How To Fly A Raptor 50

Like this:


And like that:


Something's wrong with my heli, it doesn't fly like that! :P

The second video is a heavily modified Raptor 50. It involves:

a) Use of high-speed high-torque servos
b) Mechanical set up to increase collective speed (which trades off control resolution)
c) Cutting larger holes in the main frame to allow more collective tray movement
d) Lightening the collective tray by cutting away portions of it, to allow faster collective
e) Modification of aileron servo mount and levers to allow more aileron throw
f) Making your own fly-bar mixer arms and drilling new holes in the fly-bar seesaw to attach them. (To give better cyclic and collective response)

The first video is the newer Raptor 50 Titan SE which basically comes with new parts that does away with modification f), but it still has the slower and clumsier M-CCPM design that Rappys are afflicted with. To be fair with M-CCPM it's possibly harder to get it wrong during setup and that helps beginners... but it is a 12-year old design. People also mention that there is almost no "control interaction" with M-CCPM, but with modern electronics and servos that are properly setup, E-CCPM is the choice almost all serious 3D pilots make for serious 3D flying.

If you don't want to go through the pain and uncertainty of hacking away at your helicopter and want the advatages of an elegant E-CCPM system, I'll recommend the Klone 50 from Klone RC it's an OEM (read: low-cost) Raptor with E-CCPM allowing for lighting fast cyclics and +/- 12 degrees of collective right out of the box. The fact that it's at least 100 grams lighter than the Thunder Tiger Raptor 50 and features a full-metal head doesn't hurt either.

Now all I have to do is to make a video of my Klone 50 flying some 3D. :) Thanks for reading!