I started this blog a while back but I
have been indecisive about what to post here and how to structure it,
so that it remains as unique as the rest of this site. Well, I
guess I need to start somewhere and the previous material I was going
to post here will just be added in the future as time permits.
This is the latest project I've been
working on. It has and continues to be my dream and joy to be challenged with
new projects of models which have not been done yet. The more unique
the better.
So here it goes. The helicopter in
itself is unique in its raw form, but it is the shape of things and how
they flow in space that can attract the eye and quench the
palette.
Posted to You Tube July 28, 2010
http://www.micro-flight.com A rather
large, home brewed, simple, yet very realistic and easy to control
Ultralight RC helicopter I put together out of boredom with
commercially available 500 size helis, which have become cookie cutter
in style.
I purposely designed this helicopter for simplicity and so that I
could spend more time flying it then setting it up or tweaking it,
reason it is just FP.
I am using the famous MIA Micro-Flight Pilot Figure, I have been using
in my other Ultralight Planes and Autogyros (see my other videos here
via my web site
You Tube link or directly via my You Tube channel).
More than 2 decades ago, I started designing my own electric
helicopters, a time when the only commercially available RC helis were
mainly model fuel powered. In contrast to the products I've been
promoting, manufacturing and selling, for the last 10 years, which
have been tiny in size, my first experimental RC electric heli designs
were rather large helicopters, 600 size, the reason being that
technology was not that small, in those years and it was not feasible
for making a helicopter that was 20 inch rotor without a considerable
compromise on flight time. But eventually my heart was on the really
tiny stuff. I think because no one else was making them, which,
eventually, led me to making some of the very first tiny RC
helicopters, such as the MIA Sport LE, MIA Robin 280, MIA House FLY,
MIA Bumble Bee and MIA Mosquito (Mosca) micro, sub micro, and palm
size, before any of the big names in RC helis did it.
I've been wanting to put together this particular larger MIA
Ultralight RC helicopter for a long time, its design supports itself
heavily on some of my early large RC electric helicopter designs which
I have rarely shown (however, will be in the MIA Museum) and on
similar, real one man carrying designs, for inspiration, but real work
responsibilities have been keeping me from finishing this fun
helicopter earlier. Still in prototyping stages and it still requires
a bit more refinements, mainly in the LG and tail boom guard section.
The mechanics and control works beautifully and I am doing something a
little different with the controls, than anything I've seen on any
other RC or real helicopter design, to provide great control
precision.
I cannot describe the joy of flying this particular helicopter, the
feel of it is almost as if I am part of the heli itself, almost like
flying the real thing, the control is easy and gentle and the
helicopter responds accordingly with very precise movements which give
you a total sense that you are one with the aircraft.
I may turn this into a Builders' Kit. If interested, send me and E-Mail
via my web site contact link.
Sunday August 01,
2010
Some photos I have not shown
previously, but here they are for the first time, one of my
first experimental large RC heli more than 20 years ago.
Someone once asked me, if I rely on helicopter design formulas
to make the helis I do. I did actually, quite extensively, for
the first larger electric helis and the MIA Robin 280
helicopter, but after you do something long enough, especially
RC flying models, you sort of develop a good feel for it, that
it becomes second nature. I rely
heavily on a specific size and weight reference which is in my memory and I
normally hit the nail on the head without much tweaking, when
designing a new model from scratch. But if In doubt, I
typically go back and do the math.
A few days ago I crashed the MIA
Ultralight heli
due to fighting a flight in heavy winds. I was flying it near
the pool and the wind took over, up throttle! and landed it
hard over the rocks. Broke the main blades and bent the
boom, no big deal.
Today, I could not wait, needed
that flying fix!, so I repaired the heli and decided to
get another video going. The helicopter is craving a large open
area and full throttle. I am flying it at 1/3 throttle in all my
videos. Hopefully this coming weekend I will take it to the park
and do another video with more space to fly in. This is one fun
helicopter! I love the way the control handles and it is a very
simple control system also, so more incentive for a possible MIA
Ultra-light Helicopter Kit. I am not missing
the setup that is normally associated with a collective pitch
helicopter.
Ok Here is another video of the
helicopter flying in the park. The helicopter performs much
better and it loves the open space.
