News from China – Atom by Compass

The electric helicopter, right out of the box, is already largely pre-assembled. It has a rotor diameter of approximately 962 mm, is 835 mm long, and 270 mm tall. The weight is listed as 1,750 g; that’s a rather optimistic figure. The helicopter has a compact and sleek design. Personally, I really like the way it looks. The cowling isn’t lightweight, but it has a clean 4-color paint job. The tail tube has a large diameter, eliminating the need for additional support. The helicopter is powered by a 6S LiPo battery with approximately 2,500 mAh. The center of gravity is positioned high up, suggesting agile flight characteristics. The ESC and motor are included in the kit.

Since most of the work has already been done at the factory, there isn’t much to report. The factory assembly is well done. All checked screw connections have been treated with threadlocker. Assembly goes very quickly. The English assembly instructions are limited to the bare essentials. The finish on the aluminum and CFRP parts is good. Tools are included to ensure the joints move smoothly. The ball sockets need to be slightly reamed out. If you work carefully at this stage, you’ll end up with a linkage that’s smooth and free of play. Under no circumstances should you squeeze the ball sockets—that can destroy them. Installing the RC components is quick and easy. The cutouts for the servos are precise. Place the rotor, ESC, and receiver, and in no time at all you’ll have a beautiful helicopter in front of you that raises your expectations.

The swashplate is controlled by 3 Savox servos (SH1350 response time: 0.11 s/45 degrees at 6.0 volts). The tail is controlled by a Logictech LTG-2100T gyro with the corresponding standard-size servo. A nice little feature: the CFRP side panels have cutouts for both standard- and midi-sized tail servos, giving the builder flexibility. The original motor and ESC included with the kit are used. Notably, the ESC is operated in ESC mode to ensure it actually reaches full speed. This means the speed must be gradually increased manually.

In early January, Peter Novotny (a 3D pro from Czechoslovakia) visited Hugo Markes. He gave us some tips on the settings and also showed us right away what’s possible with the sleek Atom. Anything is possible! Its performance and agility are impressive. I myself, inspired by Peter’s demonstrations, approached the test flight a bit more cautiously. For 3D flying, as mentioned earlier, the speed controller is set to full power. And the pitch is adjusted so that the swashplate moves through its full range of motion. Pitch and roll are adjusted according to personal preference. After a few flights, I switched out the rotor blades and am now using the Torsion Blades.

TB430, by Peter Novotny, of course. The helicopter’s performance has improved significantly once again. It flies really well and has plenty of power. The relatively inexpensive servos perform their duties flawlessly. My Atom weighs 1,810 grams with a 2,500-mAh Flightpower battery.

Since the cost of the helicopter is relatively low and Hugo Markes has the replacement parts in stock, I gradually became really confident and even dared to perform maneuvers very close to the ground, just like the real 3D pros do. Flying is really

On a whim. The helicopter is just the right size to always have it with you—on a Sunday outing, just open the trunk and set the sky ablaze. Atom is the name of the new model from Compass (*www.compassmodel.com*). This brand isn’t very well known here yet. But that

is set to change, because it offers great value for the money. Hugo Markes from *www.modellsport.ch* in 8330 Pfäffikon sells the Atom and other Compass models.

Have fun!

René Stoll