Hey guys, many of us think the new Tiger 50 is the same as the Robbe Ornith but it has some new redesigned features. I copy this info from Tiger 50 web page
Read this:
Here's some background. The Ornith was released in Europe a year ago by Robbe as a 30-class heli (and also with a Magnum 46 preinstalled), but it's had some teething pains. Frankly, we know of no helicopter ever released which did not have issues when it first made it into the hands of modelers. Accordingly, we have taken painstaking efforts to refine the machine and make it generally better suited for the North American market as we ddin't want to introduce something with issues "we" knew existed as it's far too expensive a proposition to make such a mistake - it's precisely why we don't have the machine on the market right now!
So what are the changes? Well, while we're on the subject of powerplants, the Ornith is really a 32 machine while the Tiger 50 is a pure 50 (and no, we don't plan to offer the 32-class version for reasons which will be come obvious as you read below).
For example (in no particular order), the Tiger's blade grips are manufactured with 65% fiber, and as a result, are considerably more rigid (this has been an area of concern with the European derivative - especially in the UK where aluminum grips from Quick UK are a popular option).
Furthermore, we spec-ed thrust bearings in the Tiger 50's head while the Ornith makes do with ball-bearings. Also, it doesn't take a genius to know that Americans will stuff an OS 50SX vs. the Europeans who make do with the engine Robbe offers (the generally less capable Magnum 46).
Accordingly, the Tiger 50's cooling system is spec-ed to a higher duty also, thereby eliminating the Ornith's proclivity for overheating when equipped with a 46 (while originally designed as a 50-class, Ornith was actually derated for a 30-class engine - i.e. it's fitted with a lighter-duty and smaller clutch, a shorter boom, no thrust bearings, etc. which is a highly cost competitive area of offerings so shortcuts are to be expected).
By the way, overheaing Orniths (when equipped with a 46) frankly have more to do with it being re-optimized for a 30-class engine and Europe's cooler climate. For what it's worth, an Ornith with a 46 would require a Robbe cooling-retrofit (due to the higher temps encountered stateside) especially in the southeast and southwest (which are hotbeds of heli activty), where it gets hot as Hades in the summer! We actually find it somewhat curious there's no mention of the cooling retrofit even being available for the Ornith stateside (which is a shame - but anybody who has purchased an Ornith will receive "our" support (and we will even make the Robbe retrofit available to them - if needs be). Make no mistake, the Tiger 50 doesn't need it.
In short, the Tiger 50 has been specified from the very onset with North America's generally more high horsepower, nitro-loving, 3D oriented helicopter-savvy market in mind.
Furthermore, there are intangibles - like the Korean-German translated instruction manual supplied with an Ornith vs. the Tiger 50's USA-authored manual (which was created by a well known modeler stateside, and was created with tips for both the experienced builder and the beginner - download it and check it out for yourself). There's also the Tiger 50's generally more attactive appearance package (perhaps we're biased, but the manual really is quite good).
We would also be remiss in not mentioning our superb replacement parts pricing (which is of special interest to both those practicing 3D and other active helicopter enthusiast).
Please see the file: "RCM September T50-18092004.jpg" in our Download section
With regard to pricing. We understand Robbe Europe has asked for the return to Germany of all Ornith units, so HUI may not actually have inventory avilable - depends. There are rumors about the motivation for Ornith pricing (at $250 a 37% discount) - this is virtually the dealer's cost, but it's not our style to speculate. In any case, a dealer must make money or they will not be in business long - we do not apologize for our pricing schedule! In any case, there are real feature differences to consider as well.
Is the Ornith a bad helicopter? Absolutely not! It has (at present) simply been spec-ed as an entry level heli vs. the expert's specs of a Tiger 50. Naturally, Robbe has their higher end product line to protect and once you consider the Ornith is only Robbe's entry level model, the resulting entry-level specifications make perfect sense! We, in turn, devote our full attention to ensuring the Tiger 50 is the perfect 3D practice machine - no entry level compromises!
Nonetheless, a Tiger 50 is ideal for a beginner too since they will quickly grow to appreciate what a blast an OS 50 equipped Tiger can be (when they're ready). Frankly, even when equipped with an OS 46FX-H, a Tiger 50 will handily outperform any 30-class machine on the planet (while using just 15% fuel and a cheapo muffler) and it's an absolute rocketship with a 50SX and 600mm composite blades! By the way, here's another difference, you can fit 620mm blades to a Tiger 50!
Also, at just under 300 bucks, a Tiger 50 costs less than most 30s! And it gets better, especially when you consider that simply registering the product ensures a free LS (limited slip) driven tail unit. The Ornith doesn't offer a driven tail.
We could go on, so while yes, the Ornith is similar, it's no more a Tiger 50 than a Chevrolet Caprice was a Buick 98 . . . they're simply no longer really the same helicopter.
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