rjm1982

OK...im getting around with my blade CP pretty good, and looking towards the future...

I was up at the lhs the other day and some guy was flying a VERY nice VERY big Electric (bigger than the .60 heli that was out there as well) and was awesome. Someone had said that a rig like that is up in the 3000+ dollar range...it had 2 li-ion batteries that looked like they could start a car...

Thats not what i want, because i could never see myself putting 3 paychecks into the air at one time...but heres my question

Are there any larger helis that you could get in the air under 600ish bux? Maybe something near .30 size...i like the stability of the big ones, but i dont know if i want to go gass...i may, but i dunno...

Any videos of the big boys to look at as well would be sweet...

thanks

jakjr

My Feedback: (18)

There's the Eco-8, a bit smaller than a .30, and relatively cheap ($180 or so for the kit).

There are other (better) heli's, but for $180 I think it's pretty nice, I like it anyways. Too bad I can't seem to get the vibration out of mine, I think I need a new main shaft now from letting it sit for so long with no blade holder (I have a holder now).

rjm1982

Ill be checking it out...

Im thinking 6 more months of my blade...then ill jump up the the big boy...i know the bigger ones are supposedly easier to fly, but thats why i want to do it this way...cause if i can fly the blade with confidence, i think i will be much better with a big one on the first flight...

jakjr

My Feedback: (18)

Here's where I got mine from, though I think it's like $10 cheaper at Helihobby, I should also mention that most (if not all) the replacement parts for it are cheaper at Helihobby. http://www.hobby-lobby.com/eco.htm

If you go with a brushed setup, don't get the motor they suggest using in it, just get a good stock (27t) car motor, put a heatsink on it, and run it on 9 cells. I've tried various brushed combo's in mine and so far the stock motor on 9 cells has been the best.

rjm1982

You use the autorotate shaft/gears deal? Looks like it would be worth the extra money....

jakjr

My Feedback: (18)

Yep, I've got the aluminum one on mine (which actually came red anodized, rather than natural aluminum as the pictures show).

credence

My Feedback: (2)

Brushless motor is better than brushed if you got the cash for it .
Another good source for eco-parts and upgrades (some that HH doesn't even carry) visit www.fxaeromodels.com
I've found their prices very reasonable and their service has been great to me so far.

A word of note, the eco-8 will cost you quite a bit more than the blade will. You're going to need a heli computer transmitter, batteries, a real gyro, and of course the ESC and Motor. If you go brushless, it can cost you a pretty penny. If you go brushless + lithium, it'll REALLY cost you. Big electrics are very expensive compared to their smaller counterparts, so be warned . I've got probably close to $1100 invested in my eco-8, not including major upgrades (such as the aluminum swash, etc.). For that ammount, I could also be flying a very nicely equipped nitro bird. But I like electrics, so nyah.

rjm1982

I know...ive already got the blade...

I know it can get expensive, I may do nitro, i dont have a problem setting up/tuning/caring for nitro engines...

I just like the electrics for one big reason, the sound...without the screaming engine, you can really hear the blades doing their thing, sounds so cool...

Never really likes the electric planes ('cept for my stryker of course) ...

I guess ill have to see, I want something bigger than the blade...but not 1000 bux worth...

I want to be able to tote a real good camera on it (onboard recording) and have it be stable enough that i dont have to worry about replacing a heli AND a camera...

they have a combo here with or w/o radio...i will probably do without because i want a real 6-ch radio at least...and the radios they come with are 4-ch ....

http://www.helihobby.com/html/eco_el...er_produc.html

so we'll see, im going to fly the blade for a bit, get the aerobatic upgrade, go lipos (wouldnt be so bad if i already had a charger...ouch), get good enough to maybe put the CF blades on it...maybe the aluminum rotor assembly ... there is plenty of room in this little thing,....

credence

My Feedback: (2)

That's because the Eco-8 comes with a mechanical mixing option that allows you to use it with a 4 ch radio. It's really not very good though, I wouldn't use it. You need to go with eCCPM mixing, it's just much better. At which point, make sure your helicopter has support for a 90 degree eCCPM swash, or is atleast programmable to do so. (E.g my Eclipse 7 has no native 90 degree swash support, but if I use one of the programmable mixers, i can make my own 90 degree swash setup that works perfectly).

The eco-8 will be OK for video use. It has some pretty good power for a smaller helicopter, you could probably lift another pound or so (on top of it's current weight) without much problem, even more if you use lithium batteries. This is with a brushless motor, no idea what kind of power you get with a brushed motor. The more weight you add the more docile the heli becomes though, so if you get into hairy situations, you won't be able to get out of them as quick without the weight. It would be good to be proficent on the sticks before attempting it.

As a reference, I fly with a 10 cell sub-c 3300 MAH battery pack on my eco-8. The battery pack alone weighs one pound. I also have a receiver battery pack. My heli is a bit on the fat side. Even still, in idle up mode, I can achieve some very impressive climb outs, and my heli is very nimble in the air. With a UBEC and lithium batteries, my power to weight ratio would be insane. .
Unfortunately for my wallet, I can't go lithium at the moment. Just can't justify the cost when my heli is flying great with the big honking NIMH pack, i'd rather spend the money on rotor head upgrades.

rjm1982

Sweet, well, i can get a camera well under a pound with nice video features...

I really wish i knew what the dude at my lhs had...was much bigger than even the big logo....was insane...i know he had 2 batteries in it that were 400 bux each...and i know the blades kicked the air enough that it sounded like a huey...

jakjr

My Feedback: (18)

Maybe it was a Joker?
http://www.fxaeromodels.com/index.php?cPath=49_57

rjm1982

Looks like that may have been it, the chassis looks just like it

I wonder why these guys that make the big helis market them for their size, but never show a pic of them next to anything that might indicate scale (a car, a person, a bench) its all in the air, and with those shots, it could be a micro and look the same....

damn though, 2 x 1750 mAh li-ions ... damn

credence

My Feedback: (2)

1750? That wouldn't cut it. Try closer to 8000 MAH .

The battery packs for a joker heli (or any big heli, such as an e-raptor) will cost you as much as a full (smaller) nitro setup.

I believe the last time I checked, a 10S 37V LIPO pack for the joker was in the area of $800(!!). You better have real deep pockets if you want a big electric heli like that..

rjm1982

yeah, thats what he said....2 batts at $400 each just to get it in the air....plus the $800 charger for them....plus the second set of batteries....


DAY-UM