Fly RC The Leading Radio Control Airplane Magazine

HIROBO A E R O S P A T I A L E

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SA 315B LAMA
The Lama is very visible in flight and has a lot of presence

by John Christensen with Scott Eves

he French Aerospatiale SA 315B Lama turbine powered helicopter was designed and built at the request of the Indian Air Force. They were looking for a helicopter that was capable of operating in altitudes up to 6,000 meters (19,500 feet) and that could be used for aerial work in the mountains. In fact, it still holds the world altitude record of 35,000 feet, set more than 30 years ago in 1972. While the RC version from Hirobo is not that old, it has been around for quite some time. Originally launched in the late 80s, the Hirobo Lama received a major overhaul recently. It is now delivered with a new type of molded plastic that is much stronger that the previous version, along with a complete new scale cockpit interior kit, a scale exterior kit, and upgraded mechanics.

I saw the new Lama at the Hirobo booth at the Totally Outrageous Challenge in Las Vegas last year, and I immediately fell in love with the heli. Even though it’s a small 30-size helicopter, it has a lot of presence. It looked like it would be a fun project. I had long wanted to get started with scale helicopters, so it was an easy decision. The box arrived two weeks after the show and contained the helicopter, a Hirobo .36 engine and a scale three-bladed rotor head.

Due to a very tight work schedule, I talked my good friend and fellow club member Scott Eves into putting the Lama together for me. Scott is our local helicopter guru, and is very meticulous when it comes to helicopter assembly and setup. In fact, most helicopters in our club end up on Scott’s workbench for extreme fine-tuning.

AIRBORNE

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The Lama has performed perfectly, from the first tank of gas. Only a few clicks of trim were needed for a nice hands-off hover. Since the Hirobo .36 was brand new, the first five tanks of gas were used while hovering at a rich needle setting. During the break-in period, the engine shakes a bit due to the rich mixture setting, so it would not be a bad idea to install the scale details after the engine is broken-in. This will avoid stressing the plastic parts.
While Hirobo offers a 50-size engine conversion kit, the .36 produced more than enough power to fly the 7-pound Lama. A .50 engine would also burn fuel much faster, and since there is limited room for the fuel tank, the Hirobo .36 proved to be a good choice. The engine sits entirely enclosed in the fuselage, but the cooling system is perfectly adequate, even on a hot Florida day.

FORWARD FLIGHT

Forward flight is stable with good tracking, even with the included 550 mm wood blades. Fiberglass or carbon fiber main blades would further improve the flight characteristics, but the wood blades do perform well.

AEROBATICS

Let’s look at how the helicopter performs. WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! That was Scott’s first comment when I looped the Lama, followed by a roll and a 540-degree stall turn. While certainly not scale maneuvers, the Hirobo version performs them with ease. It is obviously not a 3D helicopter by any means, but the Hirobo .36 has been running great and supplies plenty of power on 30% Cool Power helicopter fuel.

LAMA ASSEMBLY

By Scott Eves

The Hirobo Lama is an excellent choice for the first time model heli/scale builder as well as the seasoned modeler. This is because the mechanics are based on the proven Hirobo Shuttle series RC helicopters that have been around since the early 80s, and it is one of the most popular RC helicopter designs ever. Because of its simple yet well thought-out design, the Lama is easy to assemble and maintain. Shuttle parts are easy to find and relatively inexpensive. This is an extraordinary addition to any collection: one that will provide many hours of conversation and flying pleasure.

The assembly process took a total of 14 to 16 hours, including the time needed to finish painting some of the included plastic trim pieces and to add decals. The dummy engine and cockpit kit is delivered in white plastic, so I painted them with various colors of Krylon spray can paint. The kit comes with wood main blades that are pre-built and a two-piece muffler. For the powerplant, we decided to use Hirobo’s new .36 with an O.S. No. 8 plug, as it has proven to be a very powerful and reliable engine.

For those of you who have been building and flying the Hirobo line of mid-sized models, the 30-sized Lama is an almost identical build. It is essentially a modified and beefed-up Shuttle plus a number of well thought-out additions that give you a very nice scale heli out of the box: one that the crowds will certainly notice at the local flying fields and fun flies.

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