Raptor vs. Hirobo Evo 90's

[ravenyzf-r6]

I am also a newcomer hoping to get into the flying and was wondering what you fellas thought of the raptor 90 vs. the freya evo 90. Is the raptor worth the extra $? Since I am new, crashes are most likely inevitable, though I will be acquiring a simulation of some sort. (recommendations would be appreciated). I have a bad habbit of getting the biggest and would love to hear your thoughts. (except to start smaller of course) Thanks.

[Evocopter]

Hi ravenyzf-r6,

I am also a newcomer both to rc-heli forum and the hobby. It took me awhile to come to a decision between the two and I settle for Hirobo Evo90.

Cost, opinions from other user, company history, company R&D direction, etc are some of the reasons. The heli is only one part of the jigsaw to the hobby, there's the radio programming, set-up, engine, etc to look into and understand as well.

At the end of the day, you'll need to balance out what you really want out of the heli and associated equipment versus what you can afford and on the long run.

Hope this help.

Rgds
KC

[Felony44]

I started in May and was told the bigger the heli the more stable.But you can come to a point where if you buy a 90 size heli or even a 60 for that matter your wasting $$ yea that 60/90 may be stable as hell but when you get the hang of hovering and its time for forawrd flight you can hinder your progress just because you know how much $$ you have wrapped up in a bigger bird and you might be afriad of putting that flying savings account into the dirt. I bought a raptor 50 and can tell you that any 50 size should be good to learn on i spent $730 on just my heli BAD IDEA i seem to take it to easy because im afraid to dump it in the ground. My best advice is to look for a 30 on ebay and learn on that ,right now im thinking of looking for a 30 to bash and learn my forward flight.We have 2 guys at our field that started when i did and both are a little ahead of me on the learning curve and both have a bash heli for learning. Buy a smaller heli save the extra $$ for your radio, field box, starter, glow adapter, fuel and the like. this is my opinion and what i would do if i could do it all over again.

[ravenyzf-r6]

Great advice. From both. I am not concerned about price too much. Either way it will be a long term project (probably six months) But I am not too terribly gun shy for new maneuvers. What do you think about maybe a cheap blade cp to learn things on? Would that transfer to a nitro? Similar? Or a little too different? I suppose it would not be too expensive to get a little thirty if I already have the radio gear. How long does it take to assemble the kit for the Evo 90? I found a raptor 90 kit for the same price, but it is the standard plain jane kit. Would I be better off with this? I am planning on buying it in the next two to three weeks, and building (slowly) from there. Any opinions on engines? I like the os max, but have heard good things about the ys 91. Would the gearing have to be changed for the os max? How well does the simulation transfer to real world flying? Such as 3D flying? Thanks for your time and advice.

[Felony44]

I would say no on the CP i was hovering on the raptor for about a month then bought a CP which took 2 days to be able to hover it, when your learning the CP is really unstable. As for the EVO build time i dont know how long it would take but when building my R50 i took my time and it took about 2 weeks taking into account family obligations. If you do go with a R90 go basic like i said i spent $730 on my 50 but i have taken some of the bling parts off so i dont break'em i can always put them back on when im ready. As for motors i have heard good things about the OS 91 with a pump not sure on the YS but im sure that would perform great for you too.As for the sim any sim is great for teaching you muscle memory and learning to hover. The sim can not replace the real thing but it can help you learn the controls i have found that the sim is easier to hover then the heli but the heli is easier in forward flight because the sim lacks depth preception.And i guess once you can fly the sim should be really good to practice 3d moves on iwouldnt know though because im not that far along :D

[JimInnes]

If you are comparing between the Raptor 90 standard and the Evo 90 - there is no comparison. The Evo 90 hands down is more for your money than the Raptor 90 Standard (the SE is a thing of beauty though :)). Parts cost on the Evo 90 is very reasonable, and in most cases very close to 50 size part prices. The YS91 is a great motor, puts out more power than most pilots need. Also, the gearing that comes with the Evo 90 is perfect for a YS out of the box.

That all being said, and I know you didnt want this answer, get a 50 sized heli for now. The 90s eat twice as much fuel for each minute in flight. The 50 will have more power than you need for a VERY long time and they cost less to run (especially blades and fuel). Try an Evo 50 or Raptor 50 and you will be happy with either. But if you dont mind the extra costs, the Evo 90 will be a GREAT heli - it can be setup for beginner and expert alike, and it is fun to build :D.

[ravenyzf-r6]

Sound advice. I am deliberating getting a thirty to learn on while I build the ninety. A cheapy on e bay or something. But I have my heart set on the ninety. It just kicks butt. Five feet long. Awesome stuff. Will the more expensive gyro make that much more of a difference? Are they at risk if/when I crash? I was thinking the futaba GY611 with the s9256 servo. What size blades make what difference? The bigger the better? For different types of flying? What is a good pipe to go with the os max 91? Thanks again for all the replys.

[Felony44]

Im not 100% sure but i see alot of guys recomend the 611 for 90s you may not get the full value out of it til your into hard 3d

[ravenyzf-r6]

Good to know. It will be a while before I am into any 3D flying, but I want it built for anything I may want to do in the future.

[darkfa8]

here's some bits of insight I have to give...

If you're a beginner, and do not have friends who have 30 or 50 size machines to let you borrow to learn on going right to a 60/90-sized machine is going to give you a false sense of control and ability.

Obviously the heavier the machine the more stable it's going to be. A fully decked out Evo 90 can weight around 11lbs, compair that to a 50 size machine around 7lbs and that's a massive difference. As a beginner you need a heli that will challenge you to learn to excercise exacting control and give you the most flight time per tank of fuel possible. A smaller machine will do this for you. It will be more sensitive to wind, less stable and give longer flight times. It will help you refine your skills more quickly.

So going to a 60/90 machine still sounds appealing. It's big, intense, more stable, more resiliant to wind, more powerfull but only at the expense of fuel. Unless you have some very experienced help, you're likely going to learn bad habits with this size machine. Also, since people in this hobby typically are very generous, you might meet people who would like you to fly their machine to test it out. Maybe you'll meet someone who is even more novincial then you and is looking for you to trim out their machine or see how it feels. Say they have a 30 or 50 size machine. You're going to be in for a serious shock.

The reason why most people start on a 30 or 50 size machine is cost. Whether it's initial start-up cost, cost to maintain, cost of crashes, 30 & 50 size machines cost less money. Secondly, they are the best "tools" for training you to be sensitive to the machine's tendencies whether it's by virtue of the machine's design or external forces like the environment. The smaller machines force you to learn proper collective management because there isn't enough power, even with a Hyper 50 to full throttle yourself out of trouble like you can with a 90.

If you start on and get proficient on a 30 or 50 size machine you'll be incredible on a 60/90-size. Plus, you'll appreciate the benefits of the larger machine and be able to push it farther with more confidence.

As for the comparison of the Raptor to the Freya. I don't have any experience with a Raptor 90, but I do have experience with the 30 and 50 versions. Most people claim that the Hirobo machines are a bit slower in their cyclic response out of the box compaired to a Raptor. I believe there is a weight difference, where the Hirobo is a bit heavier then a Raptor. My personal opinion, from hands on experience is that Hirobo makes a quality machine, likened to a Honda or a Toyota The fit and finish is excellent and the operation is precision. All built into a plastic-fantasic heli.

The Raptor is wildly popular, parts are plentifull, there is typically at least one or two at every flying field across the globe.

If after all this advice you're still unsure. Go to a local flying field where there is a population of heli pilots and talk to them, watch them fly and see how you feel after that experience.

I'm sure you'll make a educated and good-for-you decision since you're asking questions first before plunking down your hard earned money. When it comes down to it, whatever machine you pick, even if by the black & white seems like the one for you may turn out to not be for you and you might try something else. It's like picking a car, they all will get you from point A to point B, but which of them does it reliably, economically, gives you what you need and you "like" to drive are all a matter of personal taste.

Good luck!

[tdswan]

darkfa8, I couldn't have said it better myself.

Sadly, lots of guys think that this hobby is all about the "bling" and size of the heli. Every heli that says it's a 3D heli is every bit as capable IN STOCK FORM (i.e. no metal crap that doesn't make you a better pilot) with a good engine and electronic setup in any size across the board. That metal stuff is a waste of money unless you can really wring the machine out with the best of 'em. Save your money, learn on an economical 30-50-size machine and pay your dues in fuel....NOT PARTS. With the major manufacturers, they're all making good machines that will take you well into the learning curve before a huge investment needs to be made on metal head upgrades and all that other crap.

Another good point on the local flyers. See what they're flying, see what they learned on, there's going to be your BEST source of support for this hobby. I'd have thrown this hobby to the side if I hadn't had a great local teacher.

[Helifino]

I agree,that was very well said darkfa8! Mike should definitly put that in the next issue of the mag!

[ravenyzf-r6]

Thanks for the great advice. Very well said is right. I have decided to build the .90, but start out with a 30 to 50 while the build is in progress. It will probably be over a year before the ninety is flyable. I have yet to find any local flying fields, but met with a guy at a new hobby shop here who said he would be happy to help with anything. He flies a raptor ninety, so I may get a raptor se since the available help is knowledgable on it. Is there any reason for me to get more than nine channels in a radio?

[ravenyzf-r6]

Well. I came across a raptor 50 se that was just too good to pass up. Carbon everything, metal everything futaba digital servos (except throttle) 401 gyro, GV-1 governor, and a new .50 os hyper. So now comes the radio. I may go with upper end with the 10x or the 12z. I have heard that the 10x is being replaced soon though, so not sure. Love the feel of the 12z though, just not the price. Unfortunately the radio probably wont come until spring. I will just have to make do with a simulator. Luckily I have a sony 60" xbr that has one video input designated to computers. Life size rc helis. alright. Anyway just wanted to say thanks for the support and advice. Whether I follow your advice or not, know that they are all appreciated and considered. Can't figure out how to delete threads, so if a moderator or something does this, this thread can be removed. Thanks.