EFL12575 | E-Flite Draco 2.0m STOL RC Plane, PNP

THE ULTIMATE BUSH PLANE

By most estimates, planning and building the full-size DRACO should have taken years. Entrepreneur Mike Patey — whose exceptional drive and Back to Work™ ethic have inspired thousands of people — accomplished it in just over five months! Mike started with a Wilga 2000, replacing its Lycoming O-540 piston engine with a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-28 turboprop boasting about twice the power at half the weight. Many additional modifications followed before Mike proudly unveiled his “ultimate bush plane”. It could go to the same places as a Carbon Cub, but also climb twice as fast; reach altitudes up to 28,000 feet; and cruise cross-country at 180 MPH while carrying four people plus gear. Changes from the Wilga were so extensive that the FAA approved Mike’s redesign as an experimental exhibition aircraft. The DRACO 2.0m is equally unique and astounding — and it’s also one of the most highly-engineered, detailed and feature-rich E-flite® aircraft yet!

ABSOLUTELY ONE OF A KIND

Inspired by the incredible ingenuity and effort Mike Patey put into building the full-sized aircraft, E-flite® offers the only officially-licensed scale replica of the ultimate bush plane! The amazing DRACO 2.0m is one of the most highly-engineered, detailed and feature-rich RC models ever produced. Beyond its complex design and the accurate shape of its fully-moulded, lightweight and durable EPO airframe with a factory-applied finish, it also features an abundance of Extra Scale details including a variety of surface features, steps, antennas, wingtip “stinger” skids, and much more. The clear windshield and windows offer an excellent view of the detailed cockpit with pilot figure and backlit instrument panel. Functional Extra Scale features include licensed, scale-like KING shocks on the main gear and tail wheel, leading-edge slats, slotted flaps and more. There are also a total of 17 LEDs throughout the airframe — with a custom controller that allows you to select solid, strobing and other light combination options from your transmitter. Oversized, tundra-style tires on the custom-made carbon fibre main gear soak up bumps and provide excellent prop clearance, while the shock-absorbing and steerable tailwheel offers improved ground handling — even when taxiing backward with the optional-use motor reversing (compatible Smart receiver and 7+ channel transmitter required for reversing).

Factory-installed, metal-geared servos with ball-link equipped and internal linkages deliver crisp, precise control. The high-power brushless outrunner motor can drive the scale 4-blade propeller with a wide range of 4000–7000mAh batteries, from a 4S pack for slow and smooth scale flight to 6S power for better-than-scale vertical performance. It's also equipped with a 100-amp Spektrum™ Avian™ Smart ESC, and the BNF® Basic version includes an AR637TA Smart receiver that delivers full-range telemetry including real-time battery voltage, current, motor RPM, ESC temperature, and more to compatible AirWare™ equipped transmitters. And even with its large-scale size and feature-packed design, the DRACO 2.0m can be flight-ready in less time than it takes to charge a battery! No tools are required for field assembly/disassembly because the two-piece wing is secured with quarter-turn thumbscrews. Best of all, if you’ve mastered flying at least one or two previous RC aircraft you can fly the DRACO 2.0m successfully, especially when taking advantage of the BNF® Basic version’s exclusive AS3X® and optional-use SAFE® Select technologies. And it all adds up to offer an unmatched STOL (Short Take Off and Landing), scale and beyond flying experience unlike any other!

The Plug-N-Play® (PNP) version lets experienced modellers choose and use their own transmitter, receiver, battery and charger. The Bind-N-Fly® (BNF) Basic version includes a Spektrum receiver equipped with AS3X and optional-use SAFE Select technologies so intermediate to experienced modellers can use their own transmitter, battery and charger. An ULTIMATE Combo including the BNF Basic version airplane, a Spektrum transmitter, Smart battery, Smart charger, the special tools and glue you need for assembly – plus a copy of RealFlight Trainer Edition RC Flight Simulator – is also available and saves you more than $70 compared to purchasing all of the items separately.

Are you new to flying RC (Radio Controlled) aircraft? If you are, we recommend learning to fly with one of our purpose-built trainer aircraft such as the HobbZone® Carbon Cub S 2. Based on the Carbon Cub flown by Mike’s wife, Chandra Patey, it’s equipped with exclusive and innovative SAFE technology that makes it possible for almost anyone to learn to fly successfully! The Ready-To-Fly (RTF) version includes everything needed to fly in one box and is the perfect choice if you're a new RC pilot.

More info about Mike Patey:

Mike Patey was born in Gresham, Oregon along with his twin brother Mark, numbers 5 and 6 in an 11 child family. Growing up in a low-income family, they were 15 when they launched their first business together, Deck-It, building decks for their neighbours in Orem, Utah. Before they graduated high school they had built it into a company with nearly 200 employees. Their hard work and drive led them to create additional businesses, successfully building and selling each one. Today, both continue applying their passion for work to their own businesses, Mark with Best Tugs, and Mike with EcoVap.

Mike is married to his wife Chandra and they have four children. Mike’s aviation journey began in a 1971 Cessna 172L in 2002 when both Mike and Mark had independently decided to pursue aviation. In a strange “twin moment”, on the same day both had attended airshows in different states and been inspired to pursue their pilot’s license without the other knowing. When they shared their decision by phone, they were so blown away at the coincidence of the whole thing that Mark immediately bought a used 172, and the rest is history.

Mike continues his passion of flying and aviation while balancing family, work, and community. “Our parents taught us that if you are blessed with a talent or finances you must give to others or you don’t deserve it in the first place. We were raised dirt poor but our parents gave anything we had in excess to someone who had less than us.” Mike continues to give his time, talents, and energy to search and rescue missions for local law enforcement, as well as building the aviation community through his YouTube channel where he shares his passion. He is incredibly giving of his time and knowledge as well, often taking time away from his builds for visitors though he really just wants to get “back to work”, a phrase that has become a tagline for his channel. “Back to Work means to get after something. I use it for my life in general. It means give your all, enjoy the process, and work hard.” A mantra Mike truly lives by.

Mike holds multiple world speed records and has plans to break those records again. From drag cars to hill climbs to airplanes, Mike has always been driven to race things. He likes to build bigger, stronger, and faster aircraft, innovating new ideas and making them realities in his builds. Mike’s enthusiasm is infectious, often seen chatting with fellow aviators and giggling over new ideas or theories to improve designs, he is a huge asset to general aviation and has inspired many to pursue their dreams of flight by earning their private pilot’s license.

Smart Technology

The exclusive Spektrum™ Avian™ Smart ESC provides a variety of real-time power system related telemetry data including motor RPM, current draw, overall flight battery voltage and more via compatible receivers (including the AR637TA installed in the BNF® Basic version) and Spektrum AirWare™ equipped transmitters (including the DX6e and 8e, DX6 G2/G3 and 8 G2, the DX9, the NX6, 8 and 10, the iX12, iX20 and others) while you fly. It will even show individual cell voltages, temperature of the flight pack and other data when using Spektrum Smart LiPo batteries. Plus, optional-use motor reversing offers special ground handling and other capabilities (compatible Smart receiver and 7+ channel transmitter required for reversing).

Versatile Power System

The factory-installed Spektrum™ Avian™ 100-amp Smart ESC and high-power brushless outrunner motor can drive the large-diameter four-blade propeller with a wide range of batteries. Install a 4S battery for slow and smooth scale flying, a 5S battery for added power, or a 6S battery to deliver better-than-scale vertical performance. Best of all you can install a 4000mAh battery to keep the weight and wing loading down, a 5000mAh battery for a great balance of performance and handling, or up to a 7000mAh battery to achieve long flight times up to 10-15+ minutes.

Extra Scale Details

The DRACO 2.0m features an abundance of Extra Scale details including moulded-in panel lines, hatches and other surface features, steps, antennas, wingtip skids, and much more. A clear windshield and windows plus a detailed cockpit with backlit instrument panel and pilot figure add to the incredible scale appearance.

Functional Scale Features

Licensed, scale-like KING shocks on the main gear and tail wheel, leading-edge slats, slotted flaps and more are functional Extra Scale features that take your experience to another level.

LED Lights

There are a total of 17 LEDs throughout the airframe to simulate navigation, landing, down, tail beacon, reversing and other lights. They’re connected to a custom light controller with different settings you can control from the transmitter to choose which lights turn on and off with various functions, glow solid, strobe and more.

Capable Gear

Like the full-scale DRACO, the articulated and shock-absorbing main gear is equipped with oversized, tundra-style tires to soak up the bumps of rough surfaces and provide excellent prop clearance. It’s also custom-made from fully-molded carbon fiber to handle short takeoffs from and landings on a variety of surfaces. The shock-equipped and steerable tailwheel offers excellent ground handling, whether moving forward or when utilizing the optional-use motor reversing to taxi backward too.

Durable Precision

Construction with fully-moulded EPO material makes it possible to replicate the complex details and shapes of the full-scale DRACO in a lightweight yet durable form. The result is an outstanding scale appearance that's easy to maintain and delivers the best possible flight experience, plus the factory-installed metal-geared servos with ball-link equipped, internal linkages deliver crisp and precise control.

Added Convenience

The two-piece wing is secured with unique, quarter-turn thumbscrews so no tools are required for field assembly/disassembly, and along with the V2 hands-free servo connection system, makes storage and transport as easy and convenient as possible. Best of all, you can have the DRACO 2.0m ready to fly in less time than it takes to charge a battery!

Factory Finished

The factory-applied paint and decal finish saves you time and makes for a scale replica you’ll be proud to show off everywhere you go.