| Although experiments with rotary winged | | | | problems were eventually overcome and the |
| aircraft may be traced back to Leonardo da | | | | fully controllable R/C model helicopter had |
| Vinci, successful flights were not achieved | | | | arrived. |
| until the 1930s, and it was not until 1941 | | | | |
| that the first practical, full size | | | | Â Â Â Â There were, however, |
| helicopter was built by lgor Sikorsky. Model | | | | no short cuts in its development: engines, |
| enthusiasts are notably quick to emulate | | | | drive gears, rotor blades, control methods, |
| full-size aviation achievements, but were not | | | | etc all had to follow a similar design to |
| as successful with rotary wing aircraft, and | | | | full-size helicopter and be built to the same |
| it was not until 1968 that the first fully | | | | exacting standards or perhaps closer to the |
| controllable R/C model helicopter appeared, | | | | mechanism design of the full-size helicopter. |
| built by Dr. Dieter Schluter of West Germany. | | | | |
| | | | So how difficult is the model helicopter to |
| Bigger engines require more fuel and more | | | | control in fight? Well, it has been described |
| weight! Increasing the angle of the rotor | | | | as similar to balancing a steel ball on a |
| blades in the airflow produces more lift, up | | | | knife edge whale riding a bicycle! more on |
| to a point but this also increases the drag | | | | that when you visit Model Aeronautics for |
| of the blade, which now requires more power | | | | Dodos by following the link in my resource |
| to move it at the required speed. All | | | | box. |