Radio Control: Helicopters
Dave Chesney
Well, I'm not quite ready to report on Ray Hostetler's Jet Ranger modification this month, but his letter prompted some thoughts about the Jet Ranger and other scale and semi-scale RC helicopters.
For many months this column has referred primarily to the erector-set–style helicopter. Machines like the Schlueter Heliboy, American Commander and Revolution 40, and Du-Bro Shark are not the only choices available to the helicopter enthusiast. In fact, there are many kit helicopters of both erector-set–style and scale types that, as far as I know, have never been advertised in American magazines. Pick up a copy of a Japanese RC magazine sometime and look at the variety of choppers those guys fly (I wish I could read about them — any interpreters out there?). At any rate, we American chopper enthusiasts have had what seems to have been a very limited variety of helicopter types from which to choose.
Variety and modeling limitations
Most of the variety of full-scale helicopters of the past and present have not been modeled. Many have been ignored because of their unusual configurations with respect to the present state of the modeling art. For instance, helicopters sporting tandem rotors like the Piasecki H-21 and H-25 or Boeing-Vertol 107 and later designs would not likely be found on a club flight line. Nor would helicopters with contra-rotating intermeshing rotors such as the Kaman H-43. Our modeling technology commonly designates a configuration having a single main rotor with an anti-torque tail rotor.
There are still a variety of single-rotor helicopters that could be modeled and flown by even novice fliers. Most will be ignored by the model helicopter manufacturers simply because there does not seem to be a demand for scale models that are not familiar to the average spectator. Not unlike our fixed-wing RC scale counterparts, the more unusual designs will be left to scratch-builders. But there is interest in scale and scale-like helicopter models, and the variety of scale helicopter kits is perhaps better than we imagined — and the variety is growing.
Scale kits and popular models
The Kavan Jet Ranger is the premiere scale helicopter kit. Certainly it has enjoyed great popularity for many years and remains an excellent kit. Now, with the newest rotor system options and other changes, the Kavan Jet Ranger will probably remain with us for many years to come. Some of its popularity is probably due to the popularity of the full-scale Bell Jet Ranger, and very possibly that was Kavan's marketing strategy. Kavan was first to present a model helicopter that most people could recognize. It was like asking the average guy to name a light plane: a "Cub," right? Well, ask someone to name a helicopter and more than likely it'll be "Jet Ranger." Ask an RC helicopter flier about a Jet Ranger and his first thought is probably Kavan — even though at least two other model helicopter manufacturers also kitted the Bell Jet Ranger. The photos show what can be done with the Kavan Jet Ranger when scale modeling is your thing.
Another popular scale helicopter was offered by Schlueter in the form of the Bell Huey Cobra. The Cobra was rather large by today's standards but many chose it because, after all, it looked like the real thing and it would fly. Many are still around to attest to the design's popularity and, like the Kavan Jet Ranger, other manufacturers chose the Cobra to model as well. Last year at Toledo, American R/C Helicopters, Inc. introduced their "S" Cobra prototype (a later design of Bell's earlier Huey Cobra). American may soon release the "S" Cobra for those of us interested in scale military choppers.
The Hughes 500 is also a popular civil/military helicopter. There are probably a few Kalt Hughes 500s around, but most recently American R/C produced a semi-scale Hughes 500 fuselage for their Revolution 40, and other manufacturers have produced fuselage kits of the Hughes suitable for use with Kavan Jet Ranger mechanics. Still others, such as T & J Manufacturing, offer the Hughes 500 fuselage to fit the Heliboy and, with some modification, the Revolution Commander. The ability to wrap a scale fuselage such as the Hughes 500 around existing mechanics seems to be an ideal way to gain a "new" machine with not much work or money.
While the Hughes 500 is a sleek executive type with a full fuselage, the Hughes 300 is a smaller, simpler design. A semi-scale Hughes 300 was available from Du-Bro for a number of years and can be fashioned into a very respectable stand-off scale model. See the July 1979 MA photo of Grady Howard's Hughes 300 for an example of what can be done to Du-Bro's Shark or Hughes.
For the most part, executive and military types with full fuselages seem to be the most popular. I guess this is because of the chances to really doll up the fuselage paint schemes. One of the most recent executive helicopters to be modeled is the Bell 222, a very sleek business aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear rather than the usual landing skids. Schlueter first offered the 222 as the scale fuselage for the Heliboy, but most recently the Bell 222 fuselage is offered for Kavan Jet Ranger mechanics by Central Hobby Supply, 35 Woodberry, Little Rock, AR 72212. Central's Bell 222 may also be modified to accept Heliboy, Revolution Commander, or Graupner mechanics. The leaflet photos of their fiberglass kit looked great.
Bell family and other American designs
So far it looks like a Bell helicopter would have been the most likely full-scale helicopter to be represented at the model helicopter flying field. To continue that trend, Graupner introduced the Bell 212 and 47G models a few years ago. The Graupner 47G, a .25-size machine, never seemed to make it over here, but many Graupner Bell 212s did. I'm not sure if the Graupner kits are still available, but many of the 212 fliers I've talked with still find them to be a desirable model. The Graupner 212 seems to be a very smooth and scale-like flying machine.
Other fuselage kits of Bell helicopters are, or will be, marketed. For instance, the Bell 212, 214 and 205 are slated for future release by Central Hobby Supply. The Bell 204 (UH-1B Iroquois) helicopter kit by Hirobo is available through Consumers Hobby Corp., which rounds out the Bell Helicopter family available to RC fliers.
What about representation for other full-scale American helicopter manufacturers who have single-rotor designs? Well, with the exception of Enstrom, I'm not sure there is any. A few years ago Du-Bro presented a .40-size Tri-Star with an Enstrom fuselage and more recently Hirobo offers the Enstrom Shark in .40 size; but as far as I know, model helicopter manufacturers have ignored other full-scale American helicopter designs. So, Sikorsky fans will have to scratch-build.
European and other models
There are a few other models of full-scale birds available. How about Kavan's Alouette II for .40-size engines? Or Hirobo's Aerospatiale Gazelle for .60s? Or Schlueter's Bolkow BO105 with four-blade head? Those and other helicopters available in kit form are models of European helicopters — not quite as well known to American skywatchers but they are beautiful ships. A very pretty helicopter of recent origin is the Aerospatiale A.S.350. I have had the opportunity to see and admire one of the full-scale machines. A fuselage kit will soon be available to fit Heliboy mechanics.
Scale contests and closing
So there is a variety of scale helicopter kits or fuselage kits available — now, how about some RC helicopter scale contests? I expect to see several new scale fuselage kits at the Toledo Show this year, and I know I've probably missed some that are already available. Don't feel left out — send your photos. See you at Toledo.
Dave Chesney Route 9, Box 621A Greensboro, NC 27409
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
