Heli-Max HMXE01 - Manual (Page 6)

1. Draw a three foot diameter circle using chalk. This will be
your practice area. Place the RotoFly in the middle of the
circle facing away from you. Be sure to stand about six feet
back from the tail of the helicopter.
2. Advance the throttle gradually until the helicopter begins to
get light. At this point, the helicopter should start to move
without actually lifting off the ground. Since you are just learning
to fly, you don’t want the helicopter to take off from the ground,
so don’t advance the throttle stick any more than necessary.
The helicopter may have a tendency to rotate to the right. This
is normal and is caused by the torque of main blade. Try to
counter the right rotation by holding the rudder stick slightly left.
Remember to use very gradual stick movements. The RotoFly
is very sensitive to your input and only small stick movements
are required for flight.
3. Observe the movement and attitude of the helicopter and
try to keep it within your practice circle. If the helicopter
moves out of the circle, pull the throttle stick down and wait
for the blades to stop spinning. Pick up the helicopter and
place it back into the center of the circle and try again.
4. If the helicopter consistently moves in one direction, you
can use the transmitter trims to correct the movement. For
example, if the RotoFly consistently moves forward when it
gets light, try adjusting the trim tab on the right stick down
slightly. This will counter the forward movement. Remember,
just like the sticks, the trim tabs only require slight
movement. Adjust the trim tabs one click at a time.
5. Work on keeping the helicopter within the practice circle
while keeping it light. Try to give small inputs in order to keep
it in one place. This requires you to counter the movement
of the helicopter. The sooner you notice a movement and
respond to it, the smaller the corrective action needed.
These are the basics of learning to hover. This process will
take some practice.
Once you can confidently keep the helicopter in the practice
area, it’s time to hover with the helicopter lifted off the ground.
1. Advance the throttle until the helicopter gets light. Then,
advance the throttle a little more until your RotoFly is off the
ground, keeping it no more than one foot in altitude.
2. Using the same flying skills previously learned, try to keep
it within your practice area. If the helicopter gets away, land
it immediately by reducing the throttle stick. Place it back in
the center of the circle and try again. Learning to hover
takes a great deal of time and practice.
3. Keep working on steps 1 and 2 until you can confidently
hold the RotoFly in the circle. Flying a remote control
helicopter is rewarding and can be difficult. The importance
of being able to safely and consistently hover cannot be
over-stated.
4. When you can maintain a constant one foot altitude, you
can start rotating the tail to either side. Try to rotate the
helicopter so you are now looking at the side of the
helicopter instead of the tail. Try to maintain a hover. Your
goal is to hover from every angle.
5. Now that you mastered the side angles continue to rotate
your helicopter so it is facing you. Although the controls are
the same, your input will appear opposite to the movements
of the helicopter. This is called “control reversal”. When you
push the tail rotor stick to the left, it will cause left rotation
but the helicopter will rotate to your right. So when your
helicopter is facing you, you must learn to reverse the way
you control it. Most pilots find it a little confusing at first, but
with practice it becomes second nature.
6. The next step is to hover your RotoFly while rotating it a
full 360 degrees. Remember to keep it within the practice
circle. Keep practicing until you are confident with your
hovering skills.
Now that you can hover your helicopter from every angle, it’s
time to start moving it forward.
1. While hovering one foot off the ground, push the right stick
forward just slightly until your RotoFly begins moving forward.
2. As long as the helicopter is tilted forward, it will continue
to move forward. To stop the forward motion, pull back
slightly on the right stick until the helicopter is level.
3. Reduce the throttle stick and land the helicopter.
4. Practice this several times and then try to move the
RotoFly to the left and right using the same principle.
Remember to use very gradual stick movements. The
RotoFly is very sensitive to your input and only small stick
movements are required for flight.
FORWARD FLIGHT
HOVERING THE ROTOFLY
MOVING THE ROTOFLY
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