Helicopters
Walt Schoonard
Toledo 1975, the year of small inexpensive RC helicopters. The Toledo show was greatly expanded this year, which permitted a larger number of display booths and also increased comfort for the spectator. I have attended this show for many years, but this was the first time you could get to the more popular booths and not be crushed. My main interest being "good radios" and helicopters, kept me busy the first day asking the radio manufacturers if their radio would work well in helicopters. I was very disappointed in the answers I received. Most of them hedged or gave no definite response. The only manufacturer who is exerting any real effort to solve helicopter problems is EK-Logictrol. They are now field testing a radio especially developed for helicopters.
Aubrey Radford of Jacksonville, Fla., has been putting several sets through unbelievably tough helicopter tests. Aubrey is the first person to do controlled rolls with RC helicopters. He happens to be an individual who tells things like they are, and the reports coming from him speak very well for the EK-Logictrol helicopter radio. The radio has extremely good noise rejection and yet has plenty of range. The servos are a hybrid design that have speed and power and tight centering. The transmitter is laid out very conveniently so that all trims are
Contest Rules.
The AMA Advisory Committee on helicopter competition rules of which I am chairman met at Toledo for some six hours. A very challenging set of rules emerged from this meeting. The first session was attended by some 30 helicopter people. The safety rules were first formulated and then the conduct of the pilot and the helicopter were discussed.
The actual flying rules proved too much for so many people so a motion was made that we select three fixed-pitch people and three collective people to set down a set of rules acceptable to both. This proved to be a very good move, and this group met Sunday for about two hours. Their well-done homework brought a meeting of minds in this short time and a good set of rules have now been formulated. These rules are being mailed for comment to all committee members, the AMA, Bill Northrop, and prominent RC helicopter pilots throughout the country. They are also being sent to Don Dewey of the National RC Helicopter Assoc. When finalized, these rules will be flown at the AMA Helicopter Nationals on August 2 and 3, 1975 at Lake Charles. They will also be flown on an initial basis at the NRCHA Nationals on July 26 and 27, 1975, in Greenville, Pa. (CD William Curtis, R.D. #2, Greenville, Pa 16125—Phone 412-588-4120). These rules provide classes for Novice, Intermediate, Expert, and Scale. They will be judged for precision and realism. They will be published in full as soon as possible.
Join the NRCHA. Do your ground maintenance and practice—practice—practice hovering! Please direct any correspondence to: RC Helicopters, Model Aviation Magazine, 806 Fifteenth St. N.W., Suite 620, Washington, DC 20005.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
