powered from the main motor or has its own motor. The frame looks simple and should provide some protection for the battery in a crash.

My experience with Multiplex products is that they are extremely well engineered. Just the packaging on my AcroMaster had more thought put into it than models from other companies. This tends to come at a premium price, but in my opinion is worth it. We'll try to get a review sample of the Funcopter in the coming months to help you learn more about this unique helicopter.

Update (April, 2009): Check out our hands-on coverage of the Funcopter from the 2009 Toledo Show (scroll down to the Multiplex section).

Arizona Electric Festival 2009 Roundup

Daniel Switkin — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 09:14:45 -0600

The Arizona Electric Festival is held every January in Mesa, Arizona. While it's too cold to fly in many parts of the country, this show brings electric pilots out in force. We're not able to attend this year, but wanted to share some links featuring the best coverage from around the web.

Micheal Heer from RCGroups has put together some great video coverage of the 2009 event, with dozens of in-flight clips. The T-Rex 700 canopy strike is particularly impressive.

Jacob Niehus has also posted an HD video with an overview of the flight demos he saw, and there are a few good clips on YouTube. Also, check out photos from the Multiplex team, including some action shots of the new ParkMaster 3D.

To learn more about this year's show and chat about it, have a look at the RCGroups Mesa 2009 Forum.

Century Swift NX Preview

Daniel Switkin — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:14:52 -0600

I was recently in the San Francisco Bay Area for business and had a chance to stop by the Century Heli headquarters in San Jose, California. This building contains the warehouse as well as product development and support staff, in addition to a small showroom in the front. The employees had just returned from the AMA Expo, where they had debuted a number of new products.

The Century Heli building in San Jose.

One side of the showroom with spare parts.

A few scale helis on display on the other side of the showroom.

The Swift NX prototype.

Another angle of the Swift NX frames.

It turns out my timing was perfect as I got a chance to see the prototype of the Swift 16 replacement, which will be called the Swift NX. There are numerous changes to the kit:

The NX uses a double-stacked main gear, which means the tail is now driven during autorotations.
The battery pack now sits on an angled tray underneath the canopy, rather than being hung from below. The prototype still had the aluminum battery tray below but it may be removed before going into production.
The canopy has a completely new styling and is only attached at two points, rather than four. It is somewhat larger and more angular, and the trademark "crater" in the windshield is gone.
The elevator servo arrangement has changed completely. The servo is now mounted in between the frames, and connects to an internal bellcrank which moves a 90 degree elbow to the swashplate. A separate anti-rotation bracket is no longer needed.
Above and behind the new elevator mounting points are built-in plates for mounting the gyro and receiver. Previously, an optional gyro plate was available for screwing into the top of the tail boom mount, and receiver placement was an afterthought.
The landing gear struts are thicker and more sturdy than the previous ones.

The old yellow canopy from the Swift 16 next to the new white canopy from the Swift NX.

Our take: These are all welcome improvements to the Swift 16, especially the battery placement and built-in gyro and receiver mounting points. Hopefully the new canopy will be easier to install and remove than the current one, otherwise changing batteries will be tedious.

I'm a bit ambivalent about the new elevator setup, as I have not had a problem with the older, simpler design. That's not to say there's anything wrong with it - this design is shared by some of the Century nitro helicopters. However it does contain more moving parts and more opportunities for friction.

Other than the items described above, the NX appears very similar to the 16. I did not notice any changes to the head other than the new bearings for the main gear. The prototype had heavier, solid paddles on it which would be a welcome change, but they may have been temporary. This particular heli also had a longer tail boom and upgraded tail boom supports, but I was told they were not going to be used.

No word yet on release date or pricing, or whether some of the problems with the Swift 16 kit have been addressed. Look for an article in the next month describing those issues and how they could be resolved. The Swift 16 remains one of the best values in a 500-550mm electric helicopter, and although I bought the existing model recently, I'm excited to see a new revision on the horizon.

Updated February 28th, 2009: Our new Swift 16 Improvements article is now posted.
read more »