Rubber Power Helicopter
Channel: MIA Micro-FLIGHT
Date: 15/01/2019

Building Rubber Powered Helicopter 

Original 80/90s Models from MIA Micro FLIGHT revamped for 2019
A look at the simple models that got MIA Designs/MIA Micro-FLIGHT started. 
Rubber powered rotary flight has existed for a long time, from the early beginnings with designs that used a couple of feathers, twigs and twisted twine to provide power, as  an early example of such.  

When I got involved in the design of these models, I did to study the characteristics of modern day helicopters by simple and affordable means,  all my designs were a derivative of my original simpler versions with a  desire to make them more realistic and better to that which I had done in earlier years.  My intention was not to sell these as kits, until I had shown them to a local hobby store owner and he suggested I start making kits for sale, and so this is how I started my business. 

My heli kits took off, in the early 90's and they evolved into more complex ones and eventually free flight electric models, and eventually into the Micro, Sub-Micro and Palm Size categories controlled via radio frequency, also made into kits for sale under MIA Mico-FLIGHT. 

For simplicity sake, I've kept some kits basic, eliminating the use of pulleys and belts to make the models easier to assemble and with less maintenance as a starting point. In the course of my work with rubber powered helicopters,  I've done all sorts of designs including mechanical rubber enhancers, or advantage devices, what I call " Rubber Benders","Extenders", "Amplifiers" and other interesting mechanical contraptions to both assist in longer flight duration, higher rubber efficiency, as well as to provide mechanical, advantage,  stability and control.  I have seldom shown these, on my You Tube channel or at my web site,  but if you type MIA Rubber Powered Helicopters you are bound to find them via internet search.

In the course of my early beginnings I was contacted by the designer of the Penny Helicopter (USA) and Emanuel Fillion from France, men who at the time I had no idea existed. Note we did not have internet at that time and communication was mainly by snail mail, or stamped letters.  These two men were cordial and noted to me that they too had stumbled upon similar work, but they thought my work was on a different level and direction.  And it was, if you look at the amount of designs I was doint at the time and showing my work, mainly through Flying Models Magazines and the various heli kits I was offering at the time, and subsequently my Free-Flight and RC designs into the direction of the Micro helicopters in the early 2000s', which I also offered as kits.

There have been other people who have contributed to this area of the hobby, in later years, but I have not stumbled upon anyone who has done as much work with rubber powered helis as MIA Designs was doing back in the day.  I hope to bring MIA Rubber Poweed Helicopter Designs back with a modern twist in a style that has become  a MIA trademark look since we astarted our business and is easily recognizeable by anyone who has been following MIA since we first published our first Rubber Powered Helicopter in Flying Models Magazine. 

 
2019.
In the midst of high technology, the simpler things can sometimes be more rewarding. Revamping MIA original free-flight helicopters, with modern day materials for higher performance, durability, simple clean unregulated fun!

This video was done December 2018.

MIA Micro-FLIGHT:
http://www.micro-flight.com

Find out more about MIA here: http://www.micro-flight.com/about_mario_i_arguello.html