Flying RC

Tired of getting dad the same old tie every year? The Mini Stinger RTF RC helicopter is a fun little toy that you can fly around the living room – and the best part is that you don’t need to know anything about RC helicopters to use it. It wasn’t very long ago that the only RC helicopters available were expensive, large and fuel driven. Since the introduction of Lipo batteries, these small electric helicopters have become extremely popular. Here’s a list of reasons why you should give the Mini Stinger a try:

• Great little helicopter, flies really well - The Mini Stinger flies well out of the box, and full 4 channel control lets you fly the helicopter anywhere you’d like it to go.
• Coaxial Stability – The Mini Stinger is a coaxial helicopter, which means that it flies using 2 main rotor blades, each spinning in opposite directions. This eliminates the need for a tail rotor and adds lots of stability.
• No previous RC Helicopter Experience Needed – The Mini Stinger is a fun RC helicopter that works right out of the box, no previous RC helicopter experience is needed.
• Cool Design, Low Cost – As far as toy helicopters go, the Mini Stinger gives you a lot of fun for the cost. It also features a neat design and flashy yellow color scheme.

Want a Mini Stinger? You can get one online. There are spare parts available as well.

A lot of people would like a way to make the Blade MCX RC helicopter fly faster – here’s how to do it with minimal modification and only a few basic tools. Do this mod at your own risk.

1. Remove The Flybar – The first step is to remove the flybar. Snap off the linkage that connects the flybar to the upper rotors, and pull the flybar out of the plastic linkage that holds it.
2. Remove the Old Weights – Using a pair of wire cutters or needle-nose pliers, remove the cylindrical weights found on the ends of the flybar. Make the cut right near the end of the flybar.
3. Add Lighter Weights – Some small beads, like those found in craft stores can be used to make new weights for the flybar. find small beads that weigh about 0.2 grams. Thread two beads onto each end of the flybar, and secure them with CA glue and heat shrink tubing. This picture shows the new flybar weights.
4. Re-Install the Modified Flybar – Put the flybar back on the helicopter.

And that’s all that there is to it! The lighter weights on the flybar reduce the RC helicopters stability slightly, but also make it more responsive to control inputs. You can also try adding a bit of weight to the nose to make the helicopter go faster.

Credit for this idea goes to the author of this rcgroups thread.

We all know that the Draganflyer X6 can do some pretty amazing aerial photography. Take a look at this video below to see some really amazing video footage shot from the Draganflyer X6 RC Helicopter as it flys through a groove of trees

Our sources here at RChelicopter.com tell us that this video was shot and put together by the same person who put together this tutorial on how to shoot video like this. The video below is from this tutorial.

Draganfly Innovations has made another UAV helicopter. The new Draganflyer X8 follows the same general layout of the smaller X6, but they’ve added an extra arm and two more rotor blades. The Draganflyer X8 UAV will be flying inside a 10×10 foot octagonal cage, inside the conference hall at the AUVSI 2010 international conference. You can see the Draganflyer X8 UAV in action at booth # 2025 from August 24 to 27 2010. The Draganflyer X8 will also be flying in the aviation demonstration area from 11:00 to 12:00 AM on each day of the conference.

The Draganflyer X8 UAV is larger than the X4 and the X6, and it can carry up to 1 kilogram in camera payloads. The X8′s going to offer some more features, such as compatability with DSLR cameras and digital video transmitters. Check out this video (a computer rendering of the X8 in flight with an SLR camera).

One of the major new improvements to the Draganflyer X8 is the inclusion of support for the new IP video camera systems. IP cameras use the same technology your laptop uses to connect to the internet to communicate and transmit video. Basically, the IP cameras form their own network with your computer, allowing you to view the live video feed over the internet. IP cameras support the following features:

• Simultaneous pictures and video – Each IP camera has an internal memory buffer that stores video before it is transmitted. This means that you can take high resolution digital still photos with the IP camera while it is still recording video, allowing you to get exactly the pictures that you need.
• Security and encryption – The IP cameras operate over their own wireless network, which can be encrypted to prevent unauthorized access to the video stream.
• Reduced interference – Digital video is much less susceptible to interference than analog video. Reduced signal strength usually results in a lower frame rate, but not decreased image quality.

IP video cameras will work with the Draganflyer X8 and X6 sometime in the near future, but can’t be used on the smaller X4 due to weight limitations.

Interested in UAV helicopters? You can learn more about the Draganflyer X8 UAV helicopter on Draganfly’s website. You can also visit the AUVSI website for scheduling, hotel, transport, and entrance fee information regarding the AUVSI 2010 conference.

Draganflyer RC Helicopters have a new mini wireless video base station. The new Mini Base Station has all the features of its larger counterpart, but is smaller and easier to transport. The new base station can to collapse to an extremely small size and fit snugly in the Draganflyer X4 and (soon to be released) Draganflyer X6 soft transport cases. This makes the new mini base station weigh less than the standard version and also allows it to be set up quickly and easily. The Mini Base Station supports all the features of the Draganview HUD, flight instrument and information HUD. Here’s a video demonstrating the benefits and features of the new Base Station:

Features of The New Mini Base Station

The Mini Base Station can fit in the pre-cut slots of the soft transport case. Each part is secured with high density foam, which protects and secures parts during transport. The Mini Base Station features a special collapsible design which allows it to deploy in seconds, and fold up for storage. The base station legs are held together with a high tension elastic chord so that they click together easily. The top of the base tripod features a precision machined metal head, which securely locks all 3 collapsible legs together and holds the base station electronics and antennas.

The telemetry software allows you to quickly and easily see what the helicopter is seeing in real time. Geo-tagged photos allow all your aerial pictures to show up in Google Earth and flight data logging shows the GPS position and altitude where each was taken. The Draganflyer UAV’s flight path is also displayed, with photo thumbnails showing where and at what altitude pictures were taken along the flight path. A full compliment of flight instruments is displayed and the display can be quickly toggled between instrument and Heads Up Display mode, which displays critical flight information over a live video feed. The Draganview software is also compatible with all the camera payloads we offer, even special purpose models such as FLIR infrared and low-light night vision.

Unlike the watertight case of the Standard Base Station , the new Mini Base Station uses a lightweight and strong rubber platform to securely hold your laptop or video recording device. The rubber mesh detaches easily for storage in the soft transport case, and sufficiently small laptop computers can even be stored in the case alongside it.

The new Mini Base Station is powered by a high energy density Lithium Polymer Battery for fast charge times and long run times. The included charging station automatically charges and balances the cells in each battery pack, ensuring long life and good performance. The base station electronics are all contained in a precision machined aluminum case.

Learn more about the new Mini Base Station and Draganflyer RC Helicopter UAVs.

The Draganflyer X6  RC helicopter was recently featured at the Blue Line Police Tradeshow as part of the Ontario Provincial Police Department’s (OPP) booth. The  Tradeshow runs once each year and provides an opportunity  for companies to demonstrate their products and innovations to Canadian Police Services. These  Include:

• Federal, Provincial, and Municipal Police Agencies
• Parks Canada
• Customs Canada
• The Ministry of the Environment
• Correctional Services

Other security and law enforcement  services that work for hospitals, transit systems, colleges, and also private business attend the Blue Line Tradeshow to keep up with the latest law enforcement technology developments.

This year’s event also had demonstrations of ambidextrous assault rifles, new generation gas masks, and even color-coded handcuffs. As CTV Toronto reports: “It (The Blue Line Tradeshow) comes as the city prepares for the G20 convention and the arrival of some of the world’s top leaders – giving officers a glimpse of how the latest technology can combat everything from rowdy crowds and bomb threats to outward acts of terrorism.”

Security is more than just weapons though, as forensic officer with the Ontario Provincial Police Department (OPP) Richard Cunningham elabortates: “It’s about all the tools that are available to keep the public – and the officers – safe.” Officer Cunningham is one of the Ontario Police Departments two pilots authorized to fly the Draganflyer X6 helicopter UAV. The Ontario police use the Draganflyer X6 UAV helicopter as a stable, secure UAV aerial platform to take pictures and video of crime scenes.

Officer Cunningham goes on to say that the Draganflyer X6 UAV may see other future applications, including those which directly endanger police officers (such as a bomb threat).

You can learn more about the Draganflyer X6 and X4 UAV RC helicopters on our website, or read the CTV Toronto article.

The helicopter became a prominent military asset during the Korean conflict of the early 1950s. The United States Army started using helicopters for medical evacuation in order to increase the survival rate of critically wounded soldiers. Helicopters were used in conjunction with forward mobile army surgical hospitals (MASH units).

When many people think of helicopters being used for medical evacuation in Korea the Bell H13 Sioux (designated the Bell-47 by the US Army) is the one that most comes to mind. Most people know this helicopter as the MASH helicopter because of its important role in the TV series MASH. EF has come out with an amazing flying replica of this famous MASH helicopter.

Included with the EF MASH Rescue Chopper

The EF MASH Rescue Chopper includes everything you need to fly, right out of the box. This is what is included:

• 2.4 GHz 4 Channel Transmitter
• RTF MASH Rescue Chopper
• 7.4v 800 mAh LiPo Battery for the Helicopter
• Two 7.6 gram Micro Servos
• 3 in 1 2.4GHz receiver

Main Features of the EF MASH Rescue Chopper Indoor RTF RC Electric Helicopter

The EF MASH Rescue Chopper is easy and fun to fly while still maintaining the stand off scale looks of the helicopters used in the TV series MASH. The dual rotors (co-axial) make this micro electric helicopter easy to fly and perfect for the beginner RC helicopter pilot. Experienced helicopter pilots can work on there skills to make the flight look as realistic as possible.

It is very quick to get the EF MASH Rescue Chopper ready to fly. All you will need is a screw driver and 8 AA batteries. The MASH Rescue Chopper Indoor RC electric helicopter does require a small amount of assembly. Before you begin the assembly start charging the LiPo battery. This way you will be flying the helicopter in no time.

This mini indoor electric helicopter has a coaxial rotor design which provides great stability, and eliminates the need for a separate tail rotor to control torque induced yaw (rotation around the main rotor axis). Coaxial RC electric helicopters are great for flying indoors, because they are both stable and offer precision control.

A 3.7 volt LiPo battery powers the EF MASH Rescue Chopper for a flight time of eight to ten minutes. The battery is charged in the controlled and takes about 30 minutes to charge. To get maximum enjoyment out of your helicopter it is a good idea to buy a spare battery for it. This way you can be charging a battery while flying and cut down your down time.

If you do happen to have a mishap and crash the MASH Rescue Chopper you will be amazed at how incredibly resilient it is. However things do and can break, but not to worry as a full line of inexpensive replacement parts are also offered for this helicopter.

In summary if you want to try some basic scale electric RC Helicopter flying you should look into buying the EF MASH Rescue Helicopter.

Draganfly Innovations released their new Draganflyer X4 earlier this summer. The Draganflyer X4 RC Helicopter is an ultra portable aerial video and aerial photography platform. As seen in these videos:

This video depicts the Draganflyer X4 RC Helicopter being quickly set up and flown from its case which has an optional detectable back pack harness.

In this video we see the Draganflyer X4 being transported in its soft pack with back pack harness on a man riding a mountain bike. This truly shows has easy it is to pack the Draganflyer X4 into a remote location.

One of the camera payloads the Draganflyer X4 RC Helicopter can carry is the Panasonic FX-580 12.1 Mega Pixel Digital Still camera. This video gives a good description of how this camera integrates with in the Draganflyer X4 System.

This video gives us a picture in picture of what the camera sees as the rc helicopter is flying. The video is transmitted live while recording to the on board digital video camera.

Another camera payload option for the Draganflyer X4 is a micro video board camera with a on board digital video recorder. This video gives you the details of the Micro Video board camera.

The Draganflyer X4 RC Helicopter, as demonstrated by these videos, is a very versitile and portable UAV aerial video and aerial photography platform. We here at RCHelicopter.com will be looking for new videos from Draganfly Innovations.

For the past several years, Mark Sharpe of the Ontario Provincial Police force has been using aerial pictures and video to help with law enforcement. From homemade devices made from commercial electronics to hobby aircraft with cameras, he has saved the police department approximately $20,000 in aircraft charter costs. Working with makeshift equipment helped the OPP greatly, but with today’s world issues and a vast area to patrol, they began looking for something more.

The OPP found a solution with the Draganflyer helicopter, North America’s first commercially available UAV legalized for law enforcement applications. Fast deployment and an advanced autopilot make the Draganflyer UAV the perfect choice for police departments who need aerial pictures and video.

So why would a police force based out of a small city need aerial surveillance? For one thing, the Ontario police need to cover a huge area ranging all the way from the U.S border to Hudson Bay. It is hoped that using remotely operated vehicles can help reduce charter costs to remote areas. Aerial pictures and video are also very useful in court, helping judges and juries to visualize crime scenes effectively.

Featured on www.canada.com, the Winnipeg Free Press, and the Saskatoon Star Pheonix, it’s clear that there’s definitely a market for UAVs in law enforcement applications.