Trojan Boat Forum

Here's the deal...

Every 4th of July, we raft with a bunch of buddies in Main Bay, Prince William Sound (see at google earth). It's always a great photo op, and I've dreamed that aeiral photos would be super cool. So, I sprang a whopping $79.95 for the "*NEW DESIGN* 3.5ch Hawkspy LT-711 RC Helicopter with Gyro and Spycam - Red". (How could I resist, with a name like that?)

I cannot decided which outcome to predict, so I need your help...

I think that one's gonna crash and sink.

If you are a full blooded R/C geek, I might be able to hook you up with a guy I work with who built his own quad-copter. He is planning on mounting a camera on it for aerial shots, and is working on a GPS based guidance system so he doesn't really have to man the remote (give it Lat/Lon coordinates for a route and it will fly that route as an autonomous aerial vehicle and take shots where he wants it to...).

captainmaniac wrote:

If you are a full blooded R/C geek,.).

Not me. This is the first, and likely last, RC anything I own, other than the remote for the TV.

Im a street and off road car freak. Picked it up from my grandad who was an airplane freak. He did a real deal hilo and lost it on first flight after a year of training on a custom made stand. The camera and still shot wont look good unless you know how to fly and get real close. Good luck!! hilo's are not easy, I like what Capt said about his friend but these guys are spending super big bucks!! Hell either way its a real fun experience!!!! I know R/C stuff. gear, servos, controls. frequencys, etc... call me if you need help reparing anything. MOST of all! Be safe! the helio can destroy you and other people or property. Play with it in an open parking lot for hours before you take her out to the water

best way to learn a helio is up and down, 5 feet off the ground for hours. then learn to hover and tilt in a hover. HOURS, then go forward and backward 5 feet to same spot. This will help you get close up shots and good looking pictures if your camera is any good.... Be safe, even a little 3 inch blade toy can cut something when you screw up LOL

Good luck

Well I guess I am a RC "geek". I have 2 30 size choppers (one gas and one electric) and I also fly RC seaplanes. I've launched and recovered my electric chopper from the yacht I run many times so I think this is what you will find-

The chopper you bought will be very easy to fly. The twin head is designed for stable slow speed flight and first time fliers. The problem is that chopper (and many of that class) is a indoor chopper. They may say "outdoor" on the box but any wind over 2-3 mph and that thing will just start to get farther and farther away. At a certain point you will not be able to tell if it is coming or going and that will be the end. Also range is going to be a problem. 100 ft is going to be about the limit.

To maximize your chances I would first fly it around on land a while, and when you do try it on the boat, launch it from another boat (away from the fleet) and hover straight up and point it to the rest of the boats for photos. Always try to fly up wind (you would be down wind) and always try to have the tail pointing to you. Do not try to launch and recover from the deck, hold it up in your hand and pull up slowly. When landing, go into a hover and grab it with your hand mid air. Good luck, for that price I would buy 2 and have some fun. My chopper cost 1,200 and it is very nerve racking when I fly off of the boat, but the guests love it.

Great advice, Doug and Jeff. Thank you.

I did buy two, because of the price, and knowing what's likely to happen when I fly them. Been raining and a little bit windy here, so haven't been able to test fly yet.

keep us posted it sounds like a blast!

LOL fun yes! I agree with Summer Storm and didnt think when I saw the price. Any wind will get you!!. My grandad spent well over 2k on his. It was very heavy and many years ago. I dont think I would try to grab it in a hover though! LOL thats just me. Have a blast. We all like crash pictures!!! Hopefully you wont have any. I agree this one should be easy to learn to fly but probly tough on the picture taking side.

There is an autopilot stabilizing device for helios and fixed wing, it can save you from yourself. let go and it assums lover etc.

is that kind of like a fail safe? Does it know when ranging is near? Fail safe on my cars cover my butt at high speed if I lose range and just kill the electronics and shut the motor down. How could this know where the helio is suppose to go with out gps mapping? Ill have to look that up , sounds neat

Gyro stabilizers that you find on almost any helicopter these days work by comparing the motion of the vehicle with the commanded inputs. If the gyro detects that the vehicle turned left 19 degrees, and the receiver didn't get a "turn left 19 degrees" command from the transmitter, the gyro sends a "turn right 19 degrees" command to the tail rotor to correct the error. The only way the vehicle can turn without being commanded, is by being upset by an outside force such as a gust of wind. All this happens dozens or hundreds of time per second. You can get quad copters that you control with an iphone, which includes a sort of autopilot feature that you described. Google "quad copter iphone" and see what you get.

This would also get some folks' attention: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kslv7l75jQ[url]

that sounds neat, kinda like training wheels

A gyro will not keep it from floating away in the wind. Besides the twin fixed rotor design will keep that thing in a hover anytime the the operator takes his right thumb off the controls.