RC Helicopters

Draganflyer RC helicopters are not only extremely fun rc aircraft, they are also capable of filming incredible aerial video footage from angles nearly impossible to achieve otherwise. With three video camera equipped Draganflyer R/C helicopter models on the market it is easy to choose the one that fits your budget and your needs. All of these Draganflyer models use 2.4GHz wireless video transmission. The three models are the Draganflyer V-Ti with Eyecam, the Draganflyer V-Ti Pro, and the Draganflyer SAVS.

The Technology Behind Capturing Wireless Video

The Draganflyers use an onboard camera with a 2.4 Gigahertz broadcasting transmitter. A ground based receiver converts the wireless video signal to a standard composite signal. Each successive Draganflyer model uses a higher resolution camera, and improved wireless receiver than the previous one. The Draganflyer SAVS even uses a diversity video receiver with dual patch antennas. (These are the two white square signal receivers mounted on the receiver base station case). These enable the Draganflyer SAVS to receive signals from the transmitter that have followed different paths. The Draganflyer SAVS diversity receiver collects both of the signals and utilizes the strongest one, switching between the two for optimum signal quality.

Capturing & Recording the Wireless Video

Since all Draganflyer rc helicopter wireless video receivers output composite video through a standard RCA plug (1/8” or 3.5mm), you can connect it to almost any video recorder or display device. If you only need to view the video, the receiver can be connected to a television. To record the video signal, simply connect it to your VCR or camcorder. If you would like to record the video for professional or commercial applications, a digital recording format is ideal. The video can be edited and converted to DVD or other popular formats. A good recording format is mini-DV, which is used by many camcorders. This stores digital information on a magnetic tape. Once recorded, the video can be transferred to a computer (via firewire) and is in a digital format which completely eliminates any quality loss caused by copying. Most mini-DV devices are small in size (perfect to store in your SAVS receiver case), and have a viewing screen for watching the live feed.

Upgrading Your Draganflyer Wireless Video System

All of the Draganflyer RC helicopter camera systems can be upgraded from the base V-Ti version to the SAVS. Here are links to the Eyecam Extreme High Resolution Wireless Color Video Camera System - Draganflyer Helicopter Upgrade and the Draganflyer SAVS Upgrade Kit - Convert Your Ti Pro To An SAVS.

We’re Here To Help

If you have any further questions about how the Draganflyer RC helicopters capture video, contact customer support by calling 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907 or send an email to sales@rctoys.com. Good luck and safe flying!

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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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After a few too many crashes the main rotor blade and tail propeller on your Mini Infrared Helicopter will eventually break, develop tears or lose the correct shape to fly efficiently. We sell replacement main rotor blades as well as tail propellers for the palm size mini helis. The replacement rotors are compatible with Mini Bell, Mini Spaceman, Havoc Heli, Picco Z and most of the other brandmates.

How to Remove the Old Main Rotor Blade

1. In order to remove a mini IR helicopter main rotor, the main metal shaft must be held stationary with a small pair of needle nose pliers, or a pair of very thin vise grips.
2. Grasp the shaft right below the bottom of the rotor, and while holding this stationary twist and pull the old damaged rotor off.
3. If the old rotor is on too tight to remove and you are comfortable using a sharp hobby knife you can shave plastic off of the side of the main rotor shaft until you get down to the metal, essentially cutting the damaged rotor in half so it separates and removes easily.

How to Install the New Main Rotor Blade

1. Once the old main rotor is off, continue holding the metal shaft with pliers, and gently press the new rotor onto the shaft.
2. The main rotor only needs to go on far enough that it becomes snug but you can get it on farther by holding the main shaft with pliers, turning the helicopter upside down and tapping the rotor against a hard surface like a counter top, driving the metal shaft in further.
3. If the new rotor is loose, put a drop of CA glue or silicone adhesive on the metal shaft before sliding the rotor on, and allow adequate time for it to dry.

How to Remove the Old Tail Propeller

1. Removing the tail propeller is very easy, simply pull off the old tail propeller.
2. Be gentle not to pull the motor out of its socket.
3. The propeller should pull straight off. It is not glued.

How to Install the New Tail Propeller

1. Inspect the motor shaft and remove any hair or dust that has built up.
2. Gently push the new tail propeller onto the motor shaft.
3. Power up your Mini Heli for a test flight.
4. If the helicopter spins out of control, the tail propeller is on backwards. Gently pull off the tail propeller, flip it so the opposite side is facing the motor and press it back on.

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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

If your Mini Heli main rotor blade is broken or has lost the little weights on the top stabilizer, it is easy to just replace the stabilizer portion only. It is often much easier to swap this part off of a new replacement Mini Heli main rotor set than to take off the entire rotorset and replace it. The only tool you will need is a paper clip or other small sharp object.

How to Replace Just the Mini Heli Stabilizer Bar

1. Buy a new Replacement Main Rotor
2. Straighten part of the paper clip
3. Use the straight part of the paper clip to push out the metal pin that holds the top black plastic part to the black plastic shaft
4. If you look at the side of the upper plastic part, you will see a metal pin in a hole in the side
5. Use the paper clip to push this pin out
6. Be careful not to lose the pin
7. Pop off the two plastic linkages, and the old upper plastic part will come off
8. Repeat this procedure to remove the same part from the new replacement rotorset
9. Put the new replacement part on the top of the old black plastic shaft
10. Line up the hole in the side with the hole through the top of the black plastic shaft
11. Push the metal pin back in place
12. Pop the linkages back on

Now your Mini RC Heli is repaired and ready to use.

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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

If your mini IR heli (Mini Bell, or Mini Spaceman, Mini Lama, Havoc Heli, Picco Z etc.) continually spins while you are flying it, there is a simple procedure to correct this.

Use the Trim Buttons

To make your Heli stop spinning use the two trim buttons labeled “ST.TRIM” on the transmitter.

• If the helicopter constantly rotates clockwise (when viewed from above) use the “L” button to trim it in the opposite direction of the spin.
• If the helicopter rotates counterclockwise, use the “R” button instead. Click (press & release) the trim button as many as 30 times while the helicopter is hovering in the air - don’t just hold the trim button down.
• If the trim button has no effect after more than 30 clicks, try pressing the other trim button repeatedly, in case the wrong trim button was initially used.

Notes On Using the Trim Buttons

• The helicopter must be turned on and hovering (even if it is spinning) while you press and release the appropriate trim button in order for this to work.
• The trim resets every time you turn the unit off, and will need to be reset before each use.
• After the helicopter is correctly trimmed, you may still need to make small adjustments in flight while the battery power drains.
• Different throttle settings may cause the helicopter to rotate, so it is best to set the trim while it is hovering rather that accelerating up or down.

Further Troubleshooting

• If the heli continually spins counterclockwise even after pressing the the “R” trim button over 30 times, there may be something causing reduced power from the tail propeller.
• Check for hair wrapped around the motor shaft going to the tail propeller. If there is any, gently pull the tail prop off and remove the hair.
• Ensure the tail propeller is installed the correct way, if it is on backwards the helicopter will not stop spinning even with full trim adjustment. Try taking the tail prop off and putting it on facing the opposite way.
• The correct orientation for the tail propeller is with the flares pointing away from the motor mount.

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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

Our Draganflyer RC Helicopters are quad rotor coaxial design. Not all the rotor blades spin in the same direction. This is why your Draganflyer rotor blades have markings “A” and “B”. The coaxial rotor design makes the Draganflyer extremely stable and easy to fly. Draganflyer V-ti and Draganflyer V-ti Pro RC helicopters come with a single solid rotor blade on each of the helis ‘arms’. The Draganflyer SAVS RC Helicopter comes with 2-piece folding rotor blades. Two of the motors spin counterclockwise (A) and the other two spin clockwise (B). All Draganflyer rotor blades are designated as either “A” or “B” and can be confirmed as so by checking between the mounting holes and the blade on the rotor. The “A” rotors will be used for the Front and Back, where as the “B” rotors will be used for the Left and Right arm. You can confirm you have the right rotors on the right arms by verifying the rotors marked “A” are spinning counterclockwise and the rotors marked “B” are spinning clockwise. If you have the rotor blades on the wrong arms the Draganflyer RC helicopter will not fly and will crash.

Attaching the rotors is easy. Simply use our Nylon rotor screws or Nylon Rotor Thumbscrews. The Nylon rotor screws securely attach the rotor blades to the Draganflyer main gear on each arm of the helicopter.

If you need replacement Draganflyer RC Helicopter Rotor Blades we have them in stock on our Web site or order by phone by calling 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907.

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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

Many people ask if the Draganflyer SAVS RC Helicopter can take still digital photos. The answer is yes, but the Draganflyer SAVS is intended primarily for recording and viewing a live aerial video feed, not taking still pictures. The quality of the still images can be defined as approximately 0.5 Megapixels or 710 x 480 pixels. Still images can easily be extracted from the video by means of any video editing program and you most likely already have a video editing program on your home PC. Pretty much every Windows XP computer comes with Windows Movie Maker and every Mac these days comes with iMovie. Both of these free video editing tools are very simple to use and both have a feature to capture individual frames to still images. Here is a still picture we grabbed from a Draganflyer SAVS video feed. This technique can also be used with video captured from your Draganflyer V Ti with Eyecam or your Draganflyer V Ti Pro.

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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

First, make sure the Draganflyer battery is fully charged, and that the transmitter battery is fully charged. Check that the transmitter antenna is fully tightened and that the wire circuit board antenna on the Draganflyer RC helicopter is not loose.

Check if the transmitter crystal is plugged in all the way (this would be on the front of the transmitter in the bottom corner, or on the back in the top middle). Inspect the receiver module on the Draganflyer main circuit board. This is the part that is on the side above the arming button. The pins on this part should be plugged in all the way, so that none of the metal on the pins is exposed.

When the Draganflyer receives radio signals properly, before pressing the arming button, the red LED should blink fast when the throttle is at max, and slow when the throttle is at the lowest setting.

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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