ABOUT US
If you find yourself daydreaming about model helicopters at work, you're not alone. Maybe you're going to bed late at night with helis on the brain. Perhaps you dream about them, only to awaken in the morning with helicopters still on the brain! If so, then you may see yourself reflected in Audacity Models because we live and breathe model helicopters . . . just like you!
While founded in 2002, we actually have our genesis in a Cox toy helicopter I once got as a Christmas present. That, plus a set of magazine plans and instructions for a Superbird created by a fellow name of Ed Sweeney Jr. The toy and plans are strongly interrelated because together, they're what set us on this path. A winding path that has in inexorable fashion - in this instant in time - brought us together on the shores of Audacity Models!
Never thought of things this way? Never heard mention of this name? Then pretty much just like a present day iteration of Paul Harvey, kindly allow me to explain by sharing the rest of the story!
Cox Sky Jumper
Setting the scene:
Let's wind the clock back more than 50 years to 1971, and I've received a Cox toy helicopter called Sky Jumper. Picture it as 13 y/o me receives what turns out to be the very last Christmas 'toy' I'd get from my parents. Clothes and practical gifts going forward. Point being, while I didn't know this would be my last toy, the clues were there because I'd already graduated from a primitive Tecumseh-powered minibike to a Suzuki motorcycle, and with girls increasingly on my mind, quite honestly, a toy helicopter wasn't top of brain.
Let's see why it nevertheless came to influence me so strongly. And by the way, this particular Sky Jumper (they had others, including a green Huey, because Vietnam was ongoing) was loosely based on the famous Bell 47G. But instead of the same Army-green as the Huey, for whatever reason, they molded it in bright yellow. Somewhat strange considering M.A.S.H. had been Oscar-nominated 5X the previous year, and the rotary-wing aircraft, equipped with a litter on each side for use evacuating the wounded, was widely recognized . . . but I digress.
Sky Jumper: continued
Back to the model; the detailed injection molded airframe (complete with truss-type tail boom plus bubble canopy), had four somewhat droopy but airfoil shaped main rotor blades. And each main rotor blade was equipped with a tiny counterbalance (near the tip, on the bottom, protruding well past the leading edge). And strangely, affixed to the center hub of the main rotor assembly was a tiny Cox .020 nitro-powered engine. Note; whilst not my first experience with a Cox engine (their Dragster followed soon after by a control line PT-19, both with the bigger .049), this was by far the smallest displacement engine I'd ever encountered and I was mesmerized!
Why? Quite honestly I've been queer for engines since my first Cox-experience. And this teeny-tiny thing had me in its thrall. So the engine is actually what drew me into helicopters. And thanks to Cox's superb engineering and tight manufacturing tolerances, with a small prime, and a good battery, it immediately fired up with a spring assist starter and ran every bit as well as its bigger brothers.
- Torque reaction between the .020 engine and its spinning prop meant the Cox Sky Jumper flew amazingly well
On how torque counters torque:
So how did it fly with an engine attached to the top of the rotor disk? Propulsion was achieved via torque reaction. Way it worked is once the engine started, the engine spun the 4-1/2 inch diameter prop counterclockwise - like usual - and this created thrust. Then due to the engine's torque, the crankcase spun itself in the opposite direction (clockwise) and because the crankcase was fixed to the rotor disk, this caused the main rotors to spin, also creating thrust. The thrust off the prop and thrust from the rotor blades combined to allow soaring flight easily over 100 feet into the sky (limited by the engine run due to a minuscule fuel supply).
- Cox .020 affixed to the hub meant prop and engine spun in opposite directions to propel the main rotor
A zero sum game:
So because there's no torque to counter (because the spinning prop versus the engine making the main rotor blades rotate in the opposite direction, thus summing to zero and cancelling each other out), then the tail boom and rotor blades were purely decorative. They merely helped it weathervane into the wind. And in effect, with both sources of thrust on the same vector, this functioned thrust-wise exactly like today's tiny co-axial RC model helicopters!
Anyway, once you released it (the blades instead of drooping, rotated and thus, now arched upwards toward the sky), and with no method of control, your freely flying model helicopter was at the mercy of the wind. Fortunately, the fuel tank was tiny and the engine would shut down before it flew away completely and the helicopter then floated in for landing via autorotation - pretty as you please - because Cox had it all down to a science!
So it flew and sparked the imagination of legions of kids . . . me included! This, because I was absorbed by the tiny .020 engine, which I once dismounted to start and run whilst holding it in my fingers (yes, stupid). Anyway, as this 51-sec video shows, these things are still capturing hearts today. As for me? I was hooked for life!
Du-Bro Whirlybird 505
Different, but the same:
Our story picks up when in 1972 a mechanical genius by the name of Dave Grey developed a model he named Whirlybird. Hired soon after by Du-Bro, they eventually put his invention into production. And it used the exact same torque reaction method of propulsion as the Cox. Moreover, equipped with servos going through a swashplate and a tail rotor, plus a 20X larger displacement K&B .40 nitro engine mounted to the main rotor assembly, it flew decent.
By decent, meaning propulsion was accomplished exactly like the Sky Jumper. E.g. such that between prop thrust and rotor disk thrust, and with a total of four channels, you could control it in flight. Two-channels were for cyclic pitch and roll control (or elevator and aileron). A third channel was for controlling yaw (tail rotor), plus the fourth channel (throttle) for altitude. This meant flying up a storm with it. Primitive? Yes, but that it worked is indisputable!
Moreover, at a time when it took big money to buy one of Mr. Schlüter's considerably more costly and capable 5-ch Bell Huey-Cobra collective pitch models, it served as many a modeler's first introduction to RC helicopters.
- 4-channel Whirlybird, designed by Dave Grey and brought to the world by Du-Bro, introduced many to helis
Beggaring the imagination:
So just like that, the previous impossibility of my flying a model from anywhere (no runway required) had me (and many others) dreaming of a Whirlybird of my own. Alas, it wasn't meant to be because fixed wing was costly enough, so I knew I would never be able to afford a helicopter . . . until fortune intervened. You see, the rich guy in the club owned one. I was building Royal scale kits for Mr. Moreno and he liked me around because I could get the engine to run (everybody's not good with engines, but they like me). Point being, try as he might he couldn't get it to fly and following another of many crashes, in frustration he finally gave it a mighty boot. I know because I was there. Then later, apologizing for loosing his cool, he stuffed it in the trash.
Me? Bold as brass, I asked if I could have it and when he said, yes (he'd already scavanged the radio and engine), I salvaged the remains and scurried home with my prize. A huge stroke of luck followed when as providence would have it, not long after (days, weeks?), my December 1973 issue of American Aircraft Modeler magazine included a surprise; a conversion article regarding the Whirlybird! One for modding it into a totally different model called Superbird. And it was this model, Superbird, which was destined to become my first RC model helicopter!
Seeing is believing:
Anyway, because nothing is quite as convincing as seeing it fly with your own eyes, this YouTube link to my friend Steve Poretz flying his Whirlybird is the next best thing to being there.
Note; because Steve's doing this on his own (meaning nobody helping) and because the camera is on a tipod, then kindly overlook the fact the model occasionally wanders out of frame. Also, please realize this footage predates 4K resolution and 16:9 aspect ratios. I'm glad it exists!
Before moving on; the wah-wah-wah sound is the exhaust port rotating toward and away from the microphone on each revolution (Doppler effect in miniature). Also, I'm grateful Google has followed through on the promise of YouTube such that this rare footgage is available to us to watch! Especially as I've never actually seen a Whirlybird fly because my neighbor's would lift off and immediately crash. So this video is my only proof Whirlybirds actually fly!
Moreover, because nobody praises a Whirlybird for its high precision flight (and because I've only witnessed postflight chicken dances), then I'm really impressed by Steve's courage at being so near the darn thing!
Sweeney Superbird
Metamorphosis:
The Superbird was the creation of a fellow name of Ed Sweeney (founding publisher along with Bill Winter), as well as managing editor, of American Aircraft Modeler magazine. And it was based on the Whirlybird as invented by Dave Grey (then of Du-Bro). But critically, and unlike the Whirlybird, the Superbird relied instead on an engine with half the displacement to drive the main and tail rotor blades.
The engine was the famous Veco .19 and it drove the main rotors through a model car's centrifugal clutch and gear reduction through belt and cogged pulleys. So just like a modern day model, the engine directly drove the main rotors for propulsion, as well as the tail rotor to counter torque of this highly modded Whirlybird. Moreover, not just an all new drive train, but the main rotor head was also a totally new design!
And more than displaying incredible mechanical ingenuity (the rotor head is based on a hardware store turnbuckle), what resulted from a Superbird conversion was a far more agile 4-channel fixed-pitched model helicopter than the Whirlybird could ever hope to be. And not just better by a country mile in flight, all this whilst consuming about half the fuel, so by every measure, most definitely win-win!
- Line drawing of Superbird layout contained within 12/73 issue of American Aircraft Modeler magazine
Resources:
If you find this kind of stuff fascinating, then I have some material and resources for you. First, this is a link to my scanned copy of the article within the December issue of American Aircraft Modeler (yes, I'm such a pack rat I have the issue). This, to include the cover of the magazine featuring a full scale Pitts Special biplane, plus the 4th cover (the back cover), which featured an advert for the famous Yamada YS .60 pumped engine. I've included all this because a) I suspect many of you will find even the adverts interesting and b) some may want to build the model.
Second, there are two sources (amongst many), which those of you interested in helicopter history may find worth reading. There's Kirt Blattenberger's Helicopter section of his superb website; Airplanes and Rockets, as well as the British site VRHC and their Helicopters from the 70's till now - Preservation and Restoration. Both being resources I enjoy using to learn more about the history of RC model helicopters. Perhaps you will, also!
Superbird: continued
My next move involved setting to gathering up the bits and bobs required to convert the remains of my Whirlybird into a Superbird. Never has anyone devoured the written word with more enthusiasm as me because all I could think of was creating a Superbird like Ed's. Oh, if life were so simple! And note; I had no lathe or machine tools beyond a drill and file and thus, I turned to Mr. Willoughby, the metal shop teacher, whom I didn't really know. This, because interested in becoming an engineer, I'd opted to take mechanical drawing, instead! Yet despite this, he generously helped me anyway (and in a strange twist on fate, because I found the machine tools fascinating, this eventually put me on the path toward one day acquiring my own machine shop).
Anyway, then, as now, model helicopters weren't easy to fly. And while I (an affirmed hard head) eventually managed to piece a Superbird together, the flying of said model was another story. One that never came to be. You see, and quite honestly, it was a tale of failure after failure. This, usually because some part of the machine's tail rotor drive mechanism giving up due to the significant rotational forces (many years later I discovered my neighbor soldered together the components with 60/40 instead of silver solder).
Note; and coming as no surprise to the experienced helicopter-oriented modeler, once the tail drive itself was lost, or a tail rotor blade departed, the model crashed. The latter especially as it immediately led the now unbalanced assembly (with engine still screaming away) to strip the gears and immediately tackle itself (thereby performing a chicken dance whilst scattering components in all directions). Yet despite the setbacks, I'd patiently gather up the remains and being completely and utterly focused on getting it flying, I'd set about ordering parts to repair the model. Note, this sentence takes two minutes, but in real-time this process occupied nearly a year. Anyway, long story shortened, the last time I crashed it (didn't know it would be the last time, of course), I was lightly bloodied by a small piece of flying debris, which grazed my brow. At that, my Mom put her foot down.
Folks, if you're young and reading this, frightening your Mom is always bad juju. Thus, while Dad took me to get patched up (four small stitches), she destroyed my model with a broom (according to my grandmother). She then disposed of same, and despite my entreaties and endless pleading (she could give Sicilians lessons in omertà), she never told me where and that was that. From there, while subsequent life in the guise of motorcycles, girls, cars, university, marriage, job, and progeny were yet to come, the helicopter-hook was forever set.
However, what I really took away from the experience is this; no design is sacrosanct. Meaning 'anything' can be improved and thus, when I first heard the engineer's dictum (we stand on the shoulders of giants who precede us), I immediately flashed back to modding the Whirlybird into the Superbird.
Thus, Mr. Sweeney (whom I never met) is another who had an outsized impact on my life. Simply put, his example fixed the pattern for tinkering and iterating, which has defined my approach to this very day. Anyway, before moving on, let's briefly circle back around to how early helis evolved just before the Whirlybird.
The early days
In the late 1960s a German guy named Dieter Schlüter (RIP, 2021) began prototyping a collective pitch model helicopter using model airplane-type servos and nitro engine. To say he's the father of modern collective pitch RC model helicopters is not an exaggeration (and I was greatly saddened to learn of his passing a few years back).
- The father of model helicopters, Mr. Dieter Schlüter holding an example of his eponymous Heli-Baby
How helis came to be is an interesting story and in brief, by early 1971 (and following a 27 minute flight demonstration), Mr. Schlüter commercialized on his incredible technical achievement by introducing to the market a set of collective pitch model helicopter mechanics clothed by a fiberglass fuselage (Bell-Huey Cobra).
For context, at about this same time I was a kid just getting my feet wet with RC model airplanes.
- A young John Beech adjusting an elevator linkage on his Fox .59 powered Midwest Cardinal Squire model
Anyway, while Mr. Schlüter's personal interests were scale models, commercially, folks just wanted to fly a model helicopter. Meant looking like the real thing took short shrift. Recognizing this reality, he pivoted to what the market for model helicopters wanted, and released models like Heli-Baby, which if you squint sort of looked like a Hughes 300 (the model he's holding in the first photo).
This was followed by others like Mini-Boy, Superior, Champion, and Scout (the Scout II with System 88 being 'my' personal introduction to his products, this ca. 1990). Then came Futura, which you could equip with a 2-stroke, four-stroke, or gasoline engine, and finally, culminated with Millennium (a superb model, of which I own two). The latter, by the way, beneath the aegis of Robbe (which these days has abandoned helis altogether).
Meanwhile, another German company (Kavan), an American outfit (Du-Bro) and a Japanese company (Hirobo) were quickly on Schlüter's tail.
Out of the gate first was the 1972 Du-Bro Whirlybird. Du-Bro followed up with a scale model of the Hughes 300 the next year. This followed by a sport model called a Shark Tristar the next (1974) and which built on their Hughes 300 scale offerings with Hughes 500D and Enstrom F-28 fuselages. After 1976, with the introduction of the Shark 60 (with the O&R 60 engine), they threw in the towel for reasons of their own.
Also at about the same time (1972) Kavan showed off the Jet Ranger. Again, mechanics housed in a scale fuselage. This was actually the creation of work of German-engineer FW Biesterfeld for Mr. Fraz Kavan. I eventually owned several Kavan models, but not until the 1990s when I purchased the Jet Ranger 2nd hand and an Allouette and Lockheed 286L NIB (new in box). And I still own two Jet Ranger fuselages (both NIB).
Next on the scene were the Japanese (principally represented by Hirobo) who in 1976 brought an incredible scale offering, the Gazelle to market. Soon followed by Bell-47G, and even an astonishing achievement, a twin rotor Vertol. These, plus non-scale machines like 555 culminating in their Eagle for F3C competition.
Anyway, turns out what mostly sells in America are non-scale models. We prefer what in Europe is referred to as a 'trainer'. Basically a model with a canopy of some sorts to give the illusion of a heli, and nothing more. What's more, the trainer-type are all vaguely similar in design and appearance (derisevely called flying fishheads), and pretty much immediately recognizable to anybody who flies a present day model.
By this meaning they were comprised of two flat side frames, spaced apart by aluminum blocks holding bearings for the various shafts, plus engine and fuel tank. For example, in this next photo, if you exchanged the alloy side frames of this 1983 Schlüter Superior for a set of carbon side frames, then the basic look and layout of the model is largely the same as present day designs . . . +40 years after the fact!
Injection molded plastic:
However, and almost contemporaneously with the Superion, in 1985, with the introduction of a small thermoset plastic side frame model called a Shuttle 30, Hirobo stole a march on everybody in the flight training market. Basically, plastic was a game changer because compared to aluminum, it was tough and durable.
This, because instead of twisting out of shape on impact, plastic models tended to flex and bounce . . . thus, coming away largely unscathed! Added to which, by using an .28-size engine, they were far more thrifty to operate than a .61 class engine. So me saying the Shuttle was a game changer is not hyperbole.
So as Hirobo - deservedly - printed money selling Shuttles by the gazillions (their Shuttle literally became the hottest toy in the industry), others seeing their success jumped into the fray. Chief amongst these were other Japanese companies like Kalt and Kyosho.
The latter, especially, were famous for their injection molded model cars and trucks. Thus, using their expertise in injection molding, they introduce a design created by a brilliant engineer, a fellow name of Shigetada Taya. The model was the Concept 30 and it soon challenged the Shuttle for market dominance. And as an aside, it was seeing magazine advertisements for this, which led to my own purchase of a Concept 30 in 1989.
And just like that, my 15-year dormant desire to fly rotary wing models was awakened, once again! But before we go there, let's touch on a couple more things, flight training, and why plastic made such an impact.
Flight training
The tyranny of aluminum . . . it bends:
Today, plastic and carbon fiber models dominate but back in the day, all models were made of aluminum. So switching gears into reverse for a little bit, back then flying model helicopters (as they still are, today), were harder to master than fixed wing models. In fact, if you wanted to learn to fly a collective pitch model helicopter you typically bought a Schlüter Mini-Boy, Du-Bro Shark, or a Hirobo 555 . . . all comprised of all alloy-frames.
Then once you had it built, you basically taught yourself to hover and fly (no internet back then, either). What's unchanged is just like today, you were largely on your own because compared to model airplane guys, there just aren't as many folks interested in helis. Saying getting help was rare. And note; just as this predated the internet, all this was also before computer flight simulators existed!
So the one fly in the soup of alloy helis was this; it bends. So when you lost control, upon impact with the ground, these aluminum-based models immediately bent and twisted themselves out of shape. Let me tell you, straightening alloy is tricky and few guys could do it properly. Not whilst maintaining perfect gear alignment. Sure, straightening shafts is/was easier using V-blocks (and holding your tongue just right, always helps), but alloy frame parts mostly required replacement (not saying it was impossible to get them perfectly straight, just difficult). And close wasn't good enough because then the model would eat gears quickly.
Added to which, replacement parts were expensive and time consuming to obtain as you faxed your order in (no websites or email, yet). Point being, it could easily take a week before they actually shipped. Basically means without patience and a money pump, the average guy was pretty much priced out of the game. Or put another way, not heck of a lot has changed as regards some models and modelers!
Real point being this; plastic was a game changer because these things would often bounce and come back for more instead of becoming a twisted mess of aluminum, and if not totally undamaged, only be in need of rotating parts, blades, and tail boom (which are nearly always going to be damaged whether frames are called for, or not.
So let's touch on one other development, flight.
7-and-7:
So in parallel with all this, by the early 90s a new style of flight had developed in America called 3D. Led by a guy name of Mike Mas. He was the very first guy to ever fly switchless inverted using what he called a 7-and-7 setup (and these days, it's more like 9 each way due to the more powerful engines). This totally revolutionized RC model helicopter flight because before his innovation, flying inverted meant resorting to a switch on your transmitter to reverse the controls.
Switch? Yes, just like what it sounds. Basically, you'd roll inverted, flip a switch and then keep flying - as if the model were upright because with the flip of a switch the collective pitch and elevator servos were reversed. Anyway, in my view of things, this was cheating, but that's how inverted flight was accomplished back in the day.
So Mike's 7-and-7 setup changed all that. His idea was to put 0° at mid-stick instead of hovering at mid-stick. And then full collective of about 7° (max at the time for a 60-class model), and -7° for (min pitch). This meant, with his setup, you hover both upright (at about 5/8th stick) and inverted (at about 3/8-stick), and all without a switch. Revolutionary stuff!
Anyway, the next big thing was the arrival of a fellow name of Curtis Youngblood. And this Texan really put 3D on the map (along with an American company called Miniature Aircraft). Miniature, once the exclusive distributor of Schlüter’s models, came out with their own product, but now I digress and thus, let's move on because whilst all was happening, my interest in helis came to the fore once again.
Kyosho Concept 30
Our tale picks up in 1989, 15 years have passed since my adventure with the Sweeney Superbird - gone but not forgotten. And five years since Hirobo astonished the world with the Shuttle Z, the Japanese company Kyosho (until then, best known for fantastic injection molded RC cars and trucks) released their competitor to the Hirobo in the form of the Concept 30.
Magazine advertising soon cropped up, and just like that, the urge for rotary flight bit me once again. But this time, I was bitten so hard I've never stopped flying model helicopters despite the passage of several decades!
- The magazine advertisement, which both hooked and reeled me back into RC model helicopters
Anyway, and as I've mentioned, flying model helicopters is easier said, than done. But I persisted and one year, whilst in Birmingham, a fellow name of Gary Wright came to my aid. Seeing me struggling, he introduced himself and told me the engine RPMs were too low. Yup, me, accustomed to model airplanes had been tuning by ear, and with no optical tachometer, then sure enough, with too much main rotor blade pitch this was leading to the clutch shoes dragging (to the point of failure by overheating). And just like that he solved a mystery for why my model was going through so many clutches . . . it was down to operator error (aka, my fault).
After befriending me, and generous to a fault, because I could already hover, he set to getting me comfortable in forward flight by buddy-boxing my transmitter to his. Note; at this time he was flying for Robbe and was testing the very first Futura in the world. Yet despite being 'the' name-amongst-names, he made time for a nobody like me. Shows you the high caliber of the man, eh? For my part, I remain grateful to this day for his generous offer of help.
What's more, after telling me I should learn to hover nose-in, Gary introduced me to a computer flight simulator. This was my first initiation into software mimicking a model helicopter and used for training. Running on a PC powered by an Intel 486 (yes, a long time ago), said software was named R/C Skylark. And whilst the graphics were merely wireframe (utterly primitive by today's photorealistic standards), the physics of flight itself were 100% faithful to the real thing and thus, totally and utterly convincing. Ultimately, I had to have my own . . . and the disks are still kicking around here, somewhere!
Anyway, over the course of the next few years I'd settle into helicopter modeling with a succession of machines to include Shuttle ZX, Scout II, Kavan Jet Ranger, Concept 46VR, Concept 60SR, Enforcer 30, Nexus Legato (powered by an OS .52 Surpass 4-stroke engine), Venture 30, GMP Legend, Logo 20, and Millennium 60 - until something unexpected came into the market . . . the Thunder Tiger Raptor.
Thunder Tiger Raptor
When lightning strikes twice:
When 1997 rolled around, lightning struck again because Mr. Taya, now working for the Chinese company Thunder Tiger, released his latest design in the form of their new offering, the Raptor 30. Honestly? If you compare a Concept 30 and a Raptor 30 - both designed by Mr. Taya - share absolutely no similarities. Like nothing whatsoever is the same (beyond plastic single rotor helicopter along with a tail rotor for managing torque, plus blade size). Otherwise, zero similarities.
Anyway, it's my further opinion Mr. Taya is the most brilliant model helicopter designer to ever grace the planet. So the Raptor 30, once again a molded plastic fantastic, totally changed everything! But what especially differentiated this model from that of everybody else (think Shuttle ZX, Concept 30SX, Kalt Enforcer), was it had enough collective-pitch range to perform 3D maneuvers . . . right out of the box. And this is what the American market was crying out for because by then 3D was a thing.
So straight up, the Raptor 30 was another game changer. And for three years they ate the lunch of Hirobo, Kyosho, Kalt, and everybody else! Interestingly, what else was new was a business model that saw that heli being immediately upgraded with alloy parts, often before it had even flown! Anyway, it's fair to say the Raptor gave birth to the whole idea of 3rd party machine shops making upgrade parts.
And yes, Hirobo sold factory branded 'Gold' parts to upgrade their Shuttle from plastic to alloy (I briefly owned a Shuttle Gold, no plastic whatsoever). Love it until I sussed out an 8lb model, even when powered by the most powerful Enya .35 engine and tuned pipe fed 30% nitro was so much heavier than a plastic model (at about 6.5lbs), that it performed like a dog. Minor point being, I sold it to a pal who lusted for it (and in his stewardship it remains to this day). But the major point remains, which is the Hirobo product performed superbly without any 3rd party alloy bits and bobs while the Raptor 30 straight out of the box was basically a model most consumers viewed as necessitating upgrade parts to truly function well.
I know because I had one, and had a love hate relationship. Loved the design, hated having to buy upgrades right out of the box. Until that point, a Shuttle, Concept, or Enforcer did what the manufacturer said as delivered. No longer. And in the meantime, fate was about to throw me a curveball . . . a job offer!
Audacity Models Tiger 50
When fate intervenes:
In 2001 I get a call from Hyundai (yes, that Hyundai), or more accurately, someone in their plastic division (big company, finger in a lot of pies). Turns out Pat Crews (Editor-in-Chief at RCM) had recommend me as someone to write a technical manual. Flattered, my interest grew when they explained they needed a manual for a model helicopter they'd designed on spec for Japan Radio.
When I asked why they didn't just have Horizon do it, they explained JR (Horizon was their USA distributor) had turned down the design preferring instead, to stick with their existing Venture 30 design. While the Venture was plenty decent (I knew because I owned one), and basically the horse saddled by Horizon for making a run at the field of competing plastic fantastics (Thunder Tiger, Hirobo, and Kyosho), I immediate viewed it as a huge JR-misstep.
Reason was simple enough, and maybe hubris on my part, but I felt the sample I had in my hands was clearly a superior helicopter to the Venture 30 (not even close). Really saying; had marketing pros like Horizon had it in their hands instead of the Venture, it probably does way better in the market. But we'll never know and thus, I digress.
Recapping, the upshot was; they were waving money under my nose and I was loathe to turn them down.
- A solid flying 50-class with a mellow nature, the Tiger 50 found immediate success with modelers
Cutting to the chase, I began taking photos documenting the build and FWIW, their manual (in Korean, of which I don't read a lick), was actually a pretty useful guide. However, I could readily see where they really needed a native-English technical writer.
As it happens I'm pretty decent at this. This, in part for acing technical writing at university, but also due to once having had a stint as a math teacher. Allow me a brief birdwalk.
8th grade math:
As an aside, I became a teacher after selling my engineering company in 1991. Soon growing bored, and for want of something to do, I returned to university for the credentials for teaching math and science. Took a job as a middle school math teacher.
My role on the team of 60 educators at the middle school were the kids who had failed at math their whole lives. Kids themselves called it bobo-math (bobo being spanish for dummy). For my part I viewed it as a plum assignment because by 8th grade, you either turn them around or lose them forever. Others in the math department viewed my having the assignment as their having dodged a bullet. This, because the kids could be a handful (since they hated math). But I viewed it as a challenge, and enjoyed it while eventually growing to realize why so many educators ultimately leave the profession.
Easy decision because on a lark, I'd started a modest business part time. Once that took off I turned in my papers and put the classroom behind me. But let me tell you, it's a profession populated by better people than we deserve society-wise. That, and anyone says teaching is an easier gig than engineering and thus, deserving of less pay is full of shit.
Real point being, it's how I learned a thing or two regarding how to really teach. After all, writing a how-to manual is a form of teaching, thus closing the circle on the birdwalk.
- John and a group of his 8th grade math kids at Curundu Middle School ca. 1992
Behind the scenes:
Anyway, and circling back around to the helicopter, once the manual was done and I'd been paid, I moved on with life. But fate wasn't done with me as Hyundai subsequently called upon me once again. This time they hired me to help find them a distributor. Problem, was (and I didn't know it at the time) I was about to run into a brick wall.
And nothing to do with how good or bad the product is, just an obvious reality of business. In my defense, I'm trained in engineering, I wasn't a business major. So because I'd never tried managing the sale of a product line, and they knew this, I took on the job with the understanding they'd get my best without guarantee. That I didn't understand everything this would entail when I undertook the job was my lookout. Here's how it went down.
First, Horizon wasn't interested because they had their hands full with the JR helicopter lineup (and never knew the Tiger could have been theirs as a JR-branded product). And absolutely nothing to do with which helicopter was better or worse because from their viewpoint, taking on a similar line would be counterproductive. And as I learned, same held with Great Planes because they had Kyosho. Ditto MRC because they had Hirobo on their plate.
Similarly, I had an incredibly brief conversation with Ace (Thunder Tiger) with the same result. And when I reached out to United (the last of the majors, and the only one without a heli in their lineup), they said the helicopter market was too small and they weren't in tune with it. And finally, when I knocked on the door of Miniature Aircraft, since they totally looked down their nose at 'all' plastic helicopters, that conversation went nowhere fast, as well.
In a nutshell, I completely and utterly failed at the task of finding a US distributor for a pretty neat product. And to be honest, it left a somewhat bitter taste in my mouth. Nevertheless, I'd done the work to the best of my abilities. And to their credit, Hyundai ponied up the agreed upon sum despite the lack of positive results, and that was that. Or so I thought.
On the audacity of asking:
There's a reason beyond familiarity with mathematics (statistics) regarding why I don't buy lottery tickets. It's because I've already used up my entire lifetime quota of good luck. How's that?
Quite simple, actually. You see, after meeting Lynn, I instantly knew she was the one. And from that point on I did my darnest to win her over. Point being, after she eventually said yes, I've pretty much always figured I've bothered God, enough!
- John, wearing the shit eatin' grin of success after the 'I do' part of the ceremony concludes his pursuit
That said, and not to put too fine a point on it, but Audacity Models is entirely Lynn's fault. You see, she believed in me, and on her advice, I approached Hyundai inquiring on exactly what becoming the exclusive distributor would entail. Moreover, as had Lynn before them, when I asked if I'd be acceptable they said yes . . . and just like that, I'd gotten myself into another business!
As to the name Audacity Models, it's because after approaching my banker about a loan (and no surprise, beyond capital requirements, this meant a business plan), they quickly turned me down. Bad biz-plan? Not really, they're all pretty much the same. By this meaning you dissect the market, competitors, set goals, show how you'll achieve them, e.g. sales, money matters like prices, margins, income, expense, and importantly, how we pay the loan back, etc. There are books on the subject, it's not difficult.
Anyway, after a (very) brief look at the document and just a few minutes of conversation, his dismissive assessment was something along the lines of; 'Son I appreciate your enthusiasm and audacity in thinking you can take on these established players (Thunder Tiger, Hirobo, Kyosho, Kalt, et al.) but we're going to pass on this opportunity'. And just like that, he showed me the door. Start to finish 'maybe' 20 minutes at the bank. Saying not only did they not think much of my idea, but they wanted absolutely no part of it.
So that afternoon, after Lynn and I got home, we prayed on it. Then we put pencil to paper and looked at our net worth (cash on hand, my 401(k) after paying IRS penalties and taxes, plus mortgaging our home), and decided to make a go of it without the bank . . . yup, we made the deal anyway! As for our business name? That part was easy; when we went to register ourselves with the state (and still a bit chapped at being dismissively turned down, but clearly recalling the gist of the guy's words), we proudly became Audacity Models!
After all, if you don't believe in yourself, what do you believe in?
Tiger 50:
What followed was a bunch of hard work. Took until 2004 to launch the product. Honestly? A lot longer than I ever envisioned but we stayed the course. The model was christened Tiger 50 and maybe too cute by half, I included a set of sharks teeth on the decorative sticker sheet (thinking of the Curtis P-40 and the Flying Tigers over Indochina).
- With a sleek canopy design, and colorful stickers, the Tiger 50 resembled nothing else on the market
Regarding why I was so taken with the Flying Tigers? Simple, it's because I was girding our loins for war and Chennault's boys had faced impossible odds. They comported themselves well. That, and I just liked the name ever since I almost bought a Sunbeam Tiger, once. Oh, and quite honestly? Nothing whatsoever to do with Thunder Tiger because that incredibly obvious similarity never occurred to me.
Anyway, and maybe in part because I might be confident - but - I wasn't stupid, I knew good and well taking on the big guys wasn't going to be easy; I had been reading Sun Tzu. From this I realized winning means being smart. Also, that, it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. So under the guise of getting right mentally (it's said business is war) and because the mission of taking on established players wasn't going to be easy, I was overly influenced by martial thoughts and those sharks teeth appeared on the art work.
And speaking of artwork, these were our on initial magazine adverts for the Tiger 50.
Misstep #1:
Welp, the shark teeth stickers turned out to be a misstep. Totally dumb idea. You see, some people liked them, but way more people thought they looked ridiculous. Seriously, like they'd stop to see the model at a trade show and first words out of their mouths (before examining the mechanics beneath the canopy) was something along the lines of, 'What's with those weird looking shark teeth?'
Nope, I kid you not and I'll go to my grave believing someone with marketing chops, like Horizon, wouldn't have done the teeth. Chalk it up to lesson learned? Nah, we're not marketing types, we're engineers! So sure enough, we doubled down on dumb a few years later, but that's another story.
- Attending trade shows to show off the product, plus going to fun flies is how we got the word out
Anyway, the long and short of it, not only did the market speak, but amongst those who bought the model, many folks omitted the teeth when decorating the canopy. And some resorted to custom paint schemes for their canopy, instead!
- Shot at dusk, Bobby Smith's custom painted Tiger 50 really stands out during a high speed pass
So the decals were my fault but otherwise, pretty good looking model, isn't it? Little known fact; if you like the Tiger 50 look, this canopy fits the P6 also because we kept the mount-post spacing the same-same.
And by the way, as a true believer, I remain convinced this was a decent looking model. But it may just be like the mother of the world's ugliest baby proudly holding it up as an example of handsome. Dunno. Anyway, what's undisputed by anybody is this; it's a model, which flew and handled remarkably well.
- BJ Nichols' gorgeous Tiger 50, one of many great paint scheme photos accumulated over the years
So sales began auspiciously well but over time we discovered weaknesses in the Tiger 50 product.
For example, while solid for sport, and superb for learing to hover, the rotor head simply wasn't cut out for 3D. It just wouldn't hold up to abuse. Basically, hard flying pilots could bend the spindle at will. This meant we had to go back to the drawing board.
What resulted is the Tiger 50 Mark II.
Mark II
Another bite of the apple:
All this reads fast but in the real world, it takes time to sort out. The Mark II head has a larger spindle than the Tiger 50 head. Means larger bearings and dampers, also. Ditto the grips themselves are beefier. And the seesaw carrier is not only revised to give us both 70% and 100% ratios to make 3D easier, but the flybar diameter is increased 33% to make it stiffer plus the Hiller lever are drooped 15° to give more clearance for Bell input. Basically, it's an all new head and because the head is the heart of the model, it one of those things, which can't be rushed.
And not least because the previous iteration could be made to fail by pilots flying really hard. Fail as in tweaking the spindle shaft in flight. Blades would go out of track and it was time to replace the spindle when you landed. So because there were maneuvers (like where the pilot dives tail first at high speed and performs a violent pirouetting snap, the so called tail-ripper) which could fail the spindle shaft, then this wouldn't do.
This meant we needed to beat on and abuse the Mark II ourselves. Meant putting it in the hands of abusive pilots and asking them to have a go at making it fail. So there's a guy who flies harder than anyone on the planet. Name of Henry Caldwell. Reputation for breaking shit. Critically, he's one of the pilots who helped us because our thinking was, if Henry couldn't break it, nobody could. Major point being, if the new head was going to fail, it would do so before it saw the light of day in customer's hands because the market (meaning pilots like you) will forgive a mistake once, but not twice in a row.
Anyway, we released the Tiger 50 Mark II in the spring of 2005. This next photo shows off the results of our hard work, the Mark II rotor head assembly. The final product had bigger spindle, bigger grips, bigger bearings, harder dampers, bigger flybar, and revised seesaw. And it's a sweetheart in flight!
- The Mark II main rotor head got it right as bigger spindle, bearings, dampers, and grips did the trick
Darkest before the dawn:
Only thing is, all through 2005 sales decelerated . . . right through 4th quarter. Beginning in the spring, it was like the phone lines had been cut. Spindles bending in flight will do that, don't you know? And let me tell you something else, developing the new head was taking serious money. Lots.
But at the same time we're investing, the pace of sales were slowing. Went from our assembling enough kits to fill a container every two months (6/year) down to 3/year by the end of 2005. Then it got worse as 2006 ended up at two containers for the year. Honestly? We weren't built for these kinds of numbers. Things got to the point making payroll became dicey because we'd already cut what we could expense-wise. So cutting further meant letting people go, or maybe turning off the lights. Then it got worse.
2007 looked to be a one container year and then the second half it perked up a little bit. Ended up 1-1/2 containers for the year (down from 6). Then 2008 was a tiny bit better, also (the half-container from 2007, plus two more). Was this light at the end of the tunnel? Maybe. Anyway, we ended 2009 with three containers as well and for all intents and purposes, we had staunched the bleeding and there was definitely an economic upswing ongoing, but let me tell you something, there was a time in 2007 going into 2008 when I was feeling I'd made the wrong bet.
And not just that the guy at the bank was right, and I was wrong, but that I'd let everyone down. Worse, from a personal standpoint, going from owing nobody, to owing everybody under the sun (because I'd hocked the house and both cars) was disheartening. Note; and to her great credit, Lynn never flinched. There was no woulda, coulda, shoulda and she 'stood by her man' with her usual calm savoir faire. Anyway, we ended 2009 with every posession that wasn't nailed down, in hock, or sold to raise money. That, 'and' I was in debt up to my eyeballs. But the phones had begun ringing and containers were flowing, again.
These days we look back and refer to this time as the Great Recession. People always talk about coming out of it in 2009 but for us, it wasn't until 2009 when things 'began' turning around. The real recession years for us were the stretch begining in 2005 because of the spindle issue, and healing took time. Business didn't really get cracking again until 2013. But of course, this wasn't just the recession's fault.
Regardless, believe me when I say, sometimes being in business for yourself sucks! Moreover, like I said, there were business reasons it took until 2013 for things to get going really well again, lots of reasons - more later.
Ron Lund:
Meanwhile, you know what? At its darkest, I had the counsel of Ron Lund. He liked the design and gave me advice from the heart. Guy who knew more than any ten people in the sport about running a helicopter hobby shop freely shared his thoughts with me. Honestly? Without his advice, maybe we don't make it. It boiled down to this;
- Bring sales in-house (cease selling through hobby shops).
- Invest in improving the model.
- Vertically integrate, like Align.
The last point, vertical integration was a masterstroke by Align. You'd buy a combo and in one box, besides your model helicopter, you had everything needed to complete it, and all branded Align. Those guys were so strong even the engine carried their brand! And beyond the engine, so did the servos, gyro, blades, muffler (everything but the exhaust's bark). This last only missing because one of the sharpest guys alive, never bothered selling Align-branded fuel!
In a nutshell:
Recapping, and as regards the Great Recession, we felt it coming on early because folks are always going to pay their bills before buying toys. And credit where it's due, my friend Ron Lund helped us through the darkest times we encountered. I'm speaking of economic times so bad folks were losing their homes, and jingle mail referred to mailing in the keys before the bank repossessed it. So at a time when our very survival was at stake, I'm not ashamed to admit things got touch and go (like taking out a 2nd mortgage just to make payroll). Anyway, we also owe a debt of gratitude to folks who stuck by us. Plus the folks who forgave and gave us a 2nd chance.
- When it comes to customers sharing photos, and showering us with praise, it can't be bought - it's priceless!
Recapping - Tiger 50 Mk II:
So I did what I always do, I tinkered and worked to make the model better. The major improvement was creating the larger Mk II main rotor head with larger grips, spindle shaft, and bearings. However, while Tiger Mk II sales were decent, Thunder Tiger hadn't been standing in place and their Raptor 50 V2 introduced a split gear drive train allowing autorotations with a driven tail rotor. Game changer once again - sigh!
In summary, our original idea was to offer an inexpensive plastic fantastic, but one powered by a .50 class engine instead of a 30-class because the difference in cost was nil. Our thinking was slotting it in besides the 30-class models price-wise would give us an edge. And it did, so our intent of attacking the flight training market on the theory that offering a larger model would give us an edge because it also meant better for handling what mother nature threw at you wind-wise, worked.
However, while it was a good theory, in practice, once the industry's big boys improved their own models, our window of opportunity began closing. And in brutal honestly, when flown hard, weaknesses in our Tiger 50 design revealed themselves. In short, it meant going back to the drawing board . . . again!
Finally, the important thing from a business viewpoint was this; the whole while we're losing our ass. Why? It's not just because of the expense of developing and bringing to market the Mk II rotor head, and it's not just down to slowing sales due to our own missteps. Neither is it just because of poor economic conditions. Instead, it's because at the same time, we're digging into our pockets and taking on debt for new molds. For what purpose? Pantera 50.
Pantera 50
Fast forward to the middle of 2006. We've been up to our necks in not just developing and bringing to market the Tiger Mk II main rotor head for 2005 but at the same time, laying the foundation for the next step, what would become the next generation model, the Pantera 50. Why not Tiger Mk III? Simple, to move away from the Tiger name due to Thunder Tiger.
Our print adverts showed faces, but not famous faces. Instead, we featured regular guys. In this one, Nick Crego, a commercial pilot by vocation, with an avocation of flying RC model helicopters. A friend to this day!
Anyway, our goal was clear; to offer a product capable of going up against the Raptor 50 V2 and Sceadu Evo 50 with a shot at earning your business. This meant we needed innovations like split gear drive to enable a driven tail during autorotations. Not that mere mortals needed this feature - but - the hot dogs at the fun flies loved showing off by performing aerobatic maneuvers during autorotations. And of course, people being people this meant monkey-see, monkey-do (meaning 'we the people' lusted for this, too). Human nature.
- Pantera 50 helped guys get into 3D, here Dag Roppe of MN shared a photo of having a go at inverted hovering!
Reaching deep:
So we swallowed hard and made the commitment to the Pantera design. Meant new frame molds (really large and super expensive). We also refined the gear ratio (from 8.9: 1 to 8.7:1) to better accomodate the greater torque of the larger displacement engines, so this meant molds for new gears, also! Plus, of course, we also went to a split gear driven tail solution, so this meant another gear mold. Then while we were at it, we also increased the tail gear ratio to 5.33:1 to speed up the tail rotor blades to kick things up a notch, so yet another mold. Also, we created a new fuel tank (larger for thirstier engines), as well as ponied up for a new canopy mold. So of course, this also meant new stickers (plus new box art).
On top of all this, we innovated a little bit by designing an air filter assembly. This, to improve engine service life. Basically, we're of the opinion engines are too darn expensive to prematurely wear them out by allowing them to needlessly ingest dust and grit. Of course, if you're made of money, there's no need for an air filter!
- Anyone saying an air filter isn't smart for protecting your engine investment isn't the one paying!
Pulling the trigger:
Anyway, it was mid-2006 when we made the decision to produce the first batch of Pantera models . . . this, while Tiger sales are dropping off a cliff due to competition plus the general slowdown known as the Great Recession! Anyway, believe me in this, if nothing else, when I say this was a real gut check moment (because it meant delving deeper into our financial assets 'and meant taking still on more debt), I'm not kidding.
And while I swallowed hard for this one, here's the bottom line; we felt good about it. Basically, producing the Pantera 50 felt like the right thing to do right from the get-go.
- Chris Gregory of Resaca, GA having a blast flying his Pantera 50 way down low on a screaming high speed pass!
Ignorance is bliss:
So because our focus was solely on improving our model (so we could better compete with Thunder Tiger, Hirobo, Kyosho, and Kalt), we missed the big picture of what was happening around us economically.
Anyway, I didn't have a clue the housing crisis was coming, but then again, if I could predict the future I'd own the world. Major point being, investing at the same time as sales are falling is not a happy time for any business on this planet. Yet such was the strength of our conviction in what we were doing, we did it anyway - with our eyes wide open.
And while the Pantera ultimately turned out to be very good for us because at last we had a worthy competitor to Hirobo Sceadu and Raptor 50 V2, there was a problem brewing. You see, we were so focused on the competitors right before our eyes, we weren't watching our six. Oops!
Basically, we were about to get bitch slapped silly by the T-REX 600 release. Here's how this came about.
- Juxtaposed side-by-side are a Pantera P6 and T-REX 600, both similar lengthwise but P6 is deeper/chestier
Align T-REX 600
As we're attended fun flies to promote the model in 2005, we saw something interesting developing. And not just at fun flies, but also at events like the Nationals. Basically, when they weren't flying the machines they were there to represent, team pilots were playing around with a tiny model taking the country by storm, the Align T-REX 450.
Cute as a bug, this little thing had the world's best pilots farting around with it. This, despite team orders not to. Why? Just because it was tremendous fun. And when regular people are seeing the pros having fun with the 450, then they wanted one, too (even if we couldn't piroflip within a 2-car garage).
End result? This flooded Align with cash, which they promptly reinvested into the dagger aka, the T-REX 600. And folks, that product was like pulling the pin and tossing a hand grenade amongst Thunder Tiger, Hirobo, Kyosho, Kalt, and us. In fact, it was just as bad for the big boys like Bergen, Miniature, Robbe, and TSK.
Basically the shit hit the fan because what made the T-REX 600 special was being made of carbon fiber at a great price. Price due to China's über competitive cost structure. This put it $200 above 600mm plastic fantastics, and $600-1500 below the big boy 700mm models.
And do you recall what I mentioned regarding size; e.g. a 600 is significantly more capable than a 525mm bird in wind, being for all practical intents, just as good as a 700mm in the real world? Then as a practical matter, what an inexpensive 600-class carbon fiber model meant is everybody flying a 600 and Jones-ing for an X-Cell 700 (but who really couldn't afford it), saw themselves clear to get one. So they eeked out an extra 200 bucks beyond a Sceadu or Raptor 50 to afford the carbon fiber T-REX 600, and at the same time, they were getting enough heli to give up virtually nothing performance-wise 'and also at the same time, they got to feel virtuous for not ponying up an extra dough for a 700-class model. So this instantly put not only us (but everybody else offering plastic helis) in a pickle, and the big guys. Seriously, I am not overstating what Align did to the whole industry with the T-REX models. It was a genius move to get your foot in the door with a 450, and then follow up with a 600 and 700 model. But they had advantages the rest of us didn't.
Note; what follows is NOT a political statement, it's just laying out the facts. China's entry in the WTO at the end of 2001 saw them ramp up to sell to the west beginning in 2002. And as had happened with Japan in the 1970s, (where people dismissed their stuff as 'Japanese junk' only to see Japanese products become world class), well those with their eyes open saw the same happening with China. So while idiots dismissed their stuff as 'cheap Chinese chit', those in the know saw Chinese people's superb work ethic and ever improving manufacturing prowess, doing the same thing as had Japan before them (just take an Apple iPhone, Made in China, as proof). Moreover, ever eager for bargains, consumers world wide voted with their wallet.
However, what business in Taiwan could do better than anybody else in the orient (where the Japanese hate South Koreans and Chinese, and vice versa, they're hated in turn), recapping, what the Han Chinese in Taiwan could do better than anyone else is engage with the Han Chinese in the PRC, aka China. This was a huge economic advantage. Huge!
So in short, it wasn't just the Great Recession that threw us for a loop, but also the T-REX 600 that hurt our sales. Heck, they hurt everybody making a plastic fantastic to include us, Hirobo, Thunder Tiger, Mikado, Kalt, et al. Honestly? Our only two advantages were size and price.
Size-wise, a Pantera is significantly larger than the T-REX 600 at half the price. Bigger than a Raptor, bigger than pretty much any competing 600-class model. Yet in further honesty, the T-REX 600 beats our ass in 3D precisely 'because' it's smaller and lighter. This makes it more agile same as a halfback can side step a tackle a fullback powers through on the football field. So if 3D is your thing, then it was game, set, match in favor of Align.
Fortunately, there are folks in the know, for whom a larger size still mattered and thus, while things got grim for a while, we held on and gamely fought back.
- While smaller and lighter is important for 3D, the Pantera platform has advantages for sport and scale
Copy cats:
And seeing the success of Align, Chinese companies by the dozens entered the fray. Brands would appear out of nowhere, and disappear just as fast. And woe is you for buying into the hype of something new because now, parts for nearly all of these are nowhere to be found. Basically, you hold an orphan. Moreover, the way savvy modelers see thing, the model can be made of gold but without parts . . . it's not worth a pound of salt!
Anyway, beyond Align, brands like Tarot, SYMA, Lynx, Kasama, Vison, Ely-Q, Vision, Airhog, Chaos, Quick, RJX, Frenzy, TZ, HK, Compass, Evolution, and many more made a run at the market. Along the way, existing brands died ot faded, veneral names like JR died off stateside, Hirobo faded, Mikado went away, MSH dies, also. As for the rest? Mostly they folded their tent and stole away in the night.
These days the SAb Goblin dominates in the 3D world. Others like Tron, Goosky, and XLPower have sprung up trying to unseat them. Us? We're still standing.
And importantly, we continue offering spare parts for our model going all the way back to the original Tiger 50. Is this important? Only if you're trying to find parts for an orphan like, for example, a Venture 50, or any of the many brands/models mentioned above . Basically, without repair parts you're pretty much dead in the water.
What's more, remember the plan developed with Ron Lund? We've didn't sit, we addressed all three points. First, we've continued to iterate and our latest, the P6 is a darned solid offering. Second, we followed his advice and brought sales in-house. And third, perhaps most importantly, we diversified the business by vertical integration. Thus, in addition to the P6 model, the servos, blades, muffler, gyro, electric motor, and ESC through our ProModeler brand.
And then two interesting things happened along the way. First, the model airplane guys discovered the servos and loved them so much that business took off like a rocket. And second, we developed a new customer for the P6, a mutual Uncle, so to speak.So let's move forward in time to the P6.
Pantera P6
On iterating in the quest for perfection:
Ever noticed how a classic Porsche 911 looks very much like a brand new Porsche 911 model? It's because Porsche constantly iterate their product instead of tossing everything out and beginning all over again.
Similarly, and ripping a page out of their design language, we do the very same thing. We iterate on what works and it's why if you eyeball our first model, the Tiger 50 introduced in 2004, the Mk II in 2006, the Pantera 50, which we brought forth in 2009, all the way through our current production P6, the heritage is obvious.
- The model which started it all, this Tiger 50 shows off the layout and configuration, which preceded the P6
Maturity:
Basically, as technology matures, it leaves nothing to improve. It's that, or throw everything away and begin with a blank sheet of paper.
But if you focus on improving anything until it's as perfect as you can make it, then at some point you're done. Moreover, helis aren't alone in this; think safety pin, bobby pin, and Bic pens . . . unchanged for decades as they have achieve their perfect form.
Anyway, it's our opinion the P6 has pretty much arrived at this stage; perfection. It took us 2 years to go from the Tiger 50 to the 50 Mk II in 2006. Another three years saw us iterate upon the Tiger's basic layout and design to create the Pantera 50. Then another six years to get to Pantera P6 in 2015.
Since then? Nothing really is very much changed. Sure, we're on the Mk II of the P6 but the changes are minor like making provisions for installing a molded fuel shut off. The surface finish is different because we put the side frames on a diet. But otherwise, we've created batch after batch after batch ever since.
If we have an advantage, it because a) the model flies superbly, plus b) the facts are we've long ago amortized our molds. This affords us a tremendous price advantage. But in truth, if I knew what else to do to make it better, I'd spend more money on the design in a heartbeat - if - only I could make it genuinely better.
So in truth, I feel we're at peak design. We don't really know what else we can do - other than continue fiddling around the edges - like new canopy and stickers. This, because fundamentally, the model's design is very, very mature.
That said, we haven't been standing still.
Diversifying our market
To begin, around 2020 saw new interest in our P6 gather steam. What was different? Defense contractors began buying our P6. We think it was for two reasons.
First, and most important, because single-rotor helicopters are a lot quieter than quad-copter drones. This is a big deal when you're trying to be stealthy and perform surveillance missions. Toward that aim we developed Big Bird, a 700-stretch conversion to permit low rotor speed flight (~1000RPM). The P6 is very, very silent at this kind of rotor speed.
The second advantage, once which carbon models can't overcome is just because we use injection molded plastic construction. Basically, because the P6 snaps together and self-aligns as it goes together, it means assembly is more rapid and doesn't require a as skilled a labor force.
And while easy assembly is important to virgin helicopter modelers, it's a really big deal to contractors when they have to assemble 100 models lickity-split. Reason being, self-aligning construction means less time and the old saw about time is money is actually true. Yup, money rules!
So at Audacity Models our business focus shifted from modelers, who remain interested in 3D (an area where we weren't ever contenders), to focusing on a customer for whom rapid fire assembly and low price are top of mind. Beginners, sportsmen, and our mutual Uncle. And no, while quick and easy is not sexy, it's a living and we've been quite content to pump out batch after batch of our well developed model in order to satisfy their demand. Pays the bills, capisce?
Meanwhile, and proving the world is round (what goes around, comes around) in recent years we've seen a modeler's resurgence in interest in nitro-powered models. Yup, the pendulum swings and tacoing $150 lithium packs gets old. So while electric is not dead by any stretch of the imagination, nitro is definitely experiencing a renewed surge in interest, once again. Proof being all our competitors have 600 and 700-class nitro models in their lineup!
And interestingly, the bloom seems to have fallen off the rose as regards 3D as well because instead of folks asking about the prowess of the P6 at performing 3D maneuvers, prudent buyers are asking about the supply of spare parts, how easy it is to repair, and practical matters like these. Basicaly, folks seem more interested in how well it flies for sport and training and what it's like to live with day in, day out.
And in this regard, a P6 remains absolutely world class!
Where to from here?
Meanwhile, fully grokking the P6 is mature; we've also toyed around with the idea of a carbon fiber side frame design. The basic blueprint is to make the P6 lighter and thus, more agile. This is easy enough as the fundamental of model helicopter designs are largely unchanged since the mid-80s - two flat sheets of material (once upon a time alloy aluminum, these days, carbon fiber), using bearing blocks and engine mount to space them apart. Nothing new about it.
Problems? Very real ones. Truth is we can't possibly compete with China on a cost basis, so even if we produced a great carbon-based model, they'd still eat our lunch. Anyway, this is one of many, many carbon fiber prototypes we've noodled.
- With thoughts of a lightweight contender, one of many prototypes for a possible carbon fiber P6 replacement
Show me the money:
That said - right now - simply because we've amortized our mold costs - we have a tremendous advantage cost-wise over everybody. It's why you can buy our 600-class model for just $400 instead of having to pony up $800-1000 like you would for a competing carbon fiber nitro powered model.
Note; competing models don't inherently fly any better or worse than ours. Carbon fiber does allow their models to be lighter, but they're also lighter because they're significantly smaller physically, almost 550-models with stretched booms.
And yes, lighter definitely conveys greater agility but when flown at the exact same weight, then no matter what, if you fit the same blades, turn them at the same RPMs, and use the same gyro . . . they fly same-same. This isn't an opinion, it's physics!
Yes, I'm saying you should try hard to ignore the words of online keyboard warriors expressing their opinions (and the same holds for magazine advertisements featuring sponsored pilots). Remember, companies spend big money putting their marketing message in the mouths of paid pilots. This, in hopes of influencing people like you. Ths is why we showcase the words of real people, the ones reaching into their own pockets . . . those sponsored by MasterCard!
Anyway, advertising and prmotioncosts are part of why competitive products cost more. We basically don't advertise and the payoff for you is a less costly model. Yes, I'm saying you should rely on your brains to realize the physics of model helicopters apply to everybody the exact same way.
What else?
Electric Pantera
We've also given thought to a native electric version of the Pantera. This next photo shows a positive for what the molded side frames would look like. A positive is literally us hogging out the finished part from a solid billet of 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum to stand in for a molded part, which doesn't yet exist. This, so we can test for fitment of various component parts.
In short, it's a prototype and while we admit it looks neat, an alloy frame like this won't 'ever' be in the cards not least because it alone costs about $500 to make. That, and it would be much too heavy compared to polymer.
- CNC machined from a solid billet of 6061-T6 alloy, this positive stands in for a potential molded frame set design
Wrapping this up:
In summary, one of the biggest things we did beside stay on top of developing the model was making the effort to vertically integrate on the advice of my friend Ron Lund. This led us to develop a stand along lineup of accesories.
For various reason, instead of blindly following Align and using the Audacity Models brand, we chose instead to branded after a brand we alredy had called ProModeler. And amongst all these, what really took off were the servos, which today are world class.
As for the P6, it's doing rather well. This, principally not due to modelers who largely went gaga for 3D air frames but because of Uncle Sam. Basically, we were discovered to offer a solution to a noise problem. One, which we've exploited. It's a niche market not filled by quad-rotor drones . . . silence. No, not truly silent, but single-rotor helicopters have a far more discrete sound signature than that loud droning-sound quadcopters make. Added to which, the advent of autonomous systems like ArduPilot make helis as easy as drones!
And another thing, which worked out strongly in our favor is this; the snap-together self-aligning nature of our polymer warrior is viewed favorably in an environment where the desire to assemble airframes quickly and more easily than fussy carbon fiber models, reigns. This is viewed as a tremendous benefit as technicans who aren't hobbyists can throw them together quickly and easily with no muss, no fuss.
This, simply due to having fewer parts. So as it turns out, our have two large side frames, which incorporate servo mounts, cooling shroud, fuel and engine mounts, attach points for landing gear and supports without needing extra bits and bobs is an important competitive advantage.
As for us? We're making the best of it because for any of our competitors to make a run at our bit of the market, they'll first have to pony up for very expensive molds. So we sit here, kind of the mountain because we amortized our molds years ago! Give us a serious price advanatge and instead of hiking proces, we sit tight and play the role of low cost supplier to the hilt.
What's this mean for you? Simple, you get a great deal on a wonderfully flying model. And for us? It's nice to be back again turning higher volumes and moving many containers of models again . . . win-win!
Closing thoughts:
So here we are; the P6 is a model that flies great, has good size and presence, and most importantly for many, gets you in the game on the cheap. And interestingly for many of you, you have more choices propulsion-wise than with any other model on the planet.
Build your P6 for a 55-class nitro engine, select from 61-105 big block engines, 91-125 four strokes, or a 115 gasser. Plus, you have the choice of an easy peasy flybar head so you get away with a <$100 gyro, or build it flybarless . . . all depending on what you prefer.
Heck, I almost forgot, you may even opt for our fantastic four-blade Quattro rotor head assembly. Or co-opting the Burger King slogan, have it your way!
