Beginner Notes for Flying Helicopters.    Back to Helicopter Home

Part 1

ALWAYS turn on the Transmitter (Tx) first.. then plug the helicopter battery in.
Reverse order to power down.
Make sure you use the training balls.
With electric tape or duck tape, tape the toggle switch top right to the NORMAL position.
NOT 3d.

Blade tracking see picture below. You can tape the helicopter to the table, then stand back.
You don't have to spin the blades too fast to get an idea of tracking, at least not fast
until you figure out the throttle control control and when it lifts off.
What look from the side to see if they are parallel, then look for the color tape which is tracking low.
Adjust that side up.

Front to rear balance. They are tail heavy... some say two to three quarters (coin) in the nose
taped securely.. you can tape outside in the beginning. Start with one quarter first.
A lot of people swap the receiver and the battery placement, the balance is almost perfect after
making the swap.

Start off on a flat hard surface so the helicopter can slide around.
You will be doing a lot of sliding around the first week or two.. yes that's right week or two.
Get used to the controls, get a flight simulator, you can get them for $20 US.
Don't even think about flying in a tight closed space at first, a large garage, may be ok.
Outside don't even think about flying if there is any wind, fly in the morning or evening.
Its good if you can take off on a hard surface and land on the grass... the helicopter
will want to slide left... so maybe on a basketball court that has grass on the side to the left.
Don't try to go to high... head high in the beginning is huge.
AS SOON as you are crashing throttle off.

Look at these videos on You Tube they are excellent for a similar helicopter.
Setup tutorial #1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFMYaIjqIWg
Setup tutorial #2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeAmsecIbPo
Trimming and Maintenance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLP_jGEmkn4

Part 2

You will eventually be soldering parts on motors, and some wires here and there.
You will be drilling tiny holes... for example... that little ball link previously mentioned, can be
replaced by a sturdier brass ball link on the broken linkage... with this part:
LOSI ball studs to replace broken off balls. The part number is LOSB1051 and you can
usually find them pretty cheap on ebay or just do a Google search.
A pack of 10 will really come in handy and don't cost much.

Do you have a flight simulator ???? You can download the program for free...
http://www.flying-model-simulator.com/
Version 2.0 Beta 7 (Windows 9x/ME/2000) - recommended Version
I have XP works just fine... but in Vista you have to add a dll that Vista
(at least my version of Vista) didn't have. And not as good as in XP
I haven't tried the program with the supplied cable and the actual
transmitter for the helicopter. I hear you can use the supplied power supply from
the battery charger to save batteries in the transmitter.
I bought a fake transmitter for $20 bucks
that plugs into my USB port and the program was supplied with the unit.
I flew the flight simulator way before I got the helicopter. And for every
15-30 seconds of flight (which is a lot in the beginning) I have at least an hour
on the simulator. But thats me.. and it's a lot easier than replacing parts.
5 seconds of hover time in the beginning is big.

Find and watch videos on You Tube.. some links below. You will find that the
helicopter jitters at low throttle, then you will get balance with more throttle,
and it will smooth out as the blades find equilibrium (this is still on the ground).
This is the time when the pros (the guys not using the training balls... which you must have
as a newbie) have wired... then they give it a little "punch" and get about
three or four feet off the ground... balance out.. and fly. You will find the tail
going back and forth, or circles, as it starts to match up with the main rotors on the ground,
you will have to learn to control that until there is enough "juice" for everything
to balance out and get in sync... and you have the control tabs adjusted.
Is you helicopter balanced out... it will be tail heavy have unless you, adjust the
trim tab forward, or weight the nose or, as some of us have done...
switch the placement of the battery and the receiver.

There are lots of "tweaks" you will discover from reading.
For example... if you move the linkages, that are connected to the servos,
in.. you will desensitize, the controls making first flights easier.
BUT I strongly suggest you buy the spare linkages first making the adjustment
on the spare parts first not the originals. Because there is one tiny, tiny, tiny
cleavage pin called a "dowel" part #81, that I found impossible to put in, thusly
making my own dowels out of paper clips and enlarging the holes... put it works !

It is good to start off on a hard surface with grassy area on the side.
The helicopter will want to fly left at first... try a basketball court with
grassy area to the left. If you start in the beginning on the grass you will
probably just flip left or over correct right. I started with two 4x8 pieces
of plywood in the backyard as a launch pad and jittered all over the place.
Now I carry a 2x3 piece of wood out into the field... reach pre flight equilibrium,
and take off to hover at about five feet... then fly around.


On the flight simulator... practice recovering from errors in flight... ie... learn
how to save yourself from a potential crash. When you fly out... how will you
get back ? if you turn the helicopter back towards you.. all the controls are
reversed... try on the flight simulator. For example I practice going out, then
making a left turn coming back to me. In the beginning you will want to just
practice hovering... but you don't want to go too high... head high is a lot
in the beginning... give yourself lots of space, most of my crashes and repairs
were in my back yard hitting stuff.
But then again.. when you get good at recovering from errors.. altitude is your
friend.. it gives you time to recover. But hitting the ground at 30mph+ without
a recovery is not fun.