Information Articles

The GWS Dream Starter is a basic flight simulator controller, designed to accurately simulate a four channel model airplane or helicopter transmitter. It works exactly like a regular computer joystick, and has a standard USB interface. This lets it work right out of the box, without installing any drivers.

Confusing Packaging - An Explanation

The box containing the flight simulator controller can be slightly misleading. The picture on the back of the package shows several chargers, cables, and a battery pack. The only thing the box contains is the actual controller. It would seem that the company who builds the simulator controller uses the same box to package several different products. Please note that this is not a problem, because the USB cable lets the simulator controller draw power from the computer. No battery packs or chargers are needed. The picture also shows a blue transmitter. Each simulator controller is black, so that it looks like actual RC transmitters. Don’t be alarmed when you only find the transmitter in the package. You don’t need anything else to fly using the simulator.

FMS Set Up Instructions

The GWS Flight Simulator Controller requires some configuration in order to work properly with the Flying Model Simulator. Here is a step by step procedure showing how to configure and calibrate your controller.

1. Install FMS. An installation CD-ROM is included with your controller. Just insert it into your disk drive and follow the on screen instructions. If you don’t have a CD-ROM, you can download FMS here. If you are using Windows Vista, some additional installation steps are required.
2. Before you run the program, plug your controller into your computers USB port.
3. You should see a message pop up. Windows is informing you that it has found a new USB controller.
4. Start FMS by double clicking the icon on your desktop.
5. Click “Controls” at the upper part of the simulator window.
6. This will open a drop down menu. Click the “Analog Control” entry to proceed to configuration.
7. A small window titled “Control” will open. Click the “Joystick Interface” entry.
8. Press the calibrate button, on the right side of the window.
9. Centre all of the trim tabs on the controller (except the throttle, which should be at idle), and move the sticks in full circles several times.
10. Click the next button, and centre all of the sticks. (This includes the throttle.)
11. Click Finish.
12. Click the checkboxes found on the left side of the screen, and change the numbers in the channel fields as needed to create the configuration shown in this picture. This will reverse some channels on the controller, which operate in the wrong direction by default.
    
13. When done, click the OK button at the bottom of the configuration window, then close the smaller “Control” window.
14. You should be able to adjust the simulated models trim by using the tabs on the controller. Please be aware that the engine of your simulated model will turn off, if the throttle trim is set to idle. You will need to move this trim tab upwards slightly, to achieve a good idle speed.

Congratulations, you have successfully configured the flying model simulator to work with your new simulator controller.

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Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
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The Mach IIIz is an indoor electric RC blimp, which uses helium gas in a mylar inflatable envelope for buoyancy.

Mach IIIz RC Airship Features

The Mach IIIz blimp features three channel radio control, which allows it to fly in any direction (up/down, left/right, and forwards/backwards, and spin in 360 degrees). Each channel controls one of three fans, which are mounted on the gondola. The gondola is the white plastic cabin, which is mounted on the bottom of the inflatable balloon envelope via clear tape. Two of these fans are attached side by side, and control the direction of the blimp. An additional fan is mounted on the bottom of the gondola, which controls altitude. Learn more about how RC blimps work.

The Mach IIIz blimp uses a small 3v lithium battery for power. Lithium batteries are very lightweight, making them perfect for usage in RC blimps. The battery is mounted in the gondola of the Mach IIIz, and provides power for both the electric motors and the radio receiver.

MachIIIz blimps also come in different frequencies, colors, and styles, so two blimps can be flown at the same time. High lift envelopes are available for customers above 4000 ft. If you’re into sc-fi, a UFO / flying saucer version is also available.

Mach IIIz blimps are perfect for flying indoors, but they will become lost if you attempt outdoor flight. Remember that the Mach IIIz is essentially a powered helium balloon, so even slight winds will carry it away. Because the MachIIIz is durable and easy to fly they make an ideal RC toy for kids. The MachIIIz is great for advertising when equipped with a plain silver balloon, or a white high lift envelope. You can print your own stickers, or use a soft felt tip marker to decorate the balloon. Flying this RC airship over any event is sure to get attention, and printing your own labels on the blimp envelope is easy.

Where to Buy an RC Blimp

Get RC Blimps, parts, and accessories at www.rctoys.com.

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Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
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All RC helicopters need a way to control their altitude and direction. In most cases, this is accomplished by altering the angle (pitch) of each rotor blade. The resulting change in airflow from the blades causes the RC helicopter to move in the desired direction. Changing the pitch of the rotors provides very fine control. There are ways that an RC helicopter can be built that eliminate the need for pitch control. These fixed pitch RC helicopters are a great way to start flying rc helicopters, because of their simplified controls and low cost. In this article we will look at how they work, and see some good examples of this design in actual RC helis.

How Fixed Pitch RC Helis Work

In order to understand how fixed pitch RC helicopters work, it is useful to consider a fixed wing aircraft. Airplanes can fly because air moves over the wings, resulting in a difference in air pressure between the top and bottom, which causes lift. To increase the lift we can do one of two things. The speed of the air moving over the wings can be increased, or the curve of the wing can be made steeper. If we think of the rotors on a RC helicopter like the wings on a plane, the easiest way to increase lift is to cause them to spin faster. This will send the helicopter upwards. When the helicopter needs to descend the rotor speed is decreased.

Quad Rotor RC Helicopter Design

Some RC helicopters are built using four main rotors, each mounted at a right angle to the aircraft. This design allows four channel control, without the complexity of variable pitch. A flight computer can read the input from a radio receiver and then change the speed of each motor accordingly. Using a flight computer also allows automatic stabilization of the helicopter. The flight computer is a sophisticated circuit board, which is capable of changing the motion of the helicopter under different conditions. This makes quad rotor helicopters perfect for aerial video and surveillance. The Draganflyer helicopters use this design, and are available in several different models.

Conventional RC Helicopter Design

There are two ways in which a fixed pitch RC helicopters direction of travel can be changed . If we include a rear rotor, which is mounted at a right angle to the fuselage (body of the helicopter), we can use it to push the helicopters nose in the desired direction. Our Mini Bell Helicopters are a good example of this design, and are able to be built to very small dimensions because of the reduced complexity.

Coaxial RC Helicopter Design

We can also use two main rotors, each linked to a separate motor to turn the helicopter. By spinning each rotor at a different rate, the yaw (direction) of the helicopter can be controlled. Our Bladerunner Series and Lama V4 R/C helicopters use this fixed pitch coaxial design. Each rotor can be placed on the same axial. This reduces the size of the helicopter, so that they can be flown indoors. Learn more about coaxial helicopters.

Another benefit of the fixed pitch coaxial design is that it frees an extra channel of control. If we don’t need to control the direction (pitch or yaw, depending on application) of the RC helicopter with the tail rotor, we can mount it in the same direction as the main rotor blades, allowing pitch control. This design is found in our Micro Mosquito RC helicopter, where two main rotors are complemented by a tail rotor.

Benefits of Fixed Pitch RC Helicopters

• A minimal amount of parts are required because of the simple fixed pitch design
• Repairs are simple, because there are few moving parts
• Some fixed pitch RC helicopters can be flown indoors.
• The Draganflyer RC Helicopters are an excellent choice for aerial video because the coaxial design gives stability

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Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
RSS: www.rctoys.com/pr/feed

What is a coaxial RC helicopter? There are several different approaches to coaxial rc helicopter design. There are two main ways that the main rotors of a helicopter can be mounted. In conventional helicopters, one main rotor is mounted on top of the fuselage, and a smaller tail rotor is added to the end of the tail boom. In this system yaw is controlled using the tail rotor, and every other aspect of flight is controlled by altering the pitch of the main rotor blades. It is also important to have a tail rotor so that the torque from the main rotors can be canceled out. Torque is caused by the main rotor spinning in one direction. Because of Newton’s laws of physics (for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction), the nose turns in the opposite direction.

How Coaxial Helicopters Work

Instead of using the tail rotor to control the yaw, two main rotors can be mounted on the helicopter, and spun at different rates. The thrust difference will cause the nose of the helicopter to turn. This duel rotor design is employed in several full scale helicopters, including the CH-47 Chinook, frequently used as a military
transport helicopter because of its immense lifting capacity. The same principle applies to remote control helicopters, but most of the time we choose to mount each rotor on the same axial, hence the term “coaxial”.

Paired rotors spinning in opposite directions

The rotors of a coaxial helicopter need to spin in opposite directions to cancel out the gyroscopic force. On some helicopters, both rotors are on top of each other The main axial of a coaxial helicopter actually consists of two separate axils, one mounted inside the other. Each sub axial is connected to a gear at the base of the shaft, and each gear is attached to an electric motor. These two motors operate independently of each other, so varying the speeds of each rotor is possible.

Since the rotors need to spin in opposite directions, the top and bottom rotor blades are curved in opposite directions. This is because each rotor needs to be pointed into the air flow in order to work. The bottom rotor usually rotates in a clockwise direction, while the top rotor rotates in a counterclockwise direction. It is important to note this if you need to replace your helicopters rotor blades. Your helicopter will not fly if they are installed incorrectly.

Two Channel Coaxial RC Helicopter Design

It is possible to build a coaxial helicopter so that it only needs two main rotors, and eliminate the tail rotor entirely. Tilting the main rotors forward slightly, results in a constant forward movement. An excellent example of this simple design is our Firefly RC Helicopter, which is recommended for beginners due to it’s simple controls.

Three Channel Coaxial RC Helicopter Design

There are other cases where a tail rotor is still added to a coaxial rc helicopter. The tail rotor is placed in the same direction as the main rotors. This allows pitch control, so the forward and reverse rate of the helicopter can be changed. This means that you can fly backwards, forwards and even hover. The Micro Mosquito rc helicopter uses this design.

Four Channel RC Helicopter Design

Even though the coaxial design is most frequently used in small, fixed pitch rc helicopters, it can also be used for models with cyclic collective pitch. The only difference between these models and the conventional designs is their lack of a tail rotor. As with the models above, yaw is controlled by changing the rate at which each rotor spins, but the rotors can change their pitch. This allows the helicopter all four degrees of freedom: pitch, bank, throttle, and yaw. The Esky Lama V4 uses this design, making it a good all around RC helicopter.

Benefits Of The Coaxial Design

• The simple design leads to a low cost.
• Because yaw is controlled with the main rotors, pitch can be controlled with the tail rotor.
• This design produces a great amount of stability.
• Because they are stable, these helicopters are a great way to learn how to fly.

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Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
RSS: www.rctoys.com/pr/feed

Why RC Blimps Float

A remote controlled blimp is a lighter than air aircraft that relies on the principle of buoyancy. Buoyancy is the effect that causes less dense objects to rise when immersed in a denser substance. As long as a similar volume of one material is less dense than another, it will rise. RC blimps, airships and flying saucers make use of this buoyancy effect by using a lighter than air gas to fly: Helium. Because Helium is less dense than the air the blimp will float. The idea behind a blimp is to have the lifting force of the helium exactly cancel out the downwards pull of gravity. This is called neutral buoyancy. In order to rise or descend, the blimp fills or empties different compartments (ballonets) with air. Because air is heavier than helium, this will cause the blimp to decend. Emptying these ballonet compartments will make the blimp lighter and cause it to rise.

The First Blimps

The first rigid airships (also called Dirigibles or Zeppelins) were constructed in the early 20th century. Back then blimp aircraft consisted of a metal frame, covered with fabric and filled with a lighter than air gas like Helium or even Hydrogen. Below this balloon assembly was the gondola. The blimp’s gondola housed the pilot, crew, passengers, and engines. These airships were used for both war and civilian travel during the 20th century. A famous example of such a zepplin was the German Hindenburg airship, which was destroyed on May 6th, 1937. The Germans, who were unable to obtain helium gas for the airship, used hydrogen as the lifting gas. Hydrogen is explosive where Helium is inert. The Hindenburg disaster played a huge role in ending the use of huge blimps for passenger travel.

Modern Blimps

Modern blimp airships are non rigid, meaning that there is no internal structure to support the envelope. Modern blimps are filled with Helium, a safe inert gas, to make them float. Like the old rigid airships, modern blimps still rely on the principle of buoyancy to fly. Modern blimps are used primarily for advertising rather than passenger travel. If you’ve ever attended an NFL football game, NASCAR race, or PGA golf tournament you’ve probably seen the popular Goodyear blimp.

Remote Control Blimps

Radio controlled blimps are an excellent choice for someone new to RC and appeal to all ages. An RC blimp is just a smaller version of a modern blimp airship, except for a few differences. Instead of relying on ballonets (air-filled bladders) to change the weight of the blimp to rise or descend, neutral buoyancy is achieved by adding small weights or ballast putty to the blimp until it hovers. The RC blimp’s gondola is equipped with small electric motors with propellers used to propel the blimp up and down. Most electric rc blimps use a tri fan design, to provide directional control in every direction: up/down, left/right, and forwards/backwards. A good example of this are the Mach III Indoor RC blimps at RCToys.com. These R/C blimp aircraft are for indoor use only. Flying them outside will lead to them getting lost, or blown away. Remember, these aircraft are really helium balloons with motors and a radio, so make sure that you fly them where they cannot get away.

RC Blimp Balloons

RC blimps come with a super lightweight mylar balloon. These mylar rc blimp balloons are both durable, refillable and replaceable. For customers at altitudes greater than 4000 ft above sea level, a larger capacity high lift balloon is available. This white high-lift rc blimp balloon is also great for applying advertising stickers. This can be necessary because, as altitude increases, the density of air decreases, lowering the lift generated by the balloon.

Where to buy Helium for RC Blimp Balloons

Helium for the rc blimp’s balloon envelope is easy to obtain at wedding & party supply stores, flower shops, most grocery stores, and welding supply shops. Filling the rc blimp is also easy, the person selling you the Helium should be able to do it for you, if they have a mylar nozzle. After filling the envelope with Helium place a small piece of tape over the hole to keep the Helium in the balloon.

How to achieve neutral buoyancy so your RC blimp hovers

Chances are, after you have filled your blimp with Helium, it will try to climb. You can use either the weights included with the blimp, or some modeling clay (ballast putty) to correct this. Hang the weights on the rods supporting the engines, making sure to keep the weight equal on both sides. If you decide to use modeling clay, place it in the gondola, near the batteries. Using clay instead of the included weights will allow fine tuning the airship, so that it will maintain the altitude that you want it to. Add just enough weight so the rc blimp neither climbs or sinks.

Where to buy RC Blimps

Draganfly Innovations Inc. sells a huge selection of RC blimps and flying saucers. The most popular blimps are the RC Goodyear Blimp, the RC Airship America and the RC Blimp Bomber. Replacement r/c blimp parts, balloon envelopes and 3V lithium blimp batteries are all available at www.rctoys.com.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
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In this article, we will look at several different ways to learn how to fly your RC aircraft.

After you get your new RC airplane, you will most likely want to fly it right away. Most of the time, rushing to a first flight without being prepared leads to a crash. Fortunately, there are several ways that you can learn to fly RC safely.

Fly your RC plane with an instructor and join a flying club

The oldest and most common way of learning to fly is by flying with a more experienced pilot. The easiest way to learn with an instructor is to join a local RC flying club. There are usually at least a few members who teach students to fly. This is an absolute must if you fly nitro or gas models, even a minor crash with one of these can be very damaging to the model.

When flying with an instructor, the risk of a crash is greatly reduced. An experienced pilot will know what do do in almost any situation, without thinking. It is also beneficial to learn how to operate the aircraft safely, and learning to fly with an instructor will make this easier.

Share the transmitter with an instructor

There are two ways by which an instructor and a student can share the transmitter, the first, and simplest way is to hand the transmitter over in case of an emergency. This is a fine method, but a faster and more reliable one is to use what’s called a “buddy box”. When using a buddy box, two transmitters are linked by a cable. The instructor has the master, and the student has the slave. When the student is flying, the instructor holds down a switch on his/her master transmitter to give the student’s transmitter control. As soon as the instructor needs control, he/she just has to release the switch, and control will be transferred to the master transmitter. This way the instructor can anticipate a crash and save the airplane before it’s too late.

Get an RC flight simulator for your PC

If you can’t find an instructor in your area, then you can still learn to fly without risking your model. RC flight simulators are becoming more popular, and are a fantastic way to practice without the risk of crashing your real plane. Read these articles on www.rchelicopter.com about RC aircraft simulators, and instructions on how you can use your actual aircraft transmitter with your computer. This GWS Flight Simulator Kit is an inexpensive flight sim for your PC.

Buy an inexpensive, simple, 2 or 3 channel RC plane and go from there

It is possible to teach yourself how to fly airplanes. If you have a simple, ready to fly aircraft like the a two channel Vortex or a Venom Micro Park Fighter, then your first solo flights are likely to be a success. Find an instructor and practice on the RC flight simulator before trying a solo flight with a harder to fly aircraft like a 3, 4 or 5 channel model.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
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Good news! You’re now able to run the FMS RC flight model simulator on Windows Vista!

Users of the excellent Flying Model Simulator are reporting having trouble getting it to work properly on Windows Vista. After installing and trying to run FMS, users are generally presented with an error box stating: “D3DRM.DLL cannot be loaded”. Basically, this is telling you that Windows is missing a library, and needs it to display the graphics. Fortunately, there is a library available that fixes this problem. In this article, I will show you how to install this on Windows Vista, so that FMS will work.

1. First, reinstall the FMS flight simulator program. A self extracting installation wizard is available on the page, at http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html Download the latest version, titled Version 2.0 Beta 7 (Windows 9x/ME/2000) - recommended Version
2. After installing, you will need to install the missing library D3DRM.DLL in your Windows Vista System32 folder. Please be careful to follow these instructions exactly, you could damage your system by accidentally deleting files in this folder. Here is the installation procedure, be sure to follow it exactly.
   1. Go to http://www.driverskit.net/dll/get/494.html and enter the code that you see at the bottom of the page.
   2. Press the download button, and save the ZIP file to your computer.
   3. Extract the file D3DRM.DLL
   4. Move the file D3DRM.DLL into the folder C:\Windows\System32
3. Restart the FMS application, and it should now work perfectly.

Get compatible FMS transmitter to USB interface cables and simulator kits here:

We sell USB interface cables to link your RC transmitter to your Windows PC for use with the FMS program. We have Futaba FMS cables, Hitec FMS cables, JR FMS cables, GWS FMS cables and a complete FMS simulator kit. Get one today at Draganfly Innovations Inc. www.RCToys.com

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
RSS: www.rctoys.com/pr/feed