Hobby Lobby Twister R/C Police Helicam RTF Coaxial Helicopter Review
Get ready for one of the most innovative - and fun - R/C coaxials to hit the market in a long time, combining easy control with digital video and still aerial photography controlled from the transmitter!
Introduction
Even in these days of miracles and wonders of iPads, smartphones and high-definition television to paraphrase Paul Simon, there occasionally comes a product which illicits a truly wide-eyed "gee whiz" from all who see it.
Such was my reaction to the Twister R/C Police Helicam when I saw it at Ground Control Hobbies in Yucca Valley, California shortly before the 2010 Christmas season. So popular was this model that it sold out almost immediately upon its arrival and was backordered through mid-January.
Designed in Australia by champion R/C helicopter pilots Mike Farnan and Neil Addicott, built in China and distributed in North America by Hobby Lobby International of Brentwood, Tennessee USA, the Police Helicam looks like an ordinary if larger-than-usual RTF coaxial helicopter at first glimpse. That is, until you notice the swing-away camera lens mounted under the fuselage between the landing skids.
Yes, not only do you get an easy-to-manage helicopter aimed at first-time users, you get the extra added benefit of a German-made Acme FlyCamOne ECO onboard digital camera. It takes 640x480 video with sound, sequential photos or user-exposed photos all controlled via the transmitter and saves them to an ordinary micro SD card in .avi format. From there, you can pop the card into a card reader or upload the content to your computer via a mini-USB cable.
Other features include a working LED navigation light atop the tail, twin LED spotlights and the Low Battery Warning Beacon, or "LWB." This is the light atop the fuselage which would represent a navigational strobe on a real helicopter. On the Police Helicam, the LWB flashes blue when the battery is low and it's time to land. Should your landing be of the "unscheduled" type, Twister's Motor Overload Protection System or "MOPS" cuts power to the motors in the event the blades become stalled for any reason. The system automatically restores power after a few seconds.
If you think your own "eye in the sky" aerial photography sounds like fun, kindly read on as I show you how much fun the Twister Police Helicam really is.
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| Hobby Lobby Twister R/C Police Helicam RTF Coaxial Helicopter | |
| Main Rotor Diameter: | 18" (456mm) |
| Weight: | 7.7 oz. (220g) |
| Length: | 18.8" (480mm) |
| Construction: | Composite plastic frame, swashplate, blades and blade grips, nylon landing skids, steel mainshafts, polycarbonate fuselage |
| Servos: | EnErG high-torque micro |
| Transmitter: | Planet T5P five-channel 2.4GHz spread-spectrum |
| Receiver: | Twister R6M six-channel 2.4GHz spread-spectrum |
| Battery: | Twister 800mAh 3S lithium-polymer with JST connector and JST-XH balancing plug |
| Motors: | Brushed with ball bearing-supported shafts |
| Gyro: | Piezoelectric dual rate, integrated with 3-in-1 control board |
| ESC: | Integrated with 3-in-1 control board |
| Typical Flight Duration: | Up to 10 minutes |
| Minimum Skill Level: | Beginner |
| Recommended Age Range: | 14 years or older |
| Distributor/Available From: | Hobby Lobby International, 5614 Franklin Pike Circle, Brentwood, Tennessee 37027 USA |
| Price (USD): | $179.99 |
Kit Contents
Everything you'll need comes in one colorful box:
- Completely pre-assembled and test-flown helicopter
- Pre-installed Acme FlyCamOne ECO digital camera
- Planet T0804A five-channel spread-spectrum transmitter
- Four AA-cell alkaline batteries for the transmitter
- Twister Skylift 800mAh 3S lithium-polymer battery
- Twister 0.8A lithium-polymer balancing charger with 120VAC AC adapter (240VAC in those markets which require it) and DC battery leads
- Spare blades, both upper and lower
- Spare servo tape, tie wraps and allen wrench
You'll need only a couple of things for the camera:
- Micro SD card between 2GB and 8GB capacity (Australian market units come packaged with a 2GB card) and/or 1.1 mini USB cable
Getting Ready to Fly
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Don't you love it when the UPS truck leaves something like this on your door?
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There's little chance of missing the Police Helicam in your hobby shop.
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Ditto if you happen to see the rear of the box before the front.
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Not to worry about the 240V "mains adapter" if you live in a 110V area.
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Repair and maintenance parts including a full set of blades are included.
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Open the box, remove this tray and the manual...
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...and get ready for the fun.
The Police Helicam is completely assembled and test-flown, so you need do little more than to unpack the model, insert the transmitter batteries and charge the flight battery. However, new users would be wise to completely read through the manual and flight training guide. Most of the manual is devoted to the proper setup and operation of the model, as well it should be. It's also refreshingly honest, explaining that someone new to R/C helicopter flight should not expect to "open the box and immediately fly around." and that "we advise you not to buy this model" if those were your expectations.
Unfortunately, folks don't always read the manual and in the case of a model such as this aimed at new users, it's extremely important one does so. I say this because I saw two Police Helicams on the repair bench of Ground Control Hobbies. One suffered from a mangled fuselage, broken landing skids, a bent flybar and damaged blades caused by contact with a ceiling. Problem: The model was a Christmas gift to a gentleman who may have failed to read the manual, was too enthusiastic with the throttle, managed to contact the ceiling and then the ground and who later returned it to the shop. The other didn't want to lift off properly, spun the nose to the right when it did lift off, had no left rudder control and was returned as a "warranty claim." Again, read the manual, friends. Coaxial helicopters work by properly mixing the speed of both motors, easily adjusted at the three-in-one mixer and covered in detail in the manual. The R/C car mechanic at the bench and I had that one up and flying in mere minutes using the store's display model as a reference for properly setting the trims. This problem is not unique to the Police Helicam, by the way. I've flown supposedly test-flown RTF helis which needed tweaking on the bench before they'd fly properly.
Since shop owner Eddie Tucker had no use for the damaged model which he'd basically written off as an exchange for the model I'd gotten to fly properly, he gave it to me. By the way, I sucessfully flew the bare frame after binding it to the review model's transmitter, damaged blades and all. As for the flybar, I was able to bend it back into shape for the test. Even the camera worked perfectly. The only thing out of the ordinary was an overactive gyro given the lack of a tail. I'd expected something like that, but I made no adjustments to the gyro since I plan on getting the parts and repairing the model.
Hobby Lobby's Jason Cole agreed that pictures of the damaged model and an explanation as to how it was damaged would serve as a precautionary tale for those who fail to read the manual, so I present them to you here.
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Overview of the wrecked Police Helicam obtained from Ground Control Hobbies. The damage looks worse than it really is.
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Here's the damage to the tail section. Since this is a coaxial, the tail is primarily for show and to give the gyro something to push against.
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A head-on view of the damaged fuselage.
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Somewhere there's a ceiling with corresponding marks.
Crashes are an inevitable part of the radio control hobby, but many like this can be avoided.
That said, getting the Police Helicam ready for its first flight starts by sliding the now-charged flight battery into its cradle. The manual states that Velcro enclosed with the model be used to secure the battery, but there was none. Since the initial test flights were going to take place in my living room, I simply slid the battery in place. It's a secure fit, but I wound up using some Velcro I had on hand later on.
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The full color manual is a wealth of information no matter how much helicopter experience you have.
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Separate manuals are provided for the charger and camera.
Take a moment to make sure the transmitter trims are set as indicated. All should be centered except for the throttle trim which should be set all the way back and left there.
The Planet T0804A transmitter is a rather nice, full-sized if basic unit with a large LCD display for battery voltage and easily accessible servo reversing switches under a panel on the front of the unit. A charging jack for rechargeable batteries is on the lower right side of the unit and a trainer cord jack in the rear, although the transmitter has no trainer switch of its own. It's also suited for fixed-wing models given the ratcheting throttle lever. As for the charger jack, it has a negative tip and positive ring, which is the opposite of my Hitec and Futaba chargers. The toggle switch at the top right is where the magic begins with the camera; we'll cover that aspect soon.
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This view of the underside of the Police Helicam shows the battery tray and drive gears. The lens is the squarish gray item on the right with the gold ribbon cable.
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Your eye in the sky, ready to film from on high.
Since this model is squarely aimed at beginners, most of the manual is dedicated to the basics of radio control and R/C coaxial helicopter flight. Rather than simply recite the manual, let's actually fly this baby indoors to start.
Flying
Basics
As with any electric helicopter, the fun begins soon after you switch on the transmitter, connect the flight battery and wait a moment or two for the gyro to initialize.
This is where I ran into a slight problem. The leads coming off of the control board are a bit short, making it somewhat clumsy to attach the battery while keeping the helicopter level on my dining room table. I tried a slightly different approach, holding the model upside down while plugging in the battery. Since I didn't yet have a micro SD card, the test was going to be strictly a flying one.
A visit to the Walgreens in nearby Yucca Valley netted me a Walgreens brand 2GB card for only $7.99 soon after the maiden flight in my living room. The results were amazing; I'll cover them in more detail when we discuss the FlyCamOne ECO camera.
Once initialized as indicated by an LED on the control unit, the Police Helicam is ready to rock.
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This lucky little micro SD card has a career in flight in its future rather than in a land-based camera.
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The Planet five-channel park flyer transmitter doesn't have a training function despite the switch on the upper right corner. That switch controls the camera.
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Detail of the transmitter's LCD voltmeter. Like most modern 2.4 GHz transmitters, only four batteries are required.
Indoor Flight
Throttle response with the brushed, ball bearing-supported motors is extraordinarily smooth. Liftoff is literally as simple as advancing the throttle, but new users should be aware of any unwanted motion just prior to liftoff. This is a normal part of operating any model helicopter and experience will teach you to be ready with the sticks immediately upon takeoff. As indicated earlier, a factory test-flown model may need simple adjustments of the motor mixing, but mine was set perfectly. It lifted off as easily as if I'd flown it for years.
Anyone with experience on a micro- or nano-sized coaxial is going to feel right at home with the Police Helicam despite its much larger size. Hovering is, as expected, utterly rock solid but my example showed a bit of vibration at the tail. This would disappear, ironically enough, after a crash and subsequent repair which I'll cover in a bit, so I'm simply going to chalk it up to a slightly imbalanced center shaft or the blades snugged up slightly too tight in their grips.
The sheer size of the Police Helicam as compared to the aforementioned nano or micro might be a bit intimidating at first, but rest assured, you have no reason to be intimidated. The extra mass adds a tremendous amount of stability.
If that extra mass adds stability, the flashing red LED atop the tail and the high-intensity white LEDs up front add a simply marvelous "cool factor" to the model, especially when it was in motion.
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Smile! The LED spotlights really do light up the night. The green LED reflected on the tabletop is that of the camera. It turns from green to red while recording.
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The tail beacon does a pretty good job of lighting up as well. All the exterior lighting including the low battery warning beacon shows up pretty well outdoors.
The Police Helicam is exceptionally forgiving in indoor forward flight and maneuvering, showing none of the "dartiness" in forward flight and pendulum effect often shown in smaller models when transitioning back to hover. It simply goes where it's pointed, an important consideration for a model used as a camera platform. The claim of ten minutes' flight was accurate as well; the LWB beacon started flashing bright blue about ten minutes in and there was still plenty of power left for a safe landing. Simply throttle back slowly over your designated landing site and the Police Helicam will settle in for a pinpoint landing. It's worth noting that it doesn't seem to be overly affected by ground effects, that is, the downward thrust bouncing off the ground and causing a bit of instability in hovering.
Outdoor Flight
This is where the Police Helicam might disappoint, not because it's a poor quality model but because it acts as any coaxial does. Coaxials hover and manuever easily but at the cost of overall maneverability. The manufacturer's online videos show high outdoor aerial shots and the manual claims a top speed of 20 mph (32km/h) despite the disclaimer on the first page that the helicopter only be operated indoors unless outdoor conditions are dead calm.
The first test flight in my backyard was a study in frustration. True to its nature, forward flight was nearly non-existent and despite what appeared to be a dead-calm day per the conditions recommended in the manual, the Police Helicam wanted to wander quite literally whichever way the wind blew, possibly due more to thermals and eddys than to any perceptible wind. Sending it straight up for what would be panoramic shots in hover and using the flight controls to pan and crab as with a ground-based video camera yielded better results. The manual warns against flying the model farther than 50m away, recommending instead that you stay within a 15m radius instead. Darn good advice; flying this model in an urban setting with even a slight breeze might likely result in a flyaway and a lost model atop some building.
My first attempts to capture video for this review took place at my usual electric test site, namely the parade grounds of Southwest Community Church in Palm Desert. My plan was to get some shots of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden immediately next door.
Reasonably calm day...power up...off we go.
This time, the Police Helicam wanted to drift away even more and no amount of coaxing would bring it back. I landed it, checked the trims which were fine, went to retrieve it, tried again, same thing. This time, the landing broke the landing skids. Believe me, the landing was not a hard one, but there it was. Online research shows the skids to be a weak part at fifteen bucks a pop for replacements.
After I got it home, I set to work trying to figure out how to make it fly better. The answer appeared to be right in front of me in the guise of extended pushrod ball links on the swashplate not mentioned in the manual. Hallelujiah, or so I thought.
Moving the links to the extended links did in fact give more forward motion, but the handling became kind of spooky. While attempting to compensate for the exceptionally light breeze, I gave it in too much forward cyclic which sent the model rocketing away out of control and into a bush.
Naturally, the crash broke the other skid, but the Police Helicam was otherwise none the worse for wear. At least this bird is tough.
A second, more careful attempt to fly in this configuration met the same fate, breaking the upper rotor shaft and shearing off the silicone tubing used to help mount the fuselage to the frame.
Frustrated with the situation and ready to send back the model, I e-mailed Jason Cole at Hobby Lobby International, the gentleman who makes reviews of their products possible. He was genuinely helpful and more than a bit amazed to learn that the manual was claiming such an optimistic top speed.
According to Mr. Cole, it turned out that my initial impression of using it for panoramic shots with limited forward motion was correct. I felt terrible at the prospect of sending back a damaged model whch couldn't be resold and without the benefit of a review. Since the damage was limited to a nearly imperceptable scrape on the fuselage, the upper shaft, the landing skids and the silicone tubing, Mr. Cole offered to order the parts and send them to me so that the review could continue.
This man is a class act; I've had the pleasure of dealing with him before.
The parts soon arrived less the tubing which only comes with a replacement fuselage. Some Du-Bro silicone fuel tubing with the same inside and outside diameters was put into service, the pushrods were snapped back onto their original locations and the Police Helicam was back even better than new. Make sure that you use a top-quality ball driver or allen driver to remove the shaft's setscrews from the drive gear. The factory used a bit of threadlocking compound on them, they're fairly hard to break loose and you might round off the setscrew - or your tool - if the tool slips. The vibration I'd seen in the tail when I first flew it was nearly gone and it was time to hit the skies.
I took advantage of the repair situation to photograph the frame by itself. It's a compact but surprisingly beefy unit, well suited to the task of absorbing beginner's (and not-so-beginner's) mistakes. That second and final crash before the repair was a darn good one into the foot of a mesquite bush; a lot of helicopters would have suffered far worse damage.
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Like most coaxial helicopters, the tail boom is mostly for show although in the case of this model, it gives the gyro somehing to "push" against. The camera card, normally taped to the inside of the fuselage, is shown resting against the replacement landing skid.
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Here's another view of the repaired frame. This is one tough frame for such a slow-flying helicopter, even if the skids don't live up to the toughness of the frame itself. The wires coming off the battery connector feed the low battery warning beacon.
The next round of outdoor test flights went far better. I limited the motions to high hovering, slow forward motion and panning the camera with the rudder control. The results of the test video and this flight were both excellent as was a later test flight in what were truly dead calm conditions. In short, bring the Police Helicam outdoors when the conditions are dead calm and you'll be fine.
Since I now had a better idea of what to expect from the Police Helicam, I was starting to really warm up to the model and its possibilities.
Using the Camera
The Acme FlyCamOne ECO camera is an amazing device, worthy of its own review and is the heart and soul of the Police Helicam.
| Video Frame Rate: | 30 frames per second |
| Focus Range: | 0.3m - infinite |
| Weight: | 1 oz. (17g) |
| Operating Voltage: | 4.5 - 6V |
| USB: | 1.1 Mini (cable not included) |
| Memory Card: | 2GB to 8GB Micro SD |
| Video Format: | Quick Time .avi |
| Operating Modes: | Full color video with sound, full color serial photos, full color single photos |
Australian versions come with a 2GB micro SD card; the rest of us will have to provide our own of between 2GB and 8GB capacity. A 1.1 mini-USB cable will really come in handy; inserting and removing the card itself in order to put it in a reader requires really small fingers.
The camera is a universal design and can be mounted on almost any R/C aircraft. In the case of the Police Helicam, the camera is powered by the receiver. In other applications, the camera can be powered by a separate battery and the lens can be made to move via a servo. Speaking of which, don't forget to remove the protective film from the lens before using the camera for the first time. If not, your pictures are going to have a bluish hue to them.
Default setting is for video with sound; when powered up, the unit's LED glows green. Flicking the auxillary switch atop the transmitter rolls video; the LED changes to red to signify recording. Flick it again and the video switches off. Simple as that.
Holding the switch for three seconds switches to serial photo mode and an additional three seconds switches to single photo mode; now each flick of the switch takes a photo.
If for whatever reason you need (or wish) to flip the image 180 degrees, hold the switch for ten seconds and voila. Your subjects are now standing on their heads. Powering down the unit causes it to default to video mode.
Image quality, while certainly not broadcast quality at only 640x480 in .avi format, is otherwise quite good with sharp, clear focus and accurate color rendition; there's no need to white balance. There's even an automatic electronic iris. My initial experiments took place in my living room; swinging from the living room to the window caused the camera to automatically iris down.
The camera even records sound with its video via a tiny condenser microphone pointing toward the bottom of the model. Record levels are preset, so there's no need to tweak audio controls. It should come as no surprise to learn that the thing you'll hear the most of on playback is the sound of the motors, so for those of you who'd like to make video presentations on your PC or Mac, you may wish to mute the sound and overlay some music.
I'd always wanted to see what it would be like from the point of view of my models. Now I know thanks to the FlyCamOne. This adds a dimension of fun you'd be hard-pressed to find in any RTF model of any configuration.
Aerobatics/Special Flight Performance
While you're certainly not going to perform any 3D manuevers with this or any other coaxial, that won't stop you from learning and performing basic maneuvers like sideways flight, backwards flight, pirouettes and of course, basic orientation, forward flight and coordinated turns with aileron and rudder. The Police Helicam's natural stability make it both a nearly perfect aerial photographic platform (as long as you're indoors, that is) and a means to teach basic R/C helicopter flight.
Is This For a Beginner?
Yes and without question. Indoors, the Police Helicam virtually flies itself and the manual doubles as a rather well-written and informative flight guide for new users. The camera not only adds fun, it also offers a great deal of incentive to encourage new users to log all-important stick time while learning to fly. As pointed out earlier, pilots used to smaller coaxials can step right in and fly with no problems whatsoever. Those with no flight experience should closely follow the steps outlined in the flight instruction section or better still, seek the help of an experienced pilot.
Flight Video/Photo Gallery
Downloads
Conclusion
I like the Hobby Lobby Twister R/C Police Helicam RTF coaxial helicopter. It's well-built, fun to fly and R/C pilots regardless of skill level will enjoy the addtional fun that the FlyCamOne ECO camera brings to the table. It's taken Australia and Europe by storm if the number of Google hits and onboard videos posted on YouTube are any indication and Hobby Lobby is poised to do the same by introducing it here in the US.
That said, I want to like it more than I do. One can only photograph one's living room, den or garage just so many times before wanting to venture outdoors. Unless the wind is absolutely dead calm, you're simply not going to be able to fly outdoors without risking a crash. If you buy your own Police Helicam armed with that knowledge, you can still have fun outdoors, but don't expect to get any footage of fast forward flight.
I'm giving the concept of aerial photography for everyone a two thumbs up; the model itself gets 1 1/2 thumbs up primarily due to the limited outdoor use. In my opinion, a single-rotor fixed-pitch machine or tamed-down CCPM would have been the way to go, but at the cost of less stability, little or no indoor capability and less accessibility for beginners. If you're willing to accept this model's limitations, I recommend it as one of the most fun ways to learn to fly R/C that I can imagine.
My thanks go out once more to Jason Cole of Hobby Lobby International for providing this wonderful model as well as the replacement parts I needed to get it back in the air. Jason represents his company with class and flair and it's always a pleasure to work with him. The opening video of the model on the ground along with some of the "beauty shots" are credited to my friend, collegue and co-worker Ken Alan. Eddie Tucker of Ground Control Hobbies deserves special praise for his generosity and for the unique opportunity to show just how rugged this model really is. RCGroups.com moderator Angela Haglund was instrumental once more in coordinating the shipping of the model to me; without her, none of these reviews would be possible.
Of course, all of us here at RCGroups.com thank you, the discerning hobbyist, for stopping by and continuing to help make this site the preeminent source of information for all things radio controlled. As for me, I'm off to take a few aerial videos and photos.
Thanks again for stopping by and not only will I see you at the field, the Police Helicam may see you as well!
Pluses and Minuses
Since I'm a "glass half full" kind of guy, I hereby present the pluses:
- The camera adds a dimension of fun few R/C models of any configuration can match
- The flashing tail beacon and spotlights add a measure of fun as well
- Ruggedly built with quality looks and feel
- The supplied five-channel transmitter can be used to fly other simple park flyers
- Innovations such as the Motor Overload Protection System and Low Battery Warning Beacon can save your expensive electronics
- Excellent manual/flight training guide
- World-class customer service through Hobby-Lobby International
- First-time pilots will find themselves hovering and shooting video with just a bit of practice and guidance
- Spare blades are a nice touch
- The AC/DC charger is a nice touch as well; many RTF models do not include an AC adapter
Now for the minuses:
- Limited outdoor flight typical of any coaxial helicopter greatly compromises the potential of the camera
- The landing skids are incredibly weak and expensive to replace
- Battery leads coming off of the ESC are a little too short
- Replacement parts as of this writing are scarce on hobby shop shelves and some online sources, but can be ordered through Hobby Lobby
- The claimed top speed as well as the example photos on the box are simply not going to happen
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Nice review!
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Latest blog entry: Random Pictures ...
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Wow!! what a review
 Here is my thread on this helihttps://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...wister+helicam My camera was bad or went bad.. only got 3 good working test vids but after that I tested the heli itself and had a great time.. Hobby lobby could not just replace the camera for me.. anyway I have a whole new one on backorder at HL.. I think they will get a new batch in early march.. This heli (WILL) replace the Esky big outdoor lama from my test..but you gotta use my anti blade strike blades to get all out 100% anti (death stall) and (anti blade strike) flyin' with this thing.. I am going to re-test the new one coming as my first one got completely destoyed after putting the stock blades back on and testing it hard.. all first 2 flights had death dives..the first into a bush and the 2nd into the ground..bent shafts..you name it.. I had to order a new one.. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=110646005310 |
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Thread OP
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Thanks for the kind words, fellas.
 Skoaler, would you please tell me a bit more about those blades? I'd be tremendously interested in adding some additional forward cyclic without sending it shooting out of control. |
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Quote:
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Last edited by Skoaler; Feb 22, 2011 at 10:50 PM.
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I'm considering getting this heli simply based on the fact that it has that anti blade strike kit available for it. I just took my HQ852 out today and had multiple death-dives... This would cost me 4x more, but at least I wouldn't have to worry about death-dive anymore!!
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I will be doing brand new outta box test on my new one in early march. I had about 15 full hard flights with the first one and no death dives with the anti strike blades. I had to put the stock blades back on for comparison test at the end..too bad I destroyed the thing then. Unless I had a one of a kind twister..a second out of box test will proove it hopefully..
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Nice video, love the music
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It looks really similar to the CX2 - is that accurate? Any parts compatibility?
Also could anyone compare it's performance to a CX2 - mainly in speed and wind handling abilities. I have a CX2 that I enjoyed a bit before moving on to more difficult things, but if it can handle wind about the same then I could be happy with that. |
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370 motors vs. 180 motors, 450mm rotor vs. 340mm rotor, folding blades vs. rigid ones, 11.1V vs. 7.4V ... just to name a few. Oh ... umhhh ... and of course the camera!! E2 |
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Interesting
 Unfortunately I have a hard time finding anyone local that stocks HL stuff so I don't get to see it in person.I'd really be interested in hearing comparisons from those that have also flown a CX2. Although it doesn't have a lot of forward thrust vs wind I've managed flying it without problems against 3-5mph winds. I'm just a bit scared of the review talking about a lack of control in light winds. |
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To me the biggest negative is, that it's outer shaft is 6mm in diameter and not like practically EVERY other heli in this class only 5mm! (so this fact robs you of the chance to swap certain parts between helis - in my eyes a really unfortunate thing [and of course nothing but money motivated ... to the disadvantage of the "user"] ... and I dont like that!)
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Thread OP
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My local shop still has some helicopters, but no parts yet. That should change very soon based on what the owner told me. I want to pick up the parts to refurb that crashed model. This little eggbeater is turning out to be a really popular item!
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DismayingObservation - Read your review with interest, since I have been using a CX2 as a camera platform for almost 3 years. Had to read up on the FlyCamOne ECO as I have FlyCamOne2, FlyCamOne HD, a gumstick camera, low res keychain cameras, and HD keychain cameras. The ECO is nice for what it is - light and adaptable. However, once you try HD, there is no going back to VGA. My CX2 will haul the 60 gram FlyCamOne HD around, but that camera sticks out below the CX2 landing gear, so I have to land it in my hand to protect the camera. That prompted me to try keychain HD cameras, which only weigh 16 grams and do not hang below the landing gear. I really like the design concept of the FlyCamOne ECO and would buy one - If it was HD...
Comments in the thread about different-sized upper and lower rotors and a tip about a way to avoid a death spiral are also of interest. Even a highly modified CX2 can also suffer blade strike if the maneuver is sufficiently violent. Glad to read about a "plan B" to use when your bird is quickly headed for trouble and you need to say, "whoa." |
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