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Less weight is better, but by no means should 0.6 grams keep your helicopter from flying. I've never gotten my helicopter to less than 6 grams (something I should probably start soon )

So if you've eliminated having a bead/washer and having a lubricant as factors...

Too much tension between the hooks so that the whole thing snaps? Perhaps your rubber band is too short, pulling too much inwards?

Wobble from spaced out rotors? Strange. With the 11 or so helicopters I've made to test different variables/factors, it seems like the rotors that are CLOSER apart are more wobbly and have a tendency to flip. The only time I had wobble from a decently long motorstick -- about a foot long -- was when...

Hmm. I suppose that means I'll go with the SO bearing. But since it doesn't have the split-tail it'll pretty much be a one-use thing then. I suppose I'll just have to try making the bearings out of music wire with pliers then . . .

They didn't announce it at awards, is there anywhere I could find out? This was my first science olympiad competition, so pardon my newbieness

I did see the "rescue mission"! It tore apart all of the mylar on my wings though, without moving it an inch. But it was a great idea.

They bumped it with a balloon until the rotor shattered and it came down in pieces. Same with 4 other helicopters that I saw, and at least a few more during the other sessions. I only had about 30 seconds, but obviously not under optimal conditions.

At the Union CC Regionals in NJ this year there was a network of girders positioned about 2 feet below the ceiling. A good number of helicopters lodged themselves up there, coming down in pieces only after adults dislodged them using balloons. My first helicopter flight hit a girder on its way down,...

How many people are using Harlan Pennyplane Thrust Bearings? We've been using paperclips so far. We did good at regionals, but for states we've been thinking about switching to music wire. Mr. Anderson suggests 0.020" to 0.025" music wire, but the pennyplane bearing has 0.018" hole......