— This work is focused on the design of a rotor speed regulator for small-scale helicopters. A nominal model identification for the main rotor is performed using a hybrid procedure. Such a model has both linear and nonlinear components and includes modelling the effects of the collective pitch variation, which is the main disturbance source. The identified model is used in the design of different control strategies: polynomial, optimal linear quadratic, both with and without integral action, and H∞. Experimental evaluations were conducted to verify the controllers performance under different circumstances.