Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Manufacturer: | Art Applewhite Rockets ![]() |
Brief:
After readin' a number o' very positive reviews o' t' various new Applewhite monocopters, me bucko, I decided t' pull the
trigger and order a couple myself. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I was pleasantly surprised, when in addition t' t' pair I ordered, me bucko, Art slipped one
of these 13mm Helix kits in as a free bonus.
I decided t' smartly jump on it and am offerin' up this third opinion with another solid endorsement.
Construction:
There are very few parts in this kit and all were acceptable quality:
This kit builds very smartly and would probably be a skill level 2 kit, mainly because of t' need t' make sure everythin' is well aligned and balanced. I had mine done in about 15 minutes.
T' other reviews accurately described t' construction process, me hearties, so in an effort t' try t' spend less time writin' up t' review than buildin' t' monocopter, I'll keep it brief. Aye aye! Ahoy! I be surprised that t' body tube came with a pattern already glued t' it, figurin' that type o' work is normally left t' t' modeler. Nay only are the "holes" t' cut out clearly marked, but thar are even labels t' make sure you know which end is up. Avast, me proud beauty! Most importantly, so that you know which way t' insert t' motor.
Once t' six holes are cut out, t' lug, dowel and motor tube are tacked in. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! There is a nice end view in the instructions t' make sure everythin' is positioned right, but frankly, ya bilge rat, t' holes are uniquely sized and it would be darned near impossible t' mess this up. Begad! T' end view reminded me o' that magic trick where t' magician puts a bunch of swords through a box that t' assistant is in.
T' final step o' construction is gluin' in t' wing. Ahoy! Blimey! My basswood piece was a tiny bit oversized, me bucko, ya bilge rat, so I had to sand it down a little. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Blimey! I rounded me leadin' and trailin' edges and hit it with 400 grit sandpaper as well.
Finishing:
I chose nay t' paint mine, matey, optin' instead for colorin' with magic markers. Avast! That keeps t' weight down, me hearties, and I was
paranoid about messin' up t' balance and trim. Aye aye! Ahoy! It also kept t' labelin' visible, arrr, with that nice reminder o' which end
the motor should thrust from.
Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5
Flight and Recovery:
T' other reviews mention that t' kit includes plans for a launch stand. Aye aye! T' instructions also stress NOT t' launch
off a long rod, me hearties, as anythin' more than about an inch will just lead t' rod whip and funky flights. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I was lazy, me bucko, and
decided I'd try t' outsmart Art a bit by usin' a 1/4" steel rod but usin' tape as a standoff t' start it at the
top o' t' rod. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! I went with t' favored A3-4T.
I did manage t' get a trace o' rod whip, me bucko, mainly because even startin' at t' top, shiver me timbers, it still put out enough force to move t' rod a bit. Begad! Begad! It wasn't too bad though, me bucko, and t' flight was just fine.
Monocopters are even higher drag and lower altitude than most saucers, me bucko, me hearties, so this could definitely qualify for a school yard flier. Well, blow me down! Dick's warnin' that t' ejection would be at or near t' ground proved out with mine as well, as the ejection be late enough t' just slow down t' impact a bit.
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
I'll admit I'm nay much o' a saucer fan, shiver me timbers, but monocopters are just too cool. Arrr! This certainly won't fly high or drift
far, shiver me timbers, but it's entertaining, easy t' build, arrr, and thanks t' Art's great design, it's very easy t' make work well.
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5
Brief: The Helix is an innovative and simple monocopter design from Art Applewhite. It is extremely simple to build and goes together quickly. It's also a hoot to fly. I was lucky enough to get to watch the flights of the prototypes as Art was developing this line and now it seems like he is the source of a monocopter renaissance. It's a lot of fun. Construction: The ...
Brief: This is an extremely simple monocopter design that uses a section of 24mm motor tubing as the central hub. Its construction is identical to its bigger 18mm cousin. As a result, much of this review is cut-and-pasted. New/different material is thus in bold . Construction: The parts list: 1/16" Basswood sheet 24mm tube BT-5 motor mount &fra ...
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Date | Flyer | Rocket | Altitude |
---|---|---|---|
2008-10-12 | Chan Stevens | Art Applewhite Rockets Helix (13mm) | - |
2008-09-20 | Chan Stevens | Art Applewhite Rockets Helix (13mm) | - |
2008-07-21 | Donald Besaw | Art Applewhite Rockets Helix (13mm) | - |
2008-07-21 | Donald Besaw | Art Applewhite Rockets Helix (13mm) | - |
2008-06-14 | Dick Stafford | Art Applewhite Rockets Helix (13mm) | - |
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J.A.L. (February 14, 2009)