A few weeks ago, I got my own helicopter, a turbine powered, single seat experimental. Today, I flew it for the first time! It's not a Mosquito Helicopter, it is designed by Eagle R&D
Thank You! I've seen several video's of people "flying" this aircraft. Their idea of flying is hovering and doing circles at 10ft off the ground. This is the first actual flight, at elevation, flying over a wide area, video I've seen. Amazing, and great job.
@Critical Drone Solutions LLC it's not hard to fly a helicopter. Cyclic controls speed and elevation, and stick and petals control direction. Once you learn the basics, and instruments you're good to go!
@@thebestofj.fraley Pardon? Rotorcraft is notoriously more difficult for beginners to learn. They sustain almost a 35% higher crash ratio than fixed wings and usually have a longer and more expensive course to get your rating. The cost is because heli's are generally more pricy to fly but the bottom line is without imput, a fixed wing will remain in a semi stable state whereas heli's are short for this world without constant adjustment. They're fun to fly, 100%, and are niche and capable machines but easy is not an apt desriptor. Also, Critical, yes, you do need training, a PPL, your radio, medical and other peripheries to fly a heli.
@Critical Drone Solutions LLC I took lessons in an R-22 to start, and I had my fixed wing ticket already as well. This was the first time I had flown this helicopter though!
Thanks! After this flight I was able to wire in the intercom to the radio so that I can record what I am saying when not transmitting on the frequency.
1st time, Wow! I don't know anything about helicopters, but I thought you were a pro! Thank you so much for sharing, I know I'll be watching many more times!
Wow that looks like so much fun. I think I would have flown around the airport a little bit longer to feel comfortable with it. You probably been thinking about your first flight the whole time building it and couldn't wait to get some distance from the ground and from the airport. Thanks for uploading the video. It was my first flight video of anything and that was awesome for me, I know it was a rush like no other for you. I'm going subscribe and hit the like button to see your next video. Thanks for taking the time to share the video and answer everyone's questions. I don't have any questions that you haven't covered already. You are a great pilot and looked like you been flying that thing for some time now and I you never said it's your first flight I would of never thought so. Safe flying in the future.
Thank you Jack! It is super fun. Atually, being close to the ground is one of the more dangerous parts. The higher and faster you go, the more time you have to figure out a plan if something goes wrong. There was lots of spots to land in an emergency along my route, and I had just flown that same route with an instructor in a different helicopter, so I felt pretty comfortable with it. Thanks for watching and subscribing!
@@OculusQuestFun Thanks, that sounds super cool! I'll have to try that someday soon. I wonder where a good spot would be to mount a 360 camera? Inside or outside?
Amazing video man! This helicopter is very small, but it is one of the cheapest helicopters! And you can do anything with this machine, such a good thing…
Good choice, as much as I like the Mosquito, the Helicycle has caught my eye as of late. It appears affordable enough, I guess they're smart business people and will count on volume rather than high price sales. Thanks for sharing. Cheers
@@NateVolk I so agree, it is unique in its own way. So much more structure to the build, has a certain ruggedness to it. A safety factor that's built in and looks good at the same time. Cheers
Just sub to your channel Nate, nice flying, I know the area you flying in btw, live close by and my first time seeing it up bird’s eye view. Thanks to your flying skills!👍🏾👍🏾
@@johnnyg177 You need a license, but only a helicopter license if you want to carry a passenger. So, a fixed wing license is sufficient for this. Obviously, you need training too ;)
Dang! I was sure I would have seen a walk-around preflight check ;) I really wanted to see that turbine install and all, great job. that and you obliviously have helicopter experience. nothing harder to control and fly than a small helicopter, Nice form.
Thanks! Yeah, I find filming a little distracting so I skipped that on my preflight check. I should probably do a little walk around video, that's a great idea! At this flight I had 6 hours of dual in an R-22 and about 200 hours fixed wing.
Nate, couple of comments: First off, thanks for uploading this. It's a pleasant and inspiring video to watch. Second, about those door being on...can you talk about what benefits you see with them on? Lastly, without trying to get too personal, may I ask what type of work you do to afford it? I have looked at the (very low) prices. However, it's still an additional amount of money on top of other living expenses. Thank you and happy flying.
Thanks for the questions! The doors are actually like a half-door. They keep the wind down a bit and help with the aerodynamics at 100mph. Full doors would probably reduce the wind buffetting even more. Re: work. I've been self employed for most of my life. I help small business with merketing, both online and in print, as well as creating a business development plan for them. Aviation isn't cheap! Purchasing an aircraft is just the start, then you have to buy fuel and maintain it too. The way I look at most of my "toys" is like a savings account. I save up enough to buy one by living simply and not spending money on things that are not important to me (new cars, big houses, eating out a lot, etc). If you buy the toy right (good price, right options, etc) it is usually worth at least what you paid for it a few years later. I try and make everything I buy into an assett. That way, when I sell it, I get most of my money back, or even earn a little bit. The first airplane I bought paid for itself, my training, and all my fuel when I sold it, and then some. So I effectively got paid to learn to fly! Doing that with this helicopter will be tough. Its a super niche market, and quite expensive, so I'm guessing that I will loose a little money on it. But in return, I'll get turbine time and my commercial helicopter rating in it, so that is worth something to me :) I hope that helps! Feel free to reach out with any other questions!
@@NateVolk I really appreciate the thorough response. That helps a lot. I'm looking at getting an XEL with the floats. Those doors seem like they would be worth the extra money. I've never talked to anyone that had them though. Your plan of action on affording the "toys" makes a lot of sense and thank you for that as well. I just recently was able to purchase a Tesla Model S. The sticker for it new was $106,000, but I let someone else drive it a good bit and run down the price to my $48k. So get the deal. I'm with you there. I've heard Turbine time is worth it's weight in gold. I may go that route. Something to consider. Thanks again.
@@OculusQuestFun your mileage may vary with the turbine time. It depends on your end goal. If you want to fly for hire, they may not accept it as it’s much different than a normal turbine. Most insurance companies seem to accept it as turbine time though. I personally shied away from the floats and the mosquito in general. I like the helicycle systems much better than the mosquitos... Just personal preference though!
Not silly at all! The collective (up and down) has a friction control knob on it, so you can tighten it up and fly without holding it constantly. The cyclic you don't really want to let go of as helicopters are inherently unstable, meaning that they want to do anything but stay straight and level. Thanks for watching!
Cool Vid! Looks like my Rc Heli, I love helicopters, maybe one day... thanks for sharing!💪 Sweet Heli By the way,...I'm jealous. Kinda a asmr vid. What's the fuel capacity?
Hey man found you from your video with mojo grip on how you started flying and I just started my 40 hours for my ppl and I am also taking ground school online and I just turned 35. Always was fascinated with aviation but life just happened and never got around to it and the older I got the more impossible I thought it would be but I’ve finally taken that first step and loving every min of it! I don’t have money for an airplane but your video inspired me that maybe I could find something cheap and fix it up someday! Awesome video btw dude you did a great job! May I ask what the name of this experimental is and how much it cost and the type of motor it has? Just curious and please make more flying videos your Cessna 210t is awesome!
Congrats on starting your journey to your PPL! That is awesome! I was a little more than 35 when I started too. You can for sure find something that is mechanically sound and needs a little elbow grease. They are out there! This helicopter is a Helicycle by Eagle R&D. It has a turbine engine that burns Jet-A fuel. Super fun to fly, its a real hot rod! I'll shoot some more videos of the T210 too. She's been flying great and I've used her a lot to deliver a ton of supplies to folks that need them. Thanks for watching!
@@roypatterson9910 I guess I missed that part. It has a solar T-62 turbine engine. You can find good flying examples for about $60k, nicer ones like this one run about $80k ready to go! Thanks for pointing that out :)
It sure does! I can go about 200 miles without fueling. That translates into a lot farther real world distance as I can generally go straight, I don't have to follow the traffic :) And, you're right. You can't beat the view!
First video ive seen really showing the panel and startup. How do you fly a power setting? EGT's? I didnt see a torque guage. Ive got time in big turbine helis but this excites me so much more. Planning on starting to build one in the next few years
Thanks! As an experimental, I can do the maintenance (pretty detailed in the manual) and I have and A&P that does the annual with me. The most expensive thing is the 13 gal/hr of jet a, but its a lot cheaper than avgas. Risks are about the same as any type of flying. Know your machine is good, maintain it, keep good personal minimums, and always prepare. Those few things help manage the risks inherent in flying.
The really great thing the FAA did with experimental aviation and aircraft is they granted the builder of said experimental aircraft an A&P and IA rating and signoff privileges......BUT! only for the aircraft he or she built.....AND!.... the signoff privileges DO NOT transfer with the sale of the aircraft! You get to maintain and signoff all work on your aircraft,but if you purchase an experimental aircraft,you will have to pay an A&P and IA for all work on your aircraft.....yipeee!!!!!
Yes, I still have it :) To be honest, for a month or two after that first flight, I really focused on the basics of flying. So it wasn't really that exciting to share. Then it was tripple digit heat all summer and just to hot to be enjoyable, plus I bought two project airplanes. The helo is coming out of its annual inspection, the weather is cooler, and I'm looking forward to flying it more in the next few weeks, and making some videos as well! As for the hilltop, I set it down on random hilltops all the time. Its pretty incredible to be able to get to places like that. I'll post a video of one of those soon :)
Curious question; perhaps one you've already answered (1,123 times) but ... where / when / how did you get your R/W rating? How R/W many hours? What equipment? Thanks!
I did some basic training in an r22, about six hours before I flew this helicopter. Since it is experimental, you don’t need a rw endorsement in most situations :)
Thank you, and you are correct, it is not an ultralight and doesn’t fall under part 103. It is an amateur built, experimental aircraft and simply needs any license, nothing type specific unless you are carrying passengers.
Thank you. I think the cost is relative. Way cheaper than a certified turbine, and still cheaper than an R-22 by far, with better performance to boot. You can get a nice flying example for about $60k.
Hey Nate, This video says it's located at French Valley Airport. I'm in the Fallbrook area... Is your Overland Adventure Truck being built in the local area? If so, I'd love to checkout your build in person as I'm also planning on building an off-road RV. Cheers, - John
Thats a hell of a test flight! Seems you became confident very quick and enjoyed yourself. Have you ever flown any other single seat heli's? Millennium, Mosquito, CH7, etc.
Thanks! I spent a lot of time checking everything over before the flight (for months actually). I had just come off an R-22 dual instruction flight, so I felt pretty good about the day and the machine. Everything felt perfect, so I kept going :) I had never flown a single seat heli before that flight.
@@codmott286 it can be, but this one isn’t wired that way. Basically, starter to 5%, start fuel, release starter at 25%, release start fuel at 60% and it goes up to 80% while purging start fuel automatically.
@@codmott286 There is no ITT on the solar T-62. It is actually a little different than other turbines in that there is a shaft that connects everything together with the output, so its not gas driven. You avoid hot starts by motnitoring the exhaust temps. The fuel is metered by the controller. The only reason you would get a hot start is a low battery driving the starter, so slow spool up essentially.
It is called a helicycle from Eagle R&D. I'm 6'1" and fit just fine. The max weight it can be is 850, including pilot and fuel. So you could fit, but wouldn't be able to take enough fuel to fly very long. If you are serious, I'd look into a Jet Exec from Rotorway, they can carry two passengers, so solo you could go with full fuel and have some fun!
I enjoyed your video... I see it's from 3 years ago so my comments might seem a little late or a little out of place. I was surprised that for your first flight you headed out on a long flight. If this was the first time flying this aircraft I would assume you would take off, do some flying above taxiways or possibly a circuit at an airport and then land and then physically check all the mechanicals. I imagine I would land and check things over then possibly go out for another circuit. I'm guessing maybe you bought the helicopter from someone who had already built up hours going through careful flights and tests. In any case I'm interested in hearing the story from before and after this flight. Cheers!
Well, both. The helicopter was well built, and I had a very good mechanic go over everything with me before I flew it. He actually hovered it and did a few circuits before I hopped in. I had 6 hours training, so I let him do the ops flight. This video was my first flight in it. Make sense?
Can you please PLEASE tell me who makes your colorful steam instruments? The 8 in the middle and 4 surrounding? I have been searching for colorful analog instruments just like this for my helicopter.
I feel it is easier to fly. It is more precise, has a ton more power, and a higher inertia rotor system. Helicopters are are basically the same as far as difficulty, but this one solves some limitations that you encounter with an R-22.
So while we can use the runway, the FAA asks helicopters to remain clear of fixed wing traffic when possible. So we use the taxiway instead. Not great in my opinion, but it works. A lot of time we have to side step taxiing traffic so we don't overfly them. AND its uncontrolled, so a lot of taxiing fixed wings do not use the radio while taxiing. Makes for fun helicopter approaches when the oncoming fixed wing looks up and sees a helicopter descending! The runway and pattern is quite crowded :)
Warning…long winded question coming. So I’ve been looking at this as a “commuter option” to work. I live 3 hours by car from where I work. I rent a place and stay the 5 days and then drive back…and leave the night before I’ve got to be back at work the next day. All the research I’ve done is the flight in this would be about 45 minutes each direction. Would this platform be a decent alternative to allow me to sleep at home? I can land at home and I will figure out where to land near “the office”. Basically I’d fly 5 days a week from the west coast of Florida to the east coast and back 5 days a week.
Great question! This heli is setup to cruise about 100 mph and you can carry 2 hours of fuel, so 45 minutes each way is close but doable from that perspective. The only real issue is cargo room as there isn’t much. It’s a much better way to get to work than driving!
@@NateVolk so my plan was to buy a Cherokee Six and rebuild it with a glass panel. Which I still want to do. BUT this seems like an other option with a different mission… but a faster way to get to the office and not have to rent a place to stay. Take that money and buy this…and still buy the Six for the long missions. At about $100 an hour to fly I’ll actually save money in the long run. I don’t need cargo space. I need time. My biggest question is maintenance. More research required.
I found a local airport with a helicopter school. It took me about 6 hours of transition training before this flight. I believe that the FFA requires 20 hours (not entirely sure) before you can take the practical test for your helicopter add on. The transition was fairly easy, navigation and radios are the same, and forward flight is pretty close to fixed wing. The hovering and approaches I found to be the most challenging. I wasn't used to slowing below 50 knots on final :)
@@NateVolk Oh yeah, I can relay to not liking low speed approaches. I know how to fly a helicopter, but have no practical experience. I know a man who has a Hiller. He is a helicopter flight instructor. Would that Hiller be good enough to learn in? Does it matter whether the engine is recip or turbine? I might prefer the turbine, but am not sure.
@@randallgarrison8653 the Hiller is a great machine! I wouldn't worry about the eninge for the first dozen or more hours. Recip are cheap to operate and pretty reliable! The turbines burn a ton of fuel and are pretty expensive. Learn however you can!
So do you need a helicopter license to fly this one? I’m looking to buy one. I was told by by the maker of this aircraft the xel is the only one I can fly without a license. They said I can remove the pontoons after I fill out a form to the ffa. But I want a XE with a turbine engine. What do you suggest? I’m in no where Oklahoma and would just fly rivers and pasture land.
This is a helicycle, not a Mosquito. You do need some sort of license to fly one, a fixed wing or balloon is sufficient. But if you don't have a license, you might get pulled over by the sky police :)
Thanks, it is great! I'm actually not a heli pilot, just a fixed wing. Being an experimental, I just need a license to fly it, and a helicopter license to carry passengers :)
How many hours this engine till you overall or replace? What the cost 💲 I may see the piston engine more economic Also is there Annual inspection cost ? Last question; how many hours till you replace the blades? Are they expensive?
These engines run north of 25,000 hours before a rebuild is needed. Because of that and the experimental category, most if not all of the helicopter and components are "on condition" not a certain number of hours. Blades too, just on condition. Annual inspection is generally a few hundred dollars as you do change all of the fluids and spend about 10 hours on inspecting certain areas. If you are the builder, you can do it yourself. If you don't built the ship, any A&P can do the inspection.
So can I legally take off in my back yard and land it in my other yard in a different city? what are my limitations for landing and takeoff, safely of course.
I don't, I sold it when I left Maui last time. I did find a great deal on a '79 Cheetah in So Cal though. I've been flying that around a bit, very similar to the TR-2, just a little longer :)
Hi can you specify what is the name for your helicopter? Who built it? How much it cost you? How much you pay to storage at the airport? How much fuel is its capacity and how much you spend for a regular fly like the one on the video? And the total price for the helicopter including shipping? And who’s the manufacturer or their web-site? Thank You 🙏
Sure, it's called a Helicycle and it comes in a kit that you build yourself or buy one used. One like this costs about $80k used. Airport storage varies by location. It holds 25 gallons of jet-a and that gets you almost two hours of flight time that costs about $100...
thats cool. I noticed this video was in 2020. Do you still have this helicopter? Sure looks like fun.. Where abouts are you located .?? Cheers My friend.
This was not your first time you flown,? Do you have a certain break in, schedule, like alitude, speed, distance. It is probably cheaper being a single seater. I would need lessons in one. Just the start up was alot od swithes to operate!
Hey David! I had taken lessons before with an instructor on board in a different helicopter, plus I’ve been flying airplanes for a while. This was just the first time solo, in any helicopter, and the first time in this one. Getting some lessons so you don’t kill yourself or others is always a good idea!
This is nice! I have some questions: - So no license is needed to fly this thing? - Can you keep it at a private property, or you have to use the local airport? What is the monthly fee for the airport? - what is the price of a new and used one and where you can buy it? - is the maintenance expensive? what is the average cost of ownership for 1 year?
Thanks! You do need a license of some sort (fixed wing, hot air baloon, etc) and if you want to carry passengers, you need a helicopter license. You can keep it on private property, as long as your city or county does not have a rule against it. I land at my buddy's property quite a bit to say hi. I share a hangar at the airport just for convenience. These are experimental, meaning that they have to be built by someone, not manufactured. You can buy a used one from a private party that is already flying. Expect to pay between $50-$75k for one in good shape. Other than fuel, the cost of ownership is very minimal. You have an annual inspection (about $500) and simple maintenance besides that. I've spent less than $200 on maintenance in the last year. Thanks for watching!
@@NateVolk dang..just when I figured I'd never be able to afford to fly, +TURBINE🤯 Get in tough w/Kenny Keller at Helicopter Online Groundschool.. he does a fantastic RU-vid channel & provides great groundschool packages. Even though your'e doing ultralight, good to be safer.. heli's have interesting dynamics which are very unforgiving if not understood & respected, I'd take all the rotorcraft time I could afford to bring back to that bird!
@@francisconti9085 its actually not an ultralight :) But yes, lots of studying done, and lots of training in robinsons as well. I'm working on my helicopter commercial certificate. Its the cheapest way to get helicopter and turbine time that I have found so far!
@@NateVolk Wow! I gotta start selling those! Haha, sounds like a nice bird, flying speeds/@ altitudes looked good in RU-vid vision, & indicated airspeed.. looked like you had a good head start on process😁👍 I fly RC bush planes, in confined off field locations, etc.. HOGS channel helped with additional safety protocals/awareness/site assessment as it overlapped in safety etc. I have one plane which comes in @ 10 Kts that I can fly safely in & out of a 75' area with max obstacle height of 40' with 10' clearance.. Heli offsite considerations like LOWFEET checklist insights hugely important to success/safety .. my little Eflight Timber is almost like a helicopter kept in ETL, love it so much I have 4! Ski, float, land, performance land😎👍
It is actually classified as an experimental, so you have to have some sort of license to fly. If you want to take a passenger in an experimental, you need a license that fits that type. Since I have only one seat, my fixed wing license suffices for me :) Thanks for watching!
I just fly for fun and to build hours. I've been considering getting my commercial license, and the turbine time is a huge bonus. A friend of mine has a long line mount on his, and he practices that with it!
Thanks! Yes, it will run diesel, kerosene, Jet-a, and a few others. The turbine is from a military application, so they wanted it to run off as much as possible. Jet-A is actually cheaper here than diesel though. Our local airport wants fixed wing and helicopters to be separated, so helicopters use the taxiway if possible. We can use the runway, but we don't need to, so why be in the way of the fixed wing guys. Plus we can stop mid air :) Our traffic pattern is right turns, while the fixed wing pattern is left turns. Its pretty crazy out there sometimes as we have a long runway that accomodates jets, and no tower to control everyone :)
@@NateVolk haha, we have a remote tower for KART (Watertown Intnl.), Class E airspace covered by local military base, Ft Drum NY.. about 10 miles away!👍
haha! You are right. Although there is nothing to clear when engaging the starter. The turbine spools up, but nothing turns at that point :) I do clear the tail and main rotor visually before I start the blades spinning. Thanks for watching!
@@NateVolk no prob..not like im a licened pilot..i just am a heli freak and watch alot of vids..and know they always yell it before they begin start sequence lol..is yours one of thos automatic start helis?..er do you have to watch t.o.t...introduce fuel when n1 comes up ect?
@@natertater1978 Generally, helicopters have the two sections of the compressor connected by gasses, so when the turbine spins, the blades start moving. This one, has a shaft connecting the two. So to get her started, you can't have the blades connected or you will get a hot start. So, we start it, then engage a clutch to turn the blades. Kind of like a robinson. The fuel is automatically controlled, mostly. I turn on the fuel solenoid, and manually control the start fuel, which gets released and purged once the turbine is self sustaining. You can wire it up to be fully automatic, but I like the control the manual gives. There is no n1 section or gauge :) I hope that explains it a bit!
@@NateVolk it does!!..that explains the clutch button u were referrin to..and yeah..surely dont need a hot start😬🤑☹️!..they should call em "broke starts"..what youll be if ya have ta by a new engine lol
45:30 Could have sworn you said you've never flown a helicopter before. Must have misspoken there. I rewound that part a few times thinking I hallucinated it due to lack of sleep. 😅
Thank you, for this helicopter, you need some sort of license. Fixed wing, balloon, etc. You only need a helicopter license if you are taking a passenger
