Vario BK 117 Advice please, because I have NO idea!!

[scvrs]

I will try to keep this story as short as possible!!

My uncle and grandad have always been interested in RC vehicles. He started with cars and moved into boats and then into Helicopters. My Grandad passed away many years ago but my uncle continued his interest in RC vehicles. Unfortunately, about 7 years ago, my uncle suffered a major stroke rendering him disabled and unable to use his right side. This meant that his RC hobby was no longer possible.

He is looking to sell a few of his models, but there is one inparticular that I need some help on. It is a fully made and ready to fly Vario BK 117. Now I know very little about RC helicopters and would appreciate any help that you can offer. I am looking for a rough guide on what it might be worth, if that is possible here. Can anyone give me a list of what I would need to know in order to get it valued (engine make/power, radio equipment make/model)???

I know that it is fully made and never been flown. It was started up a few times, but pretty sure that it never left the ground! It has four rotor blades and apparently a 5hp engine! That is all I know! Is anyone able to please point me in the right direction on this one?

I look forward to hearing from you.

[scvrs]

Bump........ Anybody?? Please??

[xygax]

Post a few pics inside and out and we will have a better idea

Steve

[scvrs]

a few pics can be found here Pictures by schallis81 - Photobucket thanks for your help. Ignore the pics of my ugly mug!!!

[sacko]

Difficult one but to give am idea;

The BMFA Classified Ads Service / Search

[Mark_T]

Very difficult indeed.

Do you know when he completed the build?

The Morley Gyro and the mechanics might suggest somewhere around 20 years ago, but he might just have taken a long time to finish it.

When you do offer this for sale, please don't describe it as 'ready to fly' as judging from the photos it is a long way from that as it will need to be stripped down, all the electronics tested and probably replaced. The engine may also not be usable if as you say it has been run a few times then put away for what looks like a good few years.

Just as a guide, an immaculate and genuinely ready to fly version of the Vario BK117 recently sold for around £1200, including mechanics, engine and all new electronics which probably were worth about half of that amount at least.

I don't want to disappoint your Uncle, but from the photos, it would be a tough call to justify the work it would take to get the model flying vs just starting with a new body. mechanics and electronics.

You need to find the right person willing to put in that sort of work to own and maintain what is a rather old model which does not look to have been finished to a high standard (from a scale perspective).

Sorry the assessment isn't more positive but at worst, what you have there is a painted shell ready for someone to fit all new mechanics and electronics into which might give it a value around £400-500 perhaps? Anything much higher is a huge risk for the buyer as you may find there isn't much more than the shell that is usable, but perhaps someone somewhere is willing to take a risk to restore something like this?

[electricsceadu]

this looks to be a very early skyfox scale mechanic set (don't get confused with the modern skyfox pod and boom heli as they are completly different)
the mainframes are no longer made but the rest of the mechanics spares from the later models will fit
the head is a very early 4 blade vario head, i don't know how well they fly
the engine looks to be a rossi or webra and no way near 5hp
it may be a 50 size (if it is a 50 it will be very under powered) although it more than likely a 60 sized motor
given its age and condition i would say a value of £200-£300 is more on the mark
but it will find a value on ebay, you can hope for two ebayers with happy bidding fingers

and if you wished to put a modern mechanics into it, you would have that much work to get them to fit you'd be better off buying a new one

if you look on the link to the bmfa the bk on there is massive (i have seen that heli) and will be around 3 times the size of this one

[Mark_T]

if you look on the link to the bmfa the bk on there is massive (i have seen that heli) and will be around 3 times the size of this one

Yes, that is the turbine version which is a very different model, over £1,000 just for the body alone.

You are probably right with the lower price estimate as there is no knowing how well even the body itself has survived the years in storage.

[electricsceadu]

the bk on the bmfa isn't a turbined body and it isn't a vario one either
as it stands it has a 50cc two stoke chainsaw engine in it that it is assumed will not have enough power to lift the model
thats why it has the turbine heli to fit inside it
it is also quite old




back to the one on here
the guys on the mainstream scale circuit won't pay a lot for it, or may not even buy it
a club pilot wishing to have a go with a scale heli may buy it
or a total begginer who doesn't know any better thinking it will be ok to learn with may buy it

[chris jones2.4]

what numbers are on the servos?

[electricsceadu]

what numbers are on the servos?

by the looks of the age of them
b i n
value £0