Ikarus ECO 7 Jet Ranger

[caeman]

I am a happy person.

I am saving my money up for my next helicopter and I have chosen to go big. I really like the look of the Ikarus ECO 7 Jet Ranger, its size and its relative simplicity.

But, I disparaged that it was not readily available in the USA until I read that Hobby-Lobby had become a distributor of Ikarus products. I know and trust Hobby-Lobby. Come August for my 37th birthday, this big helicopter will be mine!

Mwuhahahahahahahha!

[mustiebbad]

just make sure you get spare landing gear strut set as they break quite easy

but other than that its great fun

i bought the eco 7 sport but then converted it to the jet ranger

have fun

[caeman]

Good to know, thank you.

[kenmalecki]

I have 4 Eco 7's - 3 Jet Rangers and 1 Sport. There are limitations to what you can do with them, mostly because of the separate tail motor, but for sport flying, they're great fun :D .

I've found a couple of things that help greatly with the Eco 7's -

- Don't use the stock 7-cell NiMH battery - the headspeed will be too low and the heli will be unstable. The Eco 7 flies great (and the motors still last a long time) on 8 and 9-cell NiMH batteries (I prefer 9-cell, but unfortunately they're had to find). Don't use 10-cell NiMH as that much voltage will burn out the stock motors quickly. If you want to use Lipo, a 3s battery will work just fine. Get one that is about the size and weight of the 8-cell NiMH (probably 3000mAH to 3300mAH would work well, fit in the same space, and keep the CG under the main shaft). I haven't used Lipo for the Eco 7's yet, because the NiMH's fit so well, but I'll probably convert when the NiMH's start losing capacity.
- Be sure you balance the main blades (total weight AND CG) AND get the pitch exactly equal on both blades. The Eco 7 is prone to boom strikes on shutdown, and balancing the blades will minimize the chance of boom strikes.
- Tighten the main blade bolts a little more than you would on other helis. This also minimizes the chance of boom strikes. You should be able to turn the heli on it's side, with the blades horizontal, and just be able to shake the heli lightly without the blades bending down. (On most helis, you want the blades to just bend down when you shake lightly.)
- Get the auto rotation hub. It's a cheap upgrade that will also greatly reduce the chance of a boom strike.
- And finally, get the Ikarus carbon fiber main blades. Both the Jet Ranger and the Sport fly MUCH better with them than the stock woodies.

Have fun :D !
Hope this helps.
Ken

[HoverBovver]

...and make sure you report back. Its about time there were people on here talking about the eco7. Its a pity ikarus never released different bodies around the eco7 mech.

[caeman]

If I have the money before August, I will be pulling the trigger on the purchase. I fly everyday or night that the wind is down (flying HoneyBee FPs). The majority of my flying is at dusk or after nightfall. Are there extra ports on the receiver to plug in low-power lights?

[caeman]

I had been looking at the E-Flite Blade 400 when I thought the ECO 7 was not going to be doable, but I am happy that at least one place will be carrying their parts.

[hrbeta]

The ECO 7 is a GREAT helicopter. I have 3 (one Sport and 2 Rangers).
IMHO it's the best heli for your money. It flies nicely, it's got a bigger size that one can easily see, it's design is beautifully simple and advanced at the same time, but it's not a 3D machine.
I've had TRexes, Blades and a few other electrics and the ECO 7 is my personal favorite. You will not regret buying one.
As for parts, the former Ikarus rep in the U.S. did a decent job. Ikarus has recently turned over U.S. distribution to Hobby-Lobby and right now, things are a bit slow. But it's probably a transitional thing.
Here is a link with some great E7 flight videos. http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=836070
Good luck. :)

P.S. Don't choose the Blade 400 over the ECO just now. Buy the ECO enjoy it, get proficient and then go the Blade 400 way ;)

[caeman]

One of the things that attracted me to the ECO 7 was the simplicity of its Tx setup and that it was for scale/sport flying, not 3D, which means it would be less twitchy. They aren't cheap helicopters, though, so I am amazed that at least two people two people own 3 of them.

[Jimbo45cn]

One of the things that attracted me to the ECO 7 was the simplicity of its Tx setup and that it was for scale/sport flying, not 3D, which means it would be less twitchy. They aren't cheap helicopters, though, so I am amazed that at least two people two people own 3 of them.

I don't own the 7, but am on my second Eco 8. They are what you said, simple, great flying sport helis. Can't wait to finish my rebuild so I can get mine back in the air. Jim :)

[mustiebbad]

Hi Guys
you are lucky for you spares as here in the uk the uk distributer

has lost the contract with ikarus so spare parts here are now very hit n

miss , so i have 3 choices buy from ikarus , from the usa or ebay germany

which are not ideal as delivery times are long

when i bought the eco 7 i had flown it 2-4 times over 3 week then it had

to go back to the model shop inturn they had to send it back to ikarus

as the gigatronic board was naff waited nearly 3 months before i finaly

got it back ,,

but its a great heli i'm thinking about adding some balsa or something along

that line to fit diffrent landing gear may be cutting or drilling into the foam

and epoxying some balsa blocks so i can put screws though the lg into the

wood .. landing gear from a trex 600 maybe as i have them fitted to me

eco 8 ,,,, any suggestions ??? welcome

cheers
Andy

[Spidious]

If you get the aluminum blocks from Gadget to mount the T-Rex 600 skids on the ECO8. You will be very pleased The original Ikarus ones will break way to easy. The 600's will squat down and flex a lot more !

[caeman]

This weekend, I was tellin' a buddy of mine of my intent and he definitely said to large. He flew a T-Rex 450 for a season or two before moving up to a T-Rex 600 and loves the stability of the larger size. August cannot come too soon now.

[kenmalecki]

I think this is a good reason to celebrate your birthday a few months early :D ...
Ken

[caeman]

I have given up pop to save up my money faster. June might be doable.

You know, deciding which big heli to get is a difficult choice. My short list of choices:
- ECO 7
- Blade 400
- Hurricane 550
- BlackHawk 450 or 500
- Corona 120

Well, the Corona ain't exactly in current production. The BH450/500 and B400 are lower price with readily available parts, and the H550 and ECO7 are just big and beautiful. As I stated before, I just want to do sport flying and I love the look of scale, which pretty much removes everything from the list but the ECO7. Should I get an interest in 3D/Stunting, I could always get another meant for that purpose.

On top of all this desire, I have to make sure not to take food from my two baby boys and wife. I am just trying to be a good dad by being patient.

[caeman]

http://www.ikarus-modellbau.de/onlineshop/usa/out/oxbaseshop/html/0/dyn_images/1/6072004_p1.jpg

When I get closer to my actual purchase, I will double-check with you folks about the spare parts and upgrades I should buy at the purchase time.

[L over D]

Go for it caeman! I am in the same situation as you, I want something with a good size to it. My first plan was to get the E7 but my hobby dealer talked me out of it, it´s funny how easy it is to judge a heli without having seen it in reality...
So then my idea was to get a Trex 500 or a Hurricane 550 and then mould a fuselage for it (it´s scale or bust for me this time... :D ). But since summer is almost here and my "production line" is still full, i dropped that plan like a hot LiPo (plus earning the daily bread and hobby supply also takes up a significant amount of time... ;) ).

So this thread put me back on track again, thank you for setting me straight! And thank you Kenmalecki for the great tips and trix to the E7!
But why is i so prone to boom strike? Too flexy fuse?

I fully agree with HoverBovver that Ikarus should have followed up with more different models on the E7. Should be easy to mould basically anything in that foam.
So I have decided to make up for it myself, when my work bench will have enough room I plan to carve out a new fuse for the E7, most likely the mighty Bell twin 212. Should be ok to set the tail rotor/motor high, no need for complex linkage and extension belts. We´ll see! :) Will make a build thread about it for sure!

Happy hovering!

Johan

[HoverBovver]

For some reason over here in the uk the only eco7 available came with goofy ikarus sky taxi logo's.
http://www.helihobby.com/assets/images/Eco7.jpg
It's horrible. Although I believe the transfers peel off easily or at least so I've been told. But then I'd have to paint it and I'm not good with paint.
Alternatively I'd have to order from Germany to get the right one but it'd be nice if you could just order a set of proper jet ranger stripes and just apply them to the blank shell.
All in all it seems that the eco7 has suffered through a lack of development from Ikarus. There was a whole lot more that could have been done with the design.
Having said that I'm still occasionally tempted. Only the age and lack of support over here puts me off. Maybe if this minor flurry of activity turns into a thorough eco7 thread (it'd be a first) then I'll jump in with my cash.

[caeman]

The decal sheet for the Jet Ranger appears to be a separate sheet of stickers.

http://www.ikarus-modellbau.de/onlineshop/usa/index.php?sid=056e1cc485cc00457d1b128927724a55&cl=details&cnid=279&anid=1cb41f8994cd606d7.51703968

[mustiebbad]

i got a set of the mk 11 stickers from www.modelbatteries.com

[mustiebbad]

10.00 euro for postage from ikarus.de

[caeman]

This one falls under the heading of "So why isn't on there by default?"

I was looking at the various accessories for the ECO7 and came across the auto-rotation add-on.

"For autorotation maneuvers it is necessary to disconnect the motor from the main rotor. If the motor stops accidentally or deliberately this unit will allow a controlled landing without motor power (autorotation landing), making this tuning part a
significant safety component on your valuable ECO 7 helicopter."

[HoverBovver]

Ah so it is....thanks caeman thats brilliant.

[mustiebbad]

where from ?

[HoverBovver]

Hey mustiebbad, did you order your eco7 from modelbatteries? Their picture shows it with the correct stripes but when I checked with JP way back they said they only stocked the sky taxi version. Its a bit pricey from modelbatteries however - £420 when its only 380 from Midland.

I'm wondering though whether anyone really does still have it in stock in the UK since JP no longer distributes ikarus stuff. I notice SMC's (sussex) stock disappeared a while ago. I think because they have a much higher turnover than other suppliers.

I've always struggled with Ikarus pricing though....I mean this thing is years old and I'd expect at least a bit of a price drop over time. They must have recouped dev costs by now.

Well this has given me something to think about.

[mustiebbad]

Hi
Mine was from midland helis http://www.modelhelicopters.co.uk

but was the eco 7 sport converted over with the jetranger body that i got from ikarus £68.00

[HoverBovver]

ah right.
Your experience with the dodgy gigatronic is bit of a worry especially as in my case its an unnecessary expense as I have a fairly decent comp radio. Maybe this is what puts off a few people. Its really not a beginners heli but its marketed that way so it ends up putting both beginners & experienced people off.
I see on the ikarus site that they supply it w/o electronics but I've also heard that the gigatronic connected via the pc lead gives a whole lot more setup options that the typical comp radio offers anyway....so its probably worth going for it in standard rtf format and hope for a good one.

[mustiebbad]

The gigatronic connected via the pc lead gives a whole lot more setup , But i have not played around with the gigatronic unit with the pc lead to change anything ..there loads to play with

The gigatronic i think is aimed more at the more experienced not the beginner

me as a beginner i love it its easy to control as i like the scale apperance while it hoovers and in flight

dont really fly in alot as i'm a night worker so sleep is no1 but when i do get the time i charge me 5 batteries and of we go to the school field for a hour or so with nimh batt's

[caeman]

I am certain that I am going to switch my future ECO7 to LiPo.

[mustiebbad]

oh yes i will later on change to lipo

at the moment i've built a eco 8 ( not very eco ) so any spare time i have at the mo goes on that

the gigtronic board is well protected inside the jetranger so any mishaps its protected

[caeman]

My laptop does not have a DB9 serial port. Anyone get it (the gigatronic serial connection) to work with USB?

[HoverBovver]

The advantage is that it will take a wide range of battery sizes. Like the eco8 Royale.. it will fit round cells aswell as 3 cell Lipo's...keeps the costs down. Also I believe even on nimh it provides reasonably long duration over high performance which is just how I like it. I like to fly with onboard video so smooth and scale-like is what I do.

[caeman]

Hmm....I hear the A123 batteries are pretty good...and very durable. Anyone tried one of those in an ECO, yet?

[kenmalecki]

caeman: It IS very strange that the RC manufacturers still use serial connectors when they have a product that will connect with a PC. I'm not sure what they're thinking. As far as I know the Gigatronic does not work with USB, which is why I only use the stock settings.

Your list of helis is very diverse.

The Eco 7 is a very tame and enjoyable heli, but not much for 3D. It's great for someone graduating from Blade CX type helis and looking for more of a scale experience.

The Blade 400 is a good but much smaller heli that is suited for a more advanced pilot looking for respectable (but not great) 3D performance (although you can tame it down a bit by dialing back the headspeed in stunt mode).

The Hurricane and Blackhawk are OK helis, but certainly not best of breed.

And I think you're right that the Corona is out of production. It did develop a following as a very good Fixed Pitch heli, but stay away from Fixed Pitch helis. They're just too hard to control. Collective Pitch is here to stay!

IMO, the Eco 7 is the best choice if you're looking for a larger, simple RTF heli experience, and are not looking to do 3D anytime soon. But, if you think you might want a more capable heli, and have some more bucks to spend (and time to build), look at the Swift, the Trex 500, or the Logo 500. They are about the same size of the Eco 7, but can span the range from comfortable scale like flying to all out 3D.

Hope this helps.
Ken

[caeman]

Up until about 2 years ago, most laptops still had DB9 serial ports. Mine just happens to be one that does not, which will lead me to buying a USB-to-serial converter to at least try. Sometimes they work...

As for FP, they have their place. They are stupid-fun. You can bash them into trees and houses, sometimes the occasional street, and they will keep on flying. I have two Honey Bee FPs and a Lama V3. I fly to have fun, and they are fun -- though, sometimes frustrating.

[HoverBovver]

Well the thing is Ken, the Eco7 is years old and has not been updated in all that time so its not surprising it still uses a serial port.
Its also managed to hold its price over many many year which is the unfortunate thing.
Ultimately it's still a good heli though and is the only reasonably large RTF scale bird.

[hrbeta]

I bought a serial to USB adapter for $9 and connected the Gigatrocnics to my laptop with no problems. I was able to customize the throttle and pitch curves on my helis. The Gigatronics software is friendly and straight forward and really gives you and edge over the manual conventional way of programing the heli.
I also modified my ECOs to use LiPolys some time ago. I run 3 cells 11.1 v batts. Mine range from 1800 mAh to 2800 mAh. I get well over 12 minutes flight time with 2800 mAh. The ECO 7's rotor speed is slow compared to most helis. The extra power and the weight savings provided by the LiPolys is fantastic. Now the ECOs really zoom.
I had to carve the heli's nose up front to make room for the LiPoly, otherwise you will not be able to get proper balance without adding extra weight to the nose, and that would defeat one of the reasons to switch to LiPos.
I also installed carbon fiber blades on one of my ECOs. You'd need your 11.1 volts to make it fly with CF blades. The standard 8v nicad is not powerful enough to achieve the head speed needed for these symmetrical blades.
I recommend the auto rotation wheel too, it makes the heli fly smoother even if you do not have the cut off switch and/or make auto rotations.
As for the boring decals on the fuselage, I took them off and I'm currently covering one of the fuselages with extra light fiberglass cloth, then, I'll be able to spray paint the covered foam body. The savings in weight and the extra power provided by the LiPoly batt will definitely counter the paint job's added weight.
All said, be forewarned, RC helicopters make for a lot of fun, but they need a lot of work and are an expensive hobby. If you are a tinkerer, mechanics oriented guy, you will probably get totally hooked (like myself). Most fly-only-kind-of-guys do not remain as RC heli pilots for long.
Good luck. :)

[HoverBovver]

How many flights have you run it with Lipo's?. Just trying to get a handle on how long the brushed motors are likely to last. Ikarus still seem to charge the earth for 'em.

[hrbeta]

How many flights have you run it with Lipo's?. Just trying to get a handle on how long the brushed motors are likely to last. Ikarus still seem to charge the earth for 'em.

I guess some 8 to 10 flights so far. Once they are gone, I'll get some brushless motors and ESCs and ... Did I mention RC helis are an expensive hobby? :( :rolleyes:

[HoverBovver]

Well you can't spend it when yer gone.

[caeman]

Yes, I have learned that RC heli's can cost a lot of money, but some hobbies are worth the money. I know I can find a cheaper heli than the ECO7, as well, but none of models on my list compare as well for the features you get, and the looks. By the time I upgrade any of the others to a Jet Ranger body and re-tune everything, you approach the cost of the ECO7. For the other CP models, they are too twitchy and I would have to de-tune them big time for scale flying.

[USNAviationjay]

Man thats exactly where I want to go with the hobby soon..

Too bad I can t find hardly any info or support on this particular model..

Big stable and set for scale flight..

thats exactly what I want from this hobby..
why are so many of the models really built for 3d first =/
I'd think more people would want a realistic helicopter experience.

[caeman]

I'd think more people would want a realistic helicopter experience.

There is a market for both, but the 3Der get more of the attention because doing a tick-tock gets more oohs and aahs than a slow turn.

Hobby-Lobby.com is going to be supporting the Ikarus stuff, so I will have access to a USA-side supplier. With my E-Sky heli's, I have gotten used to mail ordering everything.

[USNAviationjay]

Well I'm not ready for it just yet.. still learning the basics with my CX2 but Im past my crashing phase.. and working on the simulator..

so hopefully something like this is in my near future..

I'm looking for something that flys closer to the real thing than most of the 3D models can do.
Ive flown helicopter combat sims on the PC and even flown the REAL SH-60 Seahawk trainer while I was in the Navy so I know how a Heli is supposed to fly.

But I'll tell you what.. the ones on my RC SIM are 8x harder than the real thing..
why is it so hard to reach stability?

[caeman]

But I'll tell you what.. the ones on my RC SIM are 8x harder than the real thing..
why is it so hard to reach stability?

You might be using too much stick. FP and CP helis will usually respond very quickly to inputs, so unless you really meant to do a side roll into an upside down landing, you may have used too much stick. These small helis are way twitchy.

I have found the sim helis to be too stable. In the sim, they are perfectly balanced. In real life, I have achieve only a modicum of success in keeping everything balanced.

[USNAviationjay]

I was comparing a REAL Seahawk US Navy Simulator to RC.. RC is so twitchy

Im using very little stick just milimeters of movement.. the same amount it may take me to adjust my CX2 in hover.. I bought clearview and I hate it.. I went to the LHS and flew the latest realflight and I can fly the scales on that with little problem.
the 3Ds are still way way way too unstable for me.

[HoverBovver]

There's a big difference between a real heli and our little r/c machines not least that you don't have that seat of the pants feel. With r/c you rely on your eyes to judge what the rotor disk & tail are doing rather than the feel or from an interior visual perspective. Also the smaller/lighter the heli/rotor disk the less stable and more affected by wind conditions it will be. But even a full size single rotor heli won't give you a hands off hover for any length of time. Try a jet ranger on Microsoft FS, make sure the controls are set for maximum sensitivity and whack it up to the most realistic setting and you'll see what I mean. Now remember that it will take 40+ hours of training to learn how to handle a real heli. Its not by any stretch of the imagination easy to fly full size heli's.

Your cx2 is completely different from a single rotor heli in that it has separate rotor disk that actively opposes unbalancing forces so it forceable returns to a stable hover when you let go of the sticks. That's all well and good but you lose any form of performance or precise handling and have a heli that actively opposes your control signals.

So ultimately if you want a stable r/c heli that will handle prevaling weather conditions - buy big. Even a balls out 3d machine if its big enough will be fairly stable and with toned down settings will behave like a kitten. But don't expect to put the tx down, go for a beer and still find it hovering there some time later like a cx2.

[L over D]

No going back now, got my Eco 7 on order! :) Will be fun to try a heli "foamie"!

I got the auto rotation weel for it, anything else I should get while I'm shopping? :rolleyes:

Already started to draw on a Bell 212 fuse for it, just in case...

Cheers!

Johan

[caeman]

L over D, we will be expecting a full report upon its arrival and your few flights with it. You guys are my guinea pigs before I order mine. I want to be as prepared as possible.

(which, is my version of OCD, I like to research and plan things)

[L over D]

You got it! :)

I'm a long time fixwing flyer, and just recently started to fly helis, so this will be a good test to see if it is "dummy friendly"! :D

[hrbeta]

Already started to draw on a Bell 212 fuse for it, just in case...

Johan

If you are a tinkerer, boy you're gonna have fun, Johan :)

The ECO 7's size and mechanics are perfect for experimenting with different designs and fuselages.

I'm currently putting together a Sikorsky S-55 made up of Depron and plywood. I expect to have it ready in a couple of weeks. ;)

I'd like to see your idea for a 212. If you need any advice, I'm humbly at your service. I'm not the greatest modeller but I've put a few hours under my belt when it comes to inventing for the ECO 7 platform. ;)

Here are a few examples of my work.

Cheers. :)

[L over D]

Nice helis you got there!

Thank you very much, I'm sure I will run in to some trouble down the road and then I will know where to turn! :)

I need to see the gear of the E7 before I really start with the plan for the 212. I like the Jet Ranger but the Huey has always been THE helicopter for me. Would be fun to build a heli with a 4-blade rotor (not for the E7 of course) in the future. Would make the UH-1Y "Venom" right away! :cool:

[USNAviationjay]

man I want one more and more... totally want to build a scale Blackhawk/Seahawk or MD530

[jmo1]

hello all: do you have to program it every time before you fly it? and i guess i`ll have to find the proper cable for the computer. also im not sure how you set the pitch angels. or is it ok from the factory? also, do you all think i need to take the blades off and find the c.c. and check for balance. thanks for all your help. guess i forgot to tell you i just got this last week. and im waiting on the auto-rotation hub. and now it looks like i`ll have to build a 9 cell pac. thanks. mike o

[hrbeta]

Hey Mike,
You do NOT have to program your E7 Gigatronics with a computer at all. You can just follow the first time radio channels setup as per the instructions. It is a fairly simple procedure, and then just go fly :)
The PC programming method is only if one wants to go the extra mile by customizing all the Gigatronics parameters, but beginners don't need to worry about it.
I do not think you need to worry about pitch angles with the ECO 7. When you (program) set the radio channels, the Gigatronics will set the proper angles itself. ;)
When you speak about finding the CG, I assume you are talking about balancing the helicopter's blades :confused: If that's what you mean, I'd recommend you do balance the blades, even if your's a brand new ECO 7. For two reasons: wood blades are susceptible to humidity, temperature changes, etc. so their individual weight may change from time to time. The second reason, is that you should get proficient with balancing your blades because you'll be doing it from now on with all the helis you get. A little practice from the very begining will not hurt.
There are many good sources of info about proper heli maintenance and upkeeping in this Forum and in many other good sites in the WWW. Read and learn as much as you can, and your heli experience will be very satisfactory and fun.
Helis need a lot of TLC, as oppose to most planks, to fly decently. Remember they do NOT fly on their own, one has to MAKE them fly. :D That's why they are so much fun :p
Good luck.

[HoverBovver]

How does that motor tail handle in windy conditions?

[hrbeta]

I've never had any situation where the tail rotor failed me. ;)
Some people bad mouth the ECO 7 for its tail motor and that's plain wrong. :mad:
The ECO 7 is NOT a 3D, high performance, aerobatic devil. But it is a very capable sport flying helicopter.
The fact that it has a tail motor instead of a belt driven T/R only makes it simpler/friendlier, not less capable for what it is designed.
Being also that the rotor head spins slower that most, the E7 does not need and extremely fast reacting T/R.
The motorized tail rotor is a desirable thing if one wants to keep things simple. Even Darth has adopted the tail motor for some of his fuselages.
It very well could be that 3D flying requires a more advanced T/R but that is certainly not the case for the ECO 7.
It is a beautiful and great flying machine :)

[USNAviationjay]

looks like time to start saving the 600 bucks

I just build my PC too =/ damn coulda had a E7..

[caeman]

My Google-Fu is weak this morning. Anyone know of an ECO 7 model for FMS?

[Jimbo45cn]

My Google-Fu is weak this morning. Anyone know of an ECO 7 model for FMS?

No, but I found one for the ECo 8, which is going to be pretty close to the 7. Jim

[jmo1]

Hey Mike,
You do NOT have to program your E7 Gigatronics with a computer at all. You can just follow the first time radio channels setup as per the instructions. It is a fairly simple procedure, and then just go fly :)
The PC programming method is only if one wants to go the extra mile by customizing all the Gigatronics parameters, but beginners don't need to worry about it.
I do not think you need to worry about pitch angles with the ECO 7. When you (program) set the radio channels, the Gigatronics will set the proper angles itself. ;)
When you speak about finding the CG, I assume you are talking about balancing the helicopter's blades :confused: If that's what you mean, I'd recommend you do balance the blades, even if your's a brand new ECO 7. For two reasons: wood blades are susceptible to humidity, temperature changes, etc. so their individual weight may change from time to time. The second reason, is that you should get proficient with balancing your blades because you'll be doing it from now on with all the helis you get. A little practice from the very begining will not hurt.
There are many good sources of info about proper heli maintenance and upkeeping in this Forum and in many other good sites in the WWW. Read and learn as much as you can, and your heli experience will be very satisfactory and fun.
Helis need a lot of TLC, as oppose to most planks, to fly decently. Remember they do NOT fly on their own, one has to MAKE them fly. :D That's why they are so much fun :p
Good luck.
hrbeta: i will try to reprogram it tonight. i have done that twice now but for some reason it isnt keeping it. thanks. mike

[jmo1]

it still seems to be the same. i went by the vidio that comes with it. it will not save anything. and i have to start over each time??? thanks. mike o

[jmo1]

i guess i did not have the blades just right. when i spooled it up, i had a bad boom hit. new boom on order. hobby-lobby has it in stock. should come in today. then i start over. many thanks too hector. mike

[rcpilot23]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering how many flight the brushed motors last?

I saw the Eco 7 on ebay and now look like ordering it from Ikarus online in USA

Is Hobby Lobby the better choice to order it from?


As I'm Western Australia my only choice is from the USA or UK

I haven't seen it on any Hong Kong/ Asia sites.

I Fly a MA Excel Stratus 90 size Nitro heli and I must say I have been enjoying the small electric heli's. I have the Walkera 4#3 tiny heli and an Esky Honey Bee CP 2 which are alot of fun.

I like the Ikarus eco 7 jet ranger because it's ready to fly out of the box.

Does the transmitter supplied have hover and flight mode for inverted flight ?

[caeman]

rcpilot, from what I understand about the ECO 7, it cannot fly inverted. It is a heli that does scale-like flight.

[rcpilot23]

rcpilot, from what I understand about the ECO 7, it cannot fly inverted. It is a heli that does scale-like flight.


ok that's fine I want to buy one for scale flight anyway.

I did dl the videos and it was doing rolls and loops I presume with a lipo battery.

Any idea on the life of the brushed motors? or a brushless conversion?

[hrbeta]

ok that's fine I want to buy one for scale flight anyway.

I did dl the videos and it was doing rolls and loops I presume with a lipo battery.

Any idea on the life of the brushed motors? or a brushless conversion?

Hi there rcpilot,
My ECOs' motors are still going strong. A few months back I started using Lipos with enormous benefits (much more power at much less weight). When my brushed motors die I'll probably make the around $200 investment to purchase a brushless and a ESC. You can get them from Ikarus as they are one of the options for the ECO 8.
Hobby-Lobby is the solely distributor for Ikarus in the U.S. now. So if you place your order from Ikarus.net for the U.S., it'll go to H-L. I have noticed that they're getting their act together now, in reference to Ikarus spare parts' availability.
As caeman noticed, the ECO 7 is not a 3D heli, but is a fantastic sport heli which will perform most stunts effectively.

[rcpilot23]

Hi there rcpilot,
My ECOs' motors are still going strong. A few months back I started using Lipos with enormous benefits (much more power at much less weight). When my brushed motors die I'll probably make the around $200 investment to purchase a brushless and a ESC. You can get them from Ikarus as they are one of the options for the ECO 8.
Hobby-Lobby is the solely distributor for Ikarus in the U.S. now. So if you place your order from Ikarus.net for the U.S., it'll go to H-L. I have noticed that they're getting their act together now, in reference to Ikarus spare parts' availability.
As caeman noticed, the ECO 7 is not a 3D heli, but is a fantastic sport heli which will perform most stunts effectively.

Thanks for the info.

I will place an order for the Eco 7 Jet Ranger this week on the Ikarus site.

They don't show any shipping when I go to checkout so I can't complete the order. Has anyone else bought from the Ikarus site??

[BowerR64]

You can get a setup for less then that. I found 2 500L brushless motors from the used section for $50. and i found a hobby wing 60A esc for $55 new. It flys my Eco 8 fine and im use 2 2200 mah 15C lipos in paralell to get 4400 mah 3S for $30. each if your not going to fly 3D then you dont need the balls to the wall stuff.

Hi there rcpilot,
My ECOs' motors are still going strong. A few months back I started using Lipos with enormous benefits (much more power at much less weight). When my brushed motors die I'll probably make the around $200 investment to purchase a brushless and a ESC. You can get them from Ikarus as they are one of the options for the ECO 8.
Hobby-Lobby is the solely distributor for Ikarus in the U.S. now. So if you place your order from Ikarus.net for the U.S., it'll go to H-L. I have noticed that they're getting their act together now, in reference to Ikarus spare parts' availability.
As caeman noticed, the ECO 7 is not a 3D heli, but is a fantastic sport heli which will perform most stunts effectively.

[Jimbo45cn]

You can get a setup for less then that. I found 2 500L brushless motors from the used section for $50. and i found a hobby wing 60A esc for $55 new. It flys my Eco 8 fine and im use 2 2200 mah 15C lipos in paralell to get 4400 mah 3S for $30. each if your not going to fly 3D then you dont need the balls to the wall stuff.

I agree with Bower. Much cheaper yet very effective brushless options out there. Though I do use a Castle ESC, my eco is powered by a Jeti phasor. Great motor, decent duration. lots of power and MUCH cheaper than the Ikarus set up. As for brushed motors, I used one for probably 30 or 40 flights before it gave up, and it was just a speed 600, not one of the better ones with replaceable brushes and all. Jim

[caeman]

Hobby Lobby has recently had to raise the prices of some of their products due to the currency exchange rates. If the dollar doesn't improve against the Euro, I fear my intention to buy the ECO 7 may have to change. I really want to buy a big heli this August for my birthday, and if the price does up on the Ikarus stuff, well, we shall see...

Stupid economics getting in between me and my fun!

[ElectroStunt]

I bought the kit with motors, it is somwhere between hobby-lobby and norway now...

I will not use the gigatronic on it, just a standard esky reciever, 2 brushed esc's (one for main and one for tail), a esky 704 gyro (i think it will be ok, if not i use a logictech 2100) an parallelled 2200mah 3S lipo packs.

I already have a JR X-3810 so i dont need the gigatronic to mix for me.

this cost me 200usd for kit, 10usd gyro, 30 usd both esc, 15usd reciever
=255usd+freight aprox 60usd-> just above 300usd. thats not bad at all :)


batteries cost 25 usd each.

I am really excited :) :)

[hrbeta]

You can get a setup for less then that. I found 2 500L brushless motors from the used section for $50. and i found a hobby wing 60A esc for $55 new. It flys my Eco 8 fine and im use 2 2200 mah 15C lipos in paralell to get 4400 mah 3S for $30. each if your not going to fly 3D then you dont need the balls to the wall stuff.

Thanks a lot for this great tip :)

[rcpilot23]

I just spoke to Hobby Lobby and they said 4 to 6 weeks before they will have stock.

They are selling on ebay and fedex shipping to Australia.

[caeman]

So, let me get this straight. HL will have the ECO 7 Jet Ranger in stock in 4 to 6 weeks? And they are going to sell through eBay now?

[rcpilot23]

No I buying my Eco 7 from an ebay seller in the USA.

HL do not sell the Eco 7 on ebay.

Has anyone tried to use there own radio does it need to be 72Mhz band?

Has anyone tried to convert the supplied transmitter from mode 2 to mode 1?

[rcpilot23]

I'm ordering mine tomorrow and it will take about 10 days to arrive from the USA.



From this site who also sells on ebay.


Does anyone have a closeup picture of the supplied transmitter they could post up?

thanks

[L over D]

Got mine yesterday! :) Made a huge hole in my bank acount... :rolleyes:

I have the set without the TX because I want to use my old MX-12 for it.
It's a big block of foam but with loads of charm! :p

Will start to set it up when I get back from work today. Brought the manual to read on my flight to Birmingham... :D

[rcpilot23]

Got mine yesterday! :) Made a huge hole in my bank acount... :rolleyes:

I have the set without the TX because I want to use my old MX-12 for it.
It's a big block of foam but with loads of charm! :p

Will start to set it up when I get back from work today. Brought the manual to read on my flight to Birmingham... :D


What band is your transmitter?

Is it 72Mhz?

I have a 36Mhz transmitter JR X3810 will that work. I think it needs to be negative shift and JR are positive shift. I do have a futaba radio but it is 36Mhz too.

[jmo1]

Thanks for the info.

I will place an order for the Eco 7 Jet Ranger this week on the Ikarus site.

They don't show any shipping when I go to checkout so I can't complete the order. Has anyone else bought from the Ikarus site??
hello: yes. they transfer all orders to hobby-lobby. i think this slows it down. i would just call hobby-lobby and place the order. jmo1

[rcpilot23]

I not going to wait 4 to 6 weeks for hobby lobby to get stock.

I have already ordered mine from a store in the USA


Will be here in 10 days time :) :)

[L over D]

[QUOTE=rcpilot23]What band is your transmitter?

Is it 72Mhz?

It's a 35Mhz, the reciever in the ECO is 35MHZ and uses standard crystals (don't think that Futaba crystal will work).
No idea about negative or positive shift, will go home now and give it a try.

I want to use my Flight Power 3s 2500-packs for the Eco, so some mods have to be done to the battery compartment right away. If I can't get the pack forward enough I'll turn it in to a Long Ranger... :D

Cheers Johan

[jmo1]

I not going to wait 4 to 6 weeks for hobby lobby to get stock.

I have already ordered mine from a store in the USA


Will be here in 10 days time :) :)
witch store did you use? do have the e-mail address? thanks. jmo1

[caeman]

*sigh* The best laid plans of mice and rc pilots...

A portion of my money is going to have to go other causes this year. The ECO 7 will have to wait until next year. That is, unless the price suddenly is halved from the $600 the MSRP is currently at.

[rcpilot23]

witch store did you use? do have the e-mail address? thanks. jmo1



http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180226935350&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=008

that is the link I bought mine from

He has one left I think. he does have others with the lipo battery too but I already have 3 x 3S 3200 lipos to use.

[jmo1]

rcpilot2323: they say that is the way to go. i still have the 7 & 9 cell nimh. im not sure how to wire those li-po`s up? do you take 3 pacs, put them together then put all of the positives together and then all the negitives together? and how do you mount them under the heli? thanks. jmo1 (mike)

[rcpilot23]

rcpilot2323: they say that is the way to go. i still have the 7 & 9 cell nimh. im not sure how to wire those li-po`s up? do you take 3 pacs, put them together then put all of the positives together and then all the negitives together? and how do you mount them under the heli? thanks. jmo1 (mike)


No the 11.1V lipo is already made up and is the same size as the 9 cell Nimh packs but it is lighter and gives heaps more power.

[jmo1]

can you please show me what one looks like? and a good place to get one. thanks. mike

[rcpilot23]

You can buy the lipo from the same guy who sells the Eco 7

Check out this link, it has the Eco 7 and shows the 11.1V lipo

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/RC-ELECTRIC-JETRANGER-ECO-7-IKARUS-RC-HELICOPTER-ECO_W0QQitemZ190209242705QQihZ009QQcategoryZ2563QQ tcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

[jmo1]

is it the 3c 3400 11.i volt? do you have to change any thing eles on the heli to use that monster? jmo1

[rcpilot23]

Nope you can use the 3S 11.1V 3200 lipo nothing the change. I will change the battery plugs to deans makes a better connection than the tamiya white plug or use the Eflite blue plugs.

[L over D]

So I finaly had a chance to fly the ECO-7 RANGER and I must say that I'm impressed! It flew right out of the box, with out ANY trimming on the TX. I have practised some heli flying on the Reflex-sim but otherwise I have only flown fixwing, but I had no problem to hover the Ranger in the same place for 3 minutes (what the pack could manage on the first charge...). It is very stable indeed!
Now that I know that it works it's time to get some LiPo:s inside and do some circut work! :)

[rcpilot23]

Glad to hear your impressed with your Eco7

Mine should arrive in the next few days so I'm looking forward to it

I'm going to run Polyquest 11.1V 3S 3200Mah 30C lipo

I have 3 which I was using in an F22 Jet

Now running that on 4S 107MpH :)

[hrbeta]

I'm glad to hear you liked your ECO 7 Ranger LoverD :)
Just remember to do a CG check when you switch to Lipo power as these batteries are considerably lighter and much more powerful. The current location for the original NiCads is not appropriate for the lighter Lipos, that means more weight is needed towards the heli's nose. I had to modify the fuselage by extending the battery compartment towards the heli's nose and using strong Velcro strips to hold the batts in place.
If you liked your ECO on NiCads, your gonna love it on Lipos :)

[rcpilot23]

I'm glad to hear you liked your ECO 7 Ranger LoverD :)
Just remember to do a CG check when you switch to Lipo power as these batteries are considerably lighter and much more powerful. The current location for the original NiCads is not appropriate for the lighter Lipos, that means more weight is needed towards the heli's nose. I had to modify the fuselage by extending the battery compartment towards the heli's nose and using strong Velcro strips to hold the batts in place.
If you liked your ECO on NiCads, your gonna love it on Lipos :)


Just wondering how much the cg is out with a lipo

I received my Eco 7 today and I'm impressed with it's simple design.
It came setup for mode2 but I just had to reassign the channels and it's now mode 1. Great no soldering needed on the transmitter.
I held the heli by the head and held it side ways and the tail doesn't dip back so the cg seems ok or are you holding your heli off the ground by placing your fingers under the flybar to check the cg?

Im running a Polyquest 3S 3200Mah 30C lipo it's really come alive

I didn't even try the nicad supplied.

[Spidious]

Just support it by the flybar, and you will be able to tell if it is nose/tail heavy or side heavy.

[rcpilot23]

k thanks


Would you happen to know the weight of the stock 8.4V 3300 Nicad pack?

that comes with the Eco7

The Polyquest lipos Im using are very close and are the same shape and size too.

[rcpilot23]

Has anyone upgraded the supplied radio to use flight mode or add the flight mode switch. Is it a 2 position switch and where do I need to solder it inside?

My only other option is to buy a 72Mhz synthesised module for my JR X3810 and use that.

[hrbeta]

k thanks


Would you happen to know the weight of the stock 8.4V 3300 Nicad pack?

that comes with the Eco7




425 grams, almost 1 pound :(

[rcpilot23]

425 grams, almost 1 pound :(


The Polyquest lipos Im using are 325 grams so not much different.