Rotor Type

CP vs Fixed vs Coaxial

Collective Pitch (CP), Fixed Pitch, and coaxial, are the different types of rotor setups that vary on each heli.  CP and Fixed pitch both use a single rotor design and a tail rotor.  Coaxial uses two main blades positioned above each other spinning in opposite directions. 

Collective Pitch (CP)

Collective pitch is the most difficult type of helicopter to learn to fly with.  It is also the most fun.  Although I think micro coaxial heli’s can be a lot of fun inside, once you are capable of flying a collective pitch helicopter and maneuvering 3D tricks it can be a ton of fun.  Basically the way collective pitch works is when you increase throttle the main blades will continue to increase speed but the pitch of the blades will also increase to create more lift and make the heli more versatile and maneuverable.   It uses a vertical tail rotor on the end of the helicopter to turn the heli left or right. I recommend buying or building training gear if you are planning on starting with this model to help with stability on take offs and landings.  See the miscellaneous section to see where to buy your own training gear or how to build your own gear. 

Fixed Pitch

  Fixed pitch are easier  to fly and the overall best choice for beginners who want a main rotor and tail rotor design without having the difficulty of flying a CP heli.  The way a fixed pitch heli works is the blades are fixed at 0 to +2 degrees pitch and the way to lift the heli off the ground is simply by increasing the speed of the blades. The faster the blades spin the higher the heli will go, slow down the blades to bring the heli to a soft landing.  Fixed pitch helicopter use the same tail rotor as CP heli’s and just like the CP heli I recommend buying or making your own training gear if you are planning on starting with this model.  See the miscellaneous section to see where to buy your own training gear or how to build your own gear. 

Coaxial

   Coaxial is the easiest RC heli to fly.  There is no tail rotor so the two main blades sit directly above each other and spin in opposite directions.  This type of heli is mainly for beginners but I think they can still be a lot of fun for more advanced pilots to play around with inside at home, the office, or the dorm room.  I believe there is no need to purchase training gear with a coaxial heli because the center of gravity in centered in one spot so they always take off vertically and can virtually hover by themselves.