Operating instructions for model helicopters

I. General information

We are very pleased that you have decided to purchase a product made by VARIO Helicopter, and we are confident that you will not regret your decision. All our products are designed, manufactured and tested with the greatest care, to guarantee that they fulfil their purpose completely.

However, we are unable to influence the way you assemble and operate the parts that you make and use, and for this reason the VARIO company is obliged expressly to deny liability for any damage and/or consequent damage resulting in any way from the use of its products.

It is the sole responsibility of the operator to ensure that the helicopter is in full operational order and in a safe condition. This requires a careful check before and after each flight. It is particularly important to check that nothing has come loose, and that a dangerous amount of wear is not evident in any part.

For safe operation it is essential that all parts used or replaced should exclusively be VARIO parts! This is your guarantee that we have tested and approved every component of your helicopter. If you use any part other than those manufactured and/or supplied by us then we can no longer guarantee that the machine will function properly. This applies to ALL parts: even screws and other small items.

Never attempt to install a more powerful engine than the ones we recommend. The rotor must not be run at full throttle under no-load conditions (zero collective pitch). In either case the result would be excessive rotational speed which could overload the mechanics. If the mechanics fail, parts could fly off the machine, and this represents a serious hazard to life and limb as well as to the property of third parties.

II. Safety

1. Before you switch on your radio control system please check carefully that your frequency is actually free. Always switch on the transmitter first, then the receiver. Switch the receiver off first, then the transmitter - i.e. the reverse sequence. In some countries (but not in the U.K.). you must obtain a licence before using a radio control system.
2. RC systems installed in a model helicopter are subjected to severe stresses, and can be expected to wear more quickly than usual. All the RC components must be expressly recommended for operating helicopters if you want reliable performance and maximum safety from your helicopter.
3. The receiving system in a model helicopter must be installed in such a way that the electronics are effectively isolated from mechanical vibration. For example, servos must be installed using the rubber grommets supplied, in conjunction with spacer sleeves (metal eyelets) and screws. Take care not to over-tighten the screws as this reduces the damping effect of the rubber grommets. The receiver, batteries and gyro system should be installed in the appropriate positions in the model, packed in vibration-damping foam. Deploy all cables in such a way that they are not under tension (fit a strain relief where necessary) and are well clear of rotating parts. Take particular care to ensure that cables do not rub against mechanical parts, as they could eventually chafe and fail.
4. It is the sole responsibility of the operator to ensure that the helicopter is in full operational order and in a safe condition. This requires a careful check before and after each flight. It is particularly important to check that nothing has come loose, and that a dangerous amount of wear is not evident in any part.
   If you fly using PCM mode, Fail-Safe must not be activated. Even slight interference, momentary intermittent contact and/or electrical "noise" can activate the fail-safe of a PCM receiver, rendering the helicopter uncontrollable. Please read the manufacturer's operating instructions with great care on this point.
5. For safe operation it is essential that all parts used or replaced should exclusively be VARIO parts! This is your guarantee that we have tested and approved every component of your helicopter. If you use any part other than those manufactured and/or supplied by us then we can no longer guarantee that the machine will function properly. This applies to ALL parts: even screws and other small items.
6. Never be tempted to install cheap electronic units in a model helicopter - this is very dangerous. These models are demanding, and only high-quality accessories can meet the minimum requirements to ensure their safe operation. Even if you use the best and most expensive RC components you can never be certain that a failure will not occur, and for this reason model helicopters must always be considered to be a real and constant source of danger.
7. Build the helicopter and install the mechanics very carefully, following every step of the instructions supplied. A botched job here can be fatal in the real sense of the word. Check that each part is correctly located and properly secured before you attempt to fly the model.
8. Never (we'll say it again: NEVER) try to repair damaged main or tail rotor blades!

III. Flying

1. Every helicopter has two rotors spinning at high speed, and both rotors represent a serious hazard to persons and property. Don't touch the rotors with your hand or any other part of your body. When you are operating helicopters be careful with your clothing: loose garments such as scarves, loose-fitting shirts etc. are a particular menace as they tend to get sucked into the rotor airflow and can get tangled in the rotor. A hard landing may cause damage to rotor blades and other parts which is not immediately evident. Check the blades after every flight and never stand close to the model in the actual rotational plane of the rotors - any part which comes loose and flies off is a lethal missile! If you have to adjust the engine, on no account crawl under the spinning rotor to try to reach the needle valve. Even when the helicopter is on the ground it must be considered dangerous, as sudden failure of an electronic component could send the machine flying off in any direction. It is vital to keep a safe distance between you and the helicopter at all times.
2. When taking off and flying keep the model at least 100 m away from other people. You may think this is excessive, but please remember that helicopters are capable of flying off uncontrollably if a fault arises in the electronics and/or the mechanical parts, and they are quite capable of choosing the direction of third parties or valuable property. Please keep this fact in mind at all times.
   Always fly the model in front of you. Never fly circles around yourself, as, unknown to you, there could be somebody standing behind you who could be in the line of flight of your model.
3. For model helicopter flying the permissible blood alcohol level is 0 milligrams! Helicopters are demanding machines and may only be flown by pilots who are in excellent physical and mental condition. Alcohol and medicines have a serious effect on human reflexes, and you just cannot operate a helicopter safely when under their influence.

Even if you observe all the recommendations and take every conceivable precaution model helicopters still represent a potentially life-threatening hazard as well as a danger to other people’s property.

Please don't fly your model unless you are confident that you are truly in control of it. Beginners should enrol at a model flying school which specialises in helicopters, and learn the basic skills and the correct procedures. Don't attempt any manoeuvre in public until you have mastered it in private.

Please ensure that you have obtained any licences and permissions you need before you head for the flying field.

Model helicopter flying is a creative, instructive and relaxing leisure pursuit - provided that you are competent, painstaking and conscientious.

VARIO Helicopter - Seewiese 7 - D-97782 Gräfendorf - Tel. 0 93 57.97 10 0 - Fax 0 93 57.3 97