Roban scale helicopters: the ARF and RTF range explained

Roban is the scale-airframe specialist among the brands we stock — the name behind the fibreglass fuselages and mechanics that define affordable scale flying. If FLISHRC is about flying, Roban is about the airframe: the biggest, most detailed scale helicopters you can put in the air without moving into full turbine territory.

Roban comes in two very different flavours, and knowing which is which is the whole decision.

ARF: the premium 700 and 800-size kits

The heart of the Roban range is the ARF — Almost Ready to Fly line, in 700 and 800 size. These are the imposing, near-metre-long scale ships, priced from around £1,749 to £2,499:

• Roban MD500E 700 ARF — the top of the range at £2,499
• Roban EC-135 800 ARF — the big-brother air-ambulance, £2,249
• Roban AH-64 Apache 700 ARF — £2,149 of scale gunship
• Roban BO-105 800 ARF — the air-rescue icon at 800 size, £1,949
• Roban Airwolf 800 ARF — the TV-legend attack ship, £2,049

"ARF" is the important word. These arrive as a beautifully engineered rolling airframe — head, tail, gears, linkages, fibreglass body — with no flight electronics. You choose and fit the flybarless unit or gyro, the servos, and the motor and ESC, then set it all up yourself. If those letters are new to you, our RTF, BNF, PNF and ARF explainer breaks them down. The reward is the largest, most bespoke scale helicopter in the room, built exactly your way.

RTF: the 450 and 470-size ready-to-fly range

Not everyone wants a build project, so Roban also makes a 450 and 470-size RTF range — the same scale airframe heritage, ready to fly, at much gentler prices:

• Roban AH-1 Cobra 470 RTF — £949, ready to fly
• Roban Airwolf 470 RTF — £899
• Roban BO-105 450 RTF — £749
• Roban Bell 206 450 RTF — £649, about the cheapest way into a genuine Roban scale ship
• Roban Z-10 5-blade 470 RTF — £999, with a scale five-blade head

Power and support

Roban's RTF machines run on standard LiPo power — we stock the Roban 4S 5200mAh pack and a matching 20W balance charger and power supply to get a new RTF ship in the air without a separate charger purchase. The larger ARF kits are powered to your own spec.

Who Roban is for

The ARF kits are for the experienced scale pilot who wants the ultimate size and detail and actively enjoys choosing and dialling in their own electronics. Nobody else puts an 800-size scale helicopter within a hobby budget — you just have to finish it.

The RTF range is for the pilot who wants a genuine Roban scale airframe without the build, or who wants scale on a tighter budget. Either way, a machine this size is club territory — you'll want BMFA membership and a proper field, as covered in our where to fly guide.

Trying to decide between the build-it-yourself Roban route and a ready-to-fly ship with modern electronics already fitted? That's exactly the question our Roban vs FLISHRC comparison answers. For the wider picture, start with the scale RC helicopters buyer's guide.