Raptor 60 Vs. 90

[Pappy]

I'm looking to upgrade from my T-Rex 450 and Beam E4 and finally feel proficient enough to invest in a real bird. Of course I'm looking at the newer designs but not being one to follow the crowd I thought I'd ask about the trusty ol' reliable Raptors.

I have mastered hovering in all upright attitudes, FFF, and simple aerobatics (flips, rolls, loops). Being an IMAC/Pattern planker precision flight appeals to me so I see myself heading to F3C-type flying. Finally, I'm looking for a big bird for their visibility and stability.


So questions for this forum are....

• Money is somewhat tight and I can save some up front cost by getting a 60 (70 really given motor choices out there). Given my capability and goals, would it make sense to get the 60?
• Is it's performance good enough that I can use it to grow and eventually move up to a more aggressive 90?
• Is there any real advantage to CCPM vs. the Raptor's control set-up?
• Can I run the OS70 on lower-nitro fuel and is it any more fuel-efficient that the bigger 90-sized engines (I'm a YS fan).

Thanks in advance for your replies!

[Badger50]

Hey Pappy: Wow that sounds like me calling my Dad Just Kidding. Well I will be happy to give you my 2 cents worth, so here it goes.
1) You will find that shortly after you get into helis you are going to want one thing...MORE POWER. I started with a Rap-30, and within 2 months I converted it to a 50 because I couldn't do the good 3D stuff.
2) If your considering a 60 size, why not go with a 90. Your going to want to do it soon after, and its cheaper to start that way, instead of converting it. A YS ( great motor ) 80 or an OS 70 will fit a 90 frame just fine. It will be a little under powered, but still be able to do basic flips, rolls, and inverted maneuvers.
3) You can run from 15-30% nitro just fine, however, when you start to get that power craving, your going to want to run 30% I also think your motor runs better, and stays cooler with 30% than with 15%, but thats just my opinion.
4) If your just starting out, and want to keep the budget down, but still have a blast and do 3D maneuvers, I would recommend the venerable, time tested a true, Rap-50SE. This is the heli that I practice all my 3D maneuvers on before moving on to my Rap-903D model. You can find parts for them virtually everywhere. They are easy to build and maintain, and if (no when) you crash it, it doesn't hurt the wallet nearly as bad as a 60 or 90 size machine. The Rap-50 isn't as sexy or advanced as some of the other 50 or 90 sized machines, but when they are set up properly, and are flown by experienced pilots, they look as good as anything else in the air.
5) As far as ccpm vs mcpm all I can say is this, the rotor head, swash mix, control arms, and fly bars, don't really give a hoot how they get their input. I look at it this way, I like the KISS method, "Keep It Simple Stupid" On a Raptor, 1 servo gives input to the pitch arm, which then inputs the swash plate, MCPM. On a CCPM machine, 3 servos are inputting the swash plate at the same time. You will find as many opinions on this topic as there are about Ford vs Chevy. Both work fine, so its really up to you.
Other than that, that's my 2 cents worth. I hope I was able to help. Good luck with your decision.