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!
Video Introduction
Features
- The ultimate bush plane for an unmatched STOL, scale and beyond flying experience
- The only officially-licensed scale replica of the one-of-a-kind DRACO by Mike Patey
- One of the most highly-engineered, detailed and feature-rich E-flite® aircraft to date
- Extra Scale details including an abundance of molded-in surface features, steps, antennas, wingtip skids, and much more
- Functional Extra Scale features including licensed KING shocks on the main gear and tail wheel, leading-edge slats, slotted flaps, and more
- 17 total LEDs including navigation, landing, down, tail beacon, reversing and other lights with adjustable light controller
- Clear windshield and windows plus a detailed cockpit with backlit instrument panel and pilot figure
- Factory-installed, high-power 4S- to 6S-compatible brushless motor with large diameter 4-blade prop
- Fits batteries from 4000–7000mAh to provide a wide range of performance and flight times up to 10–15+ minutes
- 100-amp Spektrum™ Avian™ Smart ESC provides real-time battery voltage, current draw, motor RPM, and other data via compatible receivers and transmitters
- Optional-use motor reversing for special ground handling and other capabilities with compatible 7+ channel transmitters
- Spektrum AR637TA receiver with full-range telemetry and industry-leading DSMX® technology
- Easy to fly with innovative and optional-use SAFE® Select flight envelope protection
- The unmatched stability and locked-in feel of exclusive AS3X® technology
- Six factory-installed metal-geared servos with internal, ball-link equipped linkages
- Large and convenient, magnetically-secured top hatch with large battery compartment
- Shock-equipped and steerable tailwheel for improved forward and reverse ground handling
- Scale-like articulated and shock-absorbing main landing gear with oversized tundra-style tires
- Custom-made and fully-molded carbon fiber gear to handle short takeoffs from and landings on a variety of surfaces
- Two-piece wing with quarter-turn thumbscrews plus V2 hands-free servo connection system for quick and easy assembly/disassembly
- Durable, fully-molded EPO airframe with carbon fiber and wood reinforcement throughout
- Factory-applied paint plus decal finish looks great and saves time
- Easy final assembly in less time than it takes to charge a battery
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-molded, 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 fiber 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 modelers 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 modelers 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 HobbyZone® 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.
Video Overview
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 neighbors 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.
Learn more about, connect with, and follow Mike Patey using these links:
Behind The Innovation Video
Exclusive Technologies (BNF® Basic only)
The DRACO 2.0m is equipped with exclusive Spektrum™ AS3X® and SAFE® Select technologies. AS3X works behind the scenes to smooth out the effects of wind and turbulence to deliver a locked-in feel that makes it seem like you’re flying an even larger airplane. Optional-use SAFE Select offers pitch and bank angle limits along with automatic self-leveling that can be turned on and off at the flip of a switch! And if you don’t want to enable the SAFE Select features, simply bind the receiver normally and only AS3X will be active.
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 molded-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-molded 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.
Bind-N-Fly Completion Level Advantage
Already own a Spektrum™ transmitter? Bind-N-Fly (BNF) aircraft make getting into the air quickly and with the best control experience possible easier than ever. They come out of the box with the power system, servos and a Spektrum 2.4GHz receiver installed so all you need to do is bind the receiver to a compatible transmitter, finish any final assembly, and fly!
This Bind-N-Fly Basic model is equipped with a Spektrum 2.4GHz DSMX® receiver featuring AS3X (Artificial Stabilization–3-aXis) technology that works behind the scenes to smooth out the effects of wind and turbulence. The result is a heightened sense of stability and precision that makes you feel like you’re flying a much larger, expertly tuned aircraft.
If this is your first model of its type, or you want an extra margin of safety while familiarizing yourself with the airplane, you can enable the optional-use SAFE® Select flight envelope protection technology built into the receiver. No programming is required. Simply change up the binding sequence as directed in the manual.
With SAFE Select enabled, you get:
Pitch and Bank Angle Limits
- These envelope limits keep the airplane from rolling or pitching upside down. They also prevent excessive climb or dive angles.
Automatic Self-Leveling
- The airplane instantly returns to and holds level flight when the sticks are released and in the center position. It’s also helpful for keeping the wings level during takeoffs/launches and landings.
Easy Switch Assignment—No Complex Programming Required
- The simple procedure for assigning a transmitter switch to turn SAFE Select features on and off doesn’t require any complex programming and takes just a few seconds.
If you don’t want to enable the SAFE Select features, just bind the receiver normally and it will function like a standard AS3X receiver.
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