Esky Honey Bee King 2
Overview
The Honey Bee King 2 is a great little helicopter and in the right hands it can be amazing. Don’t be fooled into thinking it is a toy and suitable for beginners, it takes a lot of practice and skill to fly. Overall if you have been flying co-axial or a single rotor fixed pitch helicopters, then I think the Honey Bee King 2 perfect for the next step.Actions | |
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Pros
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Cons
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The Esky Honey Bee King 2 was my first actual RC Helicopter and as such I will write this review from a complete beginner’s perspective.
As long as I can remember I have always been interested in RC Helicopters but the cost of entry kept me from taking the plunge and buying a kit. Esky came to rescue with their low cost, ready to fly helicopters. You no longer have to worry about what kit to buy and the matching electronics, Esky thought of it all and supplies everything in the box. All you have to do it charge the battery and go out flying. Or so I thought…
The Honey Bee King 2 is classified as a 400 class helicopter and is therefore not as stable as the bigger helicopters on the market. Some would say that makes it more fun to fly, which I agree with, but it does become a little bit difficult to control in the wind.
Esky markets the Honey Bee King 2 as a high performance entry level 3D helicopter. Let emphasize the “entry level” part, by this they actually mean entry level for 3D pilots, not entry level for complete beginners. My first flight didn’t end well, but more about that later.
Package Contents
The package is pretty comprehensive and contains everything you need to go out flying. There is the actual helicopter, which is completely assembled and test flown at the factory, and all the accessories.
- Honey Bee King 2 Helicopter
- Esky 6 Channel Transmitter
- Charger and Adapter
- Lipo Battery
- Tools and mounting accessories
- Instruction Manual
Pre-Flight
Even though the helicopter comes ready to fly, there are a few steps you should follow before flying for the first time. The tail boom supports need to be attached to the main frame and the vertical and horizontal stabilizers need to be secured. I also highly recommend that you check all the screws.
Once you are happy it is time to install the battery, but DO NOT connect it yet. Secure the battery in the battery bay with the provided Velcro strap and check the center of gravity by balancing the helicopter on the flybar.
Maiden Flight
Once I had switched on the transmitter and plugged in the battery, I took a few steps back and slowly applied some collective. The Honey Bee King 2 smoothly spooled up and my confidence grew. Within seconds the skids lifted off the ground and I was flying. The adrenaline kicked in and I applied more collective, unfortunately then it seemed to develop a mind of its own and, being my first RC Helicopter flight, I ended up chasing the helicopter around the parking lot. Luckily I got it down and vowed to practice on a simulator before trying again.
Fast forward a few weeks and I was back and brimming with confidence after countless hours on the simulator. Spool up was once again smooth and the helicopter was smooth and responsive. It reacted exactly as I was expecting and was an absolute pleasure to fly.
Upgrades
While the Honey Bee King 2 is capable of light 3D directly out the box, the motor does feel under powered. Luckily there are many upgrades that can be done very easily and cheaply.
Upgrades that I highly recommend are to change the Motor and ESC to a brushless motor and 25A Brushless ESC. Some people also like to upgrade the head to a full metal version but I honestly don’t see the point, the plastic head is more than capable and much cheaper to repair.
Conclusion
The Honey Bee King 2 is a great little helicopter and in the right hands it can be amazing. Don’t be fooled into thinking it is a toy and suitable for beginners, it takes a lot of practice and skill to fly. Overall if you have been flying co-axial or a single rotor fixed pitch helicopters, then I think the Honey Bee King 2 perfect for the next step.
The hbk2 is a decent flier, especially for the cost. However, if you are shy of the expense then this hobby probably isn’t for you. That said, the motor upgrade is not considered essential for 3D flying. What will be required is a hh (heading-hold) gyro upgrade, so the helicopter can enter 3D flight without spinning around at the whim of the wind. The flier will need to research a compatible hh gyro for their transmitter. The supplied gyro is a rate mode only, without a gain channel, and is sufficient for flying the helicopter with the engine in idle only! Which is why most fliers believe it is under-powered
Next, a user will find this helicopter has a significant lack of “tail authority”, usually requiring a series of modifications to reach acceptable control. The most common is an Xtreme 43T pulley, (stock is 33T, ugh!) changing the rotation rate of the tail from 1:3.3 to 1:4.2, with a T-rex 450 tail shaft to keep the teeth in sync with the pulley (11T instead of 9T) This means the tail spins faster, giving it more control. If this sounds like a lot, it’s because it is the nature of this bird. It will perform better indoors and just as well outdoors as brands that sell for $400+! Just takes some time and knowledge but very little cash!
its a good helicopters
i upgrade my honey bee king 2 with
airwolf fuselage
That is cool aimul. I loved that show when I was a kid.
thanks bro
What is meant by 3D? Certainly not like a 3D movie?
No, 3D means that the helicopter can perform advanced maneuvers such as loops, rolls and flying inverted.
Great articles