Reindeer
Posts: 147
Joined: 4/20/2005
From: Brookings,
OR, USA
Status: offline
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My latest project arrived yesterday... a new Raptor G2 by Exceed R/C. Had a chance to give it it's maiden flights over the last couple of days. Since I've seen a couple of other posts asking about this heli, I figure I might as well share my impression.
The Raptor G2 comes as an RTF package... a rather complete one at that. My understanding is that this heli rolls off the same assembly line as the Walkera Dragonfly series. Included are the heli (obviously  ), the transmitter, NiMH battery, charger, an extra set of blades, and some basic tools. All that is necessary to fly are 8 AA batteries or pack for the reciever. Also, training gear is not included. I also ordered an additional flybar and landing gear as these are commonly replaced items in the event of a crash. Total for the whole package was $207 shipped to my door from XHeli.com.
The heli itself seems to be surprisingly well consructed for the money. Things I really like about it are a belt-driven tail rotor, and ball joints for all the control linkages. The included gyro also seems to be of decent quality as well. Included motor is brushed, but brushless motors and corresponding ESCs are available, and I suspect I'll be doing that upgrade shortly. Sizewise, it's just a hair smaller than the Trex. Main and rotor blades are made out of foam, are fully symetrical, and cheap to replace. In fact, parts in general are reasonable, and seem to be plentiful, which was one of the reasons I decided to buy this model.
Included batteries are NiMH, which are good for about 5 minutes of flight at a time. However, the heli is supposed to be Li-Po ready, and they are available as an option.
The transmitter is also surprisingly decent for the cost. It's a basic FM transmitter, but it does include knobs for adjusting the pitch and throttle curves. Transmitter also features a switch to go from normal "hover mode" to full 3D mode. Also of note is that it has a full range of DIP switches on the back for control reveral, and a port along with a cord so that it can be plugged into the back of your computer.
The only area that I would bonk the Raptor on is in the instructions. They are adequate for an experienced flyer, but leave alot of details out for a beginning flyer... considering that the cost of this machine is going to have great appeal to someone just starting out with helis, this is one area that I would like to see addressed. If anyone reading this is thinking of buying one, I highly recommend having an experienced flyer available to help you out with any issues you might run across.
So far I have had 7 flights at the time I am writing this, mainly just hover practice. I notice the heli has a tendency to want to swing the boom around hard to the right (counterclockwise) during the initial spool-up. Beyond that, the heli is stable. While flying this morning, I did have one minor incident while hovering at the local high scool parking lot. What basically happened was that a random gust of wind caught the heli, and it started to drift away on me fast enough that I decided to put it down. In the process apparently a pebble got caught in the groud effect, bounced up, and nicked one of the main blades. A little foam CA and clear tape later, I was up and flying again. No big deal.
Overall my impression with this heli is quite positive so far, as I feel it offers tremendous bang-for-the-buck. It's much less expensive to get in the air than an equivalent Trex by the time all is said and done, or a Blade CP for that matter. I also feel that it is a better choice over most micro-helis for those who are ultimately looking to fly a larger nitro helicopter as it should make the transition more natural. Of course this is my personal opinion... take it for what it's worth!  Still, it would be nice if Exceed R/C could offer a brushless/Li-Po option out of the factory.
Verdict so far: Winner.
< Message edited by Reindeer -- 7/24/2006 10:10:56 AM >
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Raptor G2 Maiden Flight - 
