ShellDude
Posts: 150
Joined: 8/24/2004
From: Pottstown,
PA, USA
Status: offline
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Having followed a few other build threads at some other RC related sites, I couldn't resist getting my hands on the Dragonus II Elite kit.
The quoted street price for the Dragonus II Elite Standard kit is about $325. The price I paid was very close to this so I want to make certain folks know I'm not a hired gun and am proceeding with this build in as objective a manner as possible. Other than being a satisified customer, I have no other affiliation with RC-Tek and/or RCer International, the manufacturer of the Dragonus helicopter.
Some highlights of the kit:
- 3500Kv motor and RC-Expert 35A ESC
- Wooden & CF 325mm Main Blades
- Fully CNC Aluminum Head & Tail
- Silver CF Frame
- Fiberglass Canopy
- Detailed Instructions
Upon opening the box I was presented with a bunch of parts bags. Some may opt for ARF or RTF kits, but being the tinkerer that I am I had a big smile on face. This kit is going to take a solid 6 to 8 hours to build. As every fairly experienced RC Heli addict knows, you must break down any pre-built kits and apply loctite, otherwise stuff (typically the most critical of parts) is prone to fly off at the worst of times. This build is going to be very reminencent of my first T-Rex 450X V2 build, minus the pitfalls of the plastic parts.
Head Parts
Tail Parts & Main Gear
Frame Parts
Close Up of Frame
The Landing Gear
The Boom
Boom Supports, fin, balls, links, etc
Main Blade holder
The included instructions are clear and concise. Areas requiring loctite are marked and it differentiates between thread and sealant where appropriate. Each section corresponds to a parts bag, as noted at the top of each page.
Manual Cover
Assembly Guide
Head Assembly Example
Clearly marked when to use thread locker and when to use sealant
ooohhh... final frame assembly 
The CNC parts are very nicely done. Once I progress into the build I think my macro lens is going to do them justice.
I'm a little disappointed in the quality of the canopy. There is already a crack on one of the canopy mounts that I plan to apply some CA to. The kit comes with no decals so it's left up to the builder to decide what to do color scheme wise. The caonopy molding isn't the most impressive and mine appears to be a bit off-center. It may level out once mounted so we'll see. I may reach out to jontherooster and employ his keen painting skills. I've seen some of his canopies and would love to see what he could do with this one, assuming he's up to the task.
The included carbon fiber main blades are an impressive addition to the kit. In anticipation of the build, I bought a set of Vic Campbell's V2Blades but am going to hold off on using them for the time being.
Included Carbon Fiber Main Blades
The kit also comes with a set of wooden blades. I think I'll keep these just in case as they appear to be of reasonable construction. As part of this build, I may or may not evaluate them (haven't decided yet).
Included Wooden Main Blades
I was really surprised to see an RC-Expert labeled speed controller included in the kit. I've dealt directly with RC-Expert in the past and can't say I have had any problems with them. I'm not sure if RC-Tek decided to go with the RC-Expert ESC or if this was a decision RCer International made. It offers soft start, 5V BEC for up to 3S LiPo, and governor mode. RC-Expert rates it as a 40A ESC.
RC-Expert 40A ESC
The included motor is rated for 3500Kv and reminds me of the generic JustGoFly 450TH you can get from places like HeliDirect.
3500Kv Brushless Motor
For the CCPM assembly I'll be using Hitec HS-65HB servos that I bought just for this build.
I plan on using a CSM SL420e gyro and had initially wanted to use an Airtronics 94761Z digital servo on the tail but I noticed while going through the manual that the tail servo is supposed to be mounted into the frame. I may go with an HS-50 or HS-56 as a work around, or use a couple of my spare T-Rex servo boom mounts and linkage rod.
That's it for tonight. Tomorrow I plan to tackle the head assembly and will provide updates accordingly. There's a lot to this kit for the price and I can't wait to get it in the air to compare it to my fully blinged HDE T-Rex. The price gap between the two is huge.
< Message edited by ShellDude -- 12/11/2006 6:30:02 AM >
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Printable Version
All Forums >> RC Helicopters >> Electric RC Helis >> Dragonus II Elite Standard Build Thread 
Dragonus II Elite Standard Build Thread - 
..Hmm, I find it a bit strange RCer isn't using their Warp series