Raptor 90 3D, its getting close..

[devilfish]

Im whery close to order my first raptor, a 90 3D.
I whant a competent machine, that just works! And what i read about the raptor its just that..
I will use it for lighter 3D, aswell as a FAI/F3C trainer. I hope it can work ok for both..

Is there something I should get, while I order the kit?
Some "must/good to have" option parts you can recomend?

I whas looking to perhaps get the quick UK metal blade holders. And the quick UK metal fan. But perhaps they are more *bling* then useful?

The gear ratio is 8.27:1, and that will give me 1813 head rpm @ 15000rpm at the engine ( os 91hz ). Should I change that so the headspeed is closer to 1900rpm, what do you think?

I also wonder what pitchrange you guys get from the 90 3D?

Thanks

[AFjetmech]

The Quick UK tail is pretty nice also.

[devilfish]

Thanks

I get that to....

[devilfish]

I also wounder what max pitch/cyclic you get from the 90 3D stock?

[helipete]

The stock fan and blade grips are more than up to the job, only replace them if you want the bling.

[PhnX]

Ok,

Now If was going for the F3C\FAI style flying I would consider raptor 90 SE.

Rap 90 3D comes with light paddles, has much more pitch than you might want and does not even offer a horizontal stabilizer.

Rap 90 SE comes with :
lower flybar ratio (FAI)
soft dampeners (FAI)
Heavy paddles (FAI)
huge horizontal and vertical stabilizers (again with the added decals FAI)
Comes with different gear ratio than 8.27 (which is clearly 3D gearing, you would never need 1900 rpm on a FAI machine, most guys run 1400 on hover and 1600'ish on idle up)

Rap 90 SE can run +11 - 11 pitch which would be much more than enough for FAI flight.
You can also consider some other custom FAI rotor head for a raptor 90 SE which you can tune more.


Rap 90 3D is purely a 3D machine, stock grips are more than enough also I do not think there's any benefit running a metal cooling fan.
Rap 90 can run +15|-15 collective pitch. Most pilots that I have seen use something between 11 and 13.
I did not check for the max cyclic pitch but I can get 9 on elevator and aileron easly.

[devilfish]

THanks for all the help so far...

Im affraid I whas a bit unclear. I will use the raptor for about 80% 3D training, and 20% for some local FAI competition, nothing fancy.
I hade a hirobo freya EVO 90, and now I whanted something more agile, but with mechanical mixing. So thats the reason for the raptor 90 3D.

How does the raptor track in big manovers, loops, rolls etc?

And about headspeed. What do you guys run ?

[PhnX]

Well, I am not the best pilot out there so watching me flying may give you more information than watching a pro.

Here's a completely stock rap 90 3D .

Raptor 90 3D is the worst tracking heli in the raptor 90 class as the others are much more FAI oriented. Do not get me wrong, raptor 90 3D tracks like nothing and I am extremely happy with it, I am just saying raptor 90 SE tracks much much better especially in big loops or rolls.

Hope it helps :

Raptor 90 Kıbrıs (Cyprus eagles) - Sarper Karataş (5 min 1 sec)

[devilfish]

First.. Great flying!!

What headspeed are you running here?

I think the 3D tracks "good enough". Im affraid the SE is to much likte old evo 90. And reason for to change heli is that I whanted more agile..

[reaaz]

If you want to run 1950 head rpm, you can use the Elevated RC 90T main gear. I personally use this gear to spin my head up to 1950 whilst keeping the engine revs in limits! Does quite well in 3D

[devilfish]

Originally Posted by reaaz

If you want to run 1950 head rpm, you can use the Elevated RC 90T main gear. I personally use this gear to spin my head up to 1950 whilst keeping the engine revs in limits! Does quite well in 3D

So just change the main gear, not the pinion?
No probleme with the plastic grips? What blades do you use?

Thanks

[PhnX]

Thanks for the good comment .

I have programmed my governor to hold 1650 HS and 1950 HS . So while hovering I run the 1650 hs and other times I run 1950 hs. Raptor 90 3D comes with 8.27 gearing so its in the OS 91 hz powerband.

Raptor 90 se is agile as the raptor 90 3D. I did not flew the evo 90 that you mention but only real difference between raptor 90 3D and SE are the mixing arms. You can buy a Raptor 90 SE and swap its mixing arms with the 3D (5$ or so ?) then you'll have a Raptor 90 SE as agile as a Raptor 90 3D.

Plastic blade grips have never been a problem, infact the original TT metal blade holders are 12mm and they only accept some brands (like radix and Sabs maybe rotortechs). You cannot fly the 14mm root blades with the metal grips (align blades for example).
Plastic rotor grips are 14mm and they accept all the blades. Also they are twice beefier than the metal blade grips. I do not think they will fail in air or never seen a post that they did.


There's another reason why I choose raptor 90 3D actually. Rap 90 3D has metal frames and alum. boom where raptor 90 SE has carbon frames and boom. I just did not want to break the carbon frame so I go for the metal frame. It's heavier but I don't think I'll damage it anytime soon. Alum. boom is also cheap to replace.




I am running radix 710mm SB blades with the stock blue "light" paddles.

[Ah Clem]

I have had a Raptor 903D since they came out. I have not flown the SE, and so cannot make that comparison.

When I first got it, I thought it was pretty quick. I have it set up for 3D (i.e. max throw and the links to the flybar are on the out hole of the washout control). The gear ratio is stock. The plastic blade grips have been fine. The whole machine is built like a tank.

It is very pleasant to fly, very powerful, and, in my opinion (for what little that is worth), very smooth. After flying a lot of other things, I not longer feel it is all that quick, anymore. I have flown it with both the stock blue paddles and KBDD paddles. Control response is powerful and smooth with either. I have a bit of negative expo (JR's definition) to speed up the cyclic a bit around center).

It tracks very well and flies pretty much like it is on rails-Big, Smooth, and Heavy.

I am actually thinking of changing blades to try to speed up the cyclic a bit (I am running Radix 690's and I have heard from several sources that 710 Stick Bangers would speed it up).

One thing you will probably want to look into, is making sure that the pins that retain the tail drive gears stay in place. I believe Jim Lurch did an excellent photo study on this, which is posted somewhere on this forum. There are three pins to watch out for on the gears, and one on the elevator bellcrank, if I remember correctly.

I have epoxied brass tubing over the gears, where the pins are, to keep them from escaping.

I have never had one come loose, but stories of it happening are legion.

[reaaz]

yes, putting three brass sleeves on the pins (in tail gearbox, upper & lower tail drive) will just about give the Raptor 90 bulletproof mechanical reliability. So just do it! Yes, also use the stock 11tooth drive pinion if you wish to use the Elevated gear.. this changes the gear ratio to 8.17 I beleive.

[devilfish]

Originally Posted by PhnX

Thanks for the good comment .

I have programmed my governor to hold 1650 HS and 1950 HS . So while hovering I run the 1650 hs and other times I run 1950 hs. Raptor 90 3D comes with 8.27 gearing so its in the OS 91 hz powerband.

1950 headspeed, wount that make the engine rpm at around 16200? Isent that over the peak rpm for the HZ at 15000 rpm?

[PhnX]

1950 rpm is in the powerband of my muscle pipe 5 exhaust. You know, 2 stroke engines get most of their compression from the exhaust system. 1950 seems the way to go for the muscle pipe 5.

Also, It's only after 1900 hs that the raptor 90 3D gets lively (or at least how I would like it). I know most other pilots using mp5 exhaust also runs 1900-1950 hs's, Colin Bell is an example.

From what I remember redline for the 91 hz engine is 17000rpm, since I'm using a gov I do not think I exceed the redline.