Buying

[DIYBob1962]

Hi All,

 

I have a friend who has bought a Century Hawk helicopter including taki 40 engine, futaba servos, trainer landing gear, batteries, charger, fuel etc. about a year ago. He has never managed to get it started and now has a young child and no spare time. He wants £100 for the lot. I have no knowledge whatsoever of these things and want to know if its worth having a go with it.

 

What do you reckon?

 

Thanks

 

ps he tells me the Taki 40 is notoriously hard to start.

Edited By DIYBob1962 on 07/07/2010 13:03:21

[DIYBob1962]

Wow!!

 

40 people viewing and no opinions? Come on guys, yeh or ney?

 

Thanks,

Bob

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Possibly because no-one has heard of a Taki engine?  I certainly haven't...and there's not that many heli enthusiasts who post regularly on this forum.

 

What I would say is that if you are a beginner, find a heli orientated club or competent flier before having a go or it's likely to end in tears (or worse).  An unknown history and possible fiddling by your friend is not a good basis for success on your own.

 

I'd guess it would cost a lot more to buy this set-up new but without careful assessment by an expert I wouldn't like to give any recommendation, even if I were up to date on heli prices.

[Tim Mackey]

Ditto.

[DIYBob1962]

Apparently its a TOKI 40, my mistake, american engine, Sorry I thought I was posting in the heli bit.

 

YEP just double checked..... this is the heli part of the forum. Ah well. I guess I will try another forum. Cheers

Edited By DIYBob1962 on 07/07/2010 23:49:24

[Tim Mackey]

Bob - I think Martin was referring to the forum itself, rather than a section within the forum.

You have indeed posted in the correct section

I havent heard of Toki either I am afraid, but then I am.......

 

1) not into helis

2) mainly leccy these days

 

THIS may help.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

I'm a dedicated "petrol head" and Toki are a bit on the edge even for me. They are a japanese outfit who mainly do r/c car engines - but they're not even really mainstream there I think. They do make a very small range of heli engines.

 

A £100 sounds cheap for a 40 size nitro heli. But its only cheap if it all works and its set up correctly.

 

I'm not into heli's but these things I do know;

 

1. Heli's need an ultra reliable engine to survive - all the heli guys I know fly big name engines - mainly OS

 

2. Heli's are very difficult to fly - very easy to damage - and very expensive to fix.

 

3. Heli's only fly well if really well set up, and setting them up can be tricky and really needs the help of someone experienced.

 

So, in the absence of a Heli guy here, I think Martin's suggestions are sound. I'd think twice about buying an unknown quantity and I'd get myself down to the nearest heli intensive club for a chat with the lads and lasses there.

 

BEB

Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother on 08/07/2010 00:18:20

[John Privett]

I'd never heard of a Toki engine either - and I do fly helis.

 

The heli flyers in my club mostly fly Raptors, Sceadus and Knights.  I don't recall ever seeing a Hawk - but that's just our club.  £100 sounds a good price if it's effectively new.  I paid that for a well-used Shuttle with engine, servos and rx a few years back.  Obviously, exactly how good a deal it is depends on factors like;  what servos are they? - 3003s all round would cost about £30, whereas better servos with perhaps a £75 tail-servo would be worth over £100 alone.  Is there a gyro included?  If so, what is it?

 

If you don't know much about helis you'll find it almost essential to find some help in learning to fly it.  Don't underestimate the difficulty in setting it up properly if you don't know how to fly it,  or the difficulty in learning to fly it if it isn't setup properly!  I'm not saying it can't be done,  but a bit of experienced help can make things a lot easier!

Edited By John Privett on 08/07/2010 00:24:12

[Reno Racer]

try the heliguy forums, they are specific to helis and should give you a better indicator of the entire package, rather than just the engine. 

link is here

[Allan Bennett]

I agree with John Privett, that £100 is probably a good price, providing nothing is broken.

 

However, if you have no knowledge of helis, my advice would be not to spend the money on a glow-powered model where the previous owner has been unable to even start the engine.  If you really want a heli, and have no experience, I would advise you to look for a simpler electric one which will give you much less trouble maintenance-wise.  You can then graduate to a full-feature electric model that will fly just as well as a glow-powered model. 

 

If you don't really want a heli, I wouldn't bother with the one on offer, even though it may be a "bargain".