Kalt 60 Jetranger

[Bell 206]

You'll all laugh as I'm a newbie, but I went straight for the juggular and bought a second hand Kalt Bell Jet Ranger 60 off Ebay. I realise Kalt do not make anything anymore having been taken over some years ago by a rival firm and closed down. So, are spares available still or is it just a one off - i.e. once I've crashed and burned it that's it!?! It has an Enya 60x engine, who I believe also make the main rotor gearbox?, Futaba gyro's and at the moment that's all I know. I will of course be getting proper RC flight training and also get one of the many PC based RC Sims to learn how to fly it properly...though if that really is totally unorthodox I'll just use it as a static exhibit and buy a proper starter model :-/ The Kalt was a bargain at £200 (I feel!)

[colin n]

Woops..

as lovely as it is and flys. as u say its gonna be a pig to fix even before u crash it !

i can put u in touch with a friend who has prob got many parts to keep it flying once u can fly.

you paid far too much for a usless thing but thats heart over head

(useless at the moment that is)

spend another 400 ish quid and get something up to date with parts availability to learn on and keep the Baron for lazy summer evenings.

just my thoughts anyhow.

u out bid me by the way.

[unwind-protect]

If it's any help, I have a Kalt cyclone 2, also bizarrely in a jet ranger (actually long ranger, I think) fuselage! Also have another cyclone 2 airframe mostly complete, with engine (I think). They're mostly just taking up space in the shed, and I'd be happy to be rid of them for a lot less than £200!

[Bell 206]

as lovely as it is and flys. as u say its gonna be a pig to fix even before u crash it !

i can put u in touch with a friend who has prob got many parts to keep it flying once u can fly.

you paid far too much for a usless thing but thats heart over head

(useless at the moment that is)

spend another 400 ish quid and get something up to date with parts availability to learn on and keep the Baron for lazy summer evenings.

just my thoughts anyhow.

u out bid me by the way.

I hear what your saying - was defo a bit heart-over-head, but hey ho, no kids, no mortgage etc!! Sorry to have outbid you, another fiver and it would have been yours as my max bid was £210! I'm a bit of a Jetranger fanatic really and do this kind of thing from time to time. I once paid £2k for 5 hours flying time on the real thing, before deciding doing my PPL(H) on the Ranger was/is far too pricey and useless (bit like the Kalt then). But, is a nice exhibit all the same and I will fly it one day no doubt. Stay in touch, your mate with the parts may come in handy! Stuart.

[Bell 206]

If it's any help, I have a Kalt cyclone 2, also bizarrely in a jet ranger (actually long ranger, I think) fuselage! Also have another cyclone 2 airframe mostly complete, with engine (I think). They're mostly just taking up space in the shed, and I'd be happy to be rid of them for a lot less than £200!

What's the difference between the Baron and the Cyclone then??

[Bell 206]

I went to collect this tonight and I must say I am very pleased with it I will indeed be using it as an exhibit; it is a bloody lovely machine regardless of its obsolecense, though one day I will have it professionally set up and flown..

[Backrowslea]

any pics??

[louis]

Bell 206,

I had one of those large Kalt Jetrangers and I loved it to the extent that I had it professionally painted and lined by one of the local car repair shops. I think mine has the gas engine fitted and it flew a treat.

I do hope you get it flying and if you do I know you will have a lot of fun.

Best wishes.

Louis

[Bell 206]

I'll put some pics on at the weekend (I take it via photobucket is ok??)

Regarding getting it set up and flown - fortunately I don't live too far away from Midland Helicopters, so I will let them sort it out and fly it if they wish. In the meantime I intend to get a smaller electric model and learn the art gently.. Nice friendly forum btw

[unwind-protect]

What's the difference between the Baron and the Cyclone then??

From what I can find quickly, the Cyclone replaced the Baron. Most of the parts claim to be interchangeable. The rotor head at least looks pretty much identical.

Found the ebay ad, yours is much prettier than mine. Word of warning: fiberglass can crack pretty easily. I managed to catch the horizontal stabilizer on something when moving the heli, and cracked the fuse around the hole :-(

£400/hr for turbine training sounds pretty good, really!

[Bell 206]

From what I can find quickly, the Cyclone replaced the Baron. Most of the parts claim to be interchangeable. The rotor head at least looks pretty much identical.

Found the ebay ad, yours is much prettier than mine. Word of warning: fiberglass can crack pretty easily. I managed to catch the horizontal stabilizer on something when moving the heli, and cracked the fuse around the hole :-(

£400/hr for turbine training sounds pretty good, really!

Well, if you think a lot of the bits might be interchangeable then PM me a price for your spares, as it is my intention to build up a significant inventory of parts. That is of course if I decide to get her running!?! It would be foolish not too really, so the parts are obviously paramount!! I'm sure their out there, its just getting to know the right people and having a little bit of luck in my experience.

Nowadays you certainly wouldn't get turbine training for £400/hr and though a good price, it was still money thrown to the wind; whereas at least with the Kalt I have something tangible for my money that is a great conversation piece - and pretty much satisfies my long term love affair with the looks and design of Jet/Longrangers! TT would certainly be £500+/hr now anyway (on a Jetranger especially, as opposed to an E350). When I did it, it was back in 1999/2000 and even then they did me a special price as I purchased in 'blocks'. Just one block of 5 as it turned out. Never again; should've got into this hobby back then rather than having delusions of getting a CPL(H)....

[unwind-protect]

If you're not in a rush I'll get some photos together so you can decide; due to it's size, I've no idea how I'd go about posting it, I'm afraid.

At the risk of taking the thread off topic, full size heli flying is how I got into this, too. There's no way I could justify 15K or so just for a 'hobby', but for CPL(H) +500hrs which I've been told is pretty much the minimum for commercial work you're looking at 60K+. And they don't even let you hover them upside down...

[Bell 206]

If you're not in a rush I'll get some photos together so you can decide; due to it's size, I've no idea how I'd go about posting it, I'm afraid.

At the risk of taking the thread off topic, full size heli flying is how I got into this, too. There's no way I could justify 15K or so just for a 'hobby', but for CPL(H) +500hrs which I've been told is pretty much the minimum for commercial work you're looking at 60K+. And they don't even let you hover them upside down...

No rush at all sir - pics would be nice, though as I said in the PM I would need to know interchangeability characteristics of parts. Don't worry about posting, I have a van, I'll collect and your only down the road in Cambridge.

I'll leave the full size heli thing there for (as you say) annoying others.....and dragging up past demons...

[Bell 206]

Here's a few pics as promised:








I absolutely adore the thing!!!!

Aside from my static exhibit pictured above, today I bought an E-flite Blade MCX micro heli. A great little thing and one I can practice with pretty much anywhere. When I have mastered that I've got my eye on an Eco 7 Jetranger. But first things first eh...