The King 2 helicopter seems to be loved and loathed in equal parts by flyers.   It is 6 channel, with collective pitch, and belt drive.   The standard motor is brushed, and uses a 30A esc (speed controller), this, along with the rate giro, is your basic out of the box King 2.

The heli arrives RTF (ready to fly), but be prepared to do a complete inspection/rebuild before this first flight.   I’m afraid that the build quality of the King is a bit suspect, and the swash, links, and blade pitch will need adjusting as standard.   Another thing to check is how smooth the links on the head are.   They have a tendency to be a bit sticky, and the last thing you want to do is watch your brand new heli do the chicken dance on your first attempt.  The belt tightness will also need to be checked.

To check the links, pitch and swash level, unplug the three connectors between the motor and the esc.   DON’T FORGET THIS!   Otherwise you will have, at the very least, a King 2 embedded in your ceiling, or the scars to prove you own a King.   With the motor disconnected, you can see the movements of the swash safely.   A good idea is to invest in a turntable, either build your own, or adapt a ‘lazy susan’ (see www.heliguy.com for ideas on this).   This cheap, but useful item will allow you to securely and safely fire up your heli with the esc plugged in.   The pitch, etc can be adjusted in this way without the heli disappearing into the ether.

The tail will need to be centred, and again, this is where the turntable is handy.   Once you check that you have equal movement at the tail itself, adjust the servo mount along the boom to get the heli to sit without spinning either left or right on its own.   This adjustment can be as little a 1 millimeter either way, and believe me, the King can be very fussy about this, so persevere, you’ll get there.

This is just a list of things to look out for.   For more detail regarding checking all this stuff on your heli, you can’t do better than check out the heliguy forum.   I wouldn’t have been able to get my heli off the ground without their helpful advice.

Now, the upgrades.   Well there is a lot of upgrades available, but to start with, keep it simple.   You will find that the brushed motor on the King is garbage, an utter waste of time, and will die on you as quick as look at it.   Replacing this with the Esky brushless motor and 30A esc is an out of the box upgrade.   Again, info for fitting this is on the forums, but it is a simple plug’n'play upgrade.

I have also fitted the 43t tail/belt pulley on my heli.   This is a cheap but effective upgrade which makes the tail more solid, and controllable.  Apart from the motor, esc, and tail gear, my King is pretty well stock, and with the addition of cheap wooden main blades, it flies well enough in my humble opinion.   Just a note about these blades, they are as cheap as chips from Hong Kong, and break easy in a crash.   This saves some of the more expensive items on your heli getting damaged.  Again, all info on stuff mention in this article can be found in much more detail on the heli forums.   Just look and don’t be afraid to ask any questions.

After this, the sky is the limit regarding upgrades, with CNC tail and head, headlock gyro, CF frame, programmable Tx, etc.    The list goes on and on.

I would give a word of warning though, don’t go upgrading willy nilly.   Take your time to find out what your heli can do with its stock parts (apart from the motor), that way you get the benefit of the upgrades.   It will also give you a better understanding of how everything works.

Be safe, and happy flying.