FMA Co-pilot

[tug29]

Hi Guys,

Has anyone heard of or used a system called fma co-pilot???? i was chatting to a guy today who recomended it. if anyone has used it can i buy it in the uk or will i need to get it direct from the us???

had a slight crash which needed new main rotor blades which i now have but as im learning by myself the co-pilot sounds quite good i've looked on fma direct website (punch fma into goggle)

cheers

Gareth

[Stuart]

You can get it here

http://www.modelhelicopters.co.uk/ac...iningAids.html

[tug29]

Cheers Stuart,

Would you recomend getting it, i checked the price and it looks quite reasonable. but would like a bit of info before parting with my hard earnt cash

[Stuart]

You can read more about it here too

https://www.fmadirect.com/site/fma.h...roducts&cat=29

As to whether or not its worth the money, that a hard one but if you work on 90.00 cost then that's 1 crash cost depending on the heli and how bad the crash was.

Its used alot with heli cams to create a stable hovering platform, my only concern would be that if you ever took it off you'll get a shock with regards to the controlling of your heli.

I never had one, but I've had a serious number of crashes and they weren't out when I started up.


Its your call, unless someone else can give a more detailed review on the product.

[Raptorite]

Hi gareth,

I read some reviews on the co-pilot a while ago and even bought one direct from fma in the states, I never got round to trying it though and sold it as an unused item on ebay some time ago.

I think from what I can remember from the reviews I saw it is a very good learning aid but is only as good as its setup as it measures the difference between the ground and sky in some way, I cant remember how though.

Stuart is right though, if you do go down that route make sure you slowly reduce the sensitivity of it to get used to hovering yourself before just turning it off completely, or else you will as Stuart says be in for quite a shock 8O

Cheers,

Pete.

[philiphenderson]

A vast number of people have learned to fly helis without them. I'm not saying we shouldn't embrace new technology as it comes along. What I am trying to say is that you can learn to fly these blasted machines without it.

Any device that gives the beginner false confidence isn't a good thing. Better to know that you can hold the heli level by yourself. Seen way too many helis being "flown" about and too high by novices who just aren't ready to be doing so. 8O

Money better spent on fuel.

Just my opinion obviously.

Phil.

[G-DAVE]

Autopilot

I tested something similar a few years ago- and I think beginers would find it usefull particulaly when begining to venture out of the hover.
As I remember it , as long as you were moving the sticks you were overriding the unit but if you got into trouble you just let go the cyclic and the heli put itself into a hover, assuming you still had positive collective on.
A lot of scale jet pilots fitted them for that smooth landing approach.
The one problem came when you were flying next to high ground or say in snow conditions when it found it difficult to distinguish the horizon ie; the difference between dark and light.
Regards Dave D

[philiphenderson]

Dave,

Angelos' 60 had one fitted when I flew it at last years Geordie Nats. It did indeed keep the machine nice and level when I released the cyclic so they no doubt do their job. Just thinking that it'll possibly let the newbie get over confident and head off into blue skies when they aren't quite ready.

Phil.

[G-DAVE]

Auto pilot

hi phil
Theres always that possibilty anyway- the only thing is all crashes occur with contact with the ground not the wide blue yonder- may be the autopiot would give the beginer time to call in an expert before it gets to low. I suppose the big worry would be if they got over enthusiastic and had a fly-away -that's scary
dave

[mo]

HI.
If I may add a little bit to this discussion.
I was talking to a very experienced helli flyer recently, and he brought up the subject of these autopilots.He had travelled to the midlands to pick up some scale bodies he had purchased,and the seller happened to have one of these gizmos and proceeded to give a demonstration.
Without any warning this man started up his helli in a postage stamp sized garden, took it up into a hover then put the radio down, sat down on a garden seat, and calmly proceeded to roll himself a cigarette.
You can imagine how terrified the teller of this story was,and had to fight with himself not to make a grab for the radio.If this is the way things are going it does not bode good for this sport, the end result can only mean that the future flyer will only have to punch in a recognised programme,and then watch their pride and joy going through an aerobatic schedule with no help from yours truly.

WHO THE HELL WANTS THAT.
CHEERS.
MO.

[Stuart]

Mo....atlast I now have a way to win the 3D Masters , I'm off to find a programmer to come up with the solution.

[mo]

HI STUART.

Too late mate I already have it,how the hell did you think a thicko like myself could have managed without one.What is all this moaning about it being windy,if you could all move to the sunny south with the light breezes we are having, you would still complain about something else.I always thought you chaps up north were made of tougher stuff than that,come on lads turn your collars up, say sod it, and give it a go,at the least you will give me some pretty hairy reading about your flying in the future.

GOOD FLYING.
MO.

[G-DAVE]

Gizmos

Hi Mo
If I cast my mine back 20 years or so they were saying the same thing about gyros - "thats cheating" they would say.
I'm not for Auto pilots across the board as you would learn nothing during the important hovering stage, but I can see where it could assist some people when starting to fly circuits or even 3D.
When we tried one a few years ago we deliberately flew the model inverted and then let go the sticks and yes it returned the heli upright in double quick time.
Regards Dave

[mo]

HI DAVE.
Thanks for the info on the autopilot and as I am new to helli's please forgive my ignorance.I perfectly agree that anything that helps the novice flyer in learning this difficult art is most welcome,I must also express that caution must be excercised in the amount of help given.
If everyone who tried to master flying a helicopter was granted instant success with using these electronic aids,it would in effect take the satisfaction away in the end result.The market is being flooded at the moment with chuck and go fixed wing models,to a lesser extent we are getting it with the so called indoor helli's,just think what would happen should the skill element be taken away, and that helli's were instantly flyable by every tom, dick, and harry.For my own part, learning was blood sweat and almost tears, and accomplished with just the help of a simulator,but when I first lifted that helli off the ground into a hover, it was one of the greatest thrills that I have had in my life.At the end of the day "Dave, what will be will be and nothing that is said will stop people making things easier in what we do,but at the end of the day it will take something precious away from us, and that is skill and satisfaction.

GOOD FLYING.
MO.

[chappers]

ANY THING THAT HELPS HAS GOT TO BE GOOD DOESNT IT?