General Hobby Raven 30cc 74 inch
12-02-2013, 08:48 AM
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General Hobby Raven 30cc 74 inch
FYI,
I was apprehensive to order from General Hobby after reviewing some comments. I decided to order the plane on sale. It was $280 to my door. The price was pretty good considering its a 26%. Here are the results............
financial transaction.........no problems (paypal)
shipping............................fast
arrival condition................no damage
covering............................very nice. actually beautiful
funtional............................all parts worked and matched
hardware...........................not to bad, fiberglass horns are tricky but rock solid once in place
manual..............................none. came with an instructional DVD
cg recommendation..........accurate
build..................................15-20 hrs
engine used.......................DLE 35RA
recommendations..............use 1/2 bottle of thin CA to strengthen where visible. The work area is extremely easy to get to considering over 1/2 of the internal area is exposed. When mounting the hinges use vaseline or a protective gel to keep the hinge from hardening with your epoxy. CA the blind nuts carefully on the cap. The DLE35 is plenty of power. My skills are not good enough to voice comments on hovering or extreme usage. Take off is real good with arrow like tracking down the runway. Due to my skill set I reduced the throws until I was comfortable. When you begin your CG it will give you mixed results. I went with a "nose down" attitude of about 10 degrees for initial flights. Apparently this was a good choice because she does fly very well.
I was apprehensive to order from General Hobby after reviewing some comments. I decided to order the plane on sale. It was $280 to my door. The price was pretty good considering its a 26%. Here are the results............
financial transaction.........no problems (paypal)
shipping............................fast
arrival condition................no damage
covering............................very nice. actually beautiful
funtional............................all parts worked and matched
hardware...........................not to bad, fiberglass horns are tricky but rock solid once in place
manual..............................none. came with an instructional DVD
cg recommendation..........accurate
build..................................15-20 hrs
engine used.......................DLE 35RA
recommendations..............use 1/2 bottle of thin CA to strengthen where visible. The work area is extremely easy to get to considering over 1/2 of the internal area is exposed. When mounting the hinges use vaseline or a protective gel to keep the hinge from hardening with your epoxy. CA the blind nuts carefully on the cap. The DLE35 is plenty of power. My skills are not good enough to voice comments on hovering or extreme usage. Take off is real good with arrow like tracking down the runway. Due to my skill set I reduced the throws until I was comfortable. When you begin your CG it will give you mixed results. I went with a "nose down" attitude of about 10 degrees for initial flights. Apparently this was a good choice because she does fly very well.
12-03-2013, 07:52 AM
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Fellows,
Ive had some time to consider the Skyline Raven 30cc build and a few additional comments are needed. The DLE35RA was a great choice; however, some throttle servo housing fabrication was necessary. The ARF comes with a pre cut servo throttle housing that must be put together. The predicted location would not work with the DLE 35RA without rotating the carb. The problem was it interfered with the lines of the manual choke. I had to get creative. Im a much better builder than a pilot so the modification and fabrication was not that difficult. Actually I think my design worked better. It allowed my throttle arm to be much shorter @ 3.5 inches. I used non metalic goldenrod "stiff".
Earlier I mentioned to CA the blind nuts on the cabin cap. The blind nuts were in place and functioned great. One eventually pushed out which could have been prevented if I used CA during the build. The plane encounters vibration and stress during flight so any strengthening efforts on the ground are beneficial. The cowl is absolutely beautiful and has the rock solid mounting ring. During the initial phase of building I placed the DLE 35 on the firewall to check cowl clearance. Wow it was very close but did clear by 1/16th. After a night of consideration I went with one thin washer on all the mounting bolts. The results were a notable clearance of about 1/8 inch. As a note the DLE 35 did clear the cowl without washers. For some builders the close clearance would have been fine but I sleep better with about 1/8th minimum (DLE 35 is 160mm firewall to prop wash, DLE 30 is 162mm firewall to prop wash).
I considered replacing the inclusive tires with aftermarkets. Ive only been in RC about 6 months but my opinion of the tires was an A+. They are not foamies and actually have a little weight to them. NOTE**** The Raven (like many mid wing) has very limited mounting wall space for switches and such. I attempted to use two switches with the charging ports. They were to big and just came to close to the edges. I used the smaller on/off switches on both sides and it worked great. I do have to lift the cap off to charge but who cares. My fuel dot is on the fuse and my remote kill switch light is as well.
The day of the maiden I taxied the plane in the grass and runway. I was checking to see if the elevator needed to be utilized to avoid tail bounce and nose overs. The plane never came even close to a nose over. The tail just stayed down. The plane on the ground was like an RC car and turned on a dime. I loved the immediate response from my controls and NO elevator was utilized to hold the tail down.
On the maiden takeoff I was as nervous as a teenager at the Mustang Ranch. I decided to not use any elevator and let her rip. Wow she was fast. I was amazed how little rudder was needed for tracking. The tail came up within 50 feet. I poured the power on and let her run way down the runway. I eased a lil elevator in and off she went with a scale lift takeoff. This was my first "performance" plane and ohhhh she is a big one in the air. The 74 inch wing span looks like a 10 feet in the air. All that red against the sky will take your breath. Would I buy another Skyline Raven from General Hobby for $280 to the door ? ABSOLUTELY
parts used:
DLE 35RA
Tenergy 6v on Receiver
Tenergy 6v on Ignition
Rcexl Remote kill switch
Tower Pro battery checker on receiver
Tower Pro battery checker on Ignition
Standard fuel dot (fuse mounted)
Standard on/off switch receiver
Standard on/off switch ignition
Felt filter clunk in the tank
Felt filter clunk on the fill
Dymond USA metal gear 190 ounce on control surfaces
Dymond USA metal gear 120 ounce on the throttle
Please wear protective eyes and ears until takeoff.......its free and just makes good sense.
Teddy Burgess Jr.
Dublin, Georgia
Ive had some time to consider the Skyline Raven 30cc build and a few additional comments are needed. The DLE35RA was a great choice; however, some throttle servo housing fabrication was necessary. The ARF comes with a pre cut servo throttle housing that must be put together. The predicted location would not work with the DLE 35RA without rotating the carb. The problem was it interfered with the lines of the manual choke. I had to get creative. Im a much better builder than a pilot so the modification and fabrication was not that difficult. Actually I think my design worked better. It allowed my throttle arm to be much shorter @ 3.5 inches. I used non metalic goldenrod "stiff".
Earlier I mentioned to CA the blind nuts on the cabin cap. The blind nuts were in place and functioned great. One eventually pushed out which could have been prevented if I used CA during the build. The plane encounters vibration and stress during flight so any strengthening efforts on the ground are beneficial. The cowl is absolutely beautiful and has the rock solid mounting ring. During the initial phase of building I placed the DLE 35 on the firewall to check cowl clearance. Wow it was very close but did clear by 1/16th. After a night of consideration I went with one thin washer on all the mounting bolts. The results were a notable clearance of about 1/8 inch. As a note the DLE 35 did clear the cowl without washers. For some builders the close clearance would have been fine but I sleep better with about 1/8th minimum (DLE 35 is 160mm firewall to prop wash, DLE 30 is 162mm firewall to prop wash).
I considered replacing the inclusive tires with aftermarkets. Ive only been in RC about 6 months but my opinion of the tires was an A+. They are not foamies and actually have a little weight to them. NOTE**** The Raven (like many mid wing) has very limited mounting wall space for switches and such. I attempted to use two switches with the charging ports. They were to big and just came to close to the edges. I used the smaller on/off switches on both sides and it worked great. I do have to lift the cap off to charge but who cares. My fuel dot is on the fuse and my remote kill switch light is as well.
The day of the maiden I taxied the plane in the grass and runway. I was checking to see if the elevator needed to be utilized to avoid tail bounce and nose overs. The plane never came even close to a nose over. The tail just stayed down. The plane on the ground was like an RC car and turned on a dime. I loved the immediate response from my controls and NO elevator was utilized to hold the tail down.
On the maiden takeoff I was as nervous as a teenager at the Mustang Ranch. I decided to not use any elevator and let her rip. Wow she was fast. I was amazed how little rudder was needed for tracking. The tail came up within 50 feet. I poured the power on and let her run way down the runway. I eased a lil elevator in and off she went with a scale lift takeoff. This was my first "performance" plane and ohhhh she is a big one in the air. The 74 inch wing span looks like a 10 feet in the air. All that red against the sky will take your breath. Would I buy another Skyline Raven from General Hobby for $280 to the door ? ABSOLUTELY
parts used:
DLE 35RA
Tenergy 6v on Receiver
Tenergy 6v on Ignition
Rcexl Remote kill switch
Tower Pro battery checker on receiver
Tower Pro battery checker on Ignition
Standard fuel dot (fuse mounted)
Standard on/off switch receiver
Standard on/off switch ignition
Felt filter clunk in the tank
Felt filter clunk on the fill
Dymond USA metal gear 190 ounce on control surfaces
Dymond USA metal gear 120 ounce on the throttle
Please wear protective eyes and ears until takeoff.......its free and just makes good sense.
Teddy Burgess Jr.
Dublin, Georgia
12-03-2013, 11:33 AM
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Fellows,
Ive had some time to consider the Skyline Raven 30cc build and a few additional comments are needed. The DLE35RA was a great choice; however, some throttle servo housing fabrication was necessary. The ARF comes with a pre cut servo throttle housing that must be put together. The predicted location would not work with the DLE 35RA without rotating the carb. The problem was it interfered with the lines of the manual choke. I had to get creative. Im a much better builder than a pilot so the modification and fabrication was not that difficult. Actually I think my design worked better. It allowed my throttle arm to be much shorter @ 3.5 inches. I used non metalic goldenrod "stiff".
Earlier I mentioned to CA the blind nuts on the cabin cap. The blind nuts were in place and functioned great. One eventually pushed out which could have been prevented if I used CA during the build. The plane encounters vibration and stress during flight so any strengthening efforts on the ground are beneficial. The cowl is absolutely beautiful and has the rock solid mounting ring. During the initial phase of building I placed the DLE 35 on the firewall to check cowl clearance. Wow it was very close but did clear by 1/16th. After a night of consideration I went with one thin washer on all the mounting bolts. The results were a notable clearance of about 1/8 inch. As a note the DLE 35 did clear the cowl without washers. For some builders the close clearance would have been fine but I sleep better with about 1/8th minimum (DLE 35 is 160mm firewall to prop wash, DLE 30 is 162mm firewall to prop wash).
I considered replacing the inclusive tires with aftermarkets. Ive only been in RC about 6 months but my opinion of the tires was an A+. They are not foamies and actually have a little weight to them. NOTE**** The Raven (like many mid wing) has very limited mounting wall space for switches and such. I attempted to use two switches with the charging ports. They were to big and just came to close to the edges. I used the smaller on/off switches on both sides and it worked great. I do have to lift the cap off to charge but who cares. My fuel dot is on the fuse and my remote kill switch light is as well.
The day of the maiden I taxied the plane in the grass and runway. I was checking to see if the elevator needed to be utilized to avoid tail bounce and nose overs. The plane never came even close to a nose over. The tail just stayed down. The plane on the ground was like an RC car and turned on a dime. I loved the immediate response from my controls and NO elevator was utilized to hold the tail down.
On the maiden takeoff I was as nervous as a teenager at the Mustang Ranch. I decided to not use any elevator and let her rip. Wow she was fast. I was amazed how little rudder was needed for tracking. The tail came up within 50 feet. I poured the power on and let her run way down the runway. I eased a lil elevator in and off she went with a scale lift takeoff. This was my first "performance" plane and ohhhh she is a big one in the air. The 74 inch wing span looks like a 10 feet in the air. All that red against the sky will take your breath. Would I buy another Skyline Raven from General Hobby for $280 to the door ? ABSOLUTELY
parts used:
DLE 35RA
Tenergy 6v on Receiver
Tenergy 6v on Ignition
Rcexl Remote kill switch
Tower Pro battery checker on receiver
Tower Pro battery checker on Ignition
Standard fuel dot (fuse mounted)
Standard on/off switch receiver
Standard on/off switch ignition
Felt filter clunk in the tank
Felt filter clunk on the fill
Dymond USA metal gear 190 ounce on control surfaces
Dymond USA metal gear 120 ounce on the throttle
Please wear protective eyes and ears until takeoff.......its free and just makes good sense.
Teddy Burgess Jr.
Dublin, Georgia
Ive had some time to consider the Skyline Raven 30cc build and a few additional comments are needed. The DLE35RA was a great choice; however, some throttle servo housing fabrication was necessary. The ARF comes with a pre cut servo throttle housing that must be put together. The predicted location would not work with the DLE 35RA without rotating the carb. The problem was it interfered with the lines of the manual choke. I had to get creative. Im a much better builder than a pilot so the modification and fabrication was not that difficult. Actually I think my design worked better. It allowed my throttle arm to be much shorter @ 3.5 inches. I used non metalic goldenrod "stiff".
Earlier I mentioned to CA the blind nuts on the cabin cap. The blind nuts were in place and functioned great. One eventually pushed out which could have been prevented if I used CA during the build. The plane encounters vibration and stress during flight so any strengthening efforts on the ground are beneficial. The cowl is absolutely beautiful and has the rock solid mounting ring. During the initial phase of building I placed the DLE 35 on the firewall to check cowl clearance. Wow it was very close but did clear by 1/16th. After a night of consideration I went with one thin washer on all the mounting bolts. The results were a notable clearance of about 1/8 inch. As a note the DLE 35 did clear the cowl without washers. For some builders the close clearance would have been fine but I sleep better with about 1/8th minimum (DLE 35 is 160mm firewall to prop wash, DLE 30 is 162mm firewall to prop wash).
I considered replacing the inclusive tires with aftermarkets. Ive only been in RC about 6 months but my opinion of the tires was an A+. They are not foamies and actually have a little weight to them. NOTE**** The Raven (like many mid wing) has very limited mounting wall space for switches and such. I attempted to use two switches with the charging ports. They were to big and just came to close to the edges. I used the smaller on/off switches on both sides and it worked great. I do have to lift the cap off to charge but who cares. My fuel dot is on the fuse and my remote kill switch light is as well.
The day of the maiden I taxied the plane in the grass and runway. I was checking to see if the elevator needed to be utilized to avoid tail bounce and nose overs. The plane never came even close to a nose over. The tail just stayed down. The plane on the ground was like an RC car and turned on a dime. I loved the immediate response from my controls and NO elevator was utilized to hold the tail down.
On the maiden takeoff I was as nervous as a teenager at the Mustang Ranch. I decided to not use any elevator and let her rip. Wow she was fast. I was amazed how little rudder was needed for tracking. The tail came up within 50 feet. I poured the power on and let her run way down the runway. I eased a lil elevator in and off she went with a scale lift takeoff. This was my first "performance" plane and ohhhh she is a big one in the air. The 74 inch wing span looks like a 10 feet in the air. All that red against the sky will take your breath. Would I buy another Skyline Raven from General Hobby for $280 to the door ? ABSOLUTELY
parts used:
DLE 35RA
Tenergy 6v on Receiver
Tenergy 6v on Ignition
Rcexl Remote kill switch
Tower Pro battery checker on receiver
Tower Pro battery checker on Ignition
Standard fuel dot (fuse mounted)
Standard on/off switch receiver
Standard on/off switch ignition
Felt filter clunk in the tank
Felt filter clunk on the fill
Dymond USA metal gear 190 ounce on control surfaces
Dymond USA metal gear 120 ounce on the throttle
Please wear protective eyes and ears until takeoff.......its free and just makes good sense.
Teddy Burgess Jr.
Dublin, Georgia
Never mind answering that question. Brother in Law used to live in Nevada next to it.
And besides, children may be reading this. 
12-03-2013, 01:29 PM
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Exactly ! Im not sure about other pilots but when Im flying these birds I get nervous. My knees lock and the focal motor skills are totally useless.
12-04-2013, 07:37 AM
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fyi,
Some of these off brands are actually very good. The Raven in the pic is a skyline from General Hobby. When you have time look at RC JETS WORLD. They carry 30cc Raven, Yak and others for $219. Its ridiculous and I ordered a smaller plane from them to check the quality. The shipping is about $29 but who cares. Thats a 26% acro plane to really have some fun with. They also carry 50cc size for $319. If the quality is there the prices are truly hard to beat. I ordered a 55 inch MXR-2 for an old glow engine I have. I will my interpretation of the quality once it comes. With this in mind..... is it really that bad to tighten up an arf a little bit? The big name planes are great but I have to tighten them up a lil as well. My objective is to have a great time flying and not have a melt down if a crash happens (or minor damage). With good prices I can build a plane, fly and simply have a good time without the nervousness of a ditching a $500 Hanger 9 edge. Maybe its just me but Im trying to keep it simple and just have a good time with good people.
take care,
Teddy
Some of these off brands are actually very good. The Raven in the pic is a skyline from General Hobby. When you have time look at RC JETS WORLD. They carry 30cc Raven, Yak and others for $219. Its ridiculous and I ordered a smaller plane from them to check the quality. The shipping is about $29 but who cares. Thats a 26% acro plane to really have some fun with. They also carry 50cc size for $319. If the quality is there the prices are truly hard to beat. I ordered a 55 inch MXR-2 for an old glow engine I have. I will my interpretation of the quality once it comes. With this in mind..... is it really that bad to tighten up an arf a little bit? The big name planes are great but I have to tighten them up a lil as well. My objective is to have a great time flying and not have a melt down if a crash happens (or minor damage). With good prices I can build a plane, fly and simply have a good time without the nervousness of a ditching a $500 Hanger 9 edge. Maybe its just me but Im trying to keep it simple and just have a good time with good people.
take care,
Teddy
12-04-2013, 09:02 AM
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Take a look at the web I mentioned. A couple of their 30cc are on sale for $209 and look great. True they are likely a China "off brand" but who gives a flip. When I ordered yesterday I had a "hic up" with their paypal. I called and they actually answered the phone. The owner "Mr. Yong" completed the order and was very nice. Later he called back to apologize for the hic up. Who the heck does that anymore? So if the plane is nice and flying is fun I may have a new dealer for a few planes. Especially their 50cc 88 inch for $319 !
have fun,
Teddy
have fun,
Teddy
11-16-2014, 05:55 AM
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Built plane as delivered from factory. Added DLE 30cc, standard exhaust, APC 18.1X10 prop turning 7770rpm for 15.3 pounds static thrust at sea level. Installed single LiFe 3A battery under the engine box. With digital servos, AUW was 11.9 pounds. Center of gravity came in at 37% MAC, located 140mm behind leading edge at the root. Raven flew perfectly: never dropped the tail - would not stall! No additional elevator inverted. I used throws per the manual with additional expo and a deep throttle curve. Hovered at 50% throttle. Incredible plane!
04-06-2015, 10:40 AM
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I don't quite understand your phrase "deep throttle curve". Is that like exponential, small throttle changes near the bottom with ever increasing rate? Or is it a lot of throttle movement near idle and little increases with the stick near full throttle? Just picked up a used Raven with a DLE 30 and am anxious to fly it. I set it up with 40% expo but left the throttle linear.
04-06-2015, 10:47 AM
#13
Small near the bottom. Walbro and the like carbs produce a lot of change at low throttle not nearly as much change towards full throttle.
A throttle curve with little movement at the bottom will make things like taxiing and hovering a lot easier and give you a more linear throttle response to the stick. The same can be accomplished by messing with offset on the servo arm, but modern radios almost all have TC's so why bother accepting what you end up with mechanically when you can get exactly what you want with a TC in the radio.
A throttle curve with little movement at the bottom will make things like taxiing and hovering a lot easier and give you a more linear throttle response to the stick. The same can be accomplished by messing with offset on the servo arm, but modern radios almost all have TC's so why bother accepting what you end up with mechanically when you can get exactly what you want with a TC in the radio.
04-23-2015, 10:37 AM
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Just received my 30cc Raven from General Hobby--arrived perfectly all the way to Anchorage, Alaska! This is the fourth airplane I've ordered from them and all arrived in perfect shape. Some covering needed tightening but all of my models have requried that regardless of manufacturer. I plan to go electric, I've installed a Scorpion S-4025-16 (332 kv) on 8S with a Castle 100amp esc. I've also put in a Rxr battery LiFe 9.0 volt with an external Castle BEC to set the voltage at 6.0. I reinforced a line of thin CA on every joint I could reach--I do that on each and every one of my planes by routine. Quality is great, fit and finish is great, covering is really nice. I'm the only one in my club flying a Raven so it'll stand out. Any other electric guys out there? if so report on your performance. This motor/esc combo gives me 2200 watts and with a weight right at 10 lbs that equates to 220 watts per pound which is 3D unlimited or with a less agreesive sport prop I'm getting 1840 watts or 184 watts per pound, which frankly, is still unlimited vertical/3D but flying it sport I get three minutes longer run time. Very happy with the plane.
