what is disk loading, and what effect does it have? heavier or lighter? pros-cons?
help?[&:]

Take the swept blade area/weight and divide for pounds per sq. foot. It's a general thing and does not take into account disk solidity which relates the blade surface area to the swept disk. A 4 bladed rotor of the same disk diameter and blade chord would have the same disk loading but in effect handle a heavier helicopter being better rated in DS.

In relation to R/C helicopters (that are mostly of the two blade variety) disc loading generally refers to the load (weight) being carried relative to the size (area) of the rotor disc.

e.g. A 60 size heli with a rotor head using 710mm blades and weighing 11 lbs. will have a lighter disc loading then if it used 680mm mainblades carrying the same 11 lbs. Everything else being equal (using the same airfoil blades design etc. and starting with the same head speed and into the same headwind), the lighter loaded disc (710mm) will have a lot more reserve in the auto.

my heli is oldschool, weighing about 12 pounds, tiz a schluter JR 50. and flys on 550mm main blades. what will it fly like? I have heard it is flown with a really high head speed, will this make it twitchy? or just really stable through maneuvers?