Matt's Raptor 90se
The two main reasons I decided to opt for this kit was -
a) I needed a new toy as I felt I was loosing the spark for the hobby and thought another aircraft to build, fly and enjoy would keep the smile on my face.
b) I already own a modified Raptor 50 V2 and was pleased with its build quality, spares costs and availability.
So I thought the 90SE would be the step in the right direction. I'd considered a standard 90 but knew I would kick myself later on that I hadn't gone for the top spec model. Even though I had to save a little longer I am glad I did.
Opening the box...
I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the canopy which dominated my view, then after a little digging around, I discovered the carbon fibre tail boom – holding these two items aloft imagining a complete aircraft made my 50 look like a Micro heli!!
All the parts were very well packed up and separated by individual plastic bags, cardboard boxes and plastic protective tubes labelled with a letter of the alphabet to coincide with the instruction manual. Should you have any parts left over from the sub builds then you need to recheck and adjust. I would suggest using some small plastic containers to ensure the bag/s you do have open, are kept separate and all parts accounted for.
At this point I cannot stress enough that you must take your time over constructing this kit and don’t try and build it at “stupid o’clock” in the morning, as you will only have to disassemble and start over again! This comes from a voice of experience…
The way you are instructed is to complete various sub assemblies then combine these to form a more complex assembly, section by section.
The drawings and written instructions are on the vague side at times and I found that by flicking forward a few pages allowed me to view the assembly from another angle, thus confirming certain parts should go in certain places eg the hexagonal alloy frame spacers.
Please have a look at the Instruction Manual which I have added note bubbles to, which give helpful tips throughout the build process. These can be seen as little yellow buttons on some of the diagrams (hover mouse over button to reveal text).
I decided from the experience of my Raptor 50 that I was going to fit some aftermarket upgrade parts during the initial build, rather than fit them at a later date.
The whole build took me about a month to complete, doing a little bit each evening.
Once built, I found that I had to adjust the control rods - some of them quite significantly to give the desired results. It does however, say to use the stated rod lengths as a starting guide only.
It also took a few goes at routing the avionics to a way I was happy with. There are no cable routing clamps on this model - This I think is due to the carbon side frames rather than the plastic items which form the airframe on its smaller brothers (30 & 50 class).
The whole package I chose for this project is as follows…
•1x Raptor 90SE kit
•1x OS 91 SZ-H PS Pumped & Regulated Helicopter Engine
•1x Curtis Youngblood Muscle Pipe 2
•1x Futaba GY 601 Gyro / dedicated S9251 Digital Gyro Servo Package
•3x Futaba S9252 Digital Servo’s for Cyclic Control & Throttle
•1x Futaba S9255 Digital Servo for Collective Pitch
•1x Muliplex RX-7 Synthesized IPD Receiver
•1x Pair Thunder Tiger 710 mm Carbon Main Blades
•1x Pair Funkey Carbon 105 mm Tail Blades
•1x Pair K&S Lightweight Paddles
•1x Quick UK wrap around Flybar carrier
•1 x Quick UK Metal Washout Assembly
•1x Pair Quick UK Undercarriage
•1x CSM Revlock 10 Engine Governor
•1x 3700 Mah Ni-mh ‘C’ sized Battery Pack
Since the initial build I have upgraded to the following parts -
•1x Pair Lightened Red Thunder Tiger Paddles
As these offer the stability and fast roll rate without causing twitchiness and pitching
in hover / full forward flight.
•1x Hatori SB-18FH Exhaust
This item is specifically designed for the Raptor and OS engine combination offering the best performance available.
Well I will finish here for now and will add some more to the review once I have the engine run in and fully setup. That way I can write about how it flies.
Safe Flying…
Matti.