Thread: ot.. what the heck is this helicopter??

http://www.dailymotion.com/cluster/e..._rchellecopter
How does one control something that looks like its out of control?

Sure doesn't look very stable to me......heh heh. The problem with the RC folks is that they dont like to fly straight. They always make them look like they are out of control.

I used to fly RC but I have more fun doing it on the internet. Try this:

www.realflight.com

I got tired of fighting with the other people about who could fly next on which freuency and this and that.

More fun on the internet.

Oh hell, that's the new GI Joe dragonhawk

That's amazingly awesome on a lot of levels.

The servo power and linkage strength needed to force that rotor to move through those extremes of movement at those rpms and inertial loads is phenomenal.

The rotor stiffness/weight ratio has got to be nothing short of amazing.

The horsepower to weight ratio is incredible. I'm assuming that's probably a .90 cu. in. engine on probably 45 to 55% nitro.

Last but not least, the coordination and reflexes of the pilot Szabo is mind-boggling. No telling how many gallons of fuel that young man has burned getting to that level of control.

I design & fly r/c models (airplanes) but when I see something like this I wanna just sit down & cry!

ps: You oughta see the young man running the camera on that piece fly one of his indoor electric aerobatics planes. Just as incredible.

Inverted backward loops, Now thats Stick control, I have a Raptor 60 and can't even dream of doing that.

Must be a pretty unique design and a skilled flyer to fly like that. [img]smile.gif[/img]

However I got to wonder if alot of these RC pilots that do this stuff with their remote controls would be willing to pull this kind of "stick jockey" attitude if they were in the plane or helicopter themselves. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Dimitri

That is quite an impressive display. Lots of control touch for that!

How does one control something that looks like its out of control?

One of the secrets about remote helicopter control is to not worry so much about where the nose is pointed but to worry about where the rotor system is pointed. The rotor system produces a thrust vector that is controlled by the pilot controls. Where ever that thrust vector is pointed, the helicopter is pulled along. The nose/tail/fuselage thing on a helicopter is misleading because they are only there (for RC's) to provide anti-torque so the rotors can move through the air effectively. By reducing/increasing the anti-torque (ie-decreasing/increasing the thrust of the tail rotor), you make helicopter spin either way about its rotor axis. Thus you only have two things to control, where the rotor is pointing and how much spin you want. If you ignore what the nose/tail thing is doing or pointing at, it's a lot easier to "control". That and the fact that the pilot doesn't have to contend with all those silly things like g-forces, spacial disorientation, etc. Still, this an amazing feat of skill and coordination that took many hours of training and refinement to master!

got to wonder if alot of these RC pilots that do this stuff with their remote controls would be willing to pull this kind of "stick jockey" attitude if they were in the plane or helicopter themselves.

Not even possible to do any of these movements with full-size helicopters that carry personnel. The problem comes into the over engineering that takes place to ensure a fail proof helo system. Everything is so beefed up and extrememly heavy (with respect to inertias, moments, and kinetic energy) that a helo would literally rip itself apart with any resemblance to true acrobatic manuevers. That and most folks will soil themselves the first time they go inverted or watch the horizon disappear faster than they can mentally process.

Yes, it takes unbelieveable hand/eye cordination to do those stunts.

you cant just ignore the nose-tail orientation. you have to keep the orientation in mind because it affects your version of left-right.

that guy is something like the worlds best stunt pilot.

still those silly flips are just silly. the amazig bit is the high speed high bank backwards upside down circles just off the ground. that is insane.

That might be the most amazing thing I've ever seen on the internet.

That's just sick. I can't believe the very end, hovering inverted an inch off the deck. Yikes.

JamesM -- is that a Mazda Cosmo in your avitar?

you cant just ignore the nose-tail orientation. you have to keep the orientation in mind because it affects your version of left-right.

That is true, if and only if, you're aiming for something. In this video, he's just tumbling and spinning without regards to a reference point. Do the same manuvers while holding steady 1 foot above a fence post or have him weave in and out a barbed wire fence, even with large spacings between the wires. Even easier, have him weave at high speed in/out of high power lines. I think you'll find a completely different method of manuvering- i.e. slower and more deliberate- to maintain absolute control where heading is more important.
Kinda like being able to go 150mph in your car. Lots of people do it, on straight aways without anyone around them. Put them something like the Daytona, Indy, etc. and it's a completely different story.

I can't believe the very end, hovering inverted an inch off the deck. Yikes.

This is called ground effect where there is an cushion of air between the rotor system and the ground. Kind of like a hovercraft. All you have to do is set the rotor at minimum hover power, let go of the cyclic, and it will find float to it's own height. Add more power and it move up accordingly. This is a very cool trick!


It probably looks like I'm trying to pooh-pooh this guys abilities or such but I'm not. I'm just trying to explain some basics of helicopter flying. I know I couldn't do what he does with a RC helicopter, but then again, I doubt he can do what I do with a real one.

That guy's hand-eye coordination is amazing!

He flys that helicopter like he was playing a piano...