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Thank you for your interest
in the Draganflyer III helicopter. Any questions you have can
be answered in the frequently asked questions below. If you have
a question that cannot be answered below, please email us and
we will supply the additional information that you require.
How long does it fly for?
Approx. 5 minutes per battery charge.
How can I get extra batteries?
Extra Sanyo 8 cell battery packs are available for £29.00
each. We also have 9 and 10 cell packs however you will need a
special charging system.
What are the dimensions of the Draganflyer helicopter?
The Draganflyer is 28" from rotor tip to rotor tip and 7"
tall. The blades are 11" long.
How much does it weigh?
The Draganflyer weighs approx. 17 ounces.
What is the range of the radio?
Radio range is approx. 1/2 mile. However, after 200 feet it is
a dot in the sky.
How difficult is it to fly?
The Draganflyer is approx. half as difficult to fly as a conventional
R/C helicopter. The three onboard piezo gyros help to stablilize
the Draganflyer for easier learning.
Can a friend and I fly at the same time?
We have several radio frequencies available so that more than
one may be flown in the same area.
Can I use a bigger battery pack?
We have Sanyo 9 and 10 cell battery packs available for additional
power. You will require a charger that can handle these bigger
packs.
Is there any way to dramatically increase the
flight times?
A 12-foot tether cord is available to attch the Draganflyer to
a 12-volt battery source such as an automobile or motorcycle battery.
This will give flight times well over 1 hour and is perfect for
developing your hovering abilities. You can also shape the trailing
edge of the blades so that they are more efficient.
What extra parts are available?
Any of the parts are available. The most common replacement parts
are the battery packs, and blades available for £29.00 each.
Can I use it outside?
Yes, you can fly the Draganflyer outside. We do not recommend
flying in winds above 5 mph.
How safe is the Draganflyer?
The Draganflyer is a very safe, stable flying machine. The blades
are made of thermal plastic that is flexible and will tear, not
shatter, in the event of an accident.
Can I use my own radio?
This helicopter is designed to work off of any Futaba or HiTec
transmitter. There is a built in dual-conversion FM receiver.
We can possibly sell without the transmitter but you must call
for pricing.
What is the electrical draw of the Draganflyer?
The electrical draw is 7 amps.
How much weight can the Draganflyer carry?
The load carrying capacity depends upon a lot of factors such
as altitude above sea level, the battery weight, how well the
blades have been sanded etc. There is usually enough load capacity
to carry a micro video camera.
Does it come with a charger?
The Draganflyer comes with a 12 volt DC charger with a charge
rate of 750 mAh that can charge an 8 cell NiCad. If you purchase
one of our 9 or 10 cell battery packs, a separate charger is required
that we can supply you.
How difficult is it to build?
It is very easy to build. Most people have it ready to fly in
less than 30 minutes. Included with the kit are an instructional
video and manual.
Will I need to purchase anything else in order
to build and fly the Draganflyer?
No! A pair of pliers might be handy for assembly.
Is the radio receiver powered by the Draganflyer
battery?
Yes, the battery that powers the helicopter also powers the radio
receiver.
What kind of warranty does the Draganflyer come
with?
We warranty the parts as far as being defective. Once the kit
is built and you are flying it, you are responsible for it. Any
defective parts would show up in the testing part of the construction
process.
Do you have a larger version of the Draganflyer?
Yes, we have an Industrial version that is twice as large and
can be folded up for easy transportation. Please click on this
link to view a Quicktime video of our larger version.
How the heck does the Draganflyer III WORK?
Good question!
The Draganflyer looks very simple at first glance,
just 4 rotorblades, a circuit board, and some high-tech carbon
fiber sticks, but the reality is, that it is much more complicated.
Just like the military's fly by wire F117 Stealth fighter, the
Draganflyer would be impossible for a human being to control without
the aid of a computer.
The reason for this is a complex set of nonlinear
dynamic motion equations that relate motor power, rotor characteristics,
angular momentum, gravity, and human reflex time. The fact is
that the Draganflyer would fly just fine without the special solid-state
piezo electric gyroscopes, except that you would need the reflexes
of a gnat in order to keep it in the air.
Without the gyroscopes, the Draganflyer can
flip completely over in less then 1/60 of a second. Since typical
human response time is greater then 1/10 of a second (women actually
tend to have faster response than men), it becomes apparent that
the aircraft could flip completely upside down before the pilot
would even know that it occurred. In the case of the fighter jet,
this is done intentionally. Having an aircraft on the very edge
of stability provides the very best manuverability, a thing that
will save a fighter pilots life in combat. In the case of the
Draganflyer this natural instability must be over come to a degree
that the average human being can respond fast enough to fly it.
It is the electronic gyroscopes that perform this function.
The electronic gyroscopes can sense the rotational
motion of the aircraft much faster than a human can, nearly instantaneously.
When the gyro senses motion say, a tilt to the left, it actually
sends signals to the aircraft's motors telling it to tilt almost
as much in the opposite direction before the pilot even knows
it is happening. The result is that instead if tipping over so
fast that the pilot never knows what happened, is that it tilts
over slow enough that the human can respond to the change in attitude.
In effect, the gyro acts like a time machine, slowing down the
high speed motion of the aircraft to that which we humans can
relate to. Another comparison is that of a humming bird.
When you look at a humming bird in real
time, you can not tell what is happening, the wings are just a
blur, but using time-lapse photography you can see all the delicate
motions and corrections of each wing.
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