This is so awesome! After my first flight in a Bell 47 when I was a teenager, this is what I wanted to do with a helicopter! I'm not interested in flying 2000 ft off the ground. It's the low flight that's awesome.
You need to afix some wings on your helo like I did. I made custom rocket/artillery shell launchers (one on each wing). We set up battles between friends on the ground with the same thing & see who wins; ground forces or my helo. Cheers!
You know what.... This right here looks like the ultimate toy. You should post more videos like this but maybe in some different places. I can tell this isnt your first rodeo. Wow I am living vicariously through this video RN. Have a fantastic day sir this was great.
Thanks for the compliment! The biggest issue for making more video’s is to remember to charge the GoPro BEFORE I go fly. LOL! I will try to do better. Thanks for watching!
Please feel free to visit www.storeyaviation.com for more information. I have a FAQs page that may help. If you still have questions, drop me a PM. Thanks for watching!
That is awesome and good luck with your training. If you train in a R22, you would love the agility, precision and feel of these helicopters at a much cheaper rate per hour. LOL!
@@dstoreyaviation Cheers! Yes! That's what I can't get out of my head.. it's so cheap compared to anything else out there, and you get a Turbine engine. One of those days! Stay safe out there.
Thanks for the compliment! These are GREAT flying helicopters with some awesome performance. I’ve said if before but these helicopters make me look better than I actually am. LOL! You can probably tell that I came from the RC helicopter community before learning to fly full size aircraft based on some of the maneuvers that I do. I think I understand a little more about the envelope of what the helicopter design can actually do than standard helicopter training. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the compliment. I’ve said it many times, the Mosquito helicopters fly great and make me look better than I actually am! Thanks for watching.
Really really cool! Currently working on my CPL (H) and hoping in being able to afford one of these one day. Although I bet my Home Country (Germany) has heavy restrictions on flying around in one of those. You guys in the US really make me envious of your FAR :)
There are Mosquito XE helicopters in France and Italy so would be under EASA so getting airborne in Germany might be ok. In the UK we'd do it under the Permit to Fly (rather than a Certificate of Airworthiness or Experimental) I think and there is a regulation (CAP 750) which provides for their operation. Germany will definitely have the option to do this.
uh oh you knock over a Cone, that is 10 points off your Hover practice test. haha, very good flying Sir, i think people just buys the XET for the sound of the turbine.
But I stood the cone back up. That’s worth at least 30 points back on my hover practice test! LOL!!! Thank you for the compliment and thanks for watching.
A high performance takeoff is a description mainly used in the certified aircraft world for max gross and high DA situations. For the military it is used mainly for FW for vertical flight right after take off. For this experimental helicopter I call it a “performance pull” as I’ve already taken off and flying around. When I do a “performance pull”, I’m verifying just how much actual performance I have left depending on the “DA” when performing demonstration flights. This will tell me what maneuvers I can safely do going forward. On this turbine engine we do not have a torque meter but we have a fuel flow meter so I already have an idea of how much power I’m already using. Hope this helps.
where was this filmed? I love the trees and field. If you could just give the name of the city and state this was filmed in it would be great. Even the general part of the state would be great. Thanks in advance :)
Usually during the day I’m working. When I try to make a video and can remember to charge and grab a camera ahead of time, it’s usually for a fun or relaxing flight at the end of the day. Usually those end up being spare of the moment flights when it’s a beautiful evening and it really is a smooth magic carpet ride! I have also noticed that during the middle of the day the footage is flat with not as much contrast or depth when compared to morning/evening footage. LOL! When you see the footage side by side, it’s very apparent. Thank you for the compliment and thanks for watching!
This is the main reason why helicopter instruction, at least to the point of being eligible for solo hover endorsement, prior to flying any of the Mosquito XE series helicopters is required. These helicopters fly great! With the training, most will have no trouble transitioning to any of the Mosquito XE Series helicopters.
Mainly just use the ankles to use the foot pedals. Flys just like any other helicopter but is the most agile and fun helicopter I’ve ever flown. Thanks for watching!
Hey Jason. Thanks for the compliment! I’m using MGL Avionics. iEFIS Lite, V16 radio, Sandia Txponder and Echo ADS-B. All controlled from the MGL iEFIS Light. Thanks for watching!
Yes. The Mosquito XEL ultralight model is the only one that comes with pontoons. They are not intended for water operations as that requires special training. They are used to meet FAA ultralight requirements only. Thanks for watching!
Thanks! I flew RC helicopters for years when I thought I couldn’t afford it. Once I made the commitment, it’s some of the most fun and rewarding flying I’ve ever done. Thanks for watching!
Wow your so lucky…I’m super excited to get my license and start getting hrs under my belt 🙏 keep the videos coming, I’m definitely getting one of these, watched all your videos super cool
Well, not much viewing pleasure just sitting there watching terrain go by. LOL! All of that usually gets cut out to shorten the video. The XEL ultralight version has a OGE hover at 6,000’DA and a IGE hover at 8,000’DA. And that goes up to the XET which has a OGE hover at 10,000’DA and a IGE hover at 12,000’DA. So they will go quite high, just the footage and fun gets boring to watch. LOL! Thanks for watching!
Wish I didn't need a license for the XET. That is partially what motivates me to get an XE290 instead. Plus they make it sound like it'll last longer with the engine life anyways.
Thanks for watching Solomon. Just FYI, you will need a unrestricted PPL for the XE290 as well. Only the stripped down version “XEL” which is an ultralight, is the only one you don’t need a license for. Good luck!
Actually? It’s one of the best feeling helicopters I’ve ever flown. The Mosquito helicopters are not big and heave so they don’t drive like a truck, definitely more sport car-ish. LOL! I’m definitely not a pro but after you fly it a bit, It truly feels like you strapped it on and it becomes an extension. I now understand what it means when they say “personal helicopter”! I took great care to make sure all the control linkages were as smooth and free as possible without any slop and gave meticulous attention to the set up, and it paid off. I’ve flown several other Mosquito helicopters and they all had heavier feeling controls. Not necessarily a bad thing, just not as easily finessed and controlled. I literally fly with my fingertips. Thanks for watching!
Question. So how high, at your altitude, can you go with your max performance vertical? Obviously doing that you're into your high velocity curve for a bit. Also when you were at 0 forward speed watching the sunset, how high were you? Thanks!
So the 290 and XET have what I call “Stupid power”! Even though I have pulled pretty hard multiple times on the collective, I’ve never hit max performance to start decaying the rotor rpm. The XET has a IGEH of 12,000’DA and a OGEH of 10,000’DA. The word is that is where they called it and have not pushed beyond that altitude. I suspect actual is higher. My location is roughly 300’msl and the hover while watching the sunset was roughly 800’ to 900’agl if I remember correctly. Thanks for watching!
I use to fly R22's with Silver State Helicopters and those were a pain to hover at first, wonder how those even smaller aircraft flight characteristic are. I'd have the turbine model is worth the extra cost, looks to have great performance even out of ground effect.
If you can fly an R22 with no issues, you would love flying either the XET or the new XE290! They will move and grove when you want them to, are as stable as your ability is and will out perform most experimental and certified helicopters below 100mph. At least here in TN. LOL! These little helicopters actually fly great! Thanks for watching!
West Tennessee. Visit my website www.storeyaviation.com to get my contact information and coordinate to come out and see it and I can answer any of your questions.
Am I correct in assuming that kind of vertical power performance is exclusive to the XET only??? My 202 couldn’t handle that. Right? Power curves not comparable. Or am I off base on that?
Please check with your closest or local airport. If they don’t offer helicopter training, they possibly will know who does in your area. Good luck and thanks for watching!
The turbines are all mechanically governed. Currently the XE and XE290 is manual throttle but the do have adjustable correlation on the collective. There is plans for a governor through the ECU.
I built it from a Composite FX kit. It’s a great design and flies really well. Once I started flying it, I liked it so much that I ended up becoming the the full service central US dealer for Composite FX. PM me if your interested in one. There are 4 different models in the XE Series.
JetA. Available at most airports. The engine will run on diesel and kerosene but my understanding is they don’t have the same BTU’s so your fuel burn will be higher which would negate any savings. Also with diesel you will have more maintenance with filter changes.
I’ve been seriously looking at getting one of these but have never flown a helicopter before. Do they have a course you can take? What was your level of experience before buying this?
You need to bring to the table that you know how to fly or can at least prove you know how to hover. Like when you buy a car, you have to show a driver license before they let you drive it. If you’ve never flown a helicopter before, start calling around to get a introductory flight. This will let you see if flying a helicopter is for you or not. Then start taking helicopter flight lessons. Good luck and thanks for watching!
You need to get a pilot’s license and then a helicopter license, unless this has been given super light status. There is about 95% less involved in being able to fly one of those, but that’s at your own personal risk.
@@The_ZeroLine The XEL is the stripped down ultralight version to which no license or registration is required. The XE, XE285/290 and XET are all experimental registered aircraft to which you need a private pilots license and medical at a minimum to fly.
Extremely impressive, only for $32,000 US apparently. This technology has been around for decades. Apparently the suppliers have DIY kits, to me that's ridiculous. You wouldn't put together your own car would you?
The Mosquito XE Series are great flying helicopters and revolutionized the experimental helicopter market when they debuted in 2004. As of 2022, complete kit prices range from $46K to $80K. All the kits (XE, XEL, XE290 and XET) are basically the same fuselage and mechanics with different power plant options. Easy quick build kits with no accidents due to design to date. Yes, some people do build their own kit cars. Just like with aircraft, way more bang for the buck! LOL! When you build your own kit aircraft, you know every nook and cranny and know what your looking at and how it operates when your doing your walk around inspection before every flight. Honestly, I wouldn’t trust any one else doing its yearly safety inspection other than myself to know it’s right. Thanks for watching!
@@dstoreyaviation I think they're really impressive, especially for the price, thanks for the price correction. I'm actually really interested in this. Affordable, tested and proven technology and putting people in the sky. When one google's the price of Mosquito helicopters, the prices range from $20k to $80k. What's the deal there? Also, what's your opinion on the Curti Zefhir helicopter? First parachute on a helicopter apparently. To me, if the average joe is ever going to have the ability to fly their own affordable aircraft, on a commute to and from work for example, this is the technology to do it initially is it not? Possibly a combination of a Mosquito style craft, noise reducers, gps controlled to a certain degree and equipped with a parachute? What's your thoughts? I'm also a fan of anti gravitational craft but that's another conversation.
@@DracRummins Yeah, when you google prices, no telling what you’ll get or from what year you’ll get. For correct prices, alway go to where you can actually purchase them. Try www.storeyaviation.com. The full service authorized dealer. I bought and built mine and once I started flying it, I realized just how good of kits and design they were. One of the most stable, yet agile and fun helicopters I’ve ever flown! The parachute on the Zefhir helicopter sounds like a great idea at first but what they don’t show you on their video is how long the whole process takes and how many feet you drop before the chute can open. And that is in a controlled deployment from a hover. Once you realize your in trouble and activate deployment, the rotor system has to come to a stop first and then the chute has to deploy and open up. Meanwhile you are falling. I would guestamate that the helicopter will loose 1,000’ or more during this process of activating in a hover. To my knowledge their system has not been deployed during forward “cruise flight” as the helicopter can possibly tumble while trying to stop the rotor system as you are falling which will most likely tangle the chute. Most helicopters only fly at 500’ to 1,000’agl to begin with so this type of system is an expensive false sense of security. Your best bet is to autorotate for any trouble. Even if you screw the flare and round out up, your only several feet off the ground and slow forward speed. Your going to walk away from even a bad autorotation. If you have a chute, your most likely to hit the ground before the system fully deploys in a real world scenario from which you will not walk away from. The parachute on helicopters is not a new idea, just not a realistic real world one. Even on the Cirrus airplanes with chutes, they don’t tell you about the deaths they cause. So I consider myself an “Average Joe” and experimental certified aircraft is definitely the way most “AJ’s” afford aviation. $$$ goes 2-3 times as far with a little sweat equity. With gps moving maps, you can precisely go where ever you want and with helicopters, play along the way…
@@dstoreyaviation I just want a simple explanation of all the controls not a flight lesson. I see the main control stick but I don't see any corrolations with how you are using it and the way the helicopter flies it's kind of confusing must be some type of foot pedals also. Accelerator where is that located. Pitch forward , side to side and aft. Left and right rotation etc
@@antech555 the quick down and dirty version. Cyclic stick in the middle between legs does your pitch (forwards/backwards) and roll (left/right), foot peddles is your anti-torque (rudder left/right), collective stick on your left side (up/down) with a throttle on the end of collective stick (like motorcycle grip throttle). All of them work together to make a helicopter fly. Any more info needed and there are plenty of UA-cam videos demonstrating how they fly. Thanks.
@@dstoreyaviation watching you fly. I did not notice much movement of the cyclic stick at all. I guess It does not take much movement of the cyclic stick since your basically connected to that motor pitch. Thanks for the quick reply I really appreciate it. I always wanted to fly helicopter this may be an option down the road for me thank you
The precision...how? I'm left in awe. Either military trained, absorbent amount of flight hours or we're witnessing the first android fly in a XET? Regardless, thank you for sharing.
Would you believe no military flight training and only 48 hours of helicopter time when this video was shot and I’m self taught? I have literally thousands of hours on RC helicopters and over 2,000hrs in fixed wing. Flying a real helicopter is something I’ve always wanted to do and could never afford it, so I built one. The Mosquito XE Series kit line of helicopters are great flying machines! I’ve said it before, they make me look better than I actually am! Thanks for watching and thank you for the compliment!
@@dstoreyaviation Thanks for the reply. 2,000 fixed wing hours is great. I'm around 500. 172 all the way. Never been in a helicopter, but I'm eyeing that XEL. Everyone says to get at least 15 R22 hours to "not die" the first time in the mosquito. Going to assume most people know what their talking about in this area, so I'll do that. It is noticeable that the majority of Mosquito helicopter owners have the XET. Perhaps that's because helicopter turbine time is worth it's weight in gold.
@@OculusQuestFun 500hrs in C172, that is awesome. My first 350hrs was in C172. If you have your PPL, why are you looking at the XEL?The XE285 and the newer version XE290 have way more power and reliability than that of the smaller engined XE and XEL. At least get to the point of helicopter training of a hover endorsement level of safety, comfort and confidence and you’ll have no problem. Even though the XET is the flagship, the XE285 has been the workhorse of sales for CFX in recent years. The new XE290 is really looking go to me if I do another helicopter build. The extra cost of getting the turbine version would pay the cost of years of flying with a XE290. LOL! I just enjoy flying and want to share with others who share the same passion wether they can fly or not.
@@dstoreyaviation You make good points. I have my eye set on the XEL because of not needing the license and also I plan on using it for strictly sight seeing (gentle hover over, but not into, lakes and over trees). It's mostly the license though.
@@OculusQuestFun If it’s just the licensing, since you have your PPL, please go to my website: storeyaviation.com and look at the FAQs page. I think you’ll like what you find out about the FAA regulations and experimental helicopters. If you have any questions, pm me.
Yes, that is something that all helicopter pilots think about. Safety is always a priority and considered beforehand in every maneuver that is done. It’s all about risk assessment and is drilled in all pilots during flight training. The sections where I climbed up and over the tree’s is something that only helicopters can do and were in response to questions I’ve gotten about the ability of the Mosquito XET to climb over a 50’ obstacle. It’s not something that I would do all the time if not necessary but the capability is there with almost no effort. One of the beauty’s of helicopters! For the risk assessment, just to left out of the view of the camera was a substantial clearing for an emergency. Thanks for watching.
I do, almost every single flight. At some point I will a do at least 1 full down autorotation to practice splitting the needles, driving the rotor needle and help keeping currency on arriving at the ground with 100%+ rotor rpm. Thanks for watching!
The helicopter is cool, but I also really like that piece of property. Livin the dream.
Reminds me of TX
This is so awesome! After my first flight in a Bell 47 when I was a teenager, this is what I wanted to do with a helicopter! I'm not interested in flying 2000 ft off the ground. It's the low flight that's awesome.
Thanks for taking us along. 🙂
Fixing that cone after you blew it over was beautiful.
Beautiful helicopter! My dream machine someday 🤞🚁
Thanks for the ride! Can't wait to get my hands on one.
You need to afix some wings on your helo like I did. I made custom rocket/artillery shell launchers (one on each wing). We set up battles between friends on the ground with the same thing & see who wins; ground forces or my helo. Cheers!
You know what.... This right here looks like the ultimate toy. You should post more videos like this but maybe in some different places. I can tell this isnt your first rodeo. Wow I am living vicariously through this video RN. Have a fantastic day sir this was great.
Thanks for the compliment! The biggest issue for making more video’s is to remember to charge the GoPro BEFORE I go fly. LOL! I will try to do better. Thanks for watching!
I'm interested in maybe buying one
Now that's a video and some awesome flying. Thanks for the awesome ride. Totally enjoyed it.
Thank you and thanks for watching. More to come later this year.
HOW FUN IS THIS THING MY GOD I WANT ONE
mans flexed with that cone trick
Thanks for taking us along!!! My boss is about to buy/build one and he wants me to pilot it, looks awesome!!!!
Awesome flight!!!
Good deal! One of the funnest helicopters you’ll every fly!
I like your video and your mosquito turbin !!!!!
This sound is magic
This makes me miss spraying in the heli. I would love one of these things. To get to fly without asking anyone for permission again.
Thank You.
Another great video!!
Awesome video. Enjoyed watching your skills. Thanks for the ride.
SHOW OFF!!! LOL!! Nice job brother!! :-)
Thanks Bro! Just having some fun. Like I’ve said, everyone needs one of these...
Very cool! Fun to watch!
Great flying . I can’t wait
Absolutely awesome!!
Always wanted to get one of those
Very neat!
amazing helicopter!😍
That was GRRRR8 !! 👍
This is exactly how id operate one of these if i had one. Lol
Che meraviglia ! Super fly.
NICE FLYING
I have so many questions. Thank you for the video!
Please feel free to visit www.storeyaviation.com for more information. I have a FAQs page that may help. If you still have questions, drop me a PM. Thanks for watching!
This is the coolest thing!
That is freedom
Yes it is! Thanks for watching.
Again a wonderfull video Dave ! Very nice shot at 5.04min with the sun on the horizon... Thank's for sharing !!
Marvellous!!
Currently getting my PPL with an R22 and this video blew my mind. I am going to have to look into these once I am more confident in my skills.
That is awesome and good luck with your training. If you train in a R22, you would love the agility, precision and feel of these helicopters at a much cheaper rate per hour. LOL!
@@dstoreyaviation Cheers! Yes! That's what I can't get out of my head.. it's so cheap compared to anything else out there, and you get a Turbine engine. One of those days! Stay safe out there.
I admire your skills, great job!
Thanks for the compliment! These are GREAT flying helicopters with some awesome performance. I’ve said if before but these helicopters make me look better than I actually am. LOL! You can probably tell that I came from the RC helicopter community before learning to fly full size aircraft based on some of the maneuvers that I do. I think I understand a little more about the envelope of what the helicopter design can actually do than standard helicopter training.
Thanks for watching!
What a way to see the sunset
Wow. Impressive. 11 mins as whole life
ive always wanted to fly one
Hell yeah... Tip that cone back over u was thinking about it lol u can do it
excellent piloting
Thank you for the compliment. I’ve said it many times, the Mosquito helicopters fly great and make me look better than I actually am! Thanks for watching.
Really really cool! Currently working on my CPL (H) and hoping in being able to afford one of these one day. Although I bet my Home Country (Germany) has heavy restrictions on flying around in one of those. You guys in the US really make me envious of your FAR :)
Good luck on your CPL (H) and thanks for watching!
There are Mosquito XE helicopters in France and Italy so would be under EASA so getting airborne in Germany might be ok. In the UK we'd do it under the Permit to Fly (rather than a Certificate of Airworthiness or Experimental) I think and there is a regulation (CAP 750) which provides for their operation. Germany will definitely have the option to do this.
This is what happens when you fight the majesty for freedom🦅🦅
Two 👍👍 Up !!
Good job, Dave!
Awesome!
Next skill level is the Afgani take off!
LOL! Sorry, no wheels and I don’t have any skid plates on the underside of the gear...
Do it again........
Fantástico.
rude bit of kit, I want one in Malibu livery. This blokes giving it some.
You have so much fun flying this.
I wish one day i can buy it
uh oh you knock over a Cone, that is 10 points off your Hover practice test. haha, very good flying Sir, i think people just buys the XET for the sound of the turbine.
But I stood the cone back up. That’s worth at least 30 points back on my hover practice test! LOL!!! Thank you for the compliment and thanks for watching.
Is "performance pull" actually what's called a high performance takeoff?
A high performance takeoff is a description mainly used in the certified aircraft world for max gross and high DA situations. For the military it is used mainly for FW for vertical flight right after take off.
For this experimental helicopter I call it a “performance pull” as I’ve already taken off and flying around. When I do a “performance pull”, I’m verifying just how much actual performance I have left depending on the “DA” when performing demonstration flights. This will tell me what maneuvers I can safely do going forward. On this turbine engine we do not have a torque meter but we have a fuel flow meter so I already have an idea of how much power I’m already using. Hope this helps.
@@dstoreyaviation yup. thanks!
if I ever happen to get rich this is the first thing I'm buying lol
where was this filmed? I love the trees and field. If you could just give the name of the city and state this was filmed in it would be great. Even the general part of the state would be great. Thanks in advance :)
West Tennessee. Thanks for watching!
Great video! Many of your flights are at sunrise or sunset. Any particular reason for this?
Usually during the day I’m working. When I try to make a video and can remember to charge and grab a camera ahead of time, it’s usually for a fun or relaxing flight at the end of the day. Usually those end up being spare of the moment flights when it’s a beautiful evening and it really is a smooth magic carpet ride!
I have also noticed that during the middle of the day the footage is flat with not as much contrast or depth when compared to morning/evening footage. LOL! When you see the footage side by side, it’s very apparent.
Thank you for the compliment and thanks for watching!
How can you learn to fly those if instructor can't seat next to you?
This is the main reason why helicopter instruction, at least to the point of being eligible for solo hover endorsement, prior to flying any of the Mosquito XE series helicopters is required. These helicopters fly great! With the training, most will have no trouble transitioning to any of the Mosquito XE Series helicopters.
This is cool. I'm befuddled by how little pedal is being used. Is it just using the toes or something?
Mainly just use the ankles to use the foot pedals. Flys just like any other helicopter but is the most agile and fun helicopter I’ve ever flown.
Thanks for watching!
@@dstoreyaviation thanks for the response! Been saving up for one for 10 years
Saaaawweeeeet!!!
Hi there,great video.what is the instrament panel you are using?
Hey Jason. Thanks for the compliment! I’m using MGL Avionics. iEFIS Lite, V16 radio, Sandia Txponder and Echo ADS-B. All controlled from the MGL iEFIS Light. Thanks for watching!
I really like this little helicopter. Can it be fitted with pontoons?
Yes. The Mosquito XEL ultralight model is the only one that comes with pontoons. They are not intended for water operations as that requires special training. They are used to meet FAA ultralight requirements only. Thanks for watching!
@@dstoreyaviation thanks for reply
Dude that’s so impressive! I fly paramotors, but I’ve always wanted to try flying one of those!
Thanks! I flew RC helicopters for years when I thought I couldn’t afford it. Once I made the commitment, it’s some of the most fun and rewarding flying I’ve ever done. Thanks for watching!
That turbine sounds great! So much better than a two cycle weedwhacker!
agreed! lol
Wow your so lucky…I’m super excited to get my license and start getting hrs under my belt 🙏 keep the videos coming, I’m definitely getting one of these, watched all your videos super cool
Will do and thanks for watching. Website: storeyaviation.com
What is the service altitude ceiling on these? I haven’t seen a video in which they get more than a maybe 500 feet or so off the ground yet.
Well, not much viewing pleasure just sitting there watching terrain go by. LOL! All of that usually gets cut out to shorten the video. The XEL ultralight version has a OGE hover at 6,000’DA and a IGE hover at 8,000’DA. And that goes up to the XET which has a OGE hover at 10,000’DA and a IGE hover at 12,000’DA. So they will go quite high, just the footage and fun gets boring to watch. LOL!
Thanks for watching!
9:36 SAVAGE
Wish I didn't need a license for the XET. That is partially what motivates me to get an XE290 instead. Plus they make it sound like it'll last longer with the engine life anyways.
Thanks for watching Solomon. Just FYI, you will need a unrestricted PPL for the XE290 as well. Only the stripped down version “XEL” which is an ultralight, is the only one you don’t need a license for. Good luck!
@@dstoreyaviation thank you.
If you fly rural countryside or around a private farm nobody will ask for a license...the USA is huge....!
I want one
when rotaxs enginering and prices
How is it driving? You look like a pro
Actually? It’s one of the best feeling helicopters I’ve ever flown. The Mosquito helicopters are not big and heave so they don’t drive like a truck, definitely more sport car-ish. LOL! I’m definitely not a pro but after you fly it a bit, It truly feels like you strapped it on and it becomes an extension. I now understand what it means when they say “personal helicopter”!
I took great care to make sure all the control linkages were as smooth and free as possible without any slop and gave meticulous attention to the set up, and it paid off. I’ve flown several other Mosquito helicopters and they all had heavier feeling controls. Not necessarily a bad thing, just not as easily finessed and controlled. I literally fly with my fingertips.
Thanks for watching!
Question. So how high, at your altitude, can you go with your max performance vertical? Obviously doing that you're into your high velocity curve for a bit. Also when you were at 0 forward speed watching the sunset, how high were you? Thanks!
So the 290 and XET have what I call “Stupid power”! Even though I have pulled pretty hard multiple times on the collective, I’ve never hit max performance to start decaying the rotor rpm. The XET has a IGEH of 12,000’DA and a OGEH of 10,000’DA. The word is that is where they called it and have not pushed beyond that altitude. I suspect actual is higher.
My location is roughly 300’msl and the hover while watching the sunset was roughly 800’ to 900’agl if I remember correctly.
Thanks for watching!
I use to fly R22's with Silver State Helicopters and those were a pain to hover at first, wonder how those even smaller aircraft flight characteristic are. I'd have the turbine model is worth the extra cost, looks to have great performance even out of ground effect.
If you can fly an R22 with no issues, you would love flying either the XET or the new XE290! They will move and grove when you want them to, are as stable as your ability is and will out perform most experimental and certified helicopters below 100mph. At least here in TN. LOL! These little helicopters actually fly great! Thanks for watching!
Are you anywhere near Missouri by chance?
West Tennessee. Visit my website www.storeyaviation.com to get my contact information and coordinate to come out and see it and I can answer any of your questions.
Am I correct in assuming that kind of vertical power performance is exclusive to the XET only??? My 202 couldn’t handle that. Right? Power curves not comparable. Or am I off base on that?
Sorry, the 202 does not have that kind of performance, only the XE285 and XET. The 202 was used to meet the Part103 ultralight requirements.
@@dstoreyaviation ya I kinda had a feelin. 202 just above a running take off. Lol 😂
@@bonahisme The XE and XEL should have safe adequate performance. Just not a power house like it’s bigger brothers. LOL! Fly safe and have fun!
How can I learn to fly one of these and how much does the school cost?
Please check with your closest or local airport. If they don’t offer helicopter training, they possibly will know who does in your area. Good luck and thanks for watching!
Do these have a throttle governor or is it manual throttle only?
The turbines are all mechanically governed. Currently the XE and XE290 is manual throttle but the do have adjustable correlation on the collective. There is plans for a governor through the ECU.
Where did you buy your helicopter? I have been looking for them for a while.
I built it from a Composite FX kit. It’s a great design and flies really well. Once I started flying it, I liked it so much that I ended up becoming the the full service central US dealer for Composite FX. PM me if your interested in one. There are 4 different models in the XE Series.
Not sure what I’m more jealous of, the turbine mosquito or the property you’re flying over.
Does it have doors?
Yes. But I only use them when the temps get below 40º or so.
hello friend what type of fuel can this aircraft use?
JetA. Available at most airports. The engine will run on diesel and kerosene but my understanding is they don’t have the same BTU’s so your fuel burn will be higher which would negate any savings. Also with diesel you will have more maintenance with filter changes.
My kind of pilot.... I would do the same
What's the top speed of this machine?
The top speed for the XE290 and XET is set at 105mph. Any faster and you will start to see the onset of RBS (retreating blade stall).
I’ve been seriously looking at getting one of these but have never flown a helicopter before. Do they have a course you can take? What was your level of experience before buying this?
You need to bring to the table that you know how to fly or can at least prove you know how to hover. Like when you buy a car, you have to show a driver license before they let you drive it.
If you’ve never flown a helicopter before, start calling around to get a introductory flight. This will let you see if flying a helicopter is for you or not. Then start taking helicopter flight lessons. Good luck and thanks for watching!
You need to get a pilot’s license and then a helicopter license, unless this has been given super light status. There is about 95% less involved in being able to fly one of those, but that’s at your own personal risk.
@@The_ZeroLine The XEL is the stripped down ultralight version to which no license or registration is required. The XE, XE285/290 and XET are all experimental registered aircraft to which you need a private pilots license and medical at a minimum to fly.
Extremely impressive, only for $32,000 US apparently.
This technology has been around for decades.
Apparently the suppliers have DIY kits, to me that's ridiculous. You wouldn't put together your own car would you?
The Mosquito XE Series are great flying helicopters and revolutionized the experimental helicopter market when they debuted in 2004. As of 2022, complete kit prices range from $46K to $80K. All the kits (XE, XEL, XE290 and XET) are basically the same fuselage and mechanics with different power plant options. Easy quick build kits with no accidents due to design to date.
Yes, some people do build their own kit cars. Just like with aircraft, way more bang for the buck! LOL! When you build your own kit aircraft, you know every nook and cranny and know what your looking at and how it operates when your doing your walk around inspection before every flight. Honestly, I wouldn’t trust any one else doing its yearly safety inspection other than myself to know it’s right.
Thanks for watching!
@@dstoreyaviation I think they're really impressive, especially for the price, thanks for the price correction.
I'm actually really interested in this. Affordable, tested and proven technology and putting people in the sky.
When one google's the price of Mosquito helicopters, the prices range from $20k to $80k. What's the deal there?
Also, what's your opinion on the Curti Zefhir helicopter? First parachute on a helicopter apparently.
To me, if the average joe is ever going to have the ability to fly their own affordable aircraft, on a commute to and from work for example, this is the technology to do it initially is it not? Possibly a combination of a Mosquito style craft, noise reducers, gps controlled to a certain degree and equipped with a parachute?
What's your thoughts?
I'm also a fan of anti gravitational craft but that's another conversation.
@@DracRummins Yeah, when you google prices, no telling what you’ll get or from what year you’ll get. For correct prices, alway go to where you can actually purchase them. Try www.storeyaviation.com. The full service authorized dealer. I bought and built mine and once I started flying it, I realized just how good of kits and design they were. One of the most stable, yet agile and fun helicopters I’ve ever flown!
The parachute on the Zefhir helicopter sounds like a great idea at first but what they don’t show you on their video is how long the whole process takes and how many feet you drop before the chute can open. And that is in a controlled deployment from a hover. Once you realize your in trouble and activate deployment, the rotor system has to come to a stop first and then the chute has to deploy and open up. Meanwhile you are falling. I would guestamate that the helicopter will loose 1,000’ or more during this process of activating in a hover. To my knowledge their system has not been deployed during forward “cruise flight” as the helicopter can possibly tumble while trying to stop the rotor system as you are falling which will most likely tangle the chute. Most helicopters only fly at 500’ to 1,000’agl to begin with so this type of system is an expensive false sense of security. Your best bet is to autorotate for any trouble. Even if you screw the flare and round out up, your only several feet off the ground and slow forward speed. Your going to walk away from even a bad autorotation. If you have a chute, your most likely to hit the ground before the system fully deploys in a real world scenario from which you will not walk away from. The parachute on helicopters is not a new idea, just not a realistic real world one. Even on the Cirrus airplanes with chutes, they don’t tell you about the deaths they cause.
So I consider myself an “Average Joe” and experimental certified aircraft is definitely the way most “AJ’s” afford aviation. $$$ goes 2-3 times as far with a little sweat equity. With gps moving maps, you can precisely go where ever you want and with helicopters, play along the way…
Why don't you show us how to use the controls to fly this thing
That what instructors are for which cost $$$. LOL! Thanks for watching.
@@dstoreyaviation
I just want a simple explanation of all the controls not a flight lesson. I see the main control stick but I don't see any corrolations with how you are using it and the way the helicopter flies it's kind of confusing must be some type of foot pedals also. Accelerator where is that located. Pitch forward , side to side and aft. Left and right rotation etc
@@antech555 the quick down and dirty version. Cyclic stick in the middle between legs does your pitch (forwards/backwards) and roll (left/right), foot peddles is your anti-torque (rudder left/right), collective stick on your left side (up/down) with a throttle on the end of collective stick (like motorcycle grip throttle). All of them work together to make a helicopter fly. Any more info needed and there are plenty of UA-cam videos demonstrating how they fly. Thanks.
@@dstoreyaviation watching you fly. I did not notice much movement of the cyclic stick at all. I guess It does not take much movement of the cyclic stick since your basically connected to that motor pitch. Thanks for the quick reply I really appreciate it. I always wanted to fly helicopter this may be an option down the road for me thank you
How much ?
Please go to storeyaviation.com/ for further information. Thanks for watching.
The precision...how? I'm left in awe. Either military trained, absorbent amount of flight hours or we're witnessing the first android fly in a XET? Regardless, thank you for sharing.
Would you believe no military flight training and only 48 hours of helicopter time when this video was shot and I’m self taught? I have literally thousands of hours on RC helicopters and over 2,000hrs in fixed wing. Flying a real helicopter is something I’ve always wanted to do and could never afford it, so I built one. The Mosquito XE Series kit line of helicopters are great flying machines! I’ve said it before, they make me look better than I actually am! Thanks for watching and thank you for the compliment!
@@dstoreyaviation Thanks for the reply. 2,000 fixed wing hours is great. I'm around 500. 172 all the way. Never been in a helicopter, but I'm eyeing that XEL. Everyone says to get at least 15 R22 hours to "not die" the first time in the mosquito. Going to assume most people know what their talking about in this area, so I'll do that. It is noticeable that the majority of Mosquito helicopter owners have the XET. Perhaps that's because helicopter turbine time is worth it's weight in gold.
@@OculusQuestFun 500hrs in C172, that is awesome. My first 350hrs was in C172. If you have your PPL, why are you looking at the XEL?The XE285 and the newer version XE290 have way more power and reliability than that of the smaller engined XE and XEL.
At least get to the point of helicopter training of a hover endorsement level of safety, comfort and confidence and you’ll have no problem.
Even though the XET is the flagship, the XE285 has been the workhorse of sales for CFX in recent years. The new XE290 is really looking go to me if I do another helicopter build. The extra cost of getting the turbine version would pay the cost of years of flying with a XE290. LOL! I just enjoy flying and want to share with others who share the same passion wether they can fly or not.
@@dstoreyaviation You make good points. I have my eye set on the XEL because of not needing the license and also I plan on using it for strictly sight seeing (gentle hover over, but not into, lakes and over trees). It's mostly the license though.
@@OculusQuestFun If it’s just the licensing, since you have your PPL, please go to my website: storeyaviation.com and look at the FAQs page. I think you’ll like what you find out about the FAA regulations and experimental helicopters. If you have any questions, pm me.
Careful with those performance pulls, someone out there did this and oversped the turbine causing automatic shutdown.
Shouldn’t be a problem for the T62-2A1. It uses a mechanical governor system, not an ECU system like on the T62-32. Thanks for the safety tip!
It looks easy controls than Tesla 😂😂😂
Your gonna wish you were not flying so close to those trees and have an accident if something goes wrong.
Yes, that is something that all helicopter pilots think about. Safety is always a priority and considered beforehand in every maneuver that is done. It’s all about risk assessment and is drilled in all pilots during flight training. The sections where I climbed up and over the tree’s is something that only helicopters can do and were in response to questions I’ve gotten about the ability of the Mosquito XET to climb over a 50’ obstacle. It’s not something that I would do all the time if not necessary but the capability is there with almost no effort. One of the beauty’s of helicopters! For the risk assessment, just to left out of the view of the camera was a substantial clearing for an emergency. Thanks for watching.
Way you're riding that bad boy.. You should be practicing auto rotations
I do, almost every single flight. At some point I will a do at least 1 full down autorotation to practice splitting the needles, driving the rotor needle and help keeping currency on arriving at the ground with 100%+ rotor rpm. Thanks for watching!
Looks like he has no doors🤣
Nope! They come off when temps get above 45º. Way more fun without the doors on!
I want one
Everybody needs one at least once in their life! LOL! Thanks for watching.