Mike Swift

Gareth, as an 'ex pilot' I could empathise with Robert Mason (the author of Chickenhawk) during his heli training period, he tells it like it is, warts & all. I guarantee you will not put the book down until you have finished reading it! If you fly RC helis (which IMHO are far more difficult than the 'real' thing) you will know exactly what he is talking about & actually learn a lot relative to RC.

OK David. Thanks for that, I'll give it a read.

Yeah, Vulcan 607 is a real cliff hanger of a read. However I think it is disgraceful but typical of this country that without a 'ready to fly' replacement for the Vulcan they had to source parts from a junk yard to get the Vulcan fully functional! Words fail me.

Nice one!!!

Here's a pic of the ESky voltage tester: It's powered from the battery being tested. Metal case, not plastic, so it will survive being dropped!!

Now all you have to do is find someone who stocks it or is prepared to order it for you - great!! After 6 fruitless attempts at obtaining the Prolux I bought the ESky voltage tester - similar price, similar spec. Try the link below. http://www.heliguy.com/Electric-RC-Helicopters/HoneyBee-CP2/EK2-0906-Voltage-indicator/

For you guys who are 'into' real helicopters as well as the RC variety there is a terrific, non-fiction, paperback book: 'Chickenhawk' by Robert C Mason. Mason is an ex Vietnam UH-1 (Huey)pilot and the book recounts his experiences through training, explaining translational lift etc to actual combat experience. Mason tells it warts & all and there is an unexpected twist almost at the end of the book. I must have read hundreds of books & this is probably the best book I have ever read. The downside is it's £8.50 but worth double. Not a model related thread but with the weather we've been having it's something to keep you out of trouble!

OOOOH! Somedays it just isn't worth chewing though the leather straps!!

Nice board layout Timbo.Congratulations.:-)

Timbo, "I'll get me coat!", basically means I understand all the words of this thread but not as they are currently arranged - I bow to your (& others) superior knowledge. Yes, I am prone to senior moments these days! Seriously the problem was obviously an EMC (Electro Magnetic Compatibility) issue - whether it was due to placing the RX on top of the ESC or an RF signal somewhere in the locality, who knows. After 26 yrs as a Class A licenced radio radio amateur I have dealt with such issues countless times, pleased the switch to 2.4Ghz solved the problem.

I'll get me coat!!

Hi Grumpy, Thanks for the 'heads up' re RCHeliSpot.com, I'll be sure & take a look at that in a few mins. We have lived in this house for 17 yrs & just spent an arm & a leg having it 're-modelled' as the Americans say. It's not a large house & I wouldn't dare fly the heli in it as any damage I caused would incur the wrath of her indoors, I'd also be pretty gutted myself. The company where I work has very large warehousing (aircraft hangar size) so I'll give it a whirl (no pun intended!) in there when I'm on my weekend standby shift, there's rarely any work to do, I'm only there for emergencies. Yeah, I do realise it's going to be quite a challenge to fly the HB, I've already got some good sources for reasonably priced spares, which I'm sure I'll need. Thanks for the advice. Mike.

My Esky Honey Bee arrived today,of course it's windy & pouring down so no chance to try it out but amused myself with fitting heat sinks to the main & tail rotor motors which took all of 2 mins & charging up the 2 x Li-Po batts.Tracked the main blades which were quite a way out & the plot almost flew off the dining table! I broke a golden rule of mine - I read the manual(which is a rough Chinese to English translation - "be sure not to have a tinderbox close by", right),usually it's if all else fails, RTFM! Fitted the training wheels (balls!)& am going to feel a right dork at the local park with those day glow orange things on!I think I'll having it flying expertly in no time having had a Picco Z & mastered that in less than 6 months. I dont think the Honey Bee will present too much of a challenge (yes, I am joking!). Seriously I can't wait to attempt to fly the heli & no, I'm not going to use the flight sim, I'll do it the hard way thanks (yes,I bought spare main blades/tail rotors!) Cheers.

It seems to be the luck of the draw with all electric RC helis, coaxial or otherwise. Some come out of the box & are spot on, others aren't. Torque reaction on take off is normal enough but the heli should be stable in flight. Tweaking the on board pots is a 'suck it & see' job, just make sure you make the adjustments on a fully charged battery.