Finally, when you’re confident with the Walkera Dragonfly 4#1 you can graduate to the bigger helis like the Walkera Dragonfly 36, Walkera Dragonfly 60, or Walkera Dragonfly 68 (or if you prefer the CNC aluminum head and tail then the Walkera Dragonfly 36#B, Walkera Dragonfly 60#B or Walkera Dragonfly 68#B can be for you. If you’re feeling adventurous and rekon you can skip the Walkera Dragonfly 4#1 and go straight for something more aerobatically capable then the Walkera Dragonfly 22#E (or the soon to be released Walkera Dragonfly 1#A or Walkera Dragonfly 1#B) might be the right one for you.
What about the smaller helis?
Keep in mind that the smaller helis are lighter and more agile. This makes them slightly tougher than their bigger brothers. But they are also more twitchy (requiring quicker control inputs) which makes them harder to fly and not suitable for beginners. Due to their light weight they are also more affected by the wind. So if you’ve got a small backyard, a large lounge-room, or you can appreciate the precision and performance then a compact heli like the Walkera Dragonfly 52, Walkera Dragonfly 52#1, or the all CNC aluminum Walkera Dragonfly 64#C can’t be beaten.
Remember Icarus who flew too close to the Sun? Don’t be tempted to go straight for the Ultimate heli. You’ll have a lot more fun if you can relax whilst you’re learning. (It’s hard to relax if your Carbon Fiber pride & joy will explode the first time you make a mistake and hit the dirt.)
Most of all don’t forget to have fun!
<< Back to RC Helicopters Category in the Airborne RC store
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It’s here!!!
Outstanding. Effortless. Precise. Maybe the best thing Walkera have ever made.
I own 4#3, 5#6, 4#1, 22E, 36B, 37 and have flown 64C, 60B many times and the 1#A really is something special. It is obviously extremely agile. Even with the push rods on the inner-most hole of the servo horn it is very responsive. The new smaller outer-rotor brushless motor does a great job and the whole heli is the very smooth. The feel/sound is relaxed but there is plenty to be respectful of if you want to unleash it.
I’ve only had mine 48hrs but have had some time with it and have really enjoyed it so far. With the 7CH transmitter you can max out the exponential mixing and it is possible to keep in a very tight hover (despite wind). Then in an instant you can tip it over. I’m looking forward to the day I can really run it through it’s 3D caps. Finally I’ve found a heli that I trust can deliver as I grow in experience. The 22E is alright (underpowered for aggressive 3D), a 60B was looking very interesting (too heavy).
Time will tell if it wears well. But when it’s this quiet and smooth (and agile and powerful) I’m optimistic. It’s a little tail heavy but I’ve just moved the battery forward and all’s good.
I recommend it. 5 stars!
Just make sure you check your nuts & bolts. I had a misshap already because a motor mount screw worked its way out (lost it). I bit the dirt but it took it ok. Had to re-adjust blade tracking but it’s once again smooth as silk.
The Walkera 1#A is in stock and ready for action. Grab yours now while stocks last!
Walkera Dragonfly 1#A Setup
Here’s a few photos of how I’ve setup my Dragonfly 1#A. Notice that the battery holder has been removed so that the battery can be mounted further forward. Two nylon ties around the front landing-legs are used to hold the LiPo in position. This allows you to slide the battery in and out easily when changing packs. A small rubber band stops it from slipping out during flight (rubber-band is secured on the frame tabs). Also, the ESC is moved to the front under the receiver.
The new configuration is perfectly balanced and is neat and functional.
[Click images to enlarge]
Most of us take more than 4 years to get that good!
- Twin Blade (actually 4 blades that are in 2 counter-rotating pairs)
- Fixed Pitch
- Collective Pitch
Twin Blade (Dragonfly 5#4, Dragonfly 5#6, Dragonfly 5G6)
Twin blade helis do not have an active tail blade. Instead they rely on balancing the counter-torque of the two sets of blades which spin in opposite directions. Twin blade helis are inherently more stable and easier to fly than other heli types. They are relatively slow flyers.
The helicopter lateral control (fwd/back and left/right) is given by 2 servos connected to the swash-plate which changes the angle of the lower blades. The top blades have a stabilization bar which stabilizes the helicopter during flight.
Fixed Pitch (Dragonfly 4, Dragonfly 4#1, Dragonfly 4#3)
Fixed pitch helis are much more like ‘real helicopters’ in the sense that they have main blades and an active tail blade. The only way to change the amount of lift generated by the main blades is by changing the main motor speed. Because the head assembly (which holds on the main blades) is quite simple these helis tend to be the toughest.
Fixed Pitch helis tend to be more responsive than twin-blade helis.
Collective Pitch (Dragonfly 1#A, Dragonfly 1#B, Dragonfly 22E, Dragonfly 36, Dragonfly 52, Dragonfly 60, Dragonfly 68)
Collective Pitch helis are by far the most agile and responsive heli type. They differ from fixed pitch helis in that the main blades can pivot (change pitch) independently of each other and independently of main blade speed. This enables each blade to change the amount of lift at different parts of the rotation. Taken to the extreme, this could mean that whilst at the right part of the rotation, the blade gives lift and at the left part of the rotation the air pushes the blade down. This would cause a quick roll of the heli. Also, since the overall lift is controlled independently of the blade speed, quick changes to the amount of lift are possible giving these helis to climb rapidly and even hover upside down!
Collective pitch helis have a more complex head assembly which is easier to damage than on fixed pitch helis. They require more tuning and maintenance to ensure proper function and optimal performance. They’re also the most fun when you finally master them!
Pirctured above is the new Dragonfly 1#A which embodies the advantages of CP.
- Cost
- Performance
- Appearance
But that’s not the end of it. Some helis are much easier to learn to fly than others. Some require more tuning and know-how. There’s bound to be one to fit your needs. But how do you decide?
Learning to fly helicopters well takes a long time. If you only have an hour or so, every other week, then an easy to fly twin-blade (e.g. Dragonfly 5#6 or Dragonfly 5#4) will be about all you’ll have time to master. Keep in mind the amount of space you have available too. Smaller helis like the Dragonfly 52 (and Dragonfly 52#1) can be flown indoors (a large garage is ideal). Because the flying field is only a few steps away you will be able to put the time in and progress to master pilot more quickly. If you live on a farm or near a decent sized park then a Dragonfly 36, 37, 60, or 68 will handle a light breeze with ease making it just as easy to take to the air.
Whilst learning you can expect to crash many times.
I started with a Dragonfly 36. I broke it many times and upgraded it. I still love my Dragonfly 36B but it was costing too much to keep making mistakes. So I grabbed a Dragonfly 22E. That’s a great heli too. Very responsive and agile. I still have a lot of fun with it, but still, I crash and because of the fast rotor speed (needed to give it the agility) it still typically breaks $10 to $30 worth of stuff in every other crash. I’m sure I will love the 22E… but even after over 2years flying I still consider myself only a beginner (almost intermediate… but that will take a while yet).
So most days I love to fly my Dragonfly 4#1 because I can relax. Even when I make a mistake and it crashes. Provided it comes down from a meter or two in the air onto grass… then I can usually get away with it without breaking anything… just a quick fix and a few adjustments and it’s ready to go again.
The DF36 will be a great model for years to come. Just be very careful and take your time learning. All of these helis have their advantages. It’s up to you to choose what suits you best.
Let me know if you want any more info. I’m glad to help (it’s hard to choose I know).
View the RC Helicopters Category from the AirborneRC store
]]>1/ Switch on the transmitter. (Ensure that the throttle stick is at lowest position and the 3D switch (top-right) is in the N position (up). Unplug the main motor too to be safe.) Plug in the receiver.
2/ Allow the gyro time to set and all servos to move to their neutral position. Put all trims on the transmitter in the middle position.You can switch everything off now if you are careful not to move an servos out of the neutral position.
3/ Remove each of the 3 servo horns and refit them so that they are horizontal (90 degrees from servo)
4/ Check that the swash plate is horizontal. If not, change the length of the push-rods by winding the ball-sockets in or out. Don’t go too tight or you will can damage them. Too loose and they can slip off. You may want to give the swash plate a very slight (2 degress) lean to the right to compensate for the thrust of the tail blades.
Adjust Blade Pitch - Static Setup
1/ Make sure that dip-switch 8 on the transmitter is in the unlocked position. Switch on the transmitter. Unplug the main motor. Plug in the receiver.
2/ Move the throttle stick to about 60%. Adjust the PLT knob (top-right) to give about 5 degrees pitch.
3/ Move the throttle stick to 0% and check that pitch is decreased. 4/ Unplug the receiver. Switch of Tx.
Adjust Blade Pitch - Live setup
1/ With main motor plugged in. Turn on Tx. Check throttle is 0% and 3D switch is at ‘N’ (up). Plug in Rx.
2/ Allow gyro to initialize and servos to move to positions.
3/ Slowly power up the throttle. Don’t take off! Set the PLT knob such that the heli will get light on the skids at about 55% throttle. I like to have blade pitch setup so that the heli hovers at about 60% throttle. Use the PLT knob to fine tune it. BEWARE: The PLT knob isn’t linear (ie. fully clockwise doesn’t always mean maximum pitch, and fully counter-clockwise doesn’t always mean minimum pitch). So any ‘live’ adjustments should me small. If you are changing the knob more than 1/8 of a turn you should do it without the main motor plugged in (static test).
Be safe and take your time and the heli will perform at its best.
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