Radio Control Blog
My Assault 100 helicopter came with a transmitter module that allows you to use it with any transmitter. This module is also used with HobbyKing’s Q-BOT Micro quad and FBL100 helicopter. It’s actually just a rebranded HiSky HT8 module which is used for many HiSky helicopters. Rather than have to charge this module separately and hang it off of my Turnigy 9x, I decided to build a module specifically for my 9x which would power it up and keep it safely in place.
I’m new to helicopters, so the radio setup for the Assault 100 was a little daunting – especially given the fact that my transmitter has an alternate firmware (OpenTX) installed, and the Assault 100 printed manual settings for the Turnigy 9x assume you have stock firmware.
One other important detail I didn’t understand is that flybarless helicopters don’t use the helicopter functions built into the transmitter. Instead they have something similar to a quadcopter flight controller with gyro sensors to perform the stabilization function of the flybar. Rather than setting up the swash type and assigning the cyclic channels on the radio, the cyclic inputs can be sent as normal aileron and elevator controls – similar to a multi-rotor.
What still needs to be set up on the transmitter is the channel assignment, throttle and pitch curves, and reversing. That last part is extremely important and is how I broke my helicopter before it ever left the ground 🙁
I’m a sucker for deals at HobbyKing, and I’d been looking at small collective pitch helicopters for a while. When the Assault 100 went on sale for less than $50, I jumped on it. Before I purchased, I did some research and found that it’s really just a rebranded HiSky HCP100S. I found some generally positive information online, but maybe I should have read this entire 300+ page thread about the HCP100S before I pulled the trigger. Let’s find out…
I like being a helicopter parent – no not being overprotective and smothering – I just like flying helicopters with my son. For Christmas I got Jules a Blade Scout CX coaxial helicopter. It’s a great helicopter for anyone to start on, including a pre-schooler. It has a gyro and stabilizer bar to keep it level, and the 3-channel remote is easy to use for a beginner. Even when he’s not flying, Jules likes to “scoot” the heli around on the kitchen linoleum by giving it just enough power to get the helicopter light on the skids – then sliding it around on the floor without leaving the ground.
In the winter Jules and I went to a few dome flys with a local R/C club called MARCEE. In the wide-open space at the dome, it’s good to have a something to aim for. I had a couple of large-ish pieces of foam that were used shipping my R/C car set-up board. To give them a little more realism as helicopter landing pads, I added a circle “H” to each.
I’m not sponsored by HobbyKing or any of their brands (Turnigy, TrackStar, Quanum, etc.), but I’ve found that they’ve been a boon for someone getting back into any radio control hobby on a budget.
Truth-be-told, I feel like more of a product tester than anything. That is sort of what sponsored drivers/pilots do anyway: they get access to the newest stuff for testing and feedback.
I just do testing and feedback on the stuff I buy, and since it’s so darn cheap I don’t really mind.
Dear hobby shop owners and employees,
This is a plea, asking you to get to know your competition. If you don’t know what a Turnigy 9x or an XT60 is, you’ve become a slave to your distributors, and your customers are likely going to leave you behind. There is an enterprising young man named Anthony Hand who moved to China and started a company called HobbyKing. You should pay attention to what they (and others) are doing as they’re rewriting the rules of radio control hobbies.
