Large Electric Helis

[brentnhunter]

I'm fairly new to this hobby but I'm fascinated with the possibility of having a large electric helicopter. It sounds way cool plus I hear that larger helicopters are actually easier to fly than smaller ones. I just purchased a Blade CX so I'm a newbie, but I'm wondering, what is the largest electric helicopter out there now?

Also, I see references to 60 or 90 sized helis, and this forum is for 500 sized helis -- what do these numbers mean?

Thank you very much for your time and any assistance you can provide.

Cheers!

Brent

[midi0101]

Hi Brent,

well, the largest electric heli's are 90 sized machines (700+ mm blades). The disadvantage on those birds is that they are still quite expensive (not the heli kit/arf., but the LiPoly cells you need to power that bird).

Anyway, to the sizes of helicopters....that 30,50, 60 or 90 points to the size of the (glow) engine..

30 sized heli --> 0.30 ci glow engine ....510 - 550mm blades
50 sized heli --> 0.50 ci glow engine .... 600 mm blades
60 - 90 sized heli --> 0.60 ci to 0.90 ci glow engine ..... 700+ mm blades

The engine sizes for electric helis refer to the power output in watt (at least, so I believe....If I am wrong, please correct me) of the engine
Hope that little explenation helps...
Cheers,
Michael

[brentnhunter]

Hey there Michael, thanks very much, this is very helpful.

It seems like these are pretty elementary questions that any newbie would want to know. If the editors of this magaznine read this message -- is there a way to add this to the FAQ or perhaps better yet, create a "FAQ for Newbies"?

Brent

[MikeV]

Hi Brent, Michael,

Yes, we do read these boards quite often. Michael's chart on sizing is a great idea. We don't have an FAQ section on this site in the traditional sense, but in every issue of the magazine we have a column called Heli FAQ where we take questions and answers from this board. Also, with the huge number of electric kits coming to market we'll make more comparisons in articles on the size range of electrics compared to nitros.

Thanks guys.

Also, and although we do monitor the boards regularly, if you have an important question or concern be sure to email me directly. mikev@rchelimag.com.

Mike

[brentnhunter]

Super, thanks Mike!