The Allure of RC Helicopters: A Guide to Choosing the Right One

When it comes to remote-controlled (RC) helicopters, many people think of kids who are fascinated by these machines. However, the vast majority of RC helicopter enthusiasts are actually adults in their teens or 20s and 30s. These individuals appreciate the ease of use, portability, and fun that RC helicopters provide.

One of the best things about RC helicopters is how easy they are to pick up and play with. They require minimal setup and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Whether it's a short burst of fun or a longer session, RC helicopters are perfect for anyone looking to have some outdoor fun with family and friends.

The Testing Process: A Thorough Approach

Before reviewing an RC helicopter, the testing team at Behind the Review thoroughly assesses its performance. This includes benchmarking charge time and flight time, as well as conducting speed tests and direction tests. The team also evaluates the ability of the remote control to make adjustments in real-time, such as fine-tuning the trim settings to keep the helicopter stable.

The Importance of Communication Technology

One of the most critical factors to consider when choosing an RC helicopter is the communication technology used between the remote control and the aircraft. Infrared is a common technology used in many RC helicopters, but it has limitations – it's short-range and can be disrupted by obstacles like buildings or trees. The team at Behind the Review prefers 2.4 GHz connections, which are more stable and have longer range.

Channels Matter: Understanding the Importance of Channel Configuration

Another crucial aspect to consider is the number of channels used in the RC helicopter. Typically, a four-channel system is recommended, with each channel corresponding to a different direction of flight (up/down, forward/backward, left/right, and side-to-side). This configuration allows for greater control and maneuverability, making the helicopter feel more responsive and fun to fly.

Real-World Testing: Hands-On Experience

During their testing process, the team at Behind the Review puts the RC helicopters through a series of real-world tests. They set up obstacle courses and test the helicopters' speed and agility in different environments. This hands-on approach helps them understand the limitations and capabilities of each helicopter, ensuring that they provide an accurate review.

The Verdict: Choosing the Right RC Helicopter for You

With so many factors to consider, choosing the right RC helicopter can be overwhelming. However, by understanding the importance of communication technology, channel configuration, and testing approaches, you'll be better equipped to find the perfect machine for your needs. At Behind the Review, we've put our RC helicopters through a rigorous test process to ensure that they meet the highest standards of quality and performance.

In conclusion, RC helicopters offer a unique combination of fun, portability, and excitement. By following the tips and guidelines outlined in this article, you'll be well on your way to finding the perfect RC helicopter for you. Whether you're an seasoned enthusiast or just starting out, there's never been a better time to explore the world of RC helicopters.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey what's going on guys I'm Dan Carpenter and you're watching behind the review today I'm sitting alongside Dan tenant who is our gadgets and mobile specialist here at top 10 reviews and we're talking a little bit about RC helicopters thanks for being on the show man always a pleasure Dan so these guys you just got done reviewing them I I forget exactly how many models you said there were but I know tons of models uh it couldn't have been any fun at all oh oh no fun what you being able to fly helicops around the office I mean come on who wants to do that yeah rough job how many models were there just just to kind of tell folks we started with a field of 43 different RC helicopters from 13 different manufacturers from all over the world uh and ended up narrowing that down to like a core 15 that we really investigated in depth uh and then from that got down to our top 10 I like it and what's just just kind of in general what's the price range on on helicopters like these well they can vary widely depending on you know how much of an enthus you are uh but for the vast majority of us you can buy a really good helicopter for anywhere between 15 bucks those are the sorts of ones you'll see at your local indoor mall flying around uh and about $150 for a high-end but still easy to use in fun helicopter Okay cool so a little a little bit of a range like you're saying and and you mentioned the mall helicopters whenever I see those things I'm I'm walking by I always think of like you know the 9 to 10year old kid maybe who sees it and they want it um but I also know that there's there's grown-ups flying these things around right so like is there a tra is there a typical customer or who's who's looking at these kinds of things you tend to think of of the kids first but the fact of the matter is the vast majority of RC helicopters are actually you know folks in their teens or or you know 20s to 30s they span the gamut of age range because they're really easy to pick up and play uh and and they they tend to be great for short bursts of time so you know you take it out to to a Big Field you know near your house or near your city um you have fun for a few minutes you spend time with the family anyone can do that yeah man you make it sound so so beautiful so American get out things um AR so I know you like you said we I think we actually have some footage of of you guys uh just just messing around having some fun here in the office obviously you guys are super thorough though when you do your testing apart from like dropping bubbles on people and uh an annoying very important part of any test procedure you're going to want that in you're testing um what what other kinds of stuff did you guys do to as part of the review process uh so we always try to be as thorough as possible um we we uh benchmarked several times the charge time and the flight time of of every helicopter we got in uh we tried to test and be really thorough about uh speed tests um and there are a few helicopters that actually have multiple speed settings uh built in um so so so uh you know we set up a course or we did our speed test where we did Direction tests we tested the ability the trim ability on the remote controls to make because you know a lot of times helicopter closer range in closer well a lot of times a helicopter will just start spinning by itself um so good trim settings on a on a remote in a helicopter will keep it nice and stationary uh so so we tried to be as thorough as possible cool cool so among all those things and everything that you guys looked at having been on the other side of it and played with these things for now quite a while um what what are the most important things if if these guys want to go out maybe and look at get one of these what's maybe like the one or two biggest things that they're going to want to pay attention to uh so so two things the first thing is just the the type of communication that happens between the remote control and the helicopter and gen generally you'll see uh infrared is is is uh very common and that the same technology that's in your remote control um it tends to be pretty short range and it uh is broken by line of sight so you can't go around corners you can't go obstacles it just falls out of the sky we had a few incidents here while we were testing I remember there was one where you guys like flew it over the railing or something and yeah up on the third floor over the atrium three story drop right to the ground thankfully it survived without a scratch because they're pretty resilient devices um but what you really want if you can get it is a 2.4 GHz uh connection between the remote and the copper uh so that's the same connection that like your home Wi-Fi uses be really stable has to be longer range okay and there's and there's no line of sight limitations no line of sight limitations that um and so that's that that's that and then the other thing to worry about is channels you want to get a helicopter usually with at least four channels um each channel is basically a direction of flight so up and down is one channel forward and back is another Channel turning is the third Channel but the fourth Channel gives you the ability to side slip and it's amazing how just that simple ability can really kind of transform a helicopter from something that you're kind of slowly moving around the room to this really quick darting fun machine yeah that makes me think of like real like Apache helicopters you in the Army or kind of doing their Maneuvers that's cool man well these things are a lot of fun I know I've had fun just in the limited amount that we' I've played around with them and and uh so if you guys are looking for something like this and you're interested in checking out the full details complete specs and all that good stuff swing on over to the review and you can check it out there um Dan thanks so much for being on the show man I really appreciate it my pleasure Dan and uh thank you guys for tuning in until next time guys I'm Dan Carpenter and this has been behind the reviewhey what's going on guys I'm Dan Carpenter and you're watching behind the review today I'm sitting alongside Dan tenant who is our gadgets and mobile specialist here at top 10 reviews and we're talking a little bit about RC helicopters thanks for being on the show man always a pleasure Dan so these guys you just got done reviewing them I I forget exactly how many models you said there were but I know tons of models uh it couldn't have been any fun at all oh oh no fun what you being able to fly helicops around the office I mean come on who wants to do that yeah rough job how many models were there just just to kind of tell folks we started with a field of 43 different RC helicopters from 13 different manufacturers from all over the world uh and ended up narrowing that down to like a core 15 that we really investigated in depth uh and then from that got down to our top 10 I like it and what's just just kind of in general what's the price range on on helicopters like these well they can vary widely depending on you know how much of an enthus you are uh but for the vast majority of us you can buy a really good helicopter for anywhere between 15 bucks those are the sorts of ones you'll see at your local indoor mall flying around uh and about $150 for a high-end but still easy to use in fun helicopter Okay cool so a little a little bit of a range like you're saying and and you mentioned the mall helicopters whenever I see those things I'm I'm walking by I always think of like you know the 9 to 10year old kid maybe who sees it and they want it um but I also know that there's there's grown-ups flying these things around right so like is there a tra is there a typical customer or who's who's looking at these kinds of things you tend to think of of the kids first but the fact of the matter is the vast majority of RC helicopters are actually you know folks in their teens or or you know 20s to 30s they span the gamut of age range because they're really easy to pick up and play uh and and they they tend to be great for short bursts of time so you know you take it out to to a Big Field you know near your house or near your city um you have fun for a few minutes you spend time with the family anyone can do that yeah man you make it sound so so beautiful so American get out things um AR so I know you like you said we I think we actually have some footage of of you guys uh just just messing around having some fun here in the office obviously you guys are super thorough though when you do your testing apart from like dropping bubbles on people and uh an annoying very important part of any test procedure you're going to want that in you're testing um what what other kinds of stuff did you guys do to as part of the review process uh so we always try to be as thorough as possible um we we uh benchmarked several times the charge time and the flight time of of every helicopter we got in uh we tried to test and be really thorough about uh speed tests um and there are a few helicopters that actually have multiple speed settings uh built in um so so so uh you know we set up a course or we did our speed test where we did Direction tests we tested the ability the trim ability on the remote controls to make because you know a lot of times helicopter closer range in closer well a lot of times a helicopter will just start spinning by itself um so good trim settings on a on a remote in a helicopter will keep it nice and stationary uh so so we tried to be as thorough as possible cool cool so among all those things and everything that you guys looked at having been on the other side of it and played with these things for now quite a while um what what are the most important things if if these guys want to go out maybe and look at get one of these what's maybe like the one or two biggest things that they're going to want to pay attention to uh so so two things the first thing is just the the type of communication that happens between the remote control and the helicopter and gen generally you'll see uh infrared is is is uh very common and that the same technology that's in your remote control um it tends to be pretty short range and it uh is broken by line of sight so you can't go around corners you can't go obstacles it just falls out of the sky we had a few incidents here while we were testing I remember there was one where you guys like flew it over the railing or something and yeah up on the third floor over the atrium three story drop right to the ground thankfully it survived without a scratch because they're pretty resilient devices um but what you really want if you can get it is a 2.4 GHz uh connection between the remote and the copper uh so that's the same connection that like your home Wi-Fi uses be really stable has to be longer range okay and there's and there's no line of sight limitations no line of sight limitations that um and so that's that that's that and then the other thing to worry about is channels you want to get a helicopter usually with at least four channels um each channel is basically a direction of flight so up and down is one channel forward and back is another Channel turning is the third Channel but the fourth Channel gives you the ability to side slip and it's amazing how just that simple ability can really kind of transform a helicopter from something that you're kind of slowly moving around the room to this really quick darting fun machine yeah that makes me think of like real like Apache helicopters you in the Army or kind of doing their Maneuvers that's cool man well these things are a lot of fun I know I've had fun just in the limited amount that we' I've played around with them and and uh so if you guys are looking for something like this and you're interested in checking out the full details complete specs and all that good stuff swing on over to the review and you can check it out there um Dan thanks so much for being on the show man I really appreciate it my pleasure Dan and uh thank you guys for tuning in until next time guys I'm Dan Carpenter and this has been behind the review\n"