Vintage RC Helicopters - MIA Bumble Bee

MIA Bumble Bee

MIA Bumble Bee (2003)

The frame etc was made from G10 Carbon and the kit was supplied with brushed motor plus canopy. The model had a 330mm rotor diameter with sub micro servos and radio equipment; all up weight of 113 to 142 gram depending upon equipment and battery fitted. Recommended battery was a 3 cell 435mAh Lipo, alternatively the model could be flown (hovered) with the umbilical option.

Specifications;

	G10 Carbon frames and fittings
	Stainless steel shafts and gears
	Ball bearings on all rotating shafts
	'bolt on' design for servo's and landing gear
	'Tuff' moulded landing gear
	Stainless steel hardware
	Vac formed canopy
	Snap on Flybar design

Recommended radio equipment;

	Four channel transmitter (preferably with mixer capability)
	Four channel sub micro receiver
	Two speed controllers rated at 2 Amps
	Sub micro servos
	Sub micro gyro

The helicopter was equipped with the 'Tuff' moulded undercarriage which was very flexible and could survive nearly any 'arrival' whereas a lot of kits of the day used CF which was prone to breaking. Additionally the flybar was of 'snap on' design and with folding main blades meant that the rotor head generally did not suffer damage in an 'arrival'.

Control was by a normal four channel radio utilising a separate 2 Amp ESC (speed controller) for the main rotor and the tail rotor; preferably with mixing capability so that the speed of the tail rotor would change with the speed of the main rotor. The gyro (rate type only at that time) would help to 'calm' the model down when operating the 'throttle'. However, it was also possible to use on onboard special mixer for speed control, or a combined unit that also incorporated the receiver, mixer and gyro all in one.

The advent of the 'Heading Hold' gyro changed the control requirements in that no longer was a mixer needed for tail control as the gyro would keep the model aligned irrespective of the 'throttle' setting; thus a reversion to the 'basic' set-up was all that was thus required with these gyro's.

MIA Bumble Bee V2 (2004)

For 2004 the Bumble Bee was updated with a revised layout and came out at the V2 version. General specifications remained the same except that a more powerful motor was now fitted requiring a 5 Amp esc and battery up to 700mAh, as a result the all up weight was quoted at the high end only. Note that it had been proven that a slightly heavier model was actually more stable and could cope with 'outdoor' conditions better due to the higher blade 'loading'.

Bumble Bee in the hover

The Bumble Bee remained on web site but was not updated after 2009.

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