REVIEW NINE EAGLES HELICOPTERS - 2012/06

Nine Eagles has designed and manufactured RC models (helicopters,
airplanes, and accessories) for more than 20 years. Keeping up with
innovation and technology, the company has ventured into micros and
electrics the past few years, in turn making it easy and affordable for beginning
pilots to learn how to  y.
The Draco CX EP coaxial and the Solo Pro V2  xed-pitch helicopters are two of
the newest helis in the Nine Eagles line of RC models. Although recommended for
intermediate pilots (14 years of age or older), younger hobbyists could easily learn to
 y with these two ultramicro, electric,  ybarred helis with the help of a responsible
adult.
The Draco CX EP has a full-body fuselage without a tail rotor, and is not
recommended for outdoor  ight. The contrarotating blades give it stability and
make it easy to take off from anywhere, without the spinning tendency that micro
helicopters with tail blades have sometimes.
The Solo Pro V2 is designed with a canopy and tailboom, as well as tail rotors.
Both helicopters come with “primary” and “advanced” modes. Primary has a lower
rate and different throttle curve than advanced, making throttle control smoother
and easier. With a switch to advanced mode, the Solo Pro V can be  own outdoors
Photos by the author
The Solo Pro V2 Nano can be flown either indoors or outdoors. Outdoors, extremely calm conditions are recommended
and the transmitter should be set in advanced mode. A slight breeze can cause erratic flying tendencies.
The Solo Pro V2 Nano
and Draco CX EP 2.4
GHz boxes double as
carrying cases. The
Styrofoam inside has
cut-out areas that
hold the helis, 2.4
GHz transmitters, LiPo
batteries, AA batteries,
and a small screwdriver
for the modeler to
switch from Mode 2 to
Mode 1.
The Draco CX EP
and Solo Pro V2
provide a logical
progression for a
beginner pilot
The Solo Pro V2 Nano can be flown either indoors or outdoors. Outdoors, extremely calm conditions are recommended
and the transmitter should be set in advanced mode. A slight breeze can cause erratic flying tendencies.
in mild or calm conditions. It can also be flown at night or in a
darkened room; the main blades, tail blades, and skids glow in
the dark.
Both helicopters come securely and neatly packaged in
Styrofoam, within handled boxes that double as carrying
cases. The boxes each include a 2.4 GHz transmitter, four
AA batteries, one LiPo battery, a small screwdriver (to change
the antenna if Mode 1 is preferred), the helicopter, and an
instruction manual.
The LiPo battery is charged in a slot on the back of the
transmitter; when it’s fully charged, the green light flashes.
Charging took between 20 and 30 minutes, so plan to wait in
between flights unless you have extra batteries on hand.
The battery compartment on the Solo Pro is unique. The
battery fits in backward, “hiding” inside the canopy. In most
micro helicopters, the battery sticks out underneath the
fuselage. The Solo Pro battery compartment lessens the chance
of knocking the battery loose if you bump into something. The
Draco battery compartment is set up with the battery leads
going in first, as is common on many bind-and-fly-type models.
Binding the receivers on both helicopters is easy. Turn on
the transmitter, plug in the battery on the helicopter, hold
down the throttle stick so it clicks, and wait until the light
(blue on the Solo Pro and red on the Draco) on the bottom of
each helicopter flashes, and you’re ready to go.
Both helicopters were slightly “squirrely” on takeoff from
the ground, especially the Solo Pro. Unless the throttle was
punched so it popped into the air, the helicopter tilted and
ended up on its side. To do a slow takeoff and go into an easy
hover, it was better to place the model on a table or stand.
Wind and weather initially prevented me from flying the
Solo Pro outside. When I was finally able to take it out on
a nice afternoon, I found that even a slight breeze throws
the helicopter off balance. Dead calm is needed if you are
determined to fly it outside.
An intermediate flier with a little stick time under his or her
belt would be more comfortable flying the Solo Pro. It might
be too advanced for an absolute beginner.
Initially, it needed to be trimmed to the left because it
wanted to go the right. It also looked and felt as though the
helicopter tilted to the right, almost as if the CG was off;
however, after it was trimmed, the Solo Pro accomplished
some nice pirouettes and Figure Eights.
Flying was halted with a bump to the wall. In the subsequent
crash to the floor, one side of the skids broke off. I tried to
continue flying it, but the broken skid threw off the initial trim.
SPECIFICATIONS
Draco CX EP
Skill level: Beginner to intermediate
Type: Ultramicro coaxial, electricpowered,
RTF helicopter
Rotor diameter: 7.40 inches (188mm)
Length: 8.39 inches (213mm)
Weight: 1.02 ounces (29 grams)
Radio: Four-channel 2.4 GHz requiring
four AA batteries (included)
Power: One 1S 3.7-volt LiPo battery
(included)
Charger: Battery port in compartment on
back of transmitter
Flight time: 8 minutes
Price: $49.99
Solo Pro V2
Skill level: Intermediate
Type: Ultramicro, fixed-pitch, electricpowered
RTF helicopter
Rotor diameter: 7.5 inches (190mm)
Length: 8.1 inches (207mm)
Weight: 0.95 ounce (27 grams)
Radio: Four-channel 2.4 GHz requiring
four AA batteries (included)
Power: One 1S 3.7-volt LiPo battery
(included)
Charger: Battery port in compartment on
back of transmitter
Flight time: 8 minutes
Price: $54.99
PLUSES
• Both helicopters are easy to fly and stable in
the air.
• Packaging is neat and secure, with the box
doubling as a carrying case.
• The battery on the Solo Pro V2 fits in
backward, with the compartment hidden
inside the canopy.
• The Draco’s coaxial flight characteristics
are extremely stable and prevent it from
“spinning” and tipping at takeoff.
• The Solo Pro V2’s glow-in-the-dark main
blades, tail blades, and skids make it a unique
helicopter to fly at night or in a darkened
room.
• Spare parts for both helicopters are abundant
and available at hobby shops or online.
MINUSES
• Skids on the Solo Pro V2 break easily and
could be stronger and/or more flexible.
• Hard, plastic, all-in-one fuselage and hollow
tailboom on the Draco makes it susceptible to
breakage.
• Both helicopters come with only one battery;
spares are needed, because battery charging
time is at least 30 minutes.
AT The Draco CX EP 2.4 GHz is a great ultramicro,
coaxial helicopter for the beginner to learn
forward flight and how to hover. At 8.39 inches
long and weighing slightly more than 1 ounce,
the Draco is a perfect indoor flyer.
The eerie glow comes from the main blades, tail blades, and skids on
the Solo Pro V2 Nano. The glow-in-the-dark accessories charge best with
incandescent lighting, and can be switched out with black accessories
available online or in hobby shops.
Now the heli was heavy to the left. It
took off from a pool table, but a small
bump and drop of not even 2 feet broke
off the rest of the skid. Stronger or more
 exible, plastic skids would be a major
plus unless you plan to make a number
of trips to the hobby shop or online
checkout.
Tower Hobbies had the glow-inthe-
dark skids in stock, and they were
delivered to the front door in a matter of
days. The skids set includes the battery
holder with wire lead, and it easily
snapped back into place, so I was up and
 ying in a few minutes’ time.
I wanted to test this helicopter at
night because the main and tail blades
and the skids glow in the dark. I found
that the newer, energy-saving lightbulbs
don’t make them glow as well as
incandescent bulbs, especially if you
have to wait for the bulb to warm up.
A  ashlight actually worked better. The
Solo Pro’s glow-in-the-dark feature
didn’t last the full 8 minutes of  ight
time the battery allowed.
The Draco is a fun little coaxial
helicopter that could be used as a  rst
model for a beginner. The two sets of
main blades and a  ybar add stability.
Hovering is effortless and learning
forward/backward  ight, as well as left/
right turns, can be mastered quickly.
The only word of caution with this
helicopter is that the tailboom is hollow,
hard plastic; any hard hits could easily
break the tail off.
The  ybar on both helicopters has
a tendency to pop out of place if it’s
bumped or the heli tumbles to the  oor,
but can be easily snapped back into
position.
Both helicopters lasted roughly 8
minutes on one battery charge. As
the battery charge decreased, the
 ight characteristics became slightly
haphazard and the helicopter would not
climb as well into the air. Those were
good indications that the battery was
about to die.
There are plenty of spare parts for
Nine Eagles helicopters available for a
reasonable price through hobby shops
nationwide or online. According to the
 yer that came in the box, there are also
“crash kits” available.
As with any micro helicopter kit that
is manufactured overseas, the translation
of the instructions sometimes leave
something to be desired. The Nine
Eagles instruction manual is good,
although there are a few places where
the words became lost in translation,
which may give the modeler a good
chuckle.
Overall, even with broken skids and
having to watch to keep the tailboom
from hitting anything, both helicopters
were fun to  y. One is perfect for the
beginner pilot who is just learning how
to hover and achieve forward  ight,
and the other for the intermediate pilot
looking for something smaller to  y
indoors.
—Jennifer Orebaugh
[email protected]
MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR
Shanghai Nine Eagles Electronic Technology Co.
[email protected]
www.nineeagle.com/index.html
Tower Hobbies
(800) 637-6050
www.towerhobbies.com