I'm not a first timer to helicopters, but I have been out of the hobby for years. My last helicopter was a Raptor .50 nitro that I really enjoyed flying. It was ROCK solid in all conditions and situations. When I got out of the hobby I sold everything. About a year ago I bought a Blade CPX and a Blade MSRX to knock the rust off. I also bought a Spektrum DX8i. I dabbled with them on and off but I've recently started flying daily.

I bought a Blade 230S a few weeks ago and while it's WAY more stable than the two small helis, it's nowhere near as solid as the Raptor I had. I don't want to get back into a nitro heli, the mess, the support equipment needed, the noise. I want to fly on my back porch.

So, having said all of the above, is the Raptor E550 as stable and powerful as the old nitro heli I had years ago? I'm not really into 3D at all. I enjoy scale flying and scale maneuvers. My old Raptor had some pretty extensive upgrades and would've been a great 3D heli, and I think that's what made it so rock solid and easy to fly SMOOTH scale maneuvers.

With all the advances in electronics, I want to make sure I can meet my goals with an electric heli, but I've been out of the loop on the latest and greatest technology for so long I'm not sure exactly where to go. Is an E550 that good right out of the box? I also saw a 3 blade version that's advertised as more stable. And I'm not stuck on one brand so if there's a better route I'm open to any input.