Hirobo Sceadu
Hakim Tung

Heli………………… Hirobo Shuttle “Scaedu” (ARF version)
Where bought…… Cyberheli, Hong Kong
How much……….. US$450
Engine ……..…….. O.S. 32SX (included)
Muffler……………. Weston tuned muffler
Radio……..………. JR 10X
Gyro……………….. Futaba GY-240/S9253 digital servo
Servos ……..…….. Futaba S9204
Fuel…………………Weston 15% nitro competition
Add-Ons ….……… Bell-Mark twin plug head, header tank, Revolution base loaded antennae, Pegae start system, Quick paddles, SAB 550mm carbon blades, Hobbico voltmeter.

Introduction…
For those who read my previous review for “Little Rotors” about my Freya will recall that I was pleased as plum with it. In my opinion it is the perfect sport heli for us weekend flyers, but unfortunalty my relationship with the Freya ended shortly after that review. Whilst trying to learn inverted flying the heli went down inverted and at full throttle. Talk about brain fade and dumb thumbs all rolled into one. Everything was destroyed except amazingly the receiver which I had locked up in a strong box. After the mourning period was over I started looking around for something a bit simpler to build and fly. I always have a soft spot for 30 sized helis because of their easy handling and less intimidating size. Besides the stability for flight does not affect me too much since I tend to do all my flying at 6:00 in the morning before I get to work. I leave weekends for my airplanes.

I liked the Freya build quality and engineering so much that I decided to give the Hirobo Scaedu and Shuttle RG/M a try. I hope Simon of Little Rotors will allow me to write him up a review of the RG/M later on. Since I don’t have much time for building, a quick e-mail to Cyberheli secured me the .30 ARF version which comes with the OS32SX motor installed.

Highlights of the Scaedu…
The Scaedu comes in either a 30 or 50 size the only differences being engine, engine mount, drive train gear and blades. The 30 comes with 550mm woodies whilst the 50 comes with 600mm glass blades. Looking at the servo bays it’s pretty obvious that a CCPM conversion will follow soon. I also liked the 10mm main shaft with grooves towards the top where the washout attaches giving it a better bite. The shaft has options for two different heights which should give a better hover if the top holes (longer shaft) are used. The new FZ-III rotor head is a scaled down version of the Freya head comes fully ball raced.

At the tail gearbox end I particularly like the simple and effective pitch slider design. The curvy tail rotors are quite striking and make a change to the usual rectangular designs. The main and tail blade holders have thrust bearings in them as standard. A nice innovative idea is the pear shaped cutout in the frame just below the needle where you pass the fuel tube. When its time to fill up just push the tube upwards and it cuts off fuel to the engine. Nice touch but I still preferred to use my Great Planes easy-fueler as I find it more convenient. Towards the front, there is a neat battery compartment where you can stow your radio battery pack to keep it from sliding around. However, as my battery pack was quite bulky I covered my receiver with foam and bunged it in there. The tail boom is round shaped and the supports are strong, not the chopstick types we see in the other helis.

Opening the box….
The Scaedu came packed in a sturdy box with all assemblies securely stowed. Since this is the ARF version, it came very nearly complete. I was surprised that even the pushrods were ready built and attached to the frame. All that was needed was to fit the radio gear, attach the tail, landing gear, boom supports, blades, muffler and stabilizers. The rotor head was completed with paddles attached, which by the way are neat items as on the Hirobo GPH. Heck, even the included 550mm wood blades are pre-covered with roots attached! Just don’t forget to balance them. If you want to get to the field fast, this is the way to go. As usual, I added my Bell-Mark twin plug head, header tank, voltmeter and Weston tuned muffler.

Overall the Scaedu is a sturdy little heli with serious thought gone into the design. As expected the plastics quality are not on par with the Freya but that’s expected for a heli at this price level and target market.

Building
The instruction booklet is the usual Hirobo type and you’ll feel at home immediately. Everything is clear with a lot of good info at the back to help the first time flier. Don’t forget to grease those thrust bearings and go easy on the screwdriver. I replaced all the 3mm machined screws with stainless steel hex ones and plastic insert lock nuts. The stock ones tend to rust very quickly with the sea breeze at my home. Buy them in bulk and they are quite cheap. They are stronger and you won’t strip the head. I also like the fuel tank mounting system. Unlike the Freya, the tank on the Scaedu mounts on proper grommets fixed to the frames. More secure and less fiddly to fit.

Since this is a ready built heli I cannot give you a detailed build review, but I can point out a few areas that I think Hirobo fumbled on. So here goes...

Firstly and most importantly, there is no cooling shroud over the engine cylinder head. I really cannot understand the design logic behind this. With my Freya, it managed to get by, but with the Scaedu it nearly sent me bonkers. See my flying problems below. As far as the Scaedu is concerned this is my biggest gripe. I don’t think cost is a factor in manufacturing so I’m at a complete loss.

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