How to make RC helicopter faster & more maneuverable

In this post, we shall look at some of the ways to make RC helicopter faster, responsive and maneuverable.

Proceed with caution as some of these methods can drastically reduce the stability of your copter and render it useless in even the slightest of winds. Experimentation is key!

This post has been kept brief so you might have to go through a couple of search engine adventures to explore each method in detail.

Remember to visit popular forums and YouTube channels for ideas. We will definitely be posting in-depth how to do guides for each method in the near future so be on the lookout for that!

Increase the motor and prop size at the tail

Tail rotor marked - make RC helicopter faster

The tail rotor is a smaller rotor attached to the tail end of the helicopter. This rotor is responsible for providing the stability of the motor by counteracting the torque of the main rotor. In essence, this is the rotor that keeps your RC helicopter from spinning out of control

Believe it or not, a cheap tail rotor mod can drastically improve the performance of your RC helicopter, not only with the forward and backward movements but also with improving the stability of the craft, making it easier to fly in winds.

If you only increase the propeller size, which is often the easiest to do, make sure that you don’t overload the motors as it can wear it down pretty quickly. Make sure to get high quality upgrades!

After you have done the mod, you might need to do some centre of gravity adjustments as well. Here is a video that might be of help:

YouTube video

 

 

Remove parts that you don’t need

 

Extra weight on your RC helicopter not only brings down the speed but also drastically reduces maneuverability.

Some RC helicopter models may also come with aesthetic parts that boosts its looks but are completely unnecessary. It is time to strip these off and lighten your craft.

Most coaxial helicopter models do not need stabilizers because you cannot really pitch around all that much anyway.

You can go ahead and remove the tail support, strip off the horizontal and vertical stabilizers on the back of the helicopter. With an increase in prop size at the rear, you will have additional stability.

Removing the LED from your RC helicopter is another way to reduce the baggage but of course, this will limit your night time flying experience as it will be harder to see your craft!

Drilling holes in the canopy (body) is another practice common among the hobby community. This not only reduces the overall weight of your craft, but can also increase potential cooling effect on your batteries, boosting flight times. Be careful not to crack the canopy with drilling!

 

Shortening the fly bar and reducing the weights at the ends

 

The fly bar (usually the long bar at the very top for cheap RC helicopters) of your craft acts as the gyroscopic stabilizing system that changes the cyclic pitch of your craft, reducing turbulence and increasing control.

Shortening the fly bar length and reducing the weights at the end will obviously reduce stability and may reduce cyclic response but with the trade-off of increased speed and maneuverability. Not to mention overall reduced weight of the copter.

However, experimenting with it is the best way to figure out what works best for your RC craft and flying style!

You may mod the fly bar yourself or get a new one from the stores. If you are new to this, make sure to follow some instructions instead of messing your copter up. Scour through forums and videos before making a move.

Throttle spring removal

Transmitter - make RC helicopter faster

This isn’t a direct modification on your RC helicopter, but more of a mod for your flying experience in itself. Most RC helicopter controllers have a throttle spring that keeps it down.

This can increase the difficult of maneuvering around and keeping the speed of your copter steady. Removing this can help alleviate some of the annoying problems of sudden drops in speeds.

Here is a video that may be of help to guide you through the process of throttle spring removal:

YouTube video

 

Carbon fiber parts

 

This may require some investment and tinkering but replacing fiberglass and wood parts with carbon fiber ones (including blades, canopies, frames and accessories) can reduce the overall weight of your RC helicopter.

They are stiff and durable but be wary though – if you are a beginner and prone to crashing a ton, steer clear of it because replacing carbon fiber parts can be really expensive.

Many have reported that the extra stiffness and ‘packed-ness’ of carbon fiber parts tends to make their crafts more responsive and ‘consistent’, so to speak.

Make RC helicopter faster with Center of gravity mod

COG - make RC helicopter faster

Use tapes, clips, duct tapes, metals and so on to add weights in order to adjust the center of gravity of your RC helicopter.

Proceed prudently though and remember the law of diminishing returns as adding more weights to your craft can not only slow it down but also effect overall flight times.

Experiment and balance the center of gravity of your craft and experience better flight experience including faster speeds, improved flight times and overall responsiveness!

Here is a nifty way to check the center of gravity of your RC helicopter:

YouTube video

 

 

Upgrade parts

 

This really is a no-brainer. Upgrading the parts of your copter (including motors, props, body, and batteries) can greatly improve its performance – not only in terms of speed, but also many others including stability and improved flight times.

Of course it can be a bit expensive but with planned purchase, it can nevertheless be better than buying a whole new copter all together.

Make sure you get performance (no affiliation), hobby grade upgrades on your copter when you do!

Here is a video of the V911 being upgraded:

YouTube video

Another video with some recommendations:

YouTube video

 

Conclusion

 

Remember – experiment, tinker around and more experiment! To thoroughly enjoy this hobby it is of tantamount importance that you learn how to tinker around play with different builds and parts. Flying your craft is only part of the overall fun!

That’s all for now folks! Hope you enjoyed this post. As usual, if you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please drop a comment below!