wgeffon

My Feedback: (4)

Anyone flying one?

What do you think about it?

rhd-RCU

My Feedback: (36)

I think it is a great little machine, but parts are an issue. The only one with parts is Helliproz. The importer GP is out. They supply Heliproz. So when they run out, they have no place to go. GP has been out for a while. In August they said the end of August. Now they say early Sept. On the 15th it will be the end of Sept. Horizon has always had my parts for the Venture.

Vulturetec

I'm just getting back into helis so I don't have anything "modern" to compare to, but so far my Caliber 30 has been pretty good. Well put together, easy to finish, and has been easy to fly.

When I got mine a lot of the parts were scarce (I wanted a 2nd set of tail rotor blades for example - nobody seemed to have any). I just did a quick check on Tower for a lot of typical crash parts, and it looks like they've got most of it in now but they're lacking a lot of bearings and hardware.

basmntdweller

My Feedback: (9)

Flies decent for a 30 size. I wish it had more power. I don't think it needs a 50 but maybe the new ThunderTiger .39 might be a good fit. Fueling is a PITA because you can't get to the fuel lines up in the canopy. I'm not a fan of the hex start but there's no other choice here. I can't get the runout on my clutch shaft below .003" I bought a second shaft and it's the same. I tried one on another engine thinking maybe I had a bad crank but it ranout as well. The runout causes some vibration I don't like. The glowplug is a long reach through the "chin" of the canopy. I haven't come up with a decent place to mount a remote plug. I wanted to put a header tank on to provide easier refueling but I haven't found any good way yet.
It has it's pros and cons like every other heli out there.
Later,,,basmntdweller

rhd-RCU

My Feedback: (36)

They must have just gotten them in. They said no this morning. This is good news.

basmntdweller

My Feedback: (9)

Wayne, If you are thinking about trying a heli, get one that you can get parts for readily and what others in your area already have experience with. Of the current 30 size helis, they all fly about equal. Help close by and parts availability are the most important things. Even though I don't have one I'd say get a Venture if you have a CCPM capable radio. If not, A Caliber or Raptor will both do a fine job, from learning through mild 3D stuff.
Later,,,basmntdweller

LASSER-ARROW

hi all i find my caliber a bit faster in the air than my raptor. i put a tee piece in the line for refuiling thinking about putting the header tank under the other tank not shore if that will work .you are wright about parts not many about in the uk thinking about getting another kit just for parts .
when they come more avalible can replace them and sell the kit on.ran a glow clip to the frame side just above the tank works great.{just my opion on the speed against the raptor}

wjkillay

I just hope that the Caliber is better than the Nexus was. I had a Nexus and it was not very good for learning I don't think. I flew it for a while and learned some, mostly how to wrench on helis, and not a whole lot about flying them. I took all the radio stuff of the Nexus and parked it and bought a Venture, I spend 10 to 1 more time flying now versus what I was spending working on the Nexus before. I love my Venture, I just had my first newbie pilot accident last night with my Venture and once I got the parts I was back up and flying in less than two hours and that was just because I wanted to take it all apart and check everything out. The actual fix only took about 15 minutes. Anyway, take a look at the Ventures, not saying buy one, just take a look at them. Again my only comparison is the Nexus and I would not recommend that thing to anybody. Oh, and the parts in the end will only end up costing me $15 bucks from Horizon. That's not what I paid though... I just love mine so much that I went and bought another one to have for spare parts...

Vulturetec

I ended up cutting a small (about 1" or so square) hole in the canopy adjacent to the needle valve - a pair of hemostats works ok to get the fuel line on/off the engine and out the hole for refueling. It's not a perfect solution, but it works.

basmntdweller

My Feedback: (9)

wjkillay, no comparison to nexus. I have both. Two completely different machines.
Basmntdweller

wjkillay

Kind of what I thought, but I have never seen a Caliber up close.

Thanks

wgeffon

My Feedback: (4)

Thanks guys for the info.
I am torn between the Caliber and the Raptor 30. My radio will support CCPM so thats whyI was leaning twords the caliber.

CA-RCFlyer

Hi
I had a Venture and now I have a Caliber 30. The Venture is heavy for a 30, the caliber weighs in at 6 lb. I was always trying to get more power from the os32 in the venture. The frame on the Venture is stiffer than the caliber. The control arm for the tail rotor on the caliber is real nice I did not like the venture tail parts sloppy. The head on the caliber is great no slop at all on mine and no binding. No thrust bearings in the rotor head for the Venture and the slop shows up but you can buy them but they should have been in the kit to start with. The venture I had to do some grinding on the head to get full throw without binding. The links on the caliber were perfect, on the venture I replace almost all of them because the balls were moving up and down inside the links. I went thru 2 fuel tanks on the venture because the canopy rubbed a hole in the lower left front corner. I would not put a 50 in the venture a guy at our field did and the main rotor head broke on it, but then again he fly's hard 3D. The Caliber comes with a muffler even if you buy the arf kit without the engine, it works ok but I had my ksj muffler that I used. I have a little over 2 gallons thru the caliber and it fly's great. The build quality on the caliber is good no problems. I just replaced the tail blades with model-sport 80mm carbons 20.99 from helipros have not flown it yet after replacing them. I would say buy a Caliber 30 or raptor 30.

Fred

wjkillay

So what do you mean by binding? I have a Venture and I don't know what you mean. I don't think that I have any binding, also on the tail control arm, what do you mean by sloppy? It may be, but I am pretty new to RC Heli's and I am not sure what the right thing is supposed to be, but I can tell you this much, my Venture has a MUCH, MUCH better tail setup than my Nexus did, that thing came apart in the air several times on me.

Vulturetec

I read several things about ball links binding, or being otherwise less than perfectly smooth - and then how to make them right. I was really happy with the way everything just fell together on the Caliber, the linkages are very very smooth (of course I'm comparing to what I had back in the early 80's too).

The only thing that seems really sloppy on the Caliber is the sliding servo-tray. Obviously CCPM mixing takes care of that, but if you're stuck with an older radio you're faced with a sliding tray that is supposed to slide on four ball-bearings against the frame-sides. Works great, except there's enough gap between the bearings and the frame to allow the servo tray to wiggle a little bit.

I laminated thin nylon sheet material to the frame sides to take up the slack and it seems to work.

wjkillay

Oh, ok, I see what you mean. I took all my ball links off and checked each one and they all seem pretty smooth to me, I don't see a hint of binding anywhere, and it's all ball bearings throughout.

The only complaint that I have with this bird of mine is that the fuel tank seems to be rubbing against the side of the fuselage, so I glued some foam tape to the corner where it's rubbing and that seems to have saved my fuel tank for now.

I hear people say that the Venture is a bit heavy, but all in all I think it's a great bird. Sounds like the Caliber is too. I can't wait to try my hand at some bigger heli's and eventually some scale stuff too.

rotorheadchucky

My Feedback: (2)

well i have a caliber 30 that i have mounted a ksj header tank to it is mounted on the right hand side i took the tail boom support loose and got me longer screw put it through the bracket and placed a wheel collar behind the header and a small washer and put it back together works perfect easily fueled and mounted a ksj remote glo adapter at the top of the landing gear also works perfectly my only prblem is my main belt rides up my cluth bell gear and hanging of the gear a little. talk to you guys later chuck

wgeffon

My Feedback: (4)

How about some pics of the header tank set up.

rotorheadchucky

My Feedback: (2)

ill see if my buddy can do some pics for you. chuck

shocker

been flying mine for about 3 wks now, still in hover newbie .but i like it. as far as the fugly canopy i replaced mine with a century hawk II body. looks like a real chopp now. and everything is accesslible now.need not to remove for anything. hawk body and mounting kit for 53 bucks. and fits like it was made for caliber.