bubbleboy

Hi all.....I thought I would never sucumb to Helis but the more I see them the more I like them. I have been flying planes for the last 3 years and am a reasonable flyer. I am looking at a Raptor 50 but would like to ask if anyone can recommend a good book that really explains how these helis operate. Also I have heard you shouldnt skimp on gyro's. I run JR gear. What is a good model gyro in the JR range that is not the most expensive but will fly the Heli well. Thankyou in advance..........[sm=drowning.gif]

drapam

Hi bubbleboy,
Go to www.raptortechnique.com
This site is the be all and end all concerning Raptors!!!!
CHAKA

bubbleboy

Thanks Drapam...looks like alot of good info there. Any suggestions on a book on how these fly etc would be appreciated.........

drapam

Have a look in here:
http://www.rc-airplane-world.com/rc-helicopters.html
Save you buying a book.
CHAKA

PaveLow58

I can list a couple more websites:


http://www.heliguy.com/

http://www.heliguy.com/nexus/glossary.html

http://www.rchelicopterweb.com/

http://www.helihobby.com/html/rc_hel..._training.html

http://www.rchelicoptertips.com/new/

http://www.rc-airplane-world.com/rc-helicopters.html

http://jimsrc.com/tips.html


As for the original question, here are some books:

The Basics of Radio Control Helicopters -- by Paul Tradelius;

Radio Controlled Helicopters: The Guide to Building and Flying C Helicopters -- by Nick Papillon;

Flying Model Helicopters: From Basics to Competition -- by David Day;

Learn to Fly Rc Helicopters (Doug Pratt's Modeling Guides) -- by Dale Hart;


I'd also recommend eventually flipping through:

Principles of Helicopter Flight/ 1749T by W. J. Wagtendonk

Helicopter Theory by Wayne Johnson

Rotary-Wing Aerodynamics (Engineering Series) by W. Z. Stepniewski

http://www.rchelibase.com/heli/

Charlie

I've never read it but a lot of people seem to think the Ray Hostetler book is a pretty good book, it suppose to have a lot of good information for a beginner.

Motions

If your looking for theory on how helis fly, this is a great site.

http://www.rchelibase.com/heli/

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

The Hostettler book is chock full of good info but some of its a little dated. Thats the problem with printed material these days.

The Raptor 50 is a great combo and Raptor Technique will tell you everything you want to know about building and setup.

Heliproz http://www.heliproz.com has great combo deals on Raptors.

As to the gyro the Futaba GY401 w/ 9254 servo is the best bang for the buck on the market today and will work fine w/ your jr radio or if you have to have JR the 500T and 8700G will serve you well but its more expensive than the 401 and having had both I prefer the 401

drapam

Hi bubbleboy,
May I suggest that you also consider a simulator to get some stick practice-cheaper than repairing heli!
I have the Reflex sim and find it to be excellent but there are others.
drapam

bubbleboy

Thanks everyone for your suggestions, I appreciate it. Can I throw another one in the ring?I am looking at the Futaba gyro GY401 with the Futaba 9254 digital servo. I run a JR radio and am wondering if the Futaba digital servos will be compatible? Are the plugs the same?

Charlie

It will work fine.

carlyle

I agree with Charlie about the Rays Authoritave Helicopter Manual. I baught the book when I first started, and it helped me out quite a bit. I still look at the book for different reasons.

Hope this helps,
Carlyle

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

The 401 will work just fine with the JR equipment but you will have to shave the small index tabs off for it to fit into the JR recievers, the wiring is the same, just make sure you line up the black ground wire with the rest of the recievers grounds, (i think JR uses brown for a ground) if its backwards it wont hurt anything, it just wont work.

bubbleboy

Thankyou everyone so much. I cant believe how helpful you all have been. As a beginner I really appreciate it. I have done alot of reading on the Raptor site over the last few days and have a much better understanding of how it all works. Thanks again......[sm=sunsmiley.gif]