One can’t ignore the fact that high-rollers come to play big. They can afford every piece of entertainment that the city offers. Besides this, they’re also after the big stakes. However, the online casinos have also emerged as one of its biggest competitors.

There are some fantastic casino review websites out there to help players choose from the best online casinos. One such online casino review site is Casinos Jungle. It has all the top online casinos reviewed and rated by experts. Additionally, it also offers great resources on responsible gambling and how to play online casinos. Check for instance, their review of Bovada casino.

There are some wealthy gamblers who still prefer to visit a casino establishment. They sit at a table and bet large amounts that many could never earn even if they worked for a lifetime. For these VIPs, time is money. This is why they mostly travel by a helicopter. They take to the skies and land at their desired casino in style. We’ve learned that some of the top casinos of Las Vegas used to have helipads. Let’s take a look at them:

1. Excalibur Hotel and Casino

Mandalay Resorts Group once had an owner who installed a helipad. It was on the Excalibur Hotel and Casino’s roof on its south-east corner. The intention was to use it for the owner’s personal use and convenience. This was certainly an unwise move. The decision to bring down the helipad was the result of a request from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Employees of this casino hotel say that no helicopters fly there anymore.

2. Circus Circus casino helipad

This is the world’s largest permanent big top. It started operating in the year 1968. About eleven years later, it activated a heliport at the place where its indoor amusement park currently stands. The name of this amusement park is Adventuredome. Many are of the opinion that this was for the marketing director Mel Larson, who was a pilot.

Although there’s no evidence that the heliport is still operational, the FAA shows it as active. Many believe that the intention of building the heliport in 1993 was to create parking lots. Phil Ruffin, a wealthy businessman, bought the entire complex recently.

3. Stardust Casino and Hacienda Casino

It’s quite unfortunate that none of these venues exist today. The Stardust began its operations in 1958. It closed in 2006 after 48 years of its run. It was brought down with the help of implosion a few months after it shut down. Hacienda had an even shorter lifespan. It had made its debut two years before Stardust, but closed ten years before it. It’s now rests under the Mandalay Bay’s south-east wing.

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If you somehow avoid this, you’ll have to deal with the damages to your chopper later on. The damages may be so serious that you’ll even have to replace your helicopter entirely. Here, we have some good news for you. The maintenance of an RC helicopter is quite simple and mostly involves the cleaning work.

Misconceptions about cleaning an RC helicopter

You might think that cleaning an RC helicopter is a painful task. The thought might also surface in your mind that the effort is not worth it. It’ll be a mistake to think this way. Cleaning these helicopters is pretty much worth the effort and time that you invest in it. Improper and infrequent maintenance can lead these helicopters towards a catastrophic failure.

Your RC helicopter will come crashing down if this failure happens mid-flight. If such an incident occurs, then you’ll find yourself shopping for a new one. There is one more aspect of an RC helicopter that you need to keep in mind. You don’t really need to take much effort to clean it in a proper manner.

Basic cleaning

Basic cleaning of these helicopters is very simple. You must do the cleaning before as well as after every flight. For this, you must first get a rag and your glass cleaner. Rub your RC helicopter thoroughly from the top to its bottom. Don’t forget to clean the blade and the body while doing so.

In case of standard cleaning, there’s one thing you must look out for. Don’t spray an electronic component directly using your glass cleaner. If you somehow spray it, dry the affected area carefully. Avoid operating the helicopter for the next 24 hours. There are two significant advantages that you can have with the cleaning of your RC helicopter.

First, you’ll obviously give your helicopter a clean and fabulous look. Second, you’ll be able to find out mechanical issues before they get worse. With the simple cleaning of your RC helicopter, you’ll avoid a potential disaster.

Thorough cleansing

Sometimes, you get the feeling that your helicopter needs a more thorough cleaning. Well, a thorough clean is not so different from a basic one. Instead of using your window cleaner, you must think of a better way to do this. Find a quick solution that will make it easier for you to perform a through clean.

Mix your cleaning solution with denatured alcohol. One part of the mixture must be this alcohol and the other must be window cleaner. You’ll see that this mixture is extremely effective in cleaning your RC helicopter thoroughly. Using this cleaning solution, give your helicopter a normal wipe down. Take your time to pick up the swabs.

This will enable you to clean the spots that are hard to reach. You’ll find that the swab cleans those difficult places quite easily. It should not take more than twenty minutes to perform a thorough clean on your helicopter. The final time, of course, will ultimately depend on your RC helicopter’s size.

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Besides, you’d want a flyable RC helicopter that lasts for years. Toy grade choppers can be of 2-channel to 3-channel range. The 2-channel toy grade helicopters come with a throttle and rudder. The 3-channel ones have throttle, rudder, and elevator.

You’ll find that the toy grade helicopters lack a swash-plate. It’s an essential component of an RC helicopter, which directs the rotor blade. This gives the flier more directional control. Here we’ve explained three different types of RC helicopters you must know before you buy one and start practicing:

1. Coaxial

These RC helicopters come with two rotors located at the top. Both these rotors rotate in the opposite direction. This produces a spinning effect on the main body of the copter. The remote-controlled choppers that come under the category of coaxial helicopters don’t require a tail rotor. Among the several types of flying RC helicopters available today, these are the most stable ones.

They’re easy to fly and not so reactive to control inputs, which make them ideal for beginners. Such choppers are suitable for both indoor and outdoor fliers. You can get the coaxial choppers in the size ranges from small to medium. These helicopters are low-cost and can be easy to repair. One thing to keep in mind is the fact that they can’t perform aerobatics. They’re also bad at flying during the windy conditions.

2. Fixed Pitch

They’re the best types of RC helicopters for intermediates. Fixed pitch choppers are a level above coaxial helicopters with regards to difficulty. They have only one rotor located at the top. One can also categorize most of the coaxial helicopters as fixed pitch. The use of this term comes up often while talking about choppers that have a tail rotor. It’s necessary to balance for the torque reaction.

In such type of RC helicopters, the angle or pitch of attack of the rotors doesn’t change. The amount of lift in fixed pitch helicopters is proportional to the amount of rotation of the motors. Higher the throttle or rotation, greater is the lift. Such helicopters are available in small to medium sizes. One can fly these helicopters indoors or outdoors.

3. Collective Pitch

Collective pitch RC helicopters are the best for advanced fliers. If you’ve got some experience in flying RC helicopters, you might want to buy collective pitch choppers. They don’t produce the lift by stepping up the throttle. Rather, you need to vary the pitch or angle of attack of the rotor blades. This is what increases or decreases the altitude in the collective pitch helicopters.

In these type of choppers, the rotor blade’s spinning speed has nothing to do with the lift. As a result, the control inputs get a snappy reaction. It is necessary for advanced maneuvers, such as tic-tock and inverted flying. The collective pitch helicopters are sporty, extremely aerobatic, and can fly even in conditions of wind. The downside is that they are quite pricey and the hardest to master.

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It will also make you get out of your house and explore more of your surroundings. All you need is the right equipment and a place that has lots of flying space. If you have an interest in flying RC helicopters, it is essential that you learn how to care for one. Proper maintenance and care of your helicopter will make it last longer.

There’s no enjoyment in flying your RC helicopter if it loses power quickly. You must be able to enjoy an extended flight time without searching for an outlet nearby. It is necessary that you take some time to inspect the device. Learn what it requires to fly better and the steps that you need to take in this regard.

Have a look at the type of batteries

You must know the type of batteries that your RC helicopter is using. So, the first step is to have a look at the batteries. This may provide the basis for solving most of the charging issues. If there are regular AA batteries in the helicopter, that can be the problem. Such batteries have the limitation of lower power. They are, therefore, certainly not recommended for hobbyists while flying their RC helicopters.

Instead, they can go for LiPo (lithium ion polymer) batteries. They’re a lot better when the device requires frequent charging and discharging. You must check the user’s manual to ensure that the model of your helicopter uses these batteries.

Check the voltage of batteries for charging issues

Checking the voltage of batteries in the helicopter is another step in resolving their charging issue. This must be done before flying your RC helicopter. How long the LiPo battery lasts will greatly depend on its voltage. Incorrect voltage can damage the batteries in your helicopter to such an extent that they’ll not charge again.

There are some recommendations that you can consider for determining the correct voltage. The voltage in 2-cell LiPo batteries must not go below 6.6 volts. In 3-cell LiPo batteries, it must not go down beyond 9.9 volts. You must make sure that the batteries are using the correct voltage. To do this, set a certain time limit for your flying sessions. This can prevent the batteries from going below the voltage that is recommended.

You can determine how long the helicopter can remain in the air before the voltage falls below the limit. Some models of RC helicopters come with a warning indicator. It is either in the form of light or a sound. This will alert you when the voltage gets too low. Such indicators are immensely helpful for beginner RC helicopter pilots.

Check for water damage

Your RC helicopter can suffer a water damage if it falls into a water body during its flight. It may also suffer damage if you’ve accidentally spilled water or water-based substance on it. Such incidents are major contributors to charging-related issues, just like in smartphones.

Today, several manufacturers produce RC helicopters with built-in features to avoid such type of damages. If your helicopter doesn’t have such features, it’s better to be mindful of the surroundings while flying it.

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The fixed pitch RC helicopters have become extremely popular among the beginners. More complex ones among them emulate the real helicopters. They’re harder to learn, but such helicopters are smoother to fly and are more agile. This is because they have truer-to-life controls.

The pitch angle

You must change the main rotor blades according to the air flowing over them. This is how you control the helicopter. Upon making this change, the amount of lift that the blades generate changes. As the blades move through the air, the pitch angle is also the ‘angle of attack’. There are two forms of the main rotor blade control, collective and cyclic.

The collective controls the upward and downward movement of the helicopter. The cyclic controls the chopper’s directional movements of back, forward, left and right. The pitch angle of the entire rotor disc changes with the use of cyclic control. The rotor disc is an imaginary circle that the tips of the spinning blades create.

One can understand the effect of the cyclic control with the help of an example. Imagine that a plate is spinning on a pole and slightly tilting up and down while it spins. This is exactly what happens to the rotor disc with the application of cyclic control. The flybar also affects the movement of the rotor disc.

A flybar is a short bar which is perpendicular to the main rotor blades. At each of the ends of the flybar, you’ll find an airfoil paddle. As the swashplate tilts, there is a direct response in the flybar. A flybar also plays an important role in stabilizing the helicopter while it is in flight.

Flybar and flybarless systems

The angle of attack of the paddles changes with the flybar rotating in response to the tilting swashplate. As a result, it affects the amount of lift that they generate. Their rise and fall happens accordingly. If one paddle rises, it forces the other to go downwards, and vice versa. In this way, the paddles always keep working against one another.

This rising and falling of the paddles causes an exaggeration of the flybar assembly’s movement. The end result is the tilting of the entire rotor disc. It happens in response to the changes in lift at the paddles. The helicopter then leans to the side experiencing lesser lift, thus changing the direction.

Although flybarless systems are now quite common, flybars were in use on RC helicopters almost universally for years.

FP and CP rotor heads

For any form of aerobatic flying, it’s absolutely necessary to have collective pitch (CP) control. This is especially true in case of inverted flight, where negative blade pitch is essential. When it comes to aerobatic capability, a fixed pitch (FP) RC helicopter has limitations to a great extent.

The controls and channels of an RC helicopter

There needs to be a minimum of 4 channels for the proper control of an RC helicopter. Let’s take a basic 4-channel FP RC helicopter as an example in this context. In this case, you’ll find 2 servos controlling the cyclic pitch. One is for left/right and the other is for forward/backward. The other two channels will be the tail rotor motor speed (left/right yaw) and main motor speed control.

The tail rotor controls the yaw. Its use is in conjunction against or with the natural torque force. The spinning main rotors generate this force in the helicopter. You’ll see that the fuselage of the helicopter always spins in the opposite direction. It is its natural reaction to the spinning blades. Just as an airplane propeller generates thrust, the tail rotor is instrumental in generating the sideways thrust.

If the thrust and the torque level from the spinning main blades are equal, the fuselage won’t spin round. If thrust is more than the torque, the fuselage will yaw one way. In case the torque exceeds the thrust, the fuselage naturally yaws the other way.

The RC Gyro

A gyro is an electronic device that connects between the tail rotor control and the receiver. The tail rotor control can either be a small motor or a servo. A gyro makes it easier for the yaw control to function in RC helicopters. A gyro goes by the name of accelerometer in technical terms.

This device senses any rotational movement that the helicopter makes, which is not due to the receiver’s signal. Then it makes the appropriate adjustments rapidly to the blade pitch or the tail rotor speed. It does this to suit the force of the torque at the right moment. This dampens out any unwanted yaw.

Gyros work at lightning speed to make these calculations and corrections. The speed is such that the person flying the helicopter won’t notice anything. The pilot can adjust the sensitivity of the gyro either directly or remotely.

Heading Hold Gyros (HHG)

Heading Hold Gyros or HHG is a step ahead when compared to a standard gyro. It performs even more complex calculations for keeping the helicopter in the direction that the pilot wants. An HHG literally ‘learns’ the helicopter’s orientation. It also maintains this state until the pilot provides a definite yaw control input overriding the gyro.

When the gyro receives the transmitter’s signal, it learns the new orientation. It then keeps the RC helicopter in that particular direction until it receives a new command. An HHG also helps eliminate unwanted changes or direction forced due to gusts of wind. The gyro prevents the helicopter from getting into a natural swing into the wind.

It is intelligent enough to know that the change in yaw control is not coming through the receiver. The device, therefore, understands that the pilot didn’t make this change. Sometime back, the HHGs were expensive and considered a luxury. Today, almost all the RC helicopter gyros commonly use them.

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If you see that your RC helicopter is not lifting off, it has something to do with the physics. However, your first reaction will be of astonishment, especially when it was functioning well the day before. Of course, you’ll be wondering what the cause behind this really is. Well, there are some common reasons behind an RC helicopter’s inability to lift off. Here, we’ve listed some of them:

1. Weakened battery

The weakening of the batteries in your RC helicopter is the most common reason for it not lifting off. In this case, the first thing you must do is check whether the batteries have full charge in them. This is quite obvious, but you must understand that charging them doesn’t mean they’re working at their fullest.

If they’re quite old and have run several cycles, they’ll lose their power and develop certain issues. You must use a multimeter to check the voltages. A battery cell that carries a full charge should have a voltage of 4.2 volts.

2. Loose or broken shaft

You must check if your RC helicopter’s shift linkage is weak. You must do this especially when your RC helicopter is not lifting off even with a good battery. Having a weak shaft linkage leads to the weakening of upward thrust. This prevents the helicopter from lifting off. Upon trying to rotate the hollow shaft, you should see the inner shaft moving along with it. If it is loose and wobbly, you’ll need to fix it.

This is exactly the same with the blade holder. The looseness becomes a cause for a loss of a considerable amount of rotational force transfer from motors to the blades. You must ensure that the screws holding the blade holder and the hollow outer shaft are in alignment. They must also be tight with the inner shaft.

3. Worn gear

A worn gear also prevents your RC helicopter from lifting off. In such a situation, you must try spinning the prop blades around slowly. While doing this, see if you feel any resistance. If you can feel any resistance, it will be a case of drawing out extra power from the motors. This will ultimately have an additional negative effect on wearing the batteries over a period of time. Most probably, the culprit here is the gear.

4. Worn blades

Don’t forget to take a closer look at the propeller blades of your RC helicopter as well. Check for signs of wear, whether they have cracks, or they’re breaking. The presence of even the slightest crack can hamper the propeller’s overall ability of a strong angle of attack. It prevents your RC helicopter from lifting off.

A propeller blade wears out over a period of time. This can also affect the angle of attack. It increases the amount of drag and turbulence, which limits an upward thrust or push. If you feel that the propeller blade of your RC helicopter needs replacement, you must go ahead with it.

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However, if you have a considerable experience flying RC helicopters, you should definitely go for one with advanced capabilities. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, here are the top 3 RC helicopters to consider before buying one:

1. Blade 230 S V2 RTF

One of the best features of this RC helicopter is its Panic Recovery Mode. In case you lose control of your helicopter, this mode can help you straighten out the pattern of your flight. Panic Recovery Mode helps you realign the direction and continue flying the helicopter.

This feature prevents the device from crashing into something or falling to the ground. Blade 230 S V2 RTF is ideal for the inexperienced ones who want to practice tricks in the air. This RC helicopter comes fully assembled. All you need to do is get rid of the packaging and you’re ready to use it.

Of course, you’ll have to load it with batteries before flying it. You don’t need to register it with the government. This helicopter is an excellent choice for intermediate flyers. They can learn new skills with a fabulous and easy-to-fly option.

2. UDI U13A

If you want to buy the best RC helicopter with a camera, the UDI U13A would be an ideal one. This remote-controlled helicopter would be the best choice for shooting videos or still photos. One of the major reasons for this is the kind of stability that UDI U13A offers.

While this RC helicopter possesses some fantastic features, it has a reasonable pricing. The UDI company manufactures a variety of remote-controlled toys. Among them are RC quadcopters, RC helicopters, and RC cars. The camera of UDI U13A helicopter moves in six different directions. They include forward, backward, clockwise, anticlockwise, up, and down.

It also comes with a slot for SSD. This allows you to install an SSD device for saving videos and photos taken in the air.

3. Syma S107G

The Syma S107G would be the best for beginners who are looking for a budget-friendly choice in RC helicopters. One of the best in Syma’s range is the S107G 3.5 Channel RC Helicopter with Gyro. You’ll find it extremely easy to use and the device offers great stability. Above all, the reasonable pricing of this RC helicopter is a big plus.

The Syma toy company located in China makes an excellent range of RC helicopters. They’re well-known for making quadcopters, helicopters, and several other toys with great technological advancements. The Syma S107G 3.5 Channel RC Helicopter with Gyro also moves in six different directions. These directions include forward, backward, right, left, down, and up.

This is possible with the help of easy-to-use controls. As this RC helicopter uses infrared control, you must only use it indoors. The helicopter comes with a Lithium Polymer battery, which gives it 5 to 8 minutes of fly time. The time taken for recharge would be about 20-35 minutes. Beginners need not worry about putting together the parts of this helicopter as it requires no assembly.

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There are several models available today and the real challenge lies in choosing the one that’s right for you. If you’re a beginner, you’ll certainly need some advice on what model to choose. Here, we’ve tried to help you out with some tips to choose a suitable RC helicopter:

1. Follow the local regulations on RC helicopters

You might think that a particular spot is ideal for flying a remote-controlled helicopter. However, you must not arrive at such a decision without knowing the local regulations. Different countries and cities in the world have their own rules about how and where to fly such helicopters. You must be extremely careful not to fly one in a crowded space or a private area.

2. Ascertain the space required

You must always have the right amount of space for flying an RC helicopter. Make sure that you have a clear area where there are less or no obstacles. This would take away your worries about flying the helicopter into houses, trees, or plants. Generally, it’s always good for beginners to have a higher visibility.

3. Know how your remote control works

Your remote control is called so for a reason. As you’re the one remote controlling the helicopter, you’ll need to be familiar how each of its button works. Every button on the remote control performs a particular function. Once you’re familiar with the helicopter’s remote control, flying it would be a breeze.

4. Practice more

Once you know how the remote control works and the functions performed by its buttons, get some practice. It’s practice what makes one perfect. You can begin your practice by performing some basic movements. This must be done before taking your RC helicopter out into the open.

5. Be well-versed with your helicopter

Every model of RC helicopters is different from the other. Some of them might have a 5-minute length of autonomy. Many others might have one lasting up to half an hour. The length of autonomy varies greatly from one model of RC helicopter to another. This variation affects how you can control your helicopter. You must also take into account the battery level before flying the device.

6. Start small

Your expertise in flying an RC helicopter is not about the size of the device. It’s always harder to control a large helicopter. It is, therefore, always better to begin with a smaller model. You can always find smaller models of RC helicopters that have greater durability.

If you’re unable to control the device and it comes crashing down, you won’t have to worry. The chances of damages and injuries are far less with smaller models.

7. Always maintain your calm

Some unexpected events like a sudden gust of wind might cause you to panic while flying the device. As a result, you might lose control quite easily. You’ll have a better control on the device and its remote control if you stay calm. A lot of things can be under your control if you maintain your calm at all times.

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So, it’s absolutely necessary that you can keep your LiPo batteries happy and healthy in a big RC helicopter. If you can do so, you can keep them happy and healthy in almost anything. LiPo is short for Lithium Polymer battery. It is a type of battery that’s rechargeable and used especially for remote-controlled planes and helicopters.

It is because of this battery that electric flight became a viable option over models that use fuel. LiPo batteries have several advantages, which makes them an excellent choice for RC aircraft. They’re far more efficient than the conventional rechargeable NiMH or NiCad batteries.

The 3-volt threshold

To begin with, it is necessary to understand how excess discharge or over-discharge can severely damage a LiPo battery. It heats up quickly and can suffer irreversible damage if over-discharged under load. The extent of damage will depend on how larger the load is. Never allow these batteries to discharge below 3 volts per cell while in use.

This is the over-discharge threshold level that you need to remember. This also applies to a 60C pack that can only draw one quarter of that amount of power. If it goes down to 3 volts per cell under load, it can shorten the battery’s life substantially.

About ESC and LVC

ESC refers to electronic speed controls and LVC refers to low voltage cutoff. Most ESC have an LVC. The purpose of providing this safety feature is to prevent excess discharge of LiPos. It prevents the LiPo batteries from over-discharging past the 3-volt threshold per cell while in use.

It isn’t wrong to state that LVC is a last ditch effort to protect the battery from maximum harm. Of course, it is certainly not something you must rely on. If you fly at all times to LVC, your RC LiPo batteries will end up with short lives. The battery will suffer damage even if the LVC is 3.2V per cell while in use.

It is, therefore, a good idea to set the LVC cutoff at 3.5 volts per cell. This way, you can play it safe. Of course, this is just a suggestion as loads can vary. As a result, the charge voltage readings can be erroneous.

Knowing when to stop flying

The ‘80% rule’ is an excellent rule to follow in such cases. According to this rule, you must never discharge a LiPo pack beyond 80% of its capacity. This means that the LiPo pack must only discharge 80% and not down past the limit. This prevents the LiPo batteries from harm.

Let’s understand this with an example. If you have a LiPo pack of 2000 mAh, it must never draw over 1600 mAh. This limit of 1600 mAh amounts to 80% of the pack. In this example, the assumption is that the 2000 mAh pack is healthy with full capacity.

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