Omphobby OMP M4 - can it conquer the market?

No doubt; yesterday's announcement by Omphobby about the new M4 helicopter blew up like nothing in the last six months. Since then even the technical details have become public, so it's time to guess the future of the model release.

Usually before we make some predictions of a model's future, we wait few days if not weeks, but this is not required in the case of M4. This is because all the data we need has been given. Perhaps competitors will scratch their heads because of this helicopter. Not just the competitors in this class, but even the far most popular Align can face questions caused by the new M4. Comparing these models of the class will be subject of another time, but it's inevitable to explain, why we think, this model can be a huge success alongside Align models in the same category. 

It's not a question at all, the OMP M4 is an ultimate training machine; due to its dimensions it's a perfect choice of beginners too, nevertheless one of the best choices when a pro or advanced pilot needs to have a professional daily training helicopter. The model is 786 mm long, rotor diameter is 875 mm.

The OMP M4 helicopter weights 1350 g including battery, so this is the takeoff weight. These dimensions reason, why it is perfect for the purpose.

When it comes to the price of the model, the USD dollar price which does not include any taxes, is very competitive. The only cheaper model on the market (excluding clones, sticking with quality models) is the Align T-Rex 470LM in both kit and full versions in this class, but...

In case of the kit, no question, Align wins by around 50-60 dollars. When it comes to the Align Super Combo vs OMP M4 PnP, the picture is not as clear as it seems. The Align helicopter costs about 60 dollars more, however, it includes a Microbeast BeastX PLUS FBL controller which balances out the price difference. Nevertheless, not everybody likes or even wants to take this FBL, then the price difference is evaporated, or it even tends to lean towards Omphobby. Models of almost all other brands are more expensive than Omphobby M4 from almost all point of view.

Based on the prices, and the expected quality of the model which will be released before end of March, the OMP M4 can beat the contestants. Based on the reactions with knowing the prices to the announcements yesterday, it's very likely, it will beat the majority of the market,  and it could even have a real effect on Align trades in the class.

However, the situation in the EU is not this nice, albeit it is not bad either. The Finnish Origin Hobbies is offering the OMP M4 kit version for €419 now as the initial price, and this will be €429 later. The PnP or Combo kit is offered for €599, which will increase to €610 later on. This is slightly higher than expected, but still understood. 

We don't understand, how the German Live-hobby is calculating the prices, because €649 for the PnP version is €170 more than the price of Align T-Rex 470LM super combo without FBL unit, which is a significant difference. And it is also a high difference compared to the USD price, even though, the USD prices don't include taxes, whilst the Euro prices do. 

UK distributor Skotia-RC offers a much better price compared to the EU prices. The PnP version is £525, the Kit version will be £365. These prices are much closer to the 1 to 1 USD-GBP ratio, how we expected the UK prices, and they are just a little bit higher than our expectations were. Anyway, these prices can even compete with the prices of Align T-Rex 470LM variations in the UK, so the UK market for Omphobby looks much nicer than the EU counterparts. Retail prices of other shops in the UK may vary.

The new OMP M4 is certainly a good choice in the 380 class, it is a great choice in many parts of the world, and it is still a good option where the prices are not as good as elsewhere. This is definitely true from the price aspect, and it will be true by the availability of spare parts as well. How is the helicopter itself? First video is on Youtube, further videos and reviews to come soon.