The 42th All Japan Plamodel Radicon Show a.k.a. Tokyo Hobby Fair is one of the two bi-annual hobby trade fair in Japan. This fair previewed the latest products that will be released in the coming year. This particular fair spanned four whole days from 17th to 20th October, 2002. According to my experience going to this show, it is usually smaller than the one in Shizuoka in May. Rumor has it that this is the last Tokyo Show due to the low turn out rate, we will wait and see. Again, most booths were down in size, and some usual occupants like HPI or Kawada to name a few did not have a booth in this show, which shows the loosing popularity of the show, but this did not discourage existing manufacturers to display their new products. Anyway, let's take a look as to what's new and different.
Click on the image for a larger image.
Once again Futaba had joined forces with OS and shared one booth together. Futaba do not display any new products related to helicopter of interest this time. The long speculated successor to the 9Z is not shown yet... Futaba displayed a line of battery chargers and accessories that are quite interesting. Futaba's charger featured a big LCD display that shows various curves of conditions of charging, which was quite interesting, but the real power of this charger has yet to be seen....
I longed complained the OS 91 SXH's deficiency in design, and I thought their OS70 is a better designed engine. Maybe OS heard me..... They released a new OS91, named the C. Spec., which is an upgraded version of their 91 SXH. The C. Spec. is said to target F3C flying. Now a 3 needles carburetor comes standard, which I think is very needed for the 91 SXH. Inside the engine, porting is different than the 91 SXH to produce a 3 HP rating. The engine crankcase is anodized in black, with a gold colored car style heatsink, both add to the nice cosmetic look.
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OS91SX-H C Spec |
OS91SX-H C Spec data sheet |
On the entrance of Hirobo booth showed their long awaited product, the Mini Lama XRB. (X "Cross" Rotation Blades) The Mini Lama XRB is a miniature, wire controlled helicopter toy that features a twin main rotor on a co-axial rotating axis (Much like the design of the Russian Kamov) which when the rotor rotates produce a rotor disc about the size of a bread disk. This helicopter is designed as a toy for indoor flying, and priced as a toy (List price about US$300-). Rotor blades are made in foam and breaks easily on impact to minimize any possible damage to people or property when it hit onto anything. Control is through a four channel type two stick controller, choosable in either Mode 1 or Mode 2 (Not interchangeable by the user). Power is from AC connectors to household power outlets, which is very convenient. Two motors power the twin counter-rotating main rotors, with very intricate and complex cyclic mixing controlling the action of the small Lama. Due to the counter actions of the twin rotors, there is no need of any tail rotor power to counter the torque effect. I tried flying it and found control to be very stable. I'd say this is the most stable palm size helicopter that I've tried todate. Even though its ease of control, people who don't have previous experience in flying a r/c helicopter might have a learning curve to try hover it stable, but for those who are learning to fly a r/c helicopter I'd say this is a very good training aid, better than using a simulator, and even a set of "Spider Leg" style landing gear extension comes with the kit for ease of learning. Hirobo said they might release a radio controlled version later, because only minor change to the existing mechanics is needed to achieve that. It should be ready for Christmas sales.
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Mini Lama XRB on display |
Mini Lama XRB set |
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Mini Lama XRB on flying demostration |
Mini Lama XRB |
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Mini Lama XRB co-axial rotor head |
Mini Lama XRB with "Spider Legs" |
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Mini Lama XRB hovering |
Mini Lama XRB with "Spider Legs" hovering |
Hirobo showed several competition fuselage. Of interest is the prototype Nova 4. Compared to the Nova 3, the Nova 4 now is a whole fuselage that encased the whole mechanics of the helicopter, which is the current popular competition fuselage design. Also shown is the Gray Zone fuselage, which is another competition fuselage design. The Gray Zone comes either in FRP or the megabuck graphite. A new Freya version almost fully loaded with upgrade parts is also released. This Freya comes with the SZ-II metal rotorhead, many metal parts, and a new style landing gear strut. On display silently aside is a mechanic of a turbine engine powered Eagle. The displayed mechanics have only minimal dirve train components, but Hirobo staffs said another one is being tested right now and the final product could release in the coming future.
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Gray Zone |
Nova 4 prototype |
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Freya full optioned version |
Turbine Eagle prototype |
For scale, once again the huge gasoline powered Bell 430 is on display. Price is at the stratosphere of around US$10,000. Also released are threen new helicopters based on the Hirobo's new scale helicopter mechanics that is being used in the Tiger, Panther, and Dolphin. The EC135 has been shown as a prototype in the Shizuoka Show in May, 02, and together updated version of the Tow Cobra and Super Cobra, with enhanced tail drive system, are released. According to Hirobo, these two Cobras are using new molds with more detailed scale realism, and are using aluminum pipe drive instead of the old wire drive system for bullet proof operation.
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Flying saucer on hover |
Flying saucer on hover |
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Prototype mini Lama |
How about a flying Doraemon figure? |
In the middle of JR booth they proudly displayed the Slyphide with the Gracy which Shinya Kunii used to won this year's Japanese F3C championship. The Gracy fuselage features retract landing gear, and looks very much like the Hughes 500. Whether the Gracy looks nice or not, you be the judge, but this would be the last fuselage on my list... Also JR displayed their new, megabuck costing IMZ 91 engine. The JR IMZ RV90 features much the same design of their very high quality IMZ RV50 engine, and comes standard with a slide style carburetor and in flight mixture needle. JR did not release any technical spec of this engine, and whether this engine would go on sale is not known yet.
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| Voyager EP scale bodies | Brushless motor for Voyager EP |
JR Radio Division shown the PCM9X, the successor to their very popular X3810 system targeted to mid price range. The look of the 9X could easily be mistaken as the 10X. Detailed checking revealed that now even the throttle trim is digital, and features a roller control for ease of transmitter data setting. JR specifically did not let anyone to turn on the displayed transmitters because all batteries are taken out. However, one JR staff did let me turn on the transmitter to check its function, but he told me that the displayed units are prototypes so not all of the menus are operable, and I could not take pictures of the menu. I tried invoke the throttle curve, pitch curve, and even the D/R and Expo menus and these could not go into the detail menu....However, I could go into the program mix and see that its got 7 point mix, so I suspect the throttle and pitch curves should have 7 points too. These displayed units are so primitive that I noted a mis-spelling on the radio...If JR wanted their radio to be "World Standard", better check for spelling mistake on their products, even for a prototype....Also on display are two lower line gyro, the 660T and the 480T, but seriously after my experience with their 5000T, no Thank You...
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| PCM9X | PCM9X |
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| "World StandErd"? Yeah, right! | G480T gyro |
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| G660T gyro |
Kyosho
The rumor is real.....Sensui went to fly the Caliber! On display is Sensui's Caliber 90, with Sensui's own Stacy fuselage, which is sold through Sensui's Funtech company. On displayed at the side of Sensui's helicopter is the mass production version Caliber 90. Only a 3 servo 120 degrees ECCPM control version is available. The rotor head of the Caliber 90 is a floating axle design with low flybar, which should be relatively cheap to manufacture. Gone is my beloved Caliber push pull tail control design, and substitute by tail servo mounting on main frame, once again to save cost. However, like other Sensui's helicopter, the mass produced version is not the one that Sensui flies....
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| Sensui's Caliber 90 | Sensui's Caliber 90 custom made rotor head |
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| Caliber 90 | Caliber 90 rotorhead |
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| Closeup of the drivetrain | Closeup of the control system |
The Caliber 30 FT is a version of the Caliber 30 that comes standard with a pair of FRP blades, FRP canopy, metal swashplate, and a set of reinforced landing gear struts. List price of the Caliber 30 FT is around US$500-
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Caliber 30 FT |
Caliber 30 on display |
This concludes my report for the show. Thank you for visiting and don't forget to write to me for any comment!