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UNDERSTANDING THE RC TURBINE HELICOPTER.Before I start talking about RC turbine Helicopters I first want to acknowledge the kind help and support I have received by Wren Turbines LTD. and the RCrotortech helicopter company . After looking long and hard for the best RC turbine helicopter for my needs (when I eventually get one), both Wren and RCrotortech stood out in the turbine RC heli crowd as true leaders in innovation, quality, and value. It wasn’t hard deciding who I wanted to get help from, and I am grateful for their support. All the photos in the turbine section of this web site have kindly been supplied by Wren and RCrotortech. Like many of you I have been dreaming of building and flying a RC turbine helicopter for several years now. Ever since I saw one fly three years ago, it has been in the back of my mind. Actually the flying had nothing to do with it; it was the wonderful sound and smell. Here is a nice scale Bell 430 turbine RC heli in action. There is something about that high pitched whine and whistle, coupled with the sweet aroma of burning kerosene that to me is more intoxicating than 30 year old scotch. Moving to a small mountain town in BC. Canada, that has a Bell helicopter service center and a couple heli ski companies in shouting distance from our home, certainly has not helped diminish my turbine helicopter fetish. The Basics RC turbine helicopters are actually not very different from our gas or nitro RC helis with the exception of size (perhaps) and cost (most definitely). They are not enormous, pretty much the same size as larger gas helicopters with rotor diameters in the 2000-2500mm (80-100 inch) range. Most will weigh in the 25-35 pound range. 
As far as controls, mechanics, and how they are built, RC turbine helis are pretty much exactly the same as gas or nitro RC helicopters. Many of the larger helicopter kits on the market that have been designed to run gas engines can be fit with turbine engines with minimal modifications.Wren for example, offers conversion kits to fit their turbine helicopter engines into several popular large gas and nitro RC helicopter mechanics. The main differences between turbine powered and gas or nitro lie around the systems required to keep a turbine engine running such as the turbine engine's FADEC , electric fuel pump and valves, larger fuel tank, auto start motor, and perhaps a dry sump oil system for gear box lubrication. All these extra systems use quite a bit of electrical power and require dedicated batteries over and above the normal receiver battery that we are all use to. Speaking of receivers, the radio equipment, servos, gyro are the same you would use on any large nitro or gas radio controlled helicopter. Now that you know a bit more about turbine RC helicopters, let’s spin our way into specifics.
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