Raptor 30 or 90 SE

[DanWright]

Hey everyone,
im new to the forum so i apologise if this post is in the wrong place,

anyway ive got the chance to get either a raptor 30 or 90se but i cant decide which, ive never flown I.C only electric.
i know the raptor 30 was crashed recently, but was repaired and has been flown since. as for the 90se im not sure if its ever been crashed but again its in complete flying order. both come artf, all i need is the transmitter which i have anyway.
the next bit of info i have is that the raptor 90se comes with all top of the range servos gyros etc... and so does the raptor 30.
There is a £100 difference between the two models, i have the money for the more expensive raptor 90 but money is tight so i really can not decide which model to buy. could you please give me some of the advantages and disadvantages of each model, and your personal views?

Thanks, Dan

[sacko]

The 30 is cheaper to fly, maintain and repair.

What is the spec?

Personally a 50 size machine is ideal; trex 600, Raptor 50, Velocity 50 etc

[Pitman]

There are a number of factors you need to take into consideration:

Firstly, you say money is tight, the initial purchase price is only the start, 90 size helis are very expensive on fuel, and as said above, repair costs are a lot more as well.

What is your level of flying - a 90 can be very intimidating until you get used to it.

[Vanquish]

The 90 will cost more to repair/maintain and will use alot more fuel than the 30.

However if their both a decent spec and theres only a £100 difference, i'd go for the 90 as their nice heli's. The raptor 30 is a bit of a dated model these days, good to learn the basics of nitro heli's with though as it will never be that expensive to run/maintain.

[gazza131]

i am a novice and would say the 30 is more than enough, mine being over a metre long.
i looked at both 30's and 90's and decide that a 30 is cheaper and easier to fly, the 90 i must admit was scary not just in size but also in cost to run and maintain....
hope this helps

[DanWright]

thanks for all the info guys,
I have flown on simulators and can fly "alright" but not perfectly, as for real flying i can manage the basics such as hoveringand flying forward. But once i get either one of the helis, i will be flying on a buddy lead until i am confident enough to fly solo.

I cantremember all the specs of the models because i didnt write them down, but the raptor 30 is fitted with better than avarge equipment, with wooden main rotor baldes, but the 90se comes with nearly every thing made with carbon fiber and top of the range electronics.
I think the raptor 30 is more pratical for me when it comes to flying, but the raptor 90 seems such a bargin because i know that all the kit it comes with is worth £900 all tolled, and hes selling it for less than half that money, so im so tempted because it seemssuch a bargin!

[Mark_T]

If those are the only options and you previous electric experience is on a 450 or smaller then I'd say the 30, but the best answer would really be a 50.

I'd also love to know the full spec as I rather doubt anyone has put 'top of the line' servos on a 30

[Adrian]

thanks for all the info guys,
I have flown on simulators and can fly "alright" but not perfectly, as for real flying i can manage the basics such as hoveringand flying forward. But once i get either one of the helis, i will be flying on a buddy lead until i am confident enough to fly solo.

I cantremember all the specs of the models because i didnt write them down, but the raptor 30 is fitted with better than avarge equipment, with wooden main rotor baldes, but the 90se comes with nearly every thing made with carbon fiber and top of the range electronics.
I think the raptor 30 is more pratical for me when it comes to flying, but the raptor 90 seems such a bargin because i know that all the kit it comes with is worth £900 all tolled, and hes selling it for less than half that money, so im so tempted because it seemssuch a bargin!

It seems a "bargain" but are you confidant enough to fly a 90 after only flying a 450?

Personally the 30 would be nice to get, low running costs and if you did stuff it it wont be half as expensive to repair but thats just my opinion

[Mike W]

I would not bother with a 30 as you will soon outgrow it ... TBH look at a 50 size first ... A Raptor 90 is a lovely machine and you will see a 90 more and they will handle more wind than a 30/50 machine .. but then you have running costs of fuel and the blades are more expensive ... TBH raptor 90's are a lovely machine ... and for only £100 more over the 30 then I would go for the 90 as like you say you will be on a buddy lead till you used to it ....

[maderdog_1024]

i would get the 30 and learn the basics of flying IC. The raptor 30 is good for basic 3d and once you have out grown it, you can convert it to a 50 using the Thunder Tiger 30 to 50 conversion kit.

I know alot of people who have 90s and they dont tend to use them as much as their 50 sized models.

[Tripler]

"you can convert it to a 50 using the Thunder Tiger 30 to 50 conversion kit."

I agree with the above,
learn to fly nitro with the 30, doesn't take or cost much to convert and you will be happy with a 50,
I have a R90 and have "light" crashed it, cost £300 to repair,
a bad crash with a 50 is around £100

[gazza131]

be a devil, buy both lol

[Tripler]

be a devil, buy both lol

Yeh,,,
Forgot to say , love flying the 90

[DanWright]

I like the Idea of converting the 30 to a 50, that does sound like the best option. So ill probably go for the Raptor 30.
up until the beginning of the month, i have only ever flown on my own, and never bought magazines, i only flew for my own pleasure and knew very little about the hobby. but now i am looking to expand my knowledge, (which is currently very little) and become a better flyer and hopefully perform aerobatics with a heli.
So ill have many more questions in the not too distant future hopefully they wont be too stupid.

Thanks everyone for your input