because I needed a inexpensive trainer / everyday flier for my 12 yr old son and I to learn to fly with. I own another Century helicopter, a Predator Max 90. Another son (Aeryk - 14yrs old) flies it. I do the setup, maintenance and financial support  and he does the stick banging. He's seriously into 3D, and we have spent a lot of time, money and effort getting the Predator tuned and setup to be as responsive as possible. I considered learning on the Predator for a short time, but I soon decided the two different flying  styles and their entirely unique setup requirements would be a problem. He has wanted the quickest response, and most performance, and I wanted a gentle, easy to handle (think 50 yr old reflexes), fun to fly basic heli that wouldn't break the bank if I had one of those "OH-CRAP" moments.  I'm getting along pretty well on the simulator, and I've been thinking its about time I tried the real thing. It was just about that time that an email arrived in my inbox and provided the solution. Heli-World was offering a Century Hawk Pro kit , OS32 Engine and a crash kit for the total price of $255.00. Essentially the engine was being included for free.

I was comfortable with Century's kit quality,  service and support because of the Predator. I like the design of their rotorheads, and the setup on the larger Predator has been straight forward, with no bad flying traits. I hoped this smaller kit would prove to be as solid of a performer as its larger brother.

Read on, and I'll try to give you a feel for what it takes to build the kit, and what the overall experience is like.