Small RC Helicopters

Small RC Helicopters

Small RC helicopters are the sensible way into the hobby, and plenty of experienced pilots keep one for flying indoors or in a garden when the weather rules out anything bigger. We stock micro machines from Blade, Align, OMP Hobby and Goosky.

Why start small

A small helicopter costs less, breaks less, and costs less to repair when it does. More importantly you can actually use it - a micro heli flies in a hall, a garden or a car park, so you get far more practice than someone who has to drive to a field. Practice is what makes a pilot.

Fixed pitch or collective pitch?

Coaxial machines have two rotors turning opposite ways. They are very stable, hard to crash and limited in what they can do - the gentlest possible start.

Fixed pitch controls height with rotor speed. More manoeuvrable, still forgiving.

Collective pitch changes the blade angle, so the machine can climb hard, fly inverted and perform full 3D. This is what serious pilots fly, and small collective pitch machines like the Goosky S1 or T-Rex 150 let you learn it without needing a field.

Indoors or outdoors?

Small helicopters are happiest indoors or on a still day. They are light, so even a modest breeze pushes them about. If you mainly want to fly outside in ordinary British weather, look at a 450 or 500 class machine instead - see helicopter sizes.

What to look for

• Spares availability - you will crash. A machine with cheap, stocked parts stays flying; one without becomes a shelf ornament.
• RTF or BNF - RTF includes a transmitter and everything needed. BNF binds to a radio you already own.
• Flight time - most micros give five to eight minutes, so buy spare batteries early.

If you are completely new, our beginner helicopters page is the better starting point. Ring us if you want a recommendation - we fly these ourselves and will tell you honestly what suits.