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Report: Ballooncraft 2000 Micro Balloon A seriously fun micro flyer by Gary Kolesar  PAGE ONE (OF ONE) |
.gif){kind=small} JULY '00 |
 Above: The BalloonCraft 2000 is an indoor micro flyer that
will delight children of all ages. "What an interesting yet simple-looking flying machine," I thought when I first opened the BalloonCraft 2000 box. Produced by Toytronix (www.toytx.com), the BalloonCraft 2000 turned out to be a reliable and highly maneuverable flyer. This lighter-than-air micro flyer has a 17-inch helium balloon fastened to a small gray drive unit that's shaped somewhat like the starship Enterprise, and it can be safely flown in your home. Assembly took just 15 minutes; shortly thereafter, it was cruising around my living room. Inside the box, you'll find the 30-gram BC2000 vehicle, a set of five, 17-inch latex balloons, a balloon connector, a fill hose, a fill nozzle, a set of 25 plastic ballast plates, a detachable plastic hook and two cutout plastic figures. Also required are a portable helium tank (these can be purchased wherever party supplies are sold), a standard 9V alkaline battery for the infrared controller and a standard AAA alkaline battery for vehicle power. The assembly and flight directions are short and well-written. Before you begin, carefully review the manual to ensure the most precise flight control. After you have installed the batteries, the balloon is fitted over a plastic balloon connector that is snapped onto a red LED light on the top of the drive unit. The balloon is then inflated with helium through a side vent until the unit begins to float. Then, enough plastic ballast plates are snapped onto the drive unit to make it just negatively buoyant. Helium gradually escapes through the latex, so more must be added periodically. When I tested the BC2000, I found the helium in the balloon lasted
for about a day's worth of flight, as long as I steadily removed the
provided ballast plates to maintain a slight negative buoyancy. A longer-lasting
alternative called "Super Hi-Float" is also available from Toytronix.
This is a non-toxic, water-soluble sealant that is added to the balloon
before inflation to extend the float time to up to a week. The instructions
explain that because of the added weight of these 1/2-ounce sealant
treatments, they are effective only at altitudes below 2,000 feet. |
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Above: The bottom of the BC2000 drive unit. THE DRIVE SYSTEM The BC2000 uses state-of-the-art technology and, in my opinion, represents a significant breakthrough in micro-blimp design. The BalloonCraft 2000 maneuvers with two bi-directional rear-facing propellers and a horizontally positioned propeller that generates lift. It has been designed so that the horizontal prop may spin while the unit rests on the floor. With a drive system such as this, piloting the BC2000 is akin to controlling a submarine or a space vehicle because it can travel in any direction and will continue to move without power until thrust for an alternate direction has been applied. The infrared ESC is quite responsive, and its toggle joystick is similar to the familiar Sony PlayStation controller; it feels as though you're playing a flight-sim game.
FLYING THE BC 2000 It doesn't take long to get the hang of flying the BC2000. First, turn on the drive unit's power switch; this causes the red LED in the back to blink until the controller unit has been turned on to synchronize it with the drive unit. Next, spin the vertical-lift switch on the controller to the left for "full lift" while keeping the joystick forward. This will synchronize the two units and program the drive unit to respond to one of four specific infrared transmission channels. (The other three channels can be programmed by holding the joystick in the other three directions, thereby allowing up to four BC2000 units to operate in the same room.)The craft's altitude is controlled by your index finger on the front spinner switch, which spins the lift prop. The joystick controls direction in the yaw axis and forward and reverse motion. A red light on the joystick flashes when it sends a command, and a green light on the drive unit flashes to indicate that a command has been received. Commands can be sent around corners by bouncing the infrared signal off the walls and ceiling. The two rear-facing drive propellers spin at multiple speeds in either direction, giving the pilot very precise control at even the slowest speeds. Directional errors and undesired spins can quickly be overcome by applying reverse thrust with the joystick. "Turbo" speed is available by pushing down on the top of the joystick; the unit's maximum velocity is about 3mph. After I had flown the BC2000 around the living room a few times, I realized that it's quite a bit more than a plaything. Lurking beneath its simple facade is a sophisticated vehicle that also happens to be a lot of fun—safe and usable in most living rooms, even by those who have little or no RC experience (the manufacturer recommends that users be at least 12 years old). Experienced pilots will be impressed by its innovative design, ease of use and high-quality components. Right: Side view of the drive unit. Note the side valve, used to
inflate the balloon. PILOTING TIPS Everyone who has seen the BC2000 has been intrigued by it and has wanted to take a turn at the controller. The first thing a beginning pilot needs to master is hovering. The trick here is to find the setting on the controller that will spin the lift propeller just fast enough to maintain a consistent height. Incremental bursts of vertical thrust will move it where you want it to go, but to maintain consistent height, you'll need a steady, even spin. Be sure to fly it in a room that is free of drafts, and stay away from air vents, moving people, ceiling and other fans, etc. Bright sunlight may also occasionally interrupt reception of the infrared signal.After you get the hang of hovering, it's time to learn how to move the BC2000 around. This is done with the toggle joystick, which can be moved independently of the vertical lift control in a balancing act that's not much more difficult than walking and chewing gum, once you get used to it. The drive props will spin in either direction, and this makes it possible to rotate the unit without any forward momentum. It's easiest to constantly adjust forward motion with short bursts of thrust, compensating as you go for any errors you might make. In no time at all, you'll find that you can put the BC2000 wherever you want it. A great deal of additional information about the BalloonCraft2000 can
be found at Toytronix's excellent website: http://www.toytx.com. It
includes a catalog of replacement parts and accessories (such as the
helium tank and Super Hi-Float sealant). Also available on the website
are action videos, flight tips, the full BC2000 instruction manual and
contact information for Toytronix. | |
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These activities are certainly fun and worth trying, but
I've come up with a couple of additional angles.
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© 2000 Air Age Publishing
Reprinted for Toytronix with Permission