Various Parts of an Electric RC Helicopter

RC Helicopter Bodies

• All of the other parts of an RC helicopter get attached to the body. The mechanisms that drive the main and tail rotors get put in the body. The body of an RC helicopter also hides the receiver. The tail arm and the top rotor assembly provide the structure necessary for the vehicle to fly. The cooling duct regulates the temperature of the helicopter's engine, and the landing gear allows the vehicle to land safely.

The Top Rotor Assembly

• The top rotor assembly consists of two blades, the rotor head, the swash plate and the main shaft. The top shaft provides most of the forward momentum for the helicopter. If the helicopter only had only one rotor, torque would cause the body to rotate uncontrollably. To eliminate that problem, some radio control helicopter models add a counter-rotating blade on the top of the rotor, while other models use the traditional tail rotor to maintain the stability of the vehicle.

The Tail Rotor Assembly

• Not every RC helicopter includes a tail assembly, but those that do have a tail arm, a tail fin and a tail rotor. The tail rotor keeps the body of the helicopter from spinning due to torque. The tail fins help control the flight direction of the vehicle.

Motor and Battery

• Many RC helicopter manufacturers place the battery near the motor. Gasoline-powered helicopters have a fuel tank in place of a battery. Experienced hobbyists may want to replace the electric motor that comes with the helicopters with a more powerful one.

RC Transmitter

• The radio control transmitter sends the command to the helicopter body. No RC vehicle would work without the radio transmitter. The transmitter contains the throttle and the directional controls.