The OTHER Kevin in San Diego wrote:
I feel the computer simulators offer something the Heli-Chair
doesn't.
No risk to persons or property should the helicopter crash. Don't
get

you are correct, the safety of a computer is of course incomparable to
a whirling 4 foot rotor disk. the cost though of the helicopter really
isn't that much and crashes don't have to cost very much either, if
they even occur. modern helicopter kits (without the electronics) can
be purchased, almost ready to fly, for about $300. some more and some
less. i use a training gear called the RotoPod, which i package with
the Heli-Chair. the RotoPod allows you quite a bit of flexibility with
regard to finessing the helicopter on and off of the ground without
damaging it. most of the time you'll only crash when you get too brave
for your skill level. if you are conservative (as we like pilots to
be), there is no reason to ding it up. you can dump the collective
from about 10 feet or so and be just fine. maybe we should build a 30
foot 'rotopod' for the big helicopters.

Have you thought of providing any control "feedback" (dampers or
springs to simulate control loads) on your HC?? One thing we're

i have centering springs and i have also considered a spring/dashpot
version that would more closely simulate the hydraulic types where the
cyclic has friction and tends more to stay where you put it. for now,
simple springs and the inherent friction in the mechanism serves to
provide a limited amount of "feel". to get feedback from the actual
helicopter to actually actuate the controls would be very complicated.
fun, but complicated.

An admirable goal, but a sim inside a small room or in the corner of
a
hangar doesn't require "airspace" for a flying model. The HC won't
provide any instrumentation for the "pilot" to refer to. One has to
wonder about the FAA's view of an RC helicopter flitting about the
local airport as well. We have to step very carefully around the FAA

good point...no one wants a model helicopter loose on the ramp. i
suppose there are creative solutions to this, such as flying the
helicopter in the parking lot out front - next to more inexpensive
vehicles of course. the fact that it has no instrumentation is a
slight handicap. i definitely agree that sims have that advantage. in
the case of IFR training for example, gauges are absolutely critical.
however my point of view is this: how many students even have time to
look at a gauge in their first 5 hours of training? even when i flew
the R22 my first time, i devoted my entire attention on flying and
relied on the instructor to help out with watching engine gauges and
such. obviously for my initial 0.4 hour flight this is acceptable;
over the next 1 or 2 hours of training i would suppose that flying
becomes a little more automatic and i can divert a little brain power
to watching the instruments. we did do one circuit in the pattern and
i had some extra time then to watch instruments, but in the hover...not
yet!

BTW: What's this thing cost sans helicopter/electronics? I might
want to blow the dust off the old JR50...

$2,350 assuming you have all the radio and field gear necessary to
fly your helicopter, this would cover the rest. all you would need to
do is send me your transmitter for me to add a plug to interface with
the Heli-Chair. i recommend you purchase two additional things, the
rotopod training gear for and a newer transmitter such as the futaba
7C. i recommend the latest radio systems because they have fail-safe
modes that can be programmed to shut the engine down if you experience
any interference or a battery fails in the transmitter, etc. they also
have computerized model setup memories so you can instantly change
between flying your helicopter to flying the glider or airplane you
might also have around.

thanks for the input!
kas