So You Saw the Helicopter!

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of Helicopter is it?

The 3 that you've seen are all Align T-Rex 450 PRO DFC's, with a few "upgrades".

How high can they go?

They would probably climb to over 10,000 feet, but by the time they get to around 500 feet they're REALLY tiny - so going that high isn't a very good idea!

How fast can it go?

The top speed I've recorded on their on-board GPS so far is 111 km/hr.

How far away before the signal is lost?

The radio is good for several kilometers, but in reality, you'd lose sight of them long before you'd lose the signal.

How long does the battery last?

The average flight is around 6 1/2 minutes, drawing around 20 amps from a 12v Lithium Polymer battery. The batteries can be recharged in about the same time - or multiple batteries can be charged at once -- so with a few batteries it's possible to fly pretty much continuously.

How can they fly upside-down?

They're what's called Collective Pitch helicopters which means that the pitch of the blades change depending on what I want the helicopters to do. On the ground the helicopter is started with zero pitch - to make it climb the pitch is changed to a positive amount, and when it's upside down, the pitch is changed to a negative amount.

This is quite an "eye-opener" for people not used to seeing it, but from the helicopter's point of view it really doesn't make any difference -- it's just as happy flying upside-down as it is right-way up!

Why can't my $100 helicopter fly like that?

Unfortunately, although a $100 "Dick Smith Special" may be a similar size, it's very different inside. Most cheap helicopters have two sets of counter-rotating blades; these make it self-leveling and easy to fly, but this also severely limits flight performance. In comparison, collective pitch helicopters - high-performance motors - and high-energy batteries make for insane performance, but the "flip side" is that they're expensive to buy - expensive to maintain - and really difficult to fly.

They look like fun - where can I buy one?

Well, they are fun - and I'd be more than happy to help you buy one - but unfortunately, it's not that easy, and without training, most people crash within the first few seconds (and crashes to helicopters like mine typically do a couple of hundred dollars worth of damage, and take about 6 hours to rebuild & re-align).

To give you an idea of what it's like, imagine trying to balance a ball-bearing on a flat sheet of metal ... whilst in the back seat of a get-away car being driven by fleeing bank robbers ... with the windows down, in a hurricane. I'm sure you get the idea!

OK, so how DO I get started?

Happy to talk more about this with you, but the short answer is that you need to start with both a computer simulator and a cheaper/lighter/smaller helicopter that's more crash resistant. In much the same way as trainee full-scale pilots don't start their flying lessons in a 747!

How long does it take to learn to fly them?

That's actually a difficult question to answer because we never cease learning to fly them. Basic hovering may only take a few hours - forward flight with co-ordinated turns takes quite a few more hours. Things like inverted flight takes longer still (it took me 8 hours on the sim to learn to fly inverted).

As I write this, I've logged around 170 hours, and I've reached the point where I'm reasonably comfortable with mid-altitude flips, loops, and rolls and forward flight. On a scale of 0 to 100 (with 100 being professional level), I'd currently only rate myself at about a 2!

OK - If you've merely a "2", then show me a "100"!

Roger that - check out these professional pilots:

What does it cost to get started with helicopters like this?

I like to tell people that they need to be prepared to invest $3000 to $5000 in their first year. A basic 450 Class heli may only be around $750, but on top of that you've got a whole host of other expenses such as controller (radio/transmitter), batteries, chargers, simulator, replacement parts, tools etc.

It's very much a case of "if you buy quality then you'll only need to buy it once".

Are they dangerous?

Like many things in life, they can be relatively safe, or extremely dangerous. The blades are quite sharp and the tips are traveling at up to 400km/hr. At that speed they're more than capable of cutting through flesh to the bone, or even killing pets if they happen to get hit in a vulnerable part like their throat (like playing "catch the frizbee/helicopter"). I generally won't start the helicopter until unless the flying area is clear ("I'll wait for you") - and in return, it's really cool if you can wait for me to finish a flight before letting your dog loose (it'll only be a few minutes at most).

Unfortunately, when the battery goes flat, the helicopter has to land -- and if there's an over-excited dog waiting underneath for it, there isn't a lot I can do about it. Apart from that, it's also really cool if you can avoid walking under it; sometimes things go wrong and they come crashing down HARD in the blink of an eye. Think of it as an unpredictable flying lawn mower.

So You Saw the Helicopter!

5 October 2014

Exciting and Depressing - both at the same time.

26 April 2014

730MX - Align, what were you thinking?

19 April 2014

Goodbye Juliet - Hello Sojourner!

26 March 2014

RIP "Juliet"

3 January 2014