helicrazedout

HI im thinking very much about buying a century hawk but i know very little about it. i want to know what kind of heli it is like does it perform good what parts does it have on it? should i be ok flying it since i already have a belt cp that i can fly well! is the century a good heli overall what makes it good? what is a better heli a trek 600 a raptor 50 or a century hawk?? i am stuck between all of thease dont know what to get? what size heli is the century hawk and is their only one century helicopter? any help on the century will help thanks very much.

kraffty

My Feedback: (2)

I have flown alot of different helis nitro and electric. I currently have raptor .50,caliber5,(2) hawk pros,and many others such as trex 500. Of all these helis I prefer my old Hawk pro with an O.S. .37. It has the cheapest old worn out servos and a good 401 gyro and this thing is awesome for learning and flying aerobatics. It is very reliable and easy to fix if crashed. Mine has over 100 flights and is on the second engine. It has a very light feel when flying and is very forgiving. I use it for everyday grab and go flying when time is limited. I jump in the car with it and fly 2 flight back to back bring it home and charge it up and its ready again. I like it so much I have a second one for a backup that is still brand new and ready to fly. I also just purchased a raven .50 combo kit and cant wait to get started on it. My recommendation is get the hawk pro,OS .37 engine, Futaba 401 gyro/9254 servo, decent servos such as Hitec 635 and fly. If you decide on this be sure you do the simple mod on the countershaft...basically locktite bearings to shaft. Very simple.

helicrazedout

thanks for the help i think ill check it out today at hooby shop

chris6414

My Feedback: (10)

I agree. I have a second hand Hawk Sport that I picked up cheap, and I love it. Parts are affordable and it is super easy to set-up and fly. I fly mine with basement, Futaba 3004 servos and a JR 810G for the rudder. All analog, and a cheap EFlite G90 dual rate gyro. With the OS .32, it has plenty of power for me with great flight times.

jester4

Hawks are great helis. I just sold mine after 3 plus years of ownership, and the guy who bought it is lovin' it too. I almost wish I never sold it........

rotordoc

Probably one one of few diamonds in the rough in the world of R/C helicopters - much like their 50 sized Raven.

helicrazedout

thank you very much for all the input you guys have given me its sounds like the hawk is a great heli! i will make the descion soon.

garlonbs

Hey Jester, your hawk flew great until the receiver switch that I installed failed and it went in. I already have another hawk kit coming as the crash was bad enough that it was more cost effective to start over (it hit very hard). I learned more on those 50 odd flights in a couple of months than I did in 3 years using a trex 450. The hawk is simple to setup, very forgiving and gives a relatively inexperienced pilot alot of confidence. Not to mention I could only fly for about 1/4 tank of fuel before my nerves got to me and I'd have to land and take a break. I'd say it is the most cost effective nitro heli out there.

jester4

garlonbs, sorry to hear about your crash. It sucks when something trivial fails. Unfortunately it wasn't my old Hawk you crashed, I sold it locally here in Canada

garlonbs

Wow, another jester handle flying a hawk? Go figure.

helicrazedout

guys what is a better heli and why a hawk or a raven?

rotordoc

The 30 class of heli faded from my sight many years ago when I first got into the harder type of 3D flight...with the OS32 that was available then, they just didn't have the power...so I moved into the 90 size helis. Now I had all the power I needed, but the fuel cost and the crash repair cost was quite daunting. So I tried some of the 50 sized machines and found them to be a bit too maintenance intensive and did not have the "precision feel" of my Predator 90 .

A number of years ago, I helped a club mate with a Hawk Pro that was powered by a Toki 40, I could not believe how well it flew and the great power to weight ratio it had. So I got one and discovered it was also a low maintenance bird. Now I could push myself a lot harder without being afraid of crash costs or fuel costs. My learning curve became much better. But it too lacked the precision "feel" of the 90.

I heard that their Raven 50 was more of a smaller Predator then a larger Hawk, so I looked into it at the Toledo show one year. Other then the canopy and mainframe, its other components where either the same as that of the Predator (tail drive system and tail rotor) or just a scaled down version of it (main rotor system). The Predatior has an eCCPM control system that sold me on the idea of eCCPM, and the Raven also has one, so I really liked that idea. Consequently, when I got back, I got me one. I found the Raven to be everything people had told me about it. Now I had a smaller heli that was far less costly to fuel & to repair, that still had a low maintenance factor, yet retain all the precision I enjoyed in the 90's.

The best way I can describe it, is that it flies like a 90 with the costs associated with a 50.

P.S. I still fly my Hawk a lot though...but my 90's don't see as much flight time anymore.

Of note here, for a beginner, is that the Raven has a driven tail so that it can perform backwards and airobatic autos, so it will take more energy from the rotor in an autorotation, and if you land hard in the auto, and the tail rotor hits the ground, you can strip the crown gear. The Hawk has a standard auto clutch so it does not take as much energy from the mainblades in an auto, and the tail rotor is not at risk in a hard auto landing.

helicrazedout

hmm intresting post rotordoc but thoase 90 size are too expensive for me atm but i heard the 50. perform good on 3d though.?

rotordoc

Yes, I i said in my post above, the 90's are costly in all aspects but do everything very well and with great precision.

The Hawk Pro, with the OS37, also does everything surprisingly well, but without the absolute precision of the 90....but is by far, the lowest cost option to learning 3D, from getting airborn, to low fuel and maintenance cost to low repair cost.

But if you want the best of both worlds, I found the precision and agility of Raven 50 (with the more powerful 50 class motors like the OS50 Hyper or YS51) could 3D with the power performance similar to the 90 and also with the precision control of 90. Yet it has a much lower cost option to get in the air, to keep fueled, to maintain and to repair.

The most important in the total equation, is also the cost of the periferal equipment. IMHO, you should always look first to get the best radio, servos and gyro and then spend the rest on the heli and its' power system.

What I mean by that, is if your budget allows you can get the Raven, with a top 50 engine and good muffler, but will have only enough left over to go for a lesser radio & gyro, then you are better to initially go with the Hawk & OS37 with the better radio, servos and gyro. This, IMHO, is better in any comparison of heli selection on any budget.

But if your budget will allow at least a good 7 chanel radio (preferably 9), good dual bearinged digital servos, at least a 401/9254 combination and the extra to go for the Raven 50/OS50 Hyper and a good 50 size muffler, then go for the Raven, otherwise stick with the better radio gear and go for the Hawk Pro.

I would take the Hawk Pro with the OS 37, CN3039 muffler, Futaba 10C with dual bearinged digital servos and the 401/9254 combination before going for any 50 with a 50 engine and muffler, Futaba 7C and lesser servos and the 401/9254 combo.

kraffty

My Feedback: (2)

Ill let you know how I like the Raven in a few days. Its almost done. I have 2 hawk pro that have over 100 flights and love them. Cant wait to see how much better the Raven is.

helicrazedout

kool sounds great do let me know! oh and what is price diffrence between hawk and raven??

kraffty

My Feedback: (2)

I finished my raven today and fired it up. WOW. A huge difference in power over the hawk pro. I only got to hover and made 1 circle around the yard just before dark. Hopefully tomorrow I will try in idle up and ring it out. So far I am very happy with it.

rotordoc

The latest isuue of R/C Heli magazine (Issue 32) has a review of the Raven. It is one of the few helis in its' history to get a top 5 rating for Value!!! A very good review indeed.

haldeng

How does the Hawk Pro compare to the Raptor 30?