Movement Controls:
Movement achieved by tilting the swashplate.
For single rotor helicopters (as well as 4 channel coaxials), 2D movement is initiated via the swashplate. To go to the left, the swashplate tips to the left, thus increasing the lift on the right side of the helicopter and reducing it on the left (click on swashplate and scroll down to the bottom of the page to understand how a swashplate manipulates the lift and enables movement).
Movement to the right, forwards, and backwards are all similar in that the swashplate tips in the direction of flight desired and then the lift is increased on the side opposite the direction of flight and decreased on the side of the flight direction. This is how you can be sure that your radio is programmed correctly: if the swash tips in the direction you push on the cyclic, then your radio is programmed right.
Notice, the tip of the swashplate does NOT translate directly into the angle of the rotor blades. For example, with a left cyclic command the swashplate will tip to the left (left side down, right side up), but the place where the angle of the blades will actually be least will be in the back, not on the left as you would think. Specifically, the movement of the swashplate is actually translated into rotor pitch 90 degrees before it occurs in the rotation.
To understand this better, view the second movie under swashplate. (Note: the movie is of a 4-bladed rotor head, so the angle is 45 degrees instead of 90. But the same principle is at work: the tilted angle of the swashplate effects the pitch of the blades earlier in their rotation than where the swashplate tilt occurs.) I really don't know why this is other than it has something to do with the gyroscope effect of the spinning blades.
Movement to the right, forwards, and backwards are all similar in that the swashplate tips in the direction of flight desired and then the lift is increased on the side opposite the direction of flight and decreased on the side of the flight direction. This is how you can be sure that your radio is programmed correctly: if the swash tips in the direction you push on the cyclic, then your radio is programmed right.
Notice, the tip of the swashplate does NOT translate directly into the angle of the rotor blades. For example, with a left cyclic command the swashplate will tip to the left (left side down, right side up), but the place where the angle of the blades will actually be least will be in the back, not on the left as you would think. Specifically, the movement of the swashplate is actually translated into rotor pitch 90 degrees before it occurs in the rotation.
To understand this better, view the second movie under swashplate. (Note: the movie is of a 4-bladed rotor head, so the angle is 45 degrees instead of 90. But the same principle is at work: the tilted angle of the swashplate effects the pitch of the blades earlier in their rotation than where the swashplate tilt occurs.) I really don't know why this is other than it has something to do with the gyroscope effect of the spinning blades.
To Turn:
Turning is accomplished by varying the speed of an electric tail motor or the collective of a shaft / belt driven tail rotor. This creates an unequal torque effect and the helicopter turns. To turn to the right (assuming you have the most common type of heli, a counter-clockwise rotor), the helicopter increases the pitch or speed of the tail rotor, thus increasing its lift. This extra lift above that needed to cancel the main rotor torque causes the tail of the helicopter to move clockwise, initiating a right turn.
A left turn is accomplished by decreasing the rpm / collective of the tail rotor to the point where it produces less force than needed to counteract the main rotor torque. This causes the helicopter to turn counterclockwise, or to the left.
A left turn is accomplished by decreasing the rpm / collective of the tail rotor to the point where it produces less force than needed to counteract the main rotor torque. This causes the helicopter to turn counterclockwise, or to the left.
Control Reversal
An important note is that when the nose of the helicopter is pointing towards you, the elevator and pitch control will be reversed. Also, if or when you are inverted, the controls will be reversed as well.
The best way to learn how to fly an RC helicopter, however, is to not think of flying as moving the helicopter in reference to yourself. Always think of helicopter movement in relation to the helicopter, and controlling it will feel more natural. This is thoroughly explained in Lesson 10 in Collective Pitch Flight School and Lesson 3 in Coaxial / Fixed Pitch Flight School.
The best way to learn how to fly an RC helicopter, however, is to not think of flying as moving the helicopter in reference to yourself. Always think of helicopter movement in relation to the helicopter, and controlling it will feel more natural. This is thoroughly explained in Lesson 10 in Collective Pitch Flight School and Lesson 3 in Coaxial / Fixed Pitch Flight School.