RC Helicopters

We are pleased to announce the release of our latest UAV helicopter, the Draganflyer X4. Several hundred hours of research and development went into its design, bringing about a sleek, sophisticated UAV. The Draganflyer X4 features much of the same technology as the Draganflyer X6, but is available at a much lower cost. Designed for commercial, government, and military applications, the Draganflyer X4 provides affordable aerial photography and videography.

Diverging from our larger 6 rotor design, the Draganflyer X4 features the same quad rotor design used by our older helicopters. Four brushless motors independently drive four carbon fiber rotor blades, all controlled and monitored  by an advanced flight computer.

The flight computer uses SteadyFlight technology to process the inputs of seven individual sensors, including:

• A barometric pressure sensor
• Three accelerometers
• Three gyroscopes

The flight computer reads sensor outputs and precisely determines the motor outputs required to keep the helicopter flying straight and level. If selected by the pilot, the barometric pressure sensor is used by the helicopter to maintain altitude. Properly trimmed and balanced, the helicopter will hold its position in the air allowing you to get excellent aerial photographs and video.

Four different cameras have been customized to work with our UAV, including:

• A 12.1 MP digital still and video camera
• A micro color video camera
• low-light black and white video camera
• A FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red) video camera

All of these cameras transmit wireless video via a 5.8 GHz transmitter built into the mount. Wireless video can be received using either the handheld controller (which includes its own flat patch video antenna) or the optional base station. Video glasses plug directly into the handheld transmitter, allowing you to see what the helicopter is seeing and get perfectly aimed aerial photographs and video. The optional base station is compatible with any modern PC running Windows and features three standard RCA output jacks. This allows you to use your own recording equipment with the cameras or even re-transmit the video stream if needed.

Because all wireless communication is subject to interference, all of our cameras now feature a built-in DVR that records a pristine, interference-free copy of your aerial video to an SD memory card. After you finish flying, plug the SD memory card into your computer and edit the video using the software of your choice. Each camera also features a custom designed mount with a remote tilt feature (adjustable via the handheld controller). Designed to give you the best quality video possible, each camera mount features balanced, oil-filled shock absorbers. The shock absorbers keep the recorded video free from vibration, guaranteeing that you get the best possible results.

The Draganflyer X4 UAV features an innovative case system that makes transporting the helicopter easier than ever. The entire Draganflyer X4 helicopter presses neatly into its pre-cut slot in the case. Each part and accessory fits into molded high-density foam inserts for safekeeping during transport. The transport case features a dual layer design with flight accessories in the top layer and the base station in the bottom layer. A patented, load-bearing system clips on to the transport case allowing it to be worn like a backpack, and transported just as easily. Built from flexible Cordura™ nylon, the load-bearing system is securely attached using Fastex™ hardware and adjustable carry straps.

The entire transport case fits neatly into a rugged ATA (Airline Transport Association) certified hard case, rated to last over 100 flights as airline baggage. The padlockable, all-metal, carpet-lined ATA case allows you to safely transport the helicopter anywhere in the world without worrying about damage caused by the rigors of travel as airline baggage.

Designed for small enterprises and projects on a budget, the Draganflyer X4 is our most affordable unmanned aerial vehicle ever. Use the power of a full featured VTOL UAV  for your project – the Draganflyer X4 makes professional quality aerial photographs and video easier to obtain than ever before.

The Blade MCX is a great RC helicopter, but a comprehensive guide on installing replacement parts seems hard to find. Here’s a list of all the parts that tend to break with crashes, and how to install replacements. Don’t feel bad about crashing your heli – even I’ve crashed a few times flying the blade MCX around the factory!

Replacing the Blade MCX RC Helicopter Flybar

The main flybar stabilizes the top rotor, and spins at a great speed. Because it’s built on top of the main rotors, it tends to fly off during a collision. Fortunately, it’s almost never damaged and most of the time can simply be snapped back into place. Should yours break for some reason, here’s how to install a replacement.

1. Check the Flybar For Damage – There’s very little that can actually break on the flybar, but check it against this picture to be sure it isn’t actually damaged.
2. Snap off The Flybar Linkage – You’ll find a small black linkage on the flybar (the plastic part, about 1 cm high, that dangles down freely), which connects to the top rotor blades. Snap it off gently, and place it somewhere where it won’t get lost.
3. Lift off the Flybar – The flybar is held between a black plastic clevis (the plastic holder on top of the rotor shaft). Gently spread the clevis apart using your fingers, and lift the flybar out.
4. Install the New Flybar - Slide the new flybars centre into the black plastic clevises between the top rotor blades. Line the plastic extrusions on the helicopter’s flybar up with the holes in the clevis and snap it into place. Do the same with the small linkage, snap it onto one of the plastic extrusions on the top rotor blades. It doesn’t matter which side of the top rotors you attach the linkage to.

Replacing the Blade MCX RC Helicopter Top Rotors

A severe crash can crack the top rotor blades. Repairing them with tape or glue isn’t a good idea, because it causes an imbalance that makes the helicopter hard to fly. Your best bet is to simply replace them – here’s how:

1. Unscrew The Rotor Blades – Using a small Philips head screwdriver, remove the two small screws holding the top rotor blades. Be sure to set the screws where they won’t get lost or roll away.
2. Remove The Rotor Blades – The top rotor blades lock into each other, gently pull them apart and remove them.
3. Install the New Rotor Blades – At the top of the rotor shaft, you’ll see two black holes protruding outwards. Place each rotor blade (right side up) into the shaft, and snap them together. It is possible to put the rotor blades in upside down – don’t do this. Make them look the same as the bottom rotor blades.
4. Re-install the Small Screws – Using a Philips head screwdriver, replace the two small screws that you removed earlier.

Replacing the Blade MCX RC Helicopter Landing Skid

The landing skid is one of the easiest Blade MCX parts to replace. It simply pulls off from the bottom of the helicopter fuselage. You don’t always have to replace a damaged landing skid, most of the time some thick or medium CA (super glue) can fix it perfectly.

1. Remove the Rechargeable Battery – You’ll need to hold on to the battery mount to remove the skid.
2. Remove the Skid – Grab the skid by the battery mount and pull it off gently.
3. Replace the Skid – Install a new landing skid by pushing it’s two pegs (found near the battery mount) into the holes in the bottom of the fuselage.  Be sure to do this gently – don’t damage the helicopter by using too much force.

Replacing the Blade MCX Inner Shaft

The inner shaft turns the top rotor blades. After a few crashes, the rotor head / hub where the flybar connects can become bent, or the inner shaft itself can snap. If you’re in a particularly bad crash and the inner shaft breaks, here’s what to do:

1. Remove The Battery and Skid – The battery slides out, and the landing skid can be pulled off.
2. Remove The Flybar – How to do this is mentioned above.
3. Remove The Top Rotor Blades – This was also previously mentioned.
4. Remove The Bottom Gear – On the bottom of the fuselage, you’ll find two white plastic gears. Remove the bottom one by loosening the screws on the silver washer glued to it. Don’t remove the little black screws completely because they are easy to loose. Just loosen them enough to let the bottom gear slide off. Then gently pull the bottom gear downwards and clear of the inner shaft.
5. Pull Out The Old Inner Shaft – The inner shaft can now be slid out of the outer shaft by pulling it upwards.
6. Insert the New Inner Shaft – Slide the new inner shaft into the hole on the top of the outer shaft – it should drop down easily.
7. Replace The Bottom Gear – Slide the bottom gear onto the inner shaft so that it meshes nicely with the motor shaft gear. Tighten the small black screws that you loosened earlier.
8. Re-Install All The Other Parts You Removed – Add the upper rotor blades, flybar, landing skid, and battery.
9. Test it – Make sure that turning the upper rotor blades makes the lower white gear move. If it doesn’t, then the small black screws on the lower gear aren’t tightened sufficiently.

Replacing Blade MCX RC Helicopter Rubber Grommets On The Canopy

The Blade MCX canopy is held on with small black rubber grommets. These rubber grommets can sometimes fall off and get lost, but replacing them is easy – here’s how:

1. Pick Up a Grommet – Yeah, I know this one sounds obvious, but picking up the small grommets without losing them is hard. The way that works best for me is to let one sit on a table, then press a finger down on it. The grommet should stick to your finger, and you can then place it where needed.
2. Push the Grommet Onto The Blade MCX Body – Push the grommet onto the shafts in the fuselage using your finger. Doing this isn’t easy, and it may take several tries.

© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
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The Blade MCX is an ideal RC helicopter for beginners. Here’s a list of 10 power tips to help you keep your Blade MCX in the air, and have fun flying it.

1. Keep A Few Replacement Parts Handy – Accidents happen, and waiting for replacement parts to come in the mail can be a pain. When you order a Blade MCX, also order a few of the most needed replacement parts. These include the main landing gear, stabilizer fly bar, upper main rotor blades, and inner shaft. We’ll post a detailed how to for adding replacement parts to the Blade MCX shortly.
2. Trim the Heli For Easier Flight – The Blade MCX transmitter has trim tabs that you can use to cancel out unwanted movement in flight. Apply trim by bringing the helicopter to a stationary hover, and letting go of the control sticks for a moment. Note the direction that the RC helicopter drifts in, and  press the buttons near the transmitter sticks in the opposite direction to compensate. Each trim tab corresponds to the control stick it’s placed next to. Page 15 of the manual has detailed instructions for trimming the Blade MCX.
3. Land Before LVC (Low Voltage Cut-off) – At low voltage cut-off, the RC helicopter’s red LED lights will start to blink. This means that the lipo battery is at a minimum voltage, and can’t be drained further without damage. Land immediately. Flying past LVC will damage the battery, and you’ll get shorter flight times as a result.
4. How To Fly Faster – Flying forwards using only the pitch control doesn’t make the Blade MCX go very fast. You can increase speed by increasing throttle as you pitch forward, and by flying in a gradual left or right turn.
5. Lubricate Moving Parts – If you have trouble controlling the Blade MCX, it could be because parts are not moving freely enough. Use a small amount of light lubricate on the moving parts near the rotor head to allow them to move more smoothly.
6. Replace the AA Batteries Included With The Blade MCX – The AA batteries included in the box aren’t as good as those you can get locally. They work fine in the transmitter, but they won’t charge the Blade MCX battery nearly fast enough.
7. Keep A Spare Battery Charged When Flying – Why interrupt flying to let the battery charge? If you have a spare battery for the Blade MCX, you can charge one while you use the other, reducing down time for charging.
8. Keep the Main Shaft Clean – Foreign objects, especially hair can get stuck in the Blade MCX main shaft. This will make the motors struggle, and could stop them completely. Check for hair or other objects wound around the main shaft before flying and remove any you find with a pair of tweezers.
9. Use Rechargeable Batteries in The Charger – Using rechargeable batteries in the Blade MCX battery charger will save you money.
10. Close Doors And Turn Off Fans – Closing doors and turning off fans in the flying area will reduce drafts and make flying easier. The Blade MCX was not designed to handle any wind.

© 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

We are pleased to announce that we will be adding the amazing Blade MCX indoor micro RC helicopter to our inventory. The Blade MCX is the next step in the world of indoor RC helicopters, and has several amazing
features that set it apart from the crowd.

Blade MCX Main Features: What you Get In The Box

The Blade MCX includes everything you need to fly, right out of the box. Here’s what’s included:

• Blade MCX RTF Micro RC Helicopter
• 2.4 Ghz, DSM-2, Spread Spectrum Transmitter (Includes 4 AA Batteries)
• Portable Lipo Battery Charger (Includes 4 AA Batteries)
• 1 cell, 3.7 volt, 110 mAh lipo battery
• Small Screwdriver for Assembly
• Extra Canopy Securing Rings

Because you don’t have to purchase additional parts to fly the Blade MCX, it’s perfect for beginning pilots who are new to the hobby. The
Blade MCX is also well suited to pilots with previous RC helicopter experience, for flying indoors and during the winter months.

Helicopter Features

The most innovative feature of the Blade MCX is it’s fully proportional, four channel radio. Having four channel control means that pilots can fly the helicopter with four dimensions of freedom. Just like a large, expensive RC helicopter, the Blade MCX can fly up/down, rotate left/right, pitch forwards/backwards, and bank left/right. Having a four channel radio system lets you precisely control the Blade MCX’s movement through all three dimensions. Four channel control is nothing new to RC Helicopters, but what makes the Blade MCX special is it’s size. With a rotor diameter of 7.5 inches, and a length of 7.9 inches, it can easily fit into the palm of your hand. It is very uncommon to find RC helicopters of this size and price range with four channel control.

The Blade MCX features a coaxial rotor design. This coaxial design gives the helicopter great flight stability, and removes the need for a separate tail rotor to control yaw (rotation about the main rotor
axis). The main rotors spin in opposite directions, cancelling out any yaw caused by their rotation. Coaxial helicopters are great for flying indoors, because they are inherently stable and so can be controlled very precisely.

The Blade MCX uses a tiny 1 cell lithium polymer battery for power. Unlike most micro RC helicopters, the battery is removable and interchangeable. Each cell provides 3.7 volts of power with a capacity of 110 mAh (Milli ampere hours). You charge the battery using the included base station, which runs off four “AA” alkaline batteries. A typical charge takes about 30 minutes and provides an average flight time of 6 to 8 minutes. Because the battery is interchangeable, we recommend that you purchase an extra so that you can use one while the other is charging.

The Blade MCX uses a genuine Spektrum DS-2 type radio system. The helicopter radio is fully compatible with many other DS-2 transmitters, including the:

• Spektrum DX5e
• Spektrum DX6i
• Spektrum DX7
• JR X9303
• JR 12X

Modular radios which have Spectrum modules installed will also work with the Blade MCX. Please note that the Spektrum DX6 is not compatible.

Spread Spectrum technology greatly reduces the chance of any radio interference from other aircraft of sources. It also uses a short transmitter antenna, allowing the transmitter to fit in a small and sleek case.

Blade MCX Transmitters are all mode 2, meaning that throttle and rudder are controlled with the left stick and pitch and roll with the right. The transmitter throttle stick is not spring loaded, so it remains at the position that it was last set to. Most RC helicopter pilots prefer this, as it allows you to remove pressure on the throttle stick while hovering. The radio has a dual rate feature, which allows you to choose how fast the helicopter responds to your commands. Beginners should start with mode 1, which can be set by pressing down on the right control stick and holding until the red light starts blinking. Setting the transmitter to mode 2 is done the same way.

Weighing only 1 ounce, the blade MCX is virtually crash proof. A sudden drop from a few feet above the ground won’t damage it, and in most cases minor collisions with walls are not a problem. In the event of a crash where damage does occur, we carry a selection of the most commonly needed replacement parts. Although it is not indestructible, the Blade MCX’s durability makes it an ideal gift for anyone over 12 years of age.

If you want to get into the exciting world of RC helicopters, the Blade MXC makes a great starting place. It will teach you all the basics of RC helicopter flight, and can be used as a stepping stone to more advanced models. If you’re already an experienced RC helicopter pilot, you’ll be impressed with the Blade MCX’s control and stability. Watch our site for tutorials on the Blade MCX, including a how to for installing replacement parts.

You can check out the blade MCX on our website.

© 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

Like with RC model airplanes, RC helicopter transmitters have different modes of operation, which determine which stick does what. This article will show you the four different transmitter modes.

Mode 1 RC Helicopter Transmitter

Mode 1 RC helicopter radio transmitter: the left stick controls fore and aft cyclic and left / right yaw, and the right stick controls the throttle and left / right cyclic.

Mode 2 RC Helicopter Transmitter

Mode 2 RC helicopter radio transmitter: the left stick controls the throttle and left / right yaw, and the right stick controls the fore / aft cyclic and left / right cyclic.

Mode 3 RC Helicopter Transmitter

Mode 3 RC helicopter radio transmitter: the left stick controls fore/aft cyclic and left/right cyclic, and the right stick operates the throttle and left / right yaw.

Mode 4 RC Helicopter Transmitter

Mode 4 RC helicopter transmitter: the left stick controls the throttle and left/right cyclic, and the right stick controls the fore/aft cyclic and left/right yaw.

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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

Use this handy reference to locate replacement parts for your Bladerunner RC helicopter. Please note that the Firefly and Micro Mosquito main rotor blades are the same, except for the color. Also, all of the rotors that we sell (with the exception of the Firefly) are solid black. If you are unsure which rotor blades to use, please call us at: 1-800-979-9794 and we will be happy to assist you.