chosing a .30 bird

[Aeronot]

hey all,

i am doing some research trying to determine what .30 sized bird i should get if i go niro first. i am very puzzled at the selection of .30 birds. some that i am considering are the raptor 30, caliber 30, hirobo sceadu(?) and possibly the stinger 30. but my question is: wh\ich one? they all seem very reliable and proven helis. any experiance of knowledge that anyone can share about htese helis or any opinions on what is a good starting point would be appreciaeted!


thanks,

aeronot

[Cncguy]

I recently went through the process of buying my first ever heli. I went with a nitro so I could have back to back flights. I went with a raptor 50 titan with engine combo because it seemed to be the most popular and priced well. Just about every hobby shop I googled sells raptor parts.
The engine runs great. It starts instantly and runs untill I hit the throttle cut on my radio and has plenty of power. I flew on a G3 sim for about month and a half before buying my titan.
It took me about a week to assemble it.

The first time I started the engine I set the idle mix with the pinch test and left the high speed rich.
I brought the heli up to almost a hover several times and adjusted the tail rotor until it was neutral and then switched the gyro to heading hold.

I lifted off the ground about 2 feet, trimed it a little and hovered until the main tank was empty and it never felt like it was going to get away from me.

I have had no problems or regrets :D

[helipilot2]

By personal experience, I would go for what you local hobby shops sells most and what you local club guys fly most. You will get parts faster, experienced help (normally)...etc.


They all have their good/bad side...

[Aeronot]

well unfortunatly my local hobby shop doesnt't have a great selection(a caliber 5, blade cp's and cx's and 1 sceadu :( ) so im thinking of buying from heliproz. i want to get a solid heli, that will take me far, but i dont have to much cash. so im thinking a .30 will dut the job, but again i dont know which is a good choice.

[balsabasher]

Aeronot, the following models are poplar and seams like they will be supported for awhile in the future:
Century Hawk Pro
Sceadu EVO 30
Raptor Pro 30
They all will also upgrade to a 50 easily in the future if you so wish. Stick with a OS 37, will resale better if you upgrade to a 50!
Also do not bet your support on local flyers and hobby shops. Their wants and needs will not always be yours!
Buy a Futaba 401 gyro with servo, and a good mid level heli radio such as Futaba, JR, or Hitec. There is plenty of time in the future for the high dollar stuff.
Go for value now, comb deals are good if they include the above items. Watch out for cheaper stuff in the comb. Not a good value. Remember, good stuff will serve you well and resale better in the future! Good luck, Rich.