RC (remote-controlled) helicopters have different variations like many other hobbies involving technology. For most hobbyists, knowing the differences between the types of RC helicopters gives them the advantage of knowing which type suits their preference.
Aside from the aesthetic appeal of their designs and the fun and engaging way to spend your time outdoors, RC helicopters can also be used for commercial and practical applications. While there are drones now to do most of the job of an unmanned vehicle like aerial photography, the one thing that industries are still benefiting from RC helicopters is crop spraying using large models. In this article, we’re going into detail about RC helicopters and describe the differences between each of them.
Toy RC Helicopters
Beginners still getting familiar with the hobby will do well to get a toy RC helicopter first before moving on to the more complex ones. Models such as the Syma 3 Channel S107 usually have a lightweight design and a decent flying time that can last about 12 minutes.
Toy RC helicopters have uncomplicated controls. If you are a tyro, you can lift and steer the device with one or two joysticks without having to bother with too many buttons that correspond to different functions.
Despite their simplicity, toy helicopters come in different types. Here are some of the variations within this category:
1. Two-Channel (2CH) Single Rotor Toy Helicopters
This type of toy helicopter is one of the earliest models and is rarely seen in the market nowadays. The simple design involves having a slightly heavier weight in the nose to balance the flight and angle the blades to the center of gravity. If you own one, it’s still worth keeping; after all, it started the application of toy helicopters with real flight systems.
2. Two Channel (2CH) Coaxial Toy Helicopters
Compared to the previous type, which only has a single rotor, this toy helicopter uses dual rotors for better control precision. The two rotors spin in opposite directions to control the lift and the turning speed.
3. Three Channel (3CH) Coaxial Toy Helicopters
This type of toy helicopter is arguably the most popular design to date. Compared to the two other types, this one provides the user better control of the speed, rotation, and body rotation. It responds to the slightest adjustments, which is why it’s preferred by beginner hobbyists who want to have total control over their RC helicopter’s movements.
Micro Coaxial RC helicopters
Micro coaxial RC helicopters are one of the most popular types in the market. It gives just the right balance of difficulty and fun experience for beginners and experienced hobbyists alike.
The appeal of this RC helicopter lies in its design. It comes off as a miniature model of an actual helicopter in both appearance and structure. People fascinated by helicopters will find this to be a perfect choice. Other types of helicopters sacrifice the design that mimics a real helicopter’s design to offer more functionality.
The design of the rotor itself is often energy-efficient because it doesn’t need something to power the torque to balance the lift and turn the body left and right.
Micro Fixed Pitch RC Helicopters
The mechanics behind the micro-fixed pitch RC design is pretty simple to understand: the user controls the helicopter’s lift by slowing or speeding up the engine’s rotation. This feature allows for precise movements in terms of lifts without you needing to be an aerodynamics expert.
Mechanics aside, micro-fixed pitch RC helicopters are inexpensive to buy and lightweight enough to carry around.
Here is a great video that showcases the simplicity of a micro fixed pitch RC helicopter:
Collective Pitch RC Helicopters
As opposed to a fixed pitch RC helicopter’s single angle of attack in the rotor, collective pitch helicopters can change their angles so that users can do complex movements better.
Instead of adjusting the engine’s speed to lift the body off the ground like the fixed pitch, collective pitch RC helicopters adjust the angle without changing the speed. The constant engine rotation speed gives the user full control of the movements. Moreover, it becomes much more energy-efficient.
Having features like faster RPM than fixed pitch ones gives it an edge in flight performance, such as flight speed. Inverted flying is also possible because the angle change can produce a negative pitch.
Conclusion
RC helicopters may not be a common hobby, but one can’t deny the joy of learning and applying various sophisticated mechanics behind it. This isn’t just a fun activity that everyone can get into, regardless of age, but it also takes a lot of practice and skills to master the structure and control of the RC helicopters.
Speed, the precision of movements, and even the aesthetic appeal of the models are only some of the most interesting things about the hobby, and they can be fully utilized with the right type of RC helicopter.