The Raptor 50 Titan SE features all the same features that we loved in the original Raptor 50 Titan, plus some additional new features that are found in this version. The Raptor 50 Titan SE uses a completely redesigned head that carries a resemblance to f the old head, except that this one can achieve +/- 15º of pitch. This addition also includes metal components to handle the stress of 3D flight. The kit we are reviewing also features the powerful Thunder Tiger Redline 53H engine, Alpha Zero governor, Redline high performance 3D tuned muffler, and a set of TT carbon fiber blades.

MAIN FRAME
COMPONENT LAYOUT: The servos are mounted up front in a separate radio tray. The tray also houses the receiver, battery, and other important electronics. The gyro is mounted behind the main shaft on a flat molded tray that is intergraded into the frames. The tail servo is mounted to a carbon fiber bracket that is mounted to the boom clamp section.
DESIGN: The two-piece frame is molded plastic with the bearing blocks, nut retainers, and strengthener beams running throughout the helicopter. The frames also incorporate the engine mount, landing gear mounts, and tail boom clamp.

SWASH CONTROL: The swash is configured for standard inputs. The aileron, elevator and pitch are on separate channels and all function independently from one another. This setup is called mechanical mixing. Bellcranks are used to convert the push pull links that control the pitch to a single link that connects to a pitch arm. This arm then slides the swashplate up and down to control the amount of pitch. The elevator servo is connected to a bellcrank that attaches directly to a "T" that has links on both sides of the swash. The aileron servo is attached to two new aluminum bell cranks that transfer the motion to both sides of the swash

CANOPY: The canopy is new to the Titan 50. It's made from a thick fiberglass material and is gel coated. The canopy also comes pre decorated, using water transfers with a coat of clear coat on top. The canopy mounts to the mechanics using four standoffs and screws. The windscreen simulates a clean carbon fiber weave.
LANDING GEAR: The white plastic landing gear is made from four total pieces. The struts attach to the helicopter using four self-tapping screws that thread into the bottom of the frames. The skid tubes are attached to the struts using four setscrews that thread into the top of the struts until they tighten against the skid tubes.

DRIVE TRAIN
ENGINE MOUNT: The engine mounts to an aluminum cage using four standard bolts. The cage and engine then mount between the frame using six screws.
CLUTCH: The clutch is mounted to the top side of the fan. The clutch has a one-way bearing press fit into it to allow the starter shaft to spin freely once the engine is running. The clutch support on the Raptor 50 Titan SE has been beefed up for increased durability.
COOLING FAN AND SHROUD: The fan is made from aluminum and plastic. The hub is made from aluminum and allows a solid mounting platform to the engine and clutch. The plastic fan uses straight fins and pushes the air through a molded shroud built into the frames.
MAIN GEAR: The main gear on the Raptor sets above the tail pulley. The gear is made from a grey plastic and meshes with the pinion perfectly without any adjustments.
AUTOROTATION DRIVE: The one-way bearing allows for tail driven autos and is located in a hub attached to the main gear. This bearing is press fit and cannot be removed.
TAIL DRIVE: A fiber-reinforced belt drives the tail. The belt wraps around the tail drive pulley. The belt rides through two new aluminum anodized guides, through the boom, under another aluminum-anodized guide and then around the tail shaft pulley. This simple design gives maximum durability.

ROTOR HEAD
WASHOUT ARMS: The washout arms are made from plastic and offer two output options. The links are pinned to the arms using two C-clips. The arms are supported by two ball bearings each and attach to the washout base using two machine screws.
BELL/HILLER ARMS: The plastic Bell/Hiller arms are mounted to the flybar seesaw. The arms offer two input options to make the helicopter more or less aggressive.. The arms have been redesigned to allow the helicopter to achieve up to 30 degrees of total pitch and increased cyclic performance. The arms are dual bearing supported.
MAIN BLADE GRIPS: The composite plastic main blade grips attach to the head like the standard Raptor, using a spindle and two machine screws that thread into the spindle. The grips each have two radial bearings and a thrust bearing. They do not offer any input options.
HEADBLOCK: Another updated item to the Raptor 50 Titan SE is the headblock. This block has been completely redesigned to accommodate the additional stress that this Raptor can produce. The block is attached to the main shaft using not one but two screws. TT has eliminated the center bearing that use to hold the spindle down in the middle. Two anodized plates replace the bearing, and have "SE" etched into them. .
PHASING: Two press-fit pins accomplish the phasing. The pins allow the metal washout base to slide with ease without any noticeable slop.
SWASHPLATE: The aluminum swashplate is thinner than what you see in most helicopters. The swash is made completely out of metal, including a brass sleeve that guides the ball. The elevator control arm accomplishes the anti-rotation function.

TAIL
BOOM: The aluminum tail boom spans 660mm long and is 22mm in diameter.
TAIL CASE: The tail case is made from plastic and has molded- in bearing blocks. The tail is also molded with an arm to attach the bellcrank. An aluminum anodized guide is sandwiched between the two tail case halve to keep the belt inline with the pulley.
TAIL BLADE GRIPS: The blade grips are made from two plastic halves that sandwich around the bearings. Two new bearings are used to accomplish smooth tail control. These special bearings act like thrust bearings, as the ball races are slightly angled. The tail blades attach to the grips using a single screw and nut. The nuts sit in a recessed opening on the backside of the blades to make it easy to adjust the blade tension.
PITCH ACTUATOR SYSTEM: Aft of the bellcrank, the Raptor Titan SE comes with an aluminum tail pitch slider supported by two ball bearings with a brass sleeve. The Raptor 50 Titan SE also has an aluminum tail pitchfork that connects the plastic links to the blade grips. The links are pinned to the fork and screwed into the blade grips using self-tapping screws.

Testing
I decided to test the new Raptor 50 Titan with a variety of blades to find out which blades would perform best. The stock included blades work very well for everyday flying, but I wanted to see what it could really do. I tried the old style TT blades, Maverikk G5 pro, and Rotor Tech 610mm. I opted to use the Rotor Techs for their excellent performance on the Raptor.

Hovering • The Raptor 50 Titan SE hovers similar to the other Raptor 50 line except for one big difference. With the increased pitch, the new SE feels a bit more sensitive on the collective pitch. Overall, the Raptor is stable and has no bad tendencies in ground effect or above.
Rating: 4.5

Forward Flight • Forward flight on this Raptor feels a bit different then the other Raptors. The nose had a tendency to either balloon or dip down under fast forward flight. Slowing down to cruise speed, the helicopter handled much better. This could be caused by more aggressive ratios from the flybar.
Rating: 3

Cyclic Pitch Response • No doubt about it, this Raptor has been redesigned to give more cyclic. The roll and flip rate exceed that of any other Raptor. The crisp, interaction- free mechanical mixing system used by Thunder Tiger can truly be felt in this Titan. Rolls were right on axis and did not require any elevator inputs to keep them centered. Hard cyclic maneuvers were handled very well with the Redline 53. When performing precise maneuvers, the cyclic felt very responsive. Once you found the sweet spot, the cyclic would just lock in and never drifted off.
Rating: 4

Collective Pitch Response • The additional pitch really improved the way the Raptor 50 Titan performs. Utilizing this much pitch can be somewhat tricky, but once you adjust your collective management the Raptor become really fun to fly. The additional pitch allows you to make quick stops and direction changes with ease. No longer does the Raptor lag when it comes to the collective side of things. The Redline pulled strong with the selected blades and full pitch climb outs barely bogged the motor at all.
Rating: 4.5

Tail Rotor Response• The reliable tail setup on the Raptor has not changed a bit. The fiber in the tail belt keeps the belt tension nice through many hours of flight. The Solid G gyro took a little fine-tuning with the Raptor, but after a few adjustments the tail responded just as well as any other helicopter on the market.
Rating: 4

Autorotation Capabilities• The additional pitch on this Raptor 50 Titan SE helped improve the flare at the end of an autorotation. The pitch allowed you to float at the bottom much longer than the standard Titan. The autorotation drive performed flawlessly and allowed for a smooth transition from power on to off. The blades retained plenty of energy to even perform aerobatic autos.
Rating: 4

Post Flight Inspection • Going over the whole helicopter after many hours of flight, the Raptor 50 Titan SE held up to all the abuse even in some of the harshest conditions. The ball links all felt like the day I installed them on the helicopter.
Rating: 5

When You Open the Box
Opening the box to the Raptor 50 Titan SE, you will find a beautiful fiberglass canopy all stickered up in its own package. Parts bags are neatly separated from the canopy, as well as a section for the tail boom and control rod. Separate boxes for the muffler and engine were also in their own area. The boxes for the engine and muffler were in their own decorated box like you would see on the store shelves. Thunder Tiger also includes a blade holder with every kit to help transporting and storing your helicopter.

Manual and Build
The Raptor 50 Titan SE builds similar to the standard Titan. The manual does a great job displaying the build procedures using quality black and white digital CAD drawings. Each section of the build starts with a box that lists the parts that are needed to finish the current step in the manual. The Titan SE is built by starting with the frame halves assembled around the bearings and clutch bell. The whole build went as smoothly as any other 50-sized helicopter I have ever built. Thunder Tiger has kept this frame this way for a good reason - it is strong, easy to assemble, and is one of the most durable frames on the market.

Conclusion
If you're looking for a fun, reliable helicopter that is easy to work on and comes with one of the most powerful setups on a 50- sized helicopter, then look no further then the Raptor 50 Titan SE. Although this helicopter may not be the fastest on the market, it is one of the most reliable. I had many hours on the original Titan without any mechanical failures and I cannot see this one as any different from a durability standpoint.