The ROTOPOD Training Gear for R/C Helis

In the beginning most pilots are much more comfortable - and much less likely to have costly crashes - if they start out with a set of "training gear" on their R/C heli.

There are basically three training gear setups avialable. All of them have the same basic design goal; to enlarge the landing gear stance of your heli to be MUCH bigger than the stock landing gear. By making the "base" of the heli about as big as the rotor disk, you are obviously far less likely to tip the helicopter over.

The most basic training gear we sell is the the Helimax set. They are a simple flat ball-and-stick arrangement that cost under $15 and give you the wider base to learn on. They are pretty crude but fairly effective. The "fanciest" and most expensive training gear is the articulating set found on the Shuttle Challenge heli.

The most effective and affordable trainer gear is the Rotopod. That's what you see on Joel Atkins' 30 Baron in the photo above. It uses five balls on carbon or wooden "legs" and set's the legs at an angle. The angle both keeps your heli cleaner (farther from the dirt!) and allows more energy to be absorbed in a hard landing. It's a pretty nice setup. The Rotopods also have a nice attachment method that's more flexible and handier than the Helimax set.

The "30" version, around $45, uses wood dowels for struts, while the "60" version (about $55) uses carbon rods. Many people buy the carbon set even for 30 helis because it looks nicer and is more rugged.