Well.... Raptor or Nexus?

the nexus is old hat now. leave well alone.

Is this a serious question?

If that's serious, then the answer is easy, niether....

Raptor helis right. Theres no comparison between the two helis, just look at the poll results.

KingSalomon,
I'm sure you are wise enough to realize why the guy is trying to sell you his. There are lots of used ones on the market and they do fly reasonably well despite what people say. But their value is greatly diminished by lack of popularity.

If you can get a good one for next to nothing, it would be fine to fly for a while. Parts are available at Tower. You can always move the electronics to a newer heli.

Tom

Yeah, i suppose that was a dumb question and poll.... but i was just curious... Actually a did try to sell me his nexus because he didnt like it. haha

are calibers any good?

Kingsalomon,

I do not feel it fair to compare those two you asked about because their respective pricing places them in two seperate classes.

Today almost all heli's by any of the major manufactures (Kyosho, Hirobo, J.R., Century) are good trainers. And IMHO there are basically two classes of 30 size helis dictated by there price:

Class 1 - inexpensive entry level ($160 to $200.00). These are generally lower prices because they may use some systems that are not as state of the art or moldings that are already paid for. But that does not necessarily mean that they are not worthy trainers. The three most popular in this range seem to be the venerable Hirobo Shuttle TS, the Kyosho Nexus and the Century Hawk Sport.

Kyosho Nexus ($160) - inexpensive mostly because many desireable features that one may find on the other two are missing (e.g. it uses Z-bends on the servo arms instead of ball joints) and because it uses less expensive plastics in many of its' moldings that wear at a much higher rate then components on the other two). IMHO, it's popularity is mostly due to the fact that most hobby shops deal with Great planes for their airplane requirements so they will go to GP for any helicopters their clientel may want to start with.....as they may not be aware of the fact that there are better choices and usually do not really care.

Hirobo Shuttle TS ($200)- The latest version of a very old design (1984). IMHO it is a little harder to set up (needs a more critical clutch to clutch bell alignment) and the top start works better then the cone version of the Nexus. Its' wear time seems better then the Nexus also.

Century Hawk Sport ($160)- this is the least expensive of the three and IMHO the best of the three. Better assembly manual, better clutch and start system, smooth dual stage power system, better rotor head, better control system components (better swashplate & washout with ball joints used on all control rods), easily set up for either stable training or 3D flight, much more crash resistant, lower parts prices, better muffler supplied etc. IMHO, the hands down choice here. NOTE: Adding another $130.00 in upgrades to it would put it into the price range of those in the next class and after doing so it would easily hold its' own against any of them.

Class 2: ($270 - $320) - the more "upmarket/loaded" 30 size (more like mini 60's)

Hirobo EVO ($290)- a lot of improvement over the Shuttle and its' Sceado predecessor. But it is also one of the higher priced unit in this class to purchase and to repair. Weather it is worth it for what it delivers is debateable. For the price, I think they could have supplied a few more high end features (e.g. full metal swashplate, triple bearing tail rotor). Nice to see the constant drive tail, but this could prove a handicap for the beginner. The weight is a little on the high side, it also requires a more critical clutch alignment then some others and the parts seem to be a bit pricey. Due to the good back up of Altec/MRC, it is certainly worth considering.

Kyosho Caliber 30 ($300.00) - a newer design that is a big improvement over the Nexus. Unfortunately, it also is missing some of the key features that one would expect from something in this price range (e.g. full metal swashplate, triple bearing tail rotor). The frame design also limits it to most scale fuselage applications. The belt driven two stage power system is smooth and relatively bullet proof (the belt will need replacing over time from stretch and wear). The Constant drive t/r is a goiod feature for the more experienced, but less of an advantage for the beginner. Ditto for the less robust frame system.

Thunder Tiger Raptor 30 V2 ($270.00)- A big improvement on the V1, but did the extra $70 increase in price really put it into this class? It also has the alignment issue between the clutch and the clutch bell as the Hirobo, but has an improved start system. In this price class, features such as more bearings, a metal swashplate and a triple bearing tail would have been appreciated. Though it is not as prone to "flutter" as the V-1, it still seems to be so inclined at times. Its' price seems to be warranted more by its' mass popularity from when it was priced at only $200.00. Now at $270 IMHO all the competition are better choices.

Century Raven 30 - ($300.00) - A big difference from the basic Hawk Sport with eCCPM controls, metal hub main rotor, full metal swashplate, triple bearing tail rotor and a torque tube drive system. It still keeps the smooth two stage drive system and sturdy frame from the hawk and the low cost parts prices. These are all systems that will make the heli long lasting and precise in flight. IMHO these are more important then having a constant tail drive in a 30 size machine. Here the CTD can later be added as an option for relatively low cost. As they use bearings everywhere else, I would have liked to have seen them also included in the bell mixers and the washout arms. It does not seem to have as much dealer support in many market areas because Century does not have the "in" with many dealers because they only sell helicopters and not airplanes and/or cars etc. But with the net one can always find parts for them from some of the bigger mail order houses. Certainly worthy of serious consideration. IMHO a real contender.

Yeah, i realize that... i shouldve asked about the Caliber not the Nexus...

This is what I think because I just crashed a nexus.

PARTS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE FOR THE NEXUS!

You can find new in package parts for the raptor on most forums, auctions, or whatever from end users for considerable savings! Buy a bunch of parts in bulk and save a bunch of money. 2nd hand parts for the nexus are hard to come by.

I'm not saying that you will be able to find all the parts that you will ever need, but if you like to stock parts like I do, then the Raptor is definitely the choice among all helicopters. Just buy spares when you see a good deal and stay ahead.

I am thinking about getting a Raptor(means waiting on funds) and want to know if you guys are have any problems getting parts.

Gary
Currently flying a Venture.

A Kyosho anything is history as far as I'm concerned

Except for the caliber

If you want a small prices heli just chose the raptot BUT the raptor isn't very good, it very unstable while flying. the nexus is better the raptor. we, all people in Indonesia doesn't like raptor very much, we like only it's the low prices.....

No contest - Raptor wins hands down!

heli-john... you are wrong.... hands down. What have you owned that makes you think the Craptor is best? I agree totally with Syclic. Read his post, it's right on.

I too agree with syclic. I'd just like to add one other to the "upmarket/loaded" 30 size group ... the Quick 30 Pro $300. I know that this will draw plenty of slams from all of the Irwin-bashers, but things at HHI have been seen changing for the better in recent times and I'm hoping that this continues.

As for the Quick 30 ... it's not exactly what I'd call a beginner heli, although it can be set up to be very smooth. It comes with just about every upgrade imaginable (except for the triple bearing tail rotor, which is available for about $40 if you must have it) including an all-metal head, metal swashplate, metal washout, metal tail slider ... you get the idea. Disadvantages include the limited sources for parts. I've not had any problems getting parts, but more choices would be nice.

I also notice that the Venture is not included in syclic's list. Since I've not flown one, I can't comment. Just wondering where it fell in with the rest.

Let the bashing begin!
Keith

I have owned both and still have a Raptor amongst others.

I went Raptor 50 for my heli recently. I would not buy another Kyosho. I know the Conecpt 30 is very old, I had that heli 12 years ago. I never got out of hovering it was so unstable, unpredictable and needed constant maintenance. It was a miserable machine. With my Raptor 50, which IMO is very stable, I was doing nose in hover on the first flight, forward flight on flight #2, and WOT forward flight on flight #4 with figure 8's, stall turns and split S's. Yesterday on flight 9 I started loops and rolls. This heli is just plain easy to fly. FWIW, I still wish I could afford an X-Cell machine. I have wanted an X-Cell for about years now, that Fury 3-D sure is enticing. Now my 8+ years of fixed wing experience has helped a bit here, no doubt. Certainly with orientation. For the price I think the Raptor is a good machine. I like the 50 though. I won't have another 30 size machine. There just isn't enough power for my taste.