My ECO 8 #2 Helicopter

Last Updated: 8/23/04

Current Configuration

As of April 2004 my ECO2 has the following parts: 

• Ikarus H8 brushless motor with 18 tooth pinion

• Castle Creation's Phoenix 45 electronic speed controller

• Aluminum swashplate

• Aluminum mixing arms

• Aluminum main frame plate

• Aluminum main frame upright support plate

• Aluminum tail belt pulley set

• Aluminum boom mount clamps

• Aluminum tail pitch slider

• Aluminum upper bearing block

• Autorotation main gear bearing

• Carbon fiber frame

• Carbon fiber 3-D fin set

• Carbon fiber tail rotor pushrod

• Carbon fiber fly-bar

• Carbon fiber tail servo mount

• Carbon fiber CCPM servo mounts

• Carbon fiber tail boom support

• Hardened main rotor, feather and tail rotor shafts 

• Futaba GY401 gyro

• Extra wide landing gear

• Glass fiber rotor blades (Ikarus PN 67151)

• Hitec HS85MG for the swashplate and HS81MG for the tail 

• Li-Poly Battery packs (Thunder Power 3S4P TP-8000, homemade 3S4P and 3S5P)

• Homemade Li-Poly low voltage battery monitor

• Quantum 8 channel dual-conversion micro receiver

• Hitec Eclipse 7 transmitter

Update: As of 8/23/04 the following changes has been made to this helicopter:

• Carbon fiber tail boom

• UBEC Power Supply

• Replaced the vertical carbon fiber tail boom support with the stock part

• I am now using a 19 tooth pinion to increase the headspeed

Addition information:

Weights:

• Ready to Fly including canopy and 2nd generation TP-8000 battery: 1587 grams (3.5 lbs or 56 oz)

• Without battery and canopy: 998 grams (2.2 lbs or 35.2 oz)

• Battery - 2nd generation Thunder Power TP-8000 (3S4P): 547 grams (1.2 lbs or 19.3 oz)

• Battery - 1st generation Power TP-8000 (3S4P): 474 grams (1.04 lbs or 16.7 oz)

• Pre-made unpainted canopy: ~42 grams (1.5 oz)

Headspeed: 

• With a 19 tooth pinion I am getting a headspeed of ~1660 with a fully charged TP-8000 (3S4P) battery

Flight Times:

• About 26 minutes using the TP-8000 (3S4P) batteries

Here are some photos of my ECO2 helicopter with my homemade 3S5P Li-Poly battery pack. These photos are somewhat old and do not include the CF tail boom and other modifications or upgrades.

Click on any picture below to see a higher resolution image.