**Century's new factory virtual tour**

[RAV50]

Wow - bumping a thread that is over 1 1/2 years old.

All I can say is that our LHS reports that he never has any problems with parts for any of their popular 30 (Hawk), 50 (Raven) or electrics (Swift 16, 550SE or 620SE) and only on occasion for their bigger Predator series.

As for my Predator gasser. The one time he did not have a couple of parts I needed, I was able to find them elsewhere.

He also tells me that he has found the same with most brands when it comes to parts supply or kits supply for their larger 90 and gasser helis. He was out of the Spectra Gasser kits for a long time also, as he was for their canopies and some other items.

Heck, I do not want to go into how long it has taken me to get products from companies that are much bigger then any in the R/C heli industry...I-Phone, Play Station etc....yet we all still deal with them.

Someone "trolling" perhaps??

[Zman39]

Originally Posted by RAV50

Wow - bumping a thread that is over 1 1/2 years old.

All I can say is that our LHS reports that he never has any problems with parts for any of their popular 30 (Hawk), 50 (Raven) or electrics (Swift 16, 550SE or 620SE) and only on occasion for their bigger Predator series.

As for my Predator gasser. The one time he did not have a couple of parts I needed, I was able to find them elsewhere.

He also tells me that he has found the same with most brands when it comes to parts supply or kits supply for their larger 90 and gasser helis. He was out of the Spectra Gasser kits for a long time also, as he was for their canopies and some other items.

Heck, I do not want to go into how long it has taken me to get products from companies that are much bigger then any in the R/C heli industry...I-Phone, Play Station etc....yet we all still deal with them.

Someone "trolling" perhaps??

+1!

[piranhafreak]

I for one have built 2 century helis a swift and a hawk pro and i say just wish there were more supplyers of century products

[RAV50]

Originally Posted by piranhafreak

I for one have built 2 century helis a swift and a hawk pro and i say just wish there were more supplyers of century products

I agree, I also wish they would get agressive in the market and sign up more hobby shops to handle their products.

That said, I have never had problems finding what I needed for any of mine.

[t2o]

I love my Centuries and thanks for bumping the old thread! I didn't even know it was there.

[GyroAl]

I have always been surprised with the value in their helis with any I have owned over the yeaqrs.

I have always been a big fan of the Raven 50, so I was very glad to see the kudos and the overall rating (5 on 5 in value) it received recently in the review from RC Heli magazine.

[Doug Darby]

When you look at the significant tooling costs as well as the facility, I for one am amazed at the amount of technology we get in a Heli Kit for the price.

Very impressive manufacturing facility..

Thanks for the tour.

[RAV50]

Century does not seem to spend money promoting their product by hiring "top guns" to fly them publicly.

So maybe the money saved there, allows them to pass on the savings to us - their customers.

I feel that may also be the reason that it is not as well known or understood as some of the other brands, who have helis of less quality at much higher prices.

Personally, I would rather have a better heli for less money, then have one that is not as good, but costs substantially more and more popular because of the "celebrity factor". I have never been one to buy a product just because it is endorsed by a paid celebrity.

From an numbers point of view, let us assume that it costs a company $300,000 to keep a number of hot pilots on board, and move them around to various events every year. (do the calculations at an average payroll of just $30,000 to $40,000 per pilot and travel expenses, and you will find this is possibly a conservative extimate!)

They would have to sell 3000 kits in that market area, at $100.00 per kit in higher pricing, just to pay for that!!!

As about 1 in 12 of the AMA membership fly helis, and there are about 130,000 members, that would mean they would have to sell at least one kit, every year, to at least 1 in 3 heli flyers in the USA. If they sold less then that, they would have to charge more then $100.00/kit to subsidize these guys!!

Hmmm...now I can see why some of these new 50's on the market cost twice as much as my Raven 50

[DeadTom]

Very well put Rav, all of my helis are from companies who produce quality products at reasonable prices and who do not have factory celebrities.
I really love my Hawk Pro and recently I have been looking at the Swift for my next large electric.
GO Century Helicopter!!!
DT

[RAV50]

Originally Posted by DeadTom

I really love my Hawk Pro and recently I have been looking at the Swift for my next large electric.
GO Century Helicopter!!!
DT

Seems every forum site has its' specialty. If you are looking for a forum that sports a lot of Swift flyers, check out the "Large Electric Heli" forum on RCGroups - it is a very well regarded and popular heli there.

http://www.rcgroups.com/large-electric-helis-592/

[MXRACERX43]

Ever here the Johnny Cash song One piece at a time?

[Rodney]

They do have some good pilots flying them. But as you said I cant think of nay that are paid to fly, just fly them because they like them. Thats the best way to advertise. Really looking froward to trying out the 50 gasser, as the old P-Gasser was rocking in its days.

[shamen222]

All the factories must look the same because the outside looks EXactly like the Align shop even into the greeting area and R&D room..

Still Very cool thanks..

[theLane]

Cool.. 1000 kits with missing parts

[neverhappy]

Very nice read here. love see to the pics of the factory inside

keep this going ttt

[danil]

I want to learn whether there is new source for the Asia buyers. I am from Turkey and I have difficulties to buy products from USA and Europe. Can I buy a Predator from this factory directly? In other words is there a factory sale service like most factories in Europe and Turkey have. For example Vario has a large show room near the factory and people can buy from there. I want to buy a Predator or new coming 50 Gasser, but I think about the part availablity and other problems like customer service. In addition if anybody has information about new 50 gasser, I want to look in more details. I greatly appreciate, if people share the sources for the Asia that we can buy Predator and their parts. Thanks to all.

[RAV50]

I would call Century and ask them.

I have some friends in Europe who got their Predators from Joutec in France.

[dinga]

I have been waiting 8 mths for a blackhawk top cover, every time i email century, they reply with 48hrs telling me the part is going to be made in two months and contact will be made when the part is ready.......MY query is; why does it take Century heli's 8 months to make 1 part......and everytime i email them its another 2 months why can't they Just say......We will make the part when where good and ready.......Some days i wish i had never dealt/brought there blackhawk. once i get this part I hope i never have to deal with them again.

[Bob O]

I'm seriously considering a 50NX. Those pics were very cool.

[RAV50]

Originally Posted by dinga

I have been waiting 8 mths for a blackhawk top cover, every time i email century, they reply with 48hrs telling me the part is going to be made in two months and contact will be made when the part is ready.......MY query is; why does it take Century heli's 8 months to make 1 part......and everytime i email them its another 2 months why can't they Just say......We will make the part when where good and ready.......Some days i wish i had never dealt/brought there blackhawk. once i get this part I hope i never have to deal with them again.

I can understand your frustration, as I had the same issue, a number of times, with scale bits for some Vario and Hirobo scale helis I have had in the past. In fact most of the time I ended up just repairing the ones I had.

On the other hand, I have ordered a number of scale psrts in the past (e.g. windshield and tail boom for my 50 sized Bell 47G and front fuselage part for my 30 sized Long Ranger, and got them immediately.

So I do not think a scale part supply can be vued in the same light as normal everyday pod and boom parts.