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