What is it like to fly a turbine powered R/C Helicopter.
Posted by: admin in Untagged on
May 13, 2008
I have been asked on many occasions since I started flying the Airstar Jetcopter SX, "What is like to fly it?" and "How does it compare to an electric or nitro powered R/C helicopter?".
I'll preface my answer by saying that so far I have only a dozen flights on my Jetcopter so I'm am far from being an experienced turbine helicopter pilot.
Of course the first big difference is the intimidation factor from flying something different and so expensive.
Actually, turbine helicopters are not more difficult to fly than their nitro and electric counterparts, however, they do fly differently. Although I have never flown full scale helicopters, I understand R/C turbine helicopters fly almost identically to highly maneuverable full size helicopters with a rigid rotor heads such as a BK117 or Westland Lynx. You have loads of power to do just about anything, but you do have to anticipate things like sink rate and load factor on the rotor in tight turns.
With the Jetcopter weighing in at 22 lbs, you also have to make sure you are always ahead of the helicopter with collective and cyclic controls because of its inherent momentum.
The other flight characteristic is that when hovering, because of the hot exhaust gases rising from the back, there tends to be more lift generated on the rear of the rotor disc than the front. That can mean that the hover is a little less stable than with a non-turbine radio controlled helicopter.
On the Airstar Jetcopter SX with the JetCat HP5 turbine, once you have started the engine and have established a stable idle, you put the turbine to full power which remains fixed for all flying, as in full scale and you fly the collective (pitch).
Finally, of course one of the biggest differences compared to non-turbine powered helicopters is its sound and smell which always seems to guarantee a crowd!
Of course the first big difference is the intimidation factor from flying something different and so expensive.
Actually, turbine helicopters are not more difficult to fly than their nitro and electric counterparts, however, they do fly differently. Although I have never flown full scale helicopters, I understand R/C turbine helicopters fly almost identically to highly maneuverable full size helicopters with a rigid rotor heads such as a BK117 or Westland Lynx. You have loads of power to do just about anything, but you do have to anticipate things like sink rate and load factor on the rotor in tight turns.
With the Jetcopter weighing in at 22 lbs, you also have to make sure you are always ahead of the helicopter with collective and cyclic controls because of its inherent momentum.
The other flight characteristic is that when hovering, because of the hot exhaust gases rising from the back, there tends to be more lift generated on the rear of the rotor disc than the front. That can mean that the hover is a little less stable than with a non-turbine radio controlled helicopter.
On the Airstar Jetcopter SX with the JetCat HP5 turbine, once you have started the engine and have established a stable idle, you put the turbine to full power which remains fixed for all flying, as in full scale and you fly the collective (pitch).
Finally, of course one of the biggest differences compared to non-turbine powered helicopters is its sound and smell which always seems to guarantee a crowd!