This is the first Kyosho heli in recent history that we feel is worth selling - smooth, quiet and very nice flying machine. We have a gallon or so thru ours and love it. Yes, we will stock all the parts at great prices, and YES, the large oversize packages will STILL GET FREE UPS GROUND as always in the 48 states. Check the specials section. We can't show our actual price on this heli except in our combos of course, but will adjust when we download your order.
The Caliber 30 is available in two versions. BOTH are very much prebuilt (Almost Ready to Fly); one comes with the OS .32 SXH, the other does not. Otherwise they are identical. The version with engine comes with the engine pre-installed and muffler mounted. Either version needs only a few hours work to be ready for the skies.
The most impressive thing about this heli is the transmission. This is the first 30-class heli we know of to use belt drive for both the tail AND the main transmission. And it is the smoothest, least noisy transmission on any 30-50 size heli by a noticable amount. The belt trasnmission also is pretty easy to set up compared to getting the gear mesh "perfect' on the pinion/gear arrangements.
The other high points are significant also. The Caliber can - with no optional parts needed - be set up for ether mechanical OR electronic (CCPM) mixing. You will want to use CCPM if your radio allows it.
The tail is a great design, with a dual pin slider that is pretty slop free - definitely better than the Raptor or Venture. The Caliber also is the only 30-50 class heli that includes as stock a boom mount for the tail servo. This has the undesirable side affect of making it very diccicult to use a blade support for transport - be careful not to bend the TR pushrod (which shows it's Kyosho roots by prominently featuring a FREAKING Z-BEND!! on one end?) or move the pushrod support when attaching the blade holder to the boom.
The Caliber uses normal 30-sized blades instead of the tiny ones used on earlier Kysohos. They are 550mm with 4mm bolts, a set similar to raptor 30 blades is included in the kit. I threw them in the trash and installed some Mavrikk 550 glass blades which work beautifully.
The manual is okay. It's not as good as JR's but then nobody's is. It's certainly better than the Raptor manual. The box is a source of much amusement, with some entertaining japenglish translations. (Should I Use the Front Rink, or the Rear Rink? And why is it called "almost factory assembled"?)
Oh, the start system is normal, using a 6mm hex start shaft. No little spinner.
The engine mount is great; you can drop the engine in about 2 minutes without even removing the included (and pretty decent) muffler. The plastic clutch bell is not too impressive but works fine.
You won't be buying any slipper clutch or split gears - the tail is fully driven in the stock configuration.
Flight performance is excellent. Control response is similar to the Raptor or Sceadu, maybe a bit hotter than the Sceadu. The Caliber is VERY smooth and quiet. The tail is plenty responsive. Pitch range is beyong what your OS 32 can use. Cyclic response is pretty pure - not as good as my Vigor CS or the Voyager 50, but better than the Sceadu. It feels very good in the air.
Parts pricing is very good, about like the Venture/Sceadu/or even Raptor. Availability I don't know - Great Planes is out of gyros and radios more often than not and we hope that they will do better with the parts for this new heli. We will do our best to keep all of the parts in stock if GP will help!
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