A Remote Control Blimp For Everyone
The
remote control blimp
is one particularly interesting aircraft in the RC flying arsenal you may never have considered. But you love to fly radio controlled aircraft, right? From park flyers to jets and helis to gliders, flying is fun. The RC blimp is a fascinating craft, surprisingly affordable, that comes in a wide range of sizes, shapes and flying capabilities and is used for pleasure, business and grand scale entertainment.The ones most RC enthusiasts purchase are 1.5-6 feet long and are used solely for pleasure flying. Businesses normally go for remote control blimps that are 6-12 feet long and are used for advertising and at commercial events, like trade shows. Mammoth RC blimps, some over 30 feet long, are used for advertising and announcements are various sports events and other arena-style gatheringsthese blimps, while radio-controlled, are usually tethered.Getting into lighter-than-air crafts, or airships, as they are often called, involves learning some new terms for components and finding a solid source for helium. Here is a basic list of airship parts:Envelope (also known as the Hull) made of a flexible material with good tensile strength, like Mylar, the envelope that makes up the shape of the airship. The envelope is held in its expanded shape from the internal over-pressure created when it is filled with helium gas. Gondola a container attached to the aft of the airship that normally contains your RC receiver, batteries and motors. Motors may be mounted to the gondola on the backside or one on each side, for extra power. Some motors can be mounted so that they can tilt up and down, creating what is known as vectored thrust.Power Plant combustion engines or electric motors are used to power remote control blimps. Many blimp enthusiasts recommend electric motors, which are heavier than combustion engines, but have better throttle control and can utilize reverse for low speed manoeuvres. Electric motors also maintain their weight throughout your flight, unlike gas engines, which will loose mass as their fuel burns. Propeller as with any propelled aircraft, the RC blimp has special flight needs regarding their propellers. With much of their flight manoeuvrability dependent on low rpm running, a larger prop is usually found to be more efficient.Rudders airship rudders perform the same function as other RC aircraft, controlling direction and aiding in stabilization. Airship rudders are going to be much lighter and have more surface area than those of a plane.A remote control blimp is capable of extreme aerial acrobatics climbing, diving, rolls, flips, loops and even standing on their noses. They can often be purchased as complete RTF units, with the blimp envelope, transmitter/controller, gondola, ballast weights and rechargeable lithium cell. You only need batteries for the transmitter and helium and you are ready to fly. You can expect a 100-300 foot transmitter range, depending on the size of your transmitter. Many RC blimps also include the capability of pre-programmable light displays, music and sound effects.Although remote control blimp flying is usually best indoors, there are some models that can be flown outside on very calm daysor nights! No matter where you fly though, this is one aircraft that is so much fun to fly, you never stop smiling.
May 13, 2008
May 12, 2008
Build a remote control helicopter
How to build a remote control helicopter
Youve jumped into the
remote control helicopter
hobby and you are about to find yourself with more fun than one person can handle, so why not drag along a friend? Lets start at the beginning with how to build an RC helicopter so you can get busy having some of that fun.First, you need to decide on which model helicopter you are interested in. Once you have it built youll be ready to start flying no matter which one you decide to build, and for the most part the skill level is the same, so why not pick a chopper that appeals to you?Building your remote control helicopter is a daunting task but worth every minute and with the right set of tools and the instructions [yes you do have to read them] youll be up for the challenge and you can be proud of the end result.The best way to decide which RC helicopter to buy is to have a look at the different choppers that are available. Read reviews on the different models and types to discover which fly the best and which fly the worst, find out what others like or dislike about certain models. After that, youll be able to make an informed decision and you wont be wondering if you made the right choice.Purchasing your remote control helicopter is just the beginning. Then you will also need to purchase the various parts that you will need like an engine to make it run, the gyro that will control the rotor, the servos and radio controls which is how you will talk to your RC helicopter. The servo is installed in the helicopter and it is where the signals from the remotes are transmitted to.Next, you need to be sure that you have all the tools that you will need to build your helicopter. Nut drivers, ball drivers, screw drivers, pliers, wrenches, fuel filters, glow plugs, pitch gauge, all kinds of nuts and bolts. No matter which kit you buy there always seems to be a screw or two missing, or you loose one while doing the assembly, oh yes, and dont forget those repairs youll have to make after a crash. And you will crash everybody does at first. In fact, its half the fun of learning to fly.After youve built your remote control helicopter, its almost time to take it for a test flight. Remember, anything that turns must be balanced, your end points need to be equal, and all the bolts need to be tight. If you have a friend thats an experienced RC helicopter pilot, ask them to look over your project to make sure youve got it all right. And now its time for lift off the moment youve been waiting for has arrived. What an exhilarating feeling watching the remote control helicopter soar high above. Dont worry this is only the beginning of a whole lot of fun in the RC world.
Youve jumped into the
remote control helicopter
hobby and you are about to find yourself with more fun than one person can handle, so why not drag along a friend? Lets start at the beginning with how to build an RC helicopter so you can get busy having some of that fun.First, you need to decide on which model helicopter you are interested in. Once you have it built youll be ready to start flying no matter which one you decide to build, and for the most part the skill level is the same, so why not pick a chopper that appeals to you?Building your remote control helicopter is a daunting task but worth every minute and with the right set of tools and the instructions [yes you do have to read them] youll be up for the challenge and you can be proud of the end result.The best way to decide which RC helicopter to buy is to have a look at the different choppers that are available. Read reviews on the different models and types to discover which fly the best and which fly the worst, find out what others like or dislike about certain models. After that, youll be able to make an informed decision and you wont be wondering if you made the right choice.Purchasing your remote control helicopter is just the beginning. Then you will also need to purchase the various parts that you will need like an engine to make it run, the gyro that will control the rotor, the servos and radio controls which is how you will talk to your RC helicopter. The servo is installed in the helicopter and it is where the signals from the remotes are transmitted to.Next, you need to be sure that you have all the tools that you will need to build your helicopter. Nut drivers, ball drivers, screw drivers, pliers, wrenches, fuel filters, glow plugs, pitch gauge, all kinds of nuts and bolts. No matter which kit you buy there always seems to be a screw or two missing, or you loose one while doing the assembly, oh yes, and dont forget those repairs youll have to make after a crash. And you will crash everybody does at first. In fact, its half the fun of learning to fly.After youve built your remote control helicopter, its almost time to take it for a test flight. Remember, anything that turns must be balanced, your end points need to be equal, and all the bolts need to be tight. If you have a friend thats an experienced RC helicopter pilot, ask them to look over your project to make sure youve got it all right. And now its time for lift off the moment youve been waiting for has arrived. What an exhilarating feeling watching the remote control helicopter soar high above. Dont worry this is only the beginning of a whole lot of fun in the RC world.
RC Battery
Great RC Battery Deals Here!
(All links open new windows)
When you want an RC battery for your radio control car, truck, boat, heli or plane, you want top quality at reasonable prices. I've spent many hours searching the Internet for these valuable batteries from reliable suppliers and I think you'll be pleased with the results.
Bear in mind that a NiMh battery is superior in many ways to the equivelant NiCd battery in that it's much lighter, the charge lasts longer and nickel-metal hydride is friendlier to the environment because it does not contain the toxic chemicals found in other batteries. They are however more expensive but the price keeps dropping now that LiPoly cells are on the market.
I trust that you'll find all that you need here but if you don't, then feel free to contact me and I'll try my best to supply you with the battery of your choice.
Rechargeable R/C Batteries
More RC batteries
Lithium Polymer Batteries
(All links open new windows)
When you want an RC battery for your radio control car, truck, boat, heli or plane, you want top quality at reasonable prices. I've spent many hours searching the Internet for these valuable batteries from reliable suppliers and I think you'll be pleased with the results.
Bear in mind that a NiMh battery is superior in many ways to the equivelant NiCd battery in that it's much lighter, the charge lasts longer and nickel-metal hydride is friendlier to the environment because it does not contain the toxic chemicals found in other batteries. They are however more expensive but the price keeps dropping now that LiPoly cells are on the market.
I trust that you'll find all that you need here but if you don't, then feel free to contact me and I'll try my best to supply you with the battery of your choice.
Rechargeable R/C Batteries
More RC batteries
Lithium Polymer Batteries
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