Wasp Super Micro Helicopter
May 28th, 2009 captainAfter the disappointment of the Abc-Intl.net Mini-Copter, I though I’d give another Hughes 300 shaped model a try. In this case it is the Wasp Super Micro Helicopter from Gift House International.
The differences between the Wasp and the Mini-Copter are minor, although there are enough to suggest that it is not the same model with a different color canopy.
Configuration
The Wasp is conventionally arranged with a twin blade 132mm diameter main rotor and 30mm tail rotor. The Plastic fuselage houses the battery, electronics and the motor that drives the main rotor through a large low set gearwheel.
Turning the helicopter over reveals the recessed on/off switch and charging socket.
Above the main rotor is the stabilizer bar. Where as Silverlit models use a weighted propeller and the Mini-Copter uses weighted paddles, the Wasp simply uses cylindrical weights.
Controller
Unlike the Mini-Copter the controller is visually different from the PicooZ’s. Operationally it is similar, except for a rotary trimming knob instead of buttons. This is a much better solution allowing for more accurate adjustment.
As is now standard, the infra-red controller doubles as the charging station. A hatch on the controller slides down to reveal an umbilical cable that plugs into the socket on the underside fuselage. The cable is short and stiff, so the Wasp ends up hanging over the edge of the controller during charging.
With the power switch on, the charge LED will illuminate until the battery is full. Not mentioned in the manual is that the red power LED starts flashing if the batteries need replacing.
Airspace
The instruction sheet doesn’t quote a minimum room size. I’d recommend 3m x 4m x 2m. Avoid rooms with strong air currents, bright lights or strong sunlight.
Flying
Initial impressions were good. The main rotor control was precise and the rotary trim accurate allowing for smooth hovering. The Wasp had quite a lot of forward speed, but a twist of the tail boom reduced this something more reasonable.
The first problem was that steering was slow and the Wasp tended to swing back when the stick was centred. As the flight progressed I found that the right turn became less and less effective, until even holding the stick right over had no effect. Without right turn, controlled flight was impossible.
After the fourth flight I found that if I let it sit for a while a bit of right turn control returned, but this soon went after a short flight. This may indicate that as the battery gets fully conditioned in about another six flights things may improve, although I’m not sure I can be bothered to try.
Conclusion
I bought the Wasp to replace the problematic Mini-Copter. However, it seems to have almost exactly the same issues with directional control. There are positive reports of the Wasp at Play.com so other people can’t have found this problem. For me, I’m still sticking with a genuine PicooZ.
Postscript
After some more charge cycles I’m actually finding that the problem is getting worse.
Facts and Figures
Whats in the box
- Wasp helicopter
- Combined infra-red transmitter and charging station
- Instruction Sheet
You have to supply
- 6 x AA batteries
- Cross-head screwdriver in order to fit them.
Dimensions
- Main rotor diameter: 132 mm
- Fuselage length: 135 mm
- Height: 70 mm
- Weight: 12 grammes
