OK - I have been reading alot of posts and I've just about decided to get a Hawk sport but I live / fly at 4500 ft so will the OS 32 (BTW - I found one for $50 )have enough power to take me through learning to some 3D? should I get a bigger heli? or will a bigger engine fit the Hawk? I already have an 8 UHP and a 9CAP but am wondering which one to use? also which gyro?

the hawk was my first heli,not a bad starte.but make sure you can get parts for it close by,the raptor would be good also,the futaba gy 401 or the gy-240 would be you best gyros,i dont know abot your radios you have tho..have fun..

You should be able to hover ok.

You're mixtures will probably be a bit leaner at that altitude.

The os 32 is a decent engine and the hawks are pretty darn light.

Hawk sports are OK but WATCH the tail when you build it. If you don't jb weld the lock ring you will lose the tail in flight and crash.

Personally, I think having to JB weld anything is pretty poor engineering, also if you ever want to take the tail down to lube it you gotta pry the JB weld off.

For the $159.00 though its a deal. The stock links though are pretty tough to get smooth and the head is not very smooth.
(I'm comparing this to my Freya though so its really not too fair)

However, as soon as you're over the hovering stage the limitations start to show, like slop in the linkages, lack of bearings in critical places etc.

DOn't get me wrong though, a pretty good heli to ring out and try everything with no fear of crashing.

Just my 2 bits...
Aaron

ASAT,
I would recommend the Falcon 50 SE V2 if you wanna think long term as far as a Century heli goes. It's cheap to fix(except for the carbon fiber torque tube - $28) has 60 size features and will outlast any 30 or 50 on the market. The key here is when you get past loops and rolls and start flipping, tumbling, funnels, you will appreciate the 50.

Also, because of the 600mm blades(I use Gamma 600mm CF blades - $55!) the autos are great and you can fly with the big boys on heavy wind days. I flew my Falcon 50 SE V2 this past weekend in 25mph winds all day and had a blast!

Check out my Falcon pics and consider purchasing ahead of your current needs. Otherwise, you may be trying to unload a 30 in 6 months.....

Falcon Pics here....

I am leaning that way but today I saw a special on a Raptor 60 with motor (OS 61 WC) and muff( MVP)for $689 - how would the two of those compare? The R60 vs the Falcon 50?

Well, having owned both I don't think you can go wrong either way. The Raptor 60 is just a fabulous knock around 60 that is alot of fun to fly. No dial indicating, shimming tail rotor gears, slamming huge motors in etc. Just build it and fly it......

The key here to remember is fuel consumption and crash costs. My Raptor60 consumed 8-9 tanks a gallon with 10 min flights running an YS .61 ST2. Most crashes cost $100-120 parts plus blades.(unless you opt for woodies)

On the otherhand the Falcon SE V2 with an OS .50SX-H would get 12 tanks per gallon and 12 min flights. Most crashes run $50 - $75 plus blades(unless you opt for woodies).

Remember, a 50 is just a 30 on steroids. The hover better and are not to wild for a beginner. They just have alot of power available if you want it. The crash costs are relatively the same so the main difference in this comparison if fuel consumption.

I will ALWAYS encourage beginners to go the 50 route to start out if they can afford the added fuel costs and plan on learning 3D. Well, at least until someone comes out with a 30 that can ROCK as far as power is concerned. Maybe the TT .39 will do it. I don't know. We will see.....