Electric RC Helicopter - MAWA010B2 - First Flight Review
I decided to buy our MAWA010B2 in red for myself. We sell this helicopter for a low cost and I wanted to see how they really fly. So I figured I'd get one and then I could do a flight review for my clients.
I received the MAW010B2 (for those who don't know MAW stands for Model Airplane Workroom) and it came ready to fly. It had the remote, AC adapter, rechargeable battery pack (Li-Po), and an adequate instruction manual on how to fly this RC. I opened the box and pulled everything out first. After I had it out, I wondered if the blades were broken and tried to straighten them out, and then I wanted to tighten them because they seemed way loose. That is ok, they are loose and can fold up, when you go to fly this RC helicopter, you don't have to tighten these blades, and you shouldn't tighten them, they will straighten themselves out immediately when you slowly push the throttle forward. Like other starter helicopters made in China, the instructions are a little hard to understand in parts, they aren't written by someone who speaks English as there 1st language, but you get the point. I didn't understand how long to charge the helicopter the very first time. After the first time you should charge the helicopter for 2 hours to really get some good flying time out of it.
Once I'd read everything and charged the battery up until it felt pretty warm, which was about 2 hours, I unplugged the charger and plugged the battery into the engine on the helicopter. This RC helicopter is nice because you just pull the front plastic piece forward by undoing the top two hooks and charge the battery while it is still on the helicopter, and when you are done, it takes ten seconds to hook the battery into the helicopter and pull down the plastic piece there for looks. The remote does need 8 AA batteries to work. Once I had those it was time to test it.
Make sure you have the antenna all the way extended, as this type of helicopter already only has about 30 feet or so of range. Don't allow this helicopter to get out of range, if it goes too high, just get underneath it and SLOWLY bring the throttle down, never less than half way, and if the helicopter starts to come down, push the throttle up to make the helicopter level out. I learned the hard way that if you let it start to fall too quick, hitting full throttle still won't slow this copter down enough, and the first thing to break will be the landing skids. Nothing that a little superglue, electricians tape and patience can't fix, but what a pain. So stay under it, and don't ever let it come down too quick. The bottom rails can be unscrewed and replaced, I still haven't figured out how to order extra parts for this particular model though, so if any of you figure it out, I would love to know.
Here is another piece of advice. The first time I flew this RC helicopter, it was outside, and a tad bit windy, I didn't really notice the wind, but my helicopter did. The first time you fly this RC, I would suggest either the inside of a gym, or just a really wide-open parking lot or field on grass might even be better. The first thing I did was slowly push the throttle up, got the propellers moving, then, as the instructions say to do, I pushed it up more to get the helicopter off the ground so it wouldn't tip over and break something. Once it's in the air though, make sure you pull back on the throttle somewhat so it doesn't fly up real high. My suggestion is to take your time the first three or four flights and just keep it like 6 to 8 feet off the ground, and practice turning it and getting it to fly in certain directions. Be patient, that is why I busted mine up, I wasn't being patient and wanted to "See what it could do" which obviously was a mistake.
When you turn on the remote the very first time. Turn on the helicopter first and the red light will light up, which is kind of cool at night, it lights up the front of the copter, which on my red helicopter looked good. But then when that is on, turn on your remote with the switch. The red light will flash, then it is off again. Slowly push the throttle all the way up once, you'll notice it won't turn on the helicopter yet. At the very top, full throttle (the left trigger), the light will blink really fast, then lower the throttle all the way down to the very bottom, and the light will stay on all the way, and then blink slower after a minute. Now you are calibrated and ready to fly.
Directly on the right of the left trigger is a sliding switch, the further it's slid up, the more throttle you'll get at all positions, I put mine 2/3rds of the way up. If your helicopter has a tough time getting a bit higher (not more than 20 to 30 feet), then turn this up. If it climbs too easily, turn this down. If you can't get up easily, also take into account that you may be out of batteries, and need to recharge. The right trigger is to turn the helicopter right or left with the use of the back propeller. It also can be pushed up to give you forward thrust, not a lot but some movement. It can be calibrated with all the sliding switches as well. I am not a pro at it yet, so you'll have to play with it, but while you are, low heights are suggested.
This helicopter can take a 5 or 6 foot fall when you mess up, just immediately turn the throttle all the way off, so the blades don't catch on the ground if it tips over, I can imagine that would break something, but I haven't had that problem yet.
Bottom line, the MAW010B2 is a great helicopter for beginner to intermediate flyer's, ages 12 and up, though I'd suggest those under sixteen have an adult, and you need to take the learning curve slow. The battery, fully charged, will last 10 - 15 minutes of solid flight. It could charge a bit quicker, but when it's ready, you forget the obnoxious wait. It is one of the better-looking starter models. Has a modern look. I have had several compliments on it already. With proper care and increased flight skills, I am sure that this particular electric RC helicopter will bring you plenty of enjoyment over time. To make it last longer, always recharge the battery right after flight exhaustion, and then give it 5 minutes before you take flight again to let the motor cool down. This will help prevent motor "burnout". Also, never leave the battery totally uncharged for a lengthy period of time. Storing a Li-Po battery uncharged could cause it to be unable to hold a charge and results in having to replace the battery sooner than later. Batteries are not cheap. And always, always fly in an area completely free of obstacles to reduce the chance of damage when you crash. If you are patient, and don't fly out of your range of control, she'll last a nice long time. It'll give you plenty of bang for your buck.
To see a picture or purchase the MAW010B2 come take a look at our site. Also, feel free to look at all of our other Electric RC Helicopters!
