The Mirocopter SCH-2A is almost impossibly small, weighing only 249 lbs. Each one costs $35,000 USD, which makes them (by far) the cheapest production helicopter in the world. You can buy one on eBay right now if you’re in the mood.
Rather than the traditional helicopter arrangement of one main rotor overhead and a tail rotor in the rear, the Mirocopter SCH-2A is a coaxial helicopter – that is, it has two counter-rotating overhead rotors and no tail rotor.
Fast Facts – The Mirocopter SCH-2A
- The Mirocopter SCH-2A was developed in Slovenia and subjected to a 10+ year testing regimen to finalize the design for production.
- As the smallest coaxial helicopter in the world, the SCH-2A weighs just 113 kgs (249 lbs). It’s powered by a two-stroke Fiate MZ202 engine, and it has a maximum speed of 100 km/h 62 mph).
- The MSRP of the Mirocopter SCH-2A is $35,000 USD, making it by far the cheapest production helicopter in the world. It’s also listed as having low operational and maintenance costs.
- Because the Mirocopter is compliant with US FAR Part 103 Ultralight Vehicle rules the process of getting a license to fly it is far simpler than getting a standard helicopter license.
The Mirocopter SCH-2A
The Mirocopter SCH-2A was developed in Slovenia over a period of over a decade, from the outset the plan was to build the cheapest and one of the lightest helicopters in the world.
Above Video: This footage shows the Mirocopter SCH-2A being flown and displayed at EAA AirVenture in 2022.
Despite its small size, the SCH-2A is a true helicopter with standard helicopter command inputs. Vertical thrust is achieved by collective blade pitch control of both overhead rotors.
Cyclic blade pitch control of both rotors provides directional control, and yaw control is provided by the moving tail plates. Because there is no tail rotor the SCH-2A is said to be able to lift more weight and operate out of a smaller area.
The list of potential uses for the ultralight helicopter include cattle mustering and roundups, surveying, police and fire department use, and of course, personal leisure.
The company has distributors in the USA, Korea, China, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Slovenia.
The Mirocopter SCH-2A appears almost impossibly small, particularly for a coaxial helicopter.
Mirocopter SCH-2A – Specifications
- With a weight of just 113 kgs (249 lbs) the SCH-2A is incredibly lightweight, it can accommodate a pilot with a maximum weight of up to 124 kgs or 273 lbs for a maximum takeoff weight of 250 kgs or 551 lbs.
- The maximum speed is 62 mph or 100 km/h, and the cruising speed is 50 mph or 80 km/h. The fuel tank has a capacity of 5 US gallons or 19 liters, which given the fuel use of 4.5 gallons/hour or 17 liters/hour gives a maximum flight time at cruising speed of 1 hour.
- The SCH-2A has a length of 14.3 ft (4370 mm), a width of 4.9 ft (1500 mm), and a height of 8.0 ft (2450 mm).
- The engine is a Fiate MZ202 dual ignition, twin cylinder, two stroke gasoline engine that produces 60 hp at 5,800 rpm.
- It has a Smarteh 7″ LCD color resistive touchscreen instrument panel. Pilots can choose to display either imperial or metric units.
The Mirocopter uses standard helicopter control inputs, making it relatively easy to fly for experienced pilots.
Buy A Mirocopter SCH-2A
If you’re a braver person than me the good news is that the Mirocopter SCH-2A is now available for sale, in fact you can buy one on eBay for US delivery today if you like.
Editor’s Note: The eBay listing has now been removed. You can visit the Microcopter website here.
The cost is $35,000 USD and you can visit the eBay listing here if you’d like to read more or hit that Buy It Now button.
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
