;e Great Planes RealFlight 6 RC flight simulator with the new Interlink Elite Controller is as close to flying a real
helicopter as you can get without leaving the comforts of home.
careful when ordering because each has its
own stock number: LXBMDZ for the Titan
X50 and LXBMEA for the Raptor 30/50.
Each head is all metal and comes com-
pletely assembled and ready to replace
the stock head with only a few minutes of
work. The newly designed, rigid and light-
weight one-piece main rotor hub is a work
of art, and the lengthened control arms on
the blade grips makes the head compatible
this has been the case until now. I recently
had the opportunity to fly on the Real-
Flight 6 simulator and Heli Mega Pack with
47 extra helicopters, and it’s as close to real
flying as you can get without being at the
flying field. Some of the best RC heli pilots
in the world worked with RealFlight’s
engineers to improve the flight perfor-
mance with such features as autorotations,
first-person view, flight instruction and
even one-on-one tutoring. The included
Interlink Elite controller is just like one of
our transmitters with digital trims, a non-
ratcheted throttle stick and correct posi-
tioning of the switches and rotary knobs.
One of the features I really like and use a
lot is the new dual function Reset Button,
which lets me fly again instantly after a
crash. You can also hold this button down
to rewind the flight and continue flying
from any point you choose. Now when I
make a mistake I can relive that experience
as many times as I want, seeing exactly
where I went wrong and making the nec-
essary corrections. Other features such as
safety alerts provide a checklist for safe
flying, and the QuickSelect function con-
trols all the basic software functions from
the controller, almost eliminating the
need for a mouse and keyboard. A built-
in interface also allows you to use your
own transmitter, and MultiMode lets you
use the controller and interface simultane-
ously--a feature not available on any other
DIY Canopy Holder I recently went to another great helicopter event put on by the SPARKS club in St. Petersburg, FL. It’s always a pleasure to visit their field because they always make veryone feel so welcome, but this time it proved even more enjoyable because I got to meet John Cook and his 8-year-old son Justin. Justin is an all-around great young man, and he flies like a pro with his Align 550E and 700E. Justin and his dad also made a very simple but e;ective canopy holder for both the workshop and the flying field. I can’t believe I haven’t thought of this myself over the many years I have been in the hobby. It seems I’m always taking the canopy o; to clean, inspect or make an adjustment to my helicopter, and I can’t tell you how many times the canopy has fallen or been blown o; the table. ;is neat little canopy holder is made from very inexpensive PVC pipe and fittings available from your local hardware store. Cut the PVC to make a U-shape base, and then add a piece in the middle to hold the canopy. I’m sure this is going to be something you will want to make as well. John Cook and his son Justin show o; their self-designed canopy holder. Made from inexpensive and easy to work with PVC tubing, this canopy holder is ideal for both the workshop and the flying field.
simulator that I know of. 3D flying sites are
also embedded in over 5,000 square miles
of TrueLife Terrain with razor-sharp detail,
and the FlexiField flying site editor adds
buildings, trees and more. These are just
some of the features you will find in this
latest version of RealFlight 6, but you can
get the full story at realflight.com.
New heli gear
Thunder Tiger has recently released new
flybarless rotor head conversion kits for the
Titan X50 and Raptor 30/50 helicopters,
both of which are available from Tower
Hobbies ( towerhobbies.com). However, be
