Electric RC Helicopters

When it comes to RC helicopters, there are two types of body shapes available-the pod and boom type and the scale model type. The pod and boom type of RC helicopter consists of a pod that contains all the major mechanical parts and the boom which is a long tail with a rotor at its end; this shape is often referred to either the “Dragonfly” design of a single-rotor sports or a 3D helicopter design like the collective and fixed pitch models.

The pod and boom, whose appearance is more like a dragonfly than an actual helicopter, is built for agility, balance, and speed. The manufacturers of pod and boom RC helicopters are nothing but “bare bones”, but for those enthusiasts who prefer performance over appearance that is all that they will need. The pod and boom RC helicopters make up the majority of electric helicopter market, especially when size and weight are at a premium.

However, scale model RC helicopters, are found to be much like real-life crafts being that they are exact replicas. Military RC helicopters fall into the scale model group, showing quite obviously the differences between military and civilian replicas. Military helicopters are designed to be swift and agile mainly because they are meant to be flown during combat.

RC military helicopters are meant to be used exactly for that reason. These helicopters may look good if you happen to be into the khaki-macho ways. Military RC helicopters are replicas that are built for their looks and performance, unlike their civilian replica counterparts. Because of their better performance and looks, military RC helicopters form the bulk of the scale model electric RC helicopters.

When it comes to the electric RC military helicopters, they differ from their larger gas powered counterparts, as electric RC helicopters are bought ready-to-fly while gas powered RC helicopters are built from scratch. A novice RC helicopter pilot who wants to have fun pulling combat maneuvers, the electric type is best, whereas the gas type may look impressive with their little men in khaki uniforms and turbo engines they are often cumbersome to use. If anything else is needed to convince you, then keep in mind that the electric type of RC helicopters are cheaper and look good too.

To make electric RC military helicopters as lifelike as possible the tail is always coaxial as well as having a shorter, wider tail than that of a CP/FP craft. To make the craft even more maneuverable while not altering any other dimensions, some military coaxial have a tail rudder added to the main dual rotors.

However, if you strip away the outer layer from a military electric helicopter you will only find a conventional coax with just the canopy or fuselage added for military detail. The military details can be either lightweight plastic or alloy, which can even be purchased as an upgrade kit for a standard pod and boom craft.

Novice coaxial helicopters are often 3 channel, whereas the majority of electric military types are 4 channels, allowing for collective pitch on the rotors, additional tail rudders, and so on. With these upgrades you can attain something as good as a collective pitch model, allowing the pilot to perform tricks like a real helicopter such as flips, rolls, inversions, dives, and even drop bombs!