Esmart build coming soon. (Had to rename this!)

[akent]

Well, I just ordered an Esky Esmart from Helidirect!
I just can't quite make sense of the costs of the Trex 600 or the Century Swift parts. This heli so far has CHEAP replacement parts.
Of course blades are expensive, no matter what.

I bought the new version that is all metal now, along with a BL motor and a set of blades for $250. I almost bought the carbon fiber version for $50 more, but those parts are so cheap that it's almost less than the upgrade. Both versions have all metal heads and tails and lots of other metal that never used to exist on these.

Esky is finally making these available again. Nuttcaze is all over trying to get distributors to carry them so they don't die again.
At least at Helidirect, the parts are still really cheap and are available now! I hope that lasts.

Anyway, I plan on building this up with more detail this time!
It will not happen overnight, but I do have some parts coming already.

I just want a Moat Gator sized lifting machine! That was most IMPRESSIVE Elk!

Best,
Kent

[McKrackin]

Ditch the free motor and go Neu.lol...
At least Scorp 4035 or so ;D

[McKrackin]

My best Kent to you and your heli......

[akent]

Yes, I plan on getting a Scorpion motor as soon as possible. I don't know much about the Neu, but I'll look into those, too.

It will be interesting to see what kind of quality these have. If it's carp, I'll post that too, for sure.

The heli is supposed to arrive on Monday the 10th.

It sure looks like they did a major upgrade on the design over the old plastic garbage. This is supposed to be an all new heli. Remember that Esky almost killed the whole thing earlier this year.
It will be interesting to see if they should have or not!
Kent

[akent]

The build so far consists of:

The Esky Esmart all metal non-carbon frame from Helidirect.
It's the 002K version with the BL motor and "WOODEN" blades!
($250)

Cyclic servos: At least at first, I plan on using the DS821 digital servos from my DX7 Spectrum kit! These are made by JR and are the same as one of their servos, but I can't remember which one. ($0, don't know the value)

A GP750 gyro and DS620 tail servo. (I'm giving this gyro a whirl, Mckrackin!) ($198 - free shipping from Ebay) I'll do a comparison with the Sparton at some point!

Mystery Pentium 100 amp ESC. ($31 including shipping from Ebay)

Turnigy 5a BEC. ($7 from Hobbycity)

Motor that comes with the heli at first. I have read where this is a strong motor, but that's a relative thing!! (1200kv)

My 3300ma 6s batteries at first that I use with the 500. If there is room, I'll try paralleling some 2650ma's or two of these 3300's.

I still need to order some real blades. It appears that these new Esmarts have a longer tail boom and can support 600mm blades, but some folks say to run 550's.

I can't wait to experiment!
Kent

[akent]

The Esmart arrived today.
The workmanship looks to be top notch.
Even the plastic canopy is a thick plastic. Not at all like the cheesy ones that comes on the smaller birds.

The main blade grips are considerably bigger than the 500, but not as much larger as the 500 is relative to the 450. The head parts come in several different bags.
The boom is really long and appears to be made out of a composite. The canopy is huge! The frame looks to be aluminum, or some kind of composite. It will be interesting to see how durable this will be. It feels very rigid, though.

What I really like is rather than rely on thread lock with screws into metal, in many places they drilled through and used through bolts with nyloc nuts. These nuts are relatively expensive, but they do wear out. There's nothing keeping ya from just using thread lock on these, though!

I think I'll start putting it together now. It is much more of a 'kit' than any of the Exi birds. It's more like what I've seen with the Align birds.
This, I LIKE! With the Exi's and the like, you end up having to tear down the whole thing anyway.

Cool stuff! The build begins!
Oh, it will probably be at least two weeks before the rest of the parts arrive. Many are coming from HK, unfortunately.
Kent

[Dave]

Can't wait to see it kent.

Dave

[mightyxxwhitey]

Good luck on the build..... Is the heli 3d?

[akent]

It sure is, Mighty!
This is the heli that I bought.

[19000rpm]

Sure looks like a lot more heli than the old Esmart Kent.

The only thing you might want to rethink is the CF frame. With all that mass and stress on the frame CF really makes a difference in the way the heli flies, at least it did on my Black Hawk, the added stiffness adds to both the speed and crispness of the reactions to input...Not to mention it's REALLY hard to break. ;D

Happy landings

[akent]

It is very interesting with the kit differences.
The 002K model that I got comes with a motor and blades. It is all metal, but the frame, boom and fins are either aluminum or some type of composite.
Retail is $400 and this sale at helidirect was for $250.

I just now saw this model for $216 at KA Planes. ARRGGHH!! That always seems to happen to me. But, I just also saw that KA says theirs doesn't come with a motor or blades. The 002K model number sure does though. Humm...

The 003K is the all metal carbon fiber version. This kit does NOT come with blades. Even though the wooden blades are carp, they are still something you can use to cut grass with for a little while.
Retail is $448 and this sale is $300.

The carbon fiber parts are not expensive, and in fact are almost the same as the kit price difference. I will replace parts with CF when they break.

I have built up the kit and I am most impressed right now. I will wait until the rest of the electronics show up and then I'll do a proper post! The head is a very interesting design. It is 120 degree ECCPM, too. There is ZERO slop in any part of the heli.

Take care,
Kent

[akent]

Well, it appears that Helidirect is dumping these helis.
I just bought another of the same kit for 160 bucks on Ebay from Helidirect, and these are no longer on the Helidirect website. Think of that. 90 bucks cheaper!! This includes the $75 motor and a set of blades!

So, I wonder that the story 'really' is?

Nuttcaze was active early this summer, got Microheli to make some delrin gears (which I have bought some of), but there has been little noise from him in a while.

Maybe I just got caught up in Nuttcazes hype and these things really are going away? Those guys swore that Esky promised to resurrect the E-smart this year.

I don't know, but I have been able to buy at least one of every spare part except for the tail boom. For these, the Swift 620 will work, but must be cut down.

I don't know. I will continue the build, as the rest of the parts showed up today!

I am still very impressed with the quality. And I have another full metal kit for the more esoteric parts, worst case.
Kent

[akent]

Well, it took all day to build this thing.
Not only from the complexity of the build, but from learning a whole new system. I'm used to the Trex way of thinking. This thing is far different in design.

I think I'll start a new thread with the build, to keep it clean. I know there are some out there already, but I have performed some mods during the build.
Building the E-Smart (here after called the ES-600, coined by Nuttcaze) requires you to think. The instructions are limited. There are a million ways to mount the electronics, etc.

After hovering this for a minute to adjust the gyro, and get things right, it is far more touchy than any helicopter I own!! I did set the head for +/-13 collective and +/-9 cyclic. Too much I think! I move the stick a thousandth of an inch and it responds! There is zero slop anywhere in the thing.
I have not lowered the throws yet, or enabled expo. I'll probably throw in some expo in the morning.
This thing WANTS to FLIP! You know how when you want to start FFF, you push forward and punch the throttle some? Well, this thing is just as happy continuing on around!
I think I could flip it in my little drive area! If you push forward, back, or sideways on the cyclic, it pitches that way hardly rolling at all! You know how when you push the cyclic over to do a flip on the Trex it rolls some? This just goes over.
I did mount the batteries on an extended top shelf, higher up.
Pictures shortly.

[akent]

Well, I found out from an Esky distributor that the E-smart and the nitro version G-smart and parts will be arriving in November.
According to what Esky told him (Ron at Lakeside Hobbies), there was a fire at the factory where they were making the Smarts. They had to rebuild and fire up the lines again.
He said that he has had 200 kits on order, more of the G-smarts as that is what he specializes in more.
Anyway, if true, then parts and heli's will be back.
Kent

[akent]

Here's a 3rd battery hover, still setting up things.
There is a vibration now that I am still tracking down.

The super cyclic response earlier was from using the rear hole of the K&B paddles! WOW! I moved them to the front hole and it's a LOT tamer. I am ordering some of these for the other helis!