leccyflyer
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Posts posted by leccyflyer
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Guessing that this might be a pre-production beta test build?
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I only charge at the field, rarely at home, and manage perfectly well with a pair of leisure batteries - a 110ah one for the 3s1p 4200mah- 5s1p5000mah packs and a 75ah one for the smaller 3s1p 1300mah -4s1p 2250mah packs., two chargers running simultaneously. I consider the cost of replacing these every 3-4 years on rotation as a consumable.
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Leisure battery.
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Realistically we need to trust to the BMFA to secure the reasonable dispensations to these unworkable regulations to allow us to continue our hobby. As you say it will have zero effect on those with nefarious intent and precious little effect on the originators of these restrictions - those most affected and inconvenienced will be the law-abiding and responsible model flyers.
Hopefully the good safety record which the BMFA can demonstrate will carry some weight and secure the appropriate exceptions. It's becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of all these regulations, which increasingly look like a steam powered sledgehammer being employed to crack open a single recalcitrant pistachio nut.
Edited By leccyflyer on 13/06/2020 07:12:01
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Lost the battery hatch/canopy from my Esprit Models Supra-E some years ago - was flying quite high at the time, probably >200ft - we saw it come off and I landed the model without incident. Despite some hours searching, we never found the canopy. Then some months later I received an email from a local farmer who had found the canopy/hatch in her hay field, having read the attached label, bearing my email address and old telephone number.
The hayfield was 5 miles from our flying field, as the crow flies.or, as the canopy is carried aloft.
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Berlin Express is the scheme chosen by VQ Models for their new 60" span ARTF P-51B, featured in this month's RCM&E shopping roundup pages.
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I've never seen a case with the transmitter deliberately held upside down. What a very strange thing for manufacturers to do.
Those old hard plastic cases for the Futaba FF8 were very compact and tight for space, but the TX was definitely held uprights. Used to be a pain at fly-ins though, as there were so many of them in the TX pound.
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Another vote for Hitec servos here, as my preferred servo of choice, especially in the micro and mini servo range. Excellent trouble free servos - Servoshop have the whole range at very competitive prices and superb customer service.. I also have plenty of Tower Pro 9g servos, and haven;t had any significant issues with those - they have mostly come in second hand models. I don't believe that I have encountered any fake ones yet.
The only servos I have had issues with were the old Ripmax SD200 servos - where I had three out of four servos dead on arrival and never bought another. Then theDurafly 9g servos in a couple of their ARTF foamies,where I had two aileron servos fail in two different models, causing them to crash. AS a result I replaced all the critical flying control servos in my Durafly models.
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My Spektrum DX7 and Futaba FF8 (with FRSKY module) are both in a cheapy aluminium attache case, with an insert of dense foam to hold them in place. The foam was cut with a razor saw and Stanley knife. and consists of several smaller blocks, with cut outs for the aerial.
My DX9 is in one of those Logic RC aluminium cases on it;s own - that has the dense foam insert pre-cut for that style of TX and it fits quite snugly. When I go sloping the FF8 with it's FRSKY module just gets lobbed in the rucksack, inside a poly bag, just in case it rains.
The little E-Flite, Ares and Parkzone TXs for my indoor models are in a smaller aluminium attache case, complete with chargers and with no foam insert.
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The Hobbyking covering film and Profilm/Oracover are both huge improvements on standard Solarfilm or the original Monokote.
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For aesthetic appeal I love the Master Airscrew electric wooden props - they are beautiful, but they are not very forgiving in the case of a prop strike on landing. I also really like the Aeronaut white props, which in my testing have emerged as a very creditable alternative and they don't tend to break. The Graupner Cam props and Speed props are other favourites.
You can never have too many props in electric flight and some testing with a tacho and wattmeter/clamp meter often yields useful and sometimes surprising results.
As electric flyers tend to have lots of props - where do you store yours and do you take them to the field?
I keep my "ready use" props in a fishing tackle box, which usually goes in the car when I go to the field. It;s more of a big red and grey amulet against breaking a prop, TBH, because I find that the times that I do break a prop are the days when it is sat at home. It also houses all the prop reamers, a couple of balancers, prop adaptors and the tools needed to change a prop in the field. It comes in handy if someone else breaks a prop and you can get them back in the air as well.
The rest of the props - especially the multi-blade and folders sit in one of those sets of plastic drawer units on wheels. I'm sad enough that I have occaisional sessions where I sit on the floor and sort out all of my props, putting the same size props in plastic bags and writing their diameter and pitch on the bags in big letters - I struggle to see the tiny embossed numbers that are on the props.
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Just on Smithsonian Channel now - Air Warriors P38 Lightning.
Some excellent footage showing right now - programme is an hour long and will probably be repeated over the next few days.
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Back in the day, before electric flight props were available, we just used the props that were out there to be used on IC engines. However the lighter, thinner blade profile props that are available do seem to give better performance, size for size.
In some applications though I still use some glow props - and example would be the excellent bright orange bendy nylon props made by J/ Perkins. I'm sure that they are a lot less efficient than same size APC-E, but for belly landing my BC Bearcat they are indestructible. Horses for courses
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Got mine today as well and I'm very impressed at the quality - as well as the packaging and prompt delivery with no damage and no drama. Thanks for the brilliant service and product.
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Posted by Christopher Morris 2 on 02/06/2020 11:59:08:
Hi, whats the Most power i can get from a 6" prop. So i am not limited on the motor size but i am limited by a 6" prop because its in a tube. Any suggestions for prop pitch & type of brushless motor to use. Also, any pros & cons going with a 2-3-4 bladed Thanks.
What's the model?
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Posted by Steve J on 31/05/2020 22:41:04:
Posted by leccyflyer on 31/05/2020 21:57:16:
A beginner would get all that advice as part of their instruction., There is no requirement from the CAA to consult a non-existent definitive map in order to learn to fly a model aeroplane at a club.
Most SUA flyers do not fly in a club environment. I would say that the first thing that a beginner should do is read though the drone code and the drone code is pretty clear that people should check for airspace restrictions before they fly.
This particular beginner -Christopher - posting here in the beginner's forum has explained that he has joined a club in order to learn to fly.. His instructor at the club would explain that, but in any case he's already been pointed at the appropriate places to get the information requested, by several contributors to this thread, along with the additional elements which show that the definitive map which he believes the BMFA should be producing is not a realistic proposition. Nobody is saying that he doesn't need to read the drone code or to abide by the regulations.
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Posted by Christopher Morris 2 on 31/05/2020 21:50:20:Posted by leccyflyer on 31/05/2020 21:09:22:
To be quite honest though, it appears that the OP is a beginner, just starting out in the hobby and realistically, this sort of thing really isn't all that necessary to know, to that degree, at that stage. Neither is a definitive list of which radio frequencies we are able to legally use.
There is enough of a learning curve learning to put an aeroplane together, prepare it for flight and get through the early stages of training, at the club field, rather than worrying about where exactly one might be able to legally fly. Just take the advice of the club, which knows the local situation best.
Hi, the problem was i spent the winter getting things together & now would of liked to get some lessons. But 6 weeks ago the problems started & my club still says it will be at least another 5 weeks. So a suggestion was made to take my Bixler out that i have as its a very forgiving plane. Someone said there was some areas at my nearby coast that should be good on a carm day. So i thought i would check if the area was ok to fly in. & had a look at dronesafe.uk as this part of the coast it is known as an RAF bombing practice area. The site didn't show a thing. It also didn't show many other local areas of drone restriction.that shows up on other sites.
Must admit, i was put off the site straight away as the 1st paragraph i read had 6 acronyms & as a newbie, i got the UK one & had to look the others up, but had to add radio control to my search or got Under Armour sports clothing company instead of unmanned aircraft.
This was the 1st paragraph. "Great for newbies" Seems like a union rep wrote it, lolUK FRZ Map
This map enables UA operators to remain clear of the new UA FRZs that are created as part of the latest amendment to the ANO.
Yes, I know what the UK FRZ map is and I know what the Dronesafe site does. If you've consulted that and it shows that the site which you have decided to scope out is in a restricted area it is what it is. I suggest that you speak to your club officials, as they ought to have the most up to date position on suitable local sites, any local agreements that they might have in place with ATC etc.
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Posted by Steve J on 31/05/2020 21:43:56:Posted by leccyflyer on 31/05/2020 21:09:22:
To be quite honest though, it appears that the OP is a beginner, just starting out in the hobby and realistically, this sort of thing really isn't all that necessary to know, to that degree, at that stage.
I suspect that the CAA would disagree with you.
A beginner would get all that advice as part of their instruction., There is no requirement from the CAA to consult a non-existent definitive map in order to learn to fly a model aeroplane at a club.
Edited By leccyflyer on 31/05/2020 21:58:52
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To be quite honest though, it appears that the OP is a beginner, just starting out in the hobby and realistically, this sort of thing really isn't all that necessary to know, to that degree, at that stage. Neither is a definitive list of which radio frequencies we are able to legally use.
There is enough of a learning curve learning to put an aeroplane together, prepare it for flight and get through the early stages of training, at the club field, rather than worrying about where exactly one might be able to legally fly. Just take the advice of the club, which knows the local situation best.
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Kyosho P-51D just about ready to go, just the decals on the cowl and the dummy exhaust stacks to fit. Have had this one sitting in the box 80% finished since 2004 when I did the electrification. AXI 4120/18, 5s1p 5000mah G-power Lipos, 4 max 80amp ESC, APC-E 13x10" prop. I've given the Mustang a going over with the heat gun since taking this picture this morning - that pre-printed sticky back plastic covering doesn't half wrinkle when it;'s warm.
Prompted to finish her off by comments on the recent Warbirds Replicas thread on here, extolling the flyabilioty of the Kyosho SQS ARTF warbirds.
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As you say Dick local research is still needed, not least due to the point that I made earlier about local club's arrangements which might exist with the appropriate authorities.
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The Dronesafe app is the best place to go for such information, though be aware that some clubs have approached their local airports and have secured dispensation to operate, under conditions, even in areas which the Dronesafe app will show as being in no fly zones.
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Great minds
. I've also got one of Richard's Spitfire's on the way next week too.I put one of the 14 turn Irvine Cobalts in my Zagi years ago and the power hop up was great, but for only a short time, they ran very hot and didn't last very long -ending their lives with the silver ring of death. They did come in a lovely little wooden coffin though. I found the Permax 450 to be an acceptable, robust increase in power over the 6v sp400 motor that she started with. The nominally uprated 480 sized motors with better brush gearalso gave a hop up, but some of them were thirsty beasts.
The distributors did a poor job in those days with their can motor based power trains. They would match an 8.4v motor with a 7 cell nicd pack and expect that to work, which was never going to work. It didn't take us long to discover that you had to run those can motors at higher voltages than their nominal rating and just live with the short lifetime.
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Posted by Richard Clark 2 on 30/05/2020 06:29:03:
An American 'startup' with a range of brushless!!! motors and ESC's to match. The very first 'consumer' brushless motors and of very high quality. (Aveox have never made brushed motors.) MaxCim, also American, was a later rival but folded quickly.
They were very expensive (hundreds of dollars with the ESC) but I couldn't resist. I geared it down with a couple of thick brass gears and put it in a Flair SE5, still with nicads of course. This was somewhen in the 1980's.When the first Lipo's appeared (from Thunder Power) I used those and it's still flying with the Aveox motor and ESC some 30 years later. Only my Astro Hog (now with an OS 91 glow rather than the original K&B 35). is older.
Aveox gave up on model plane motors by about 1990 and their official history, which starts in 1992, doesn't mention them at all. It's all military and aerospace now, Large UAV motors, , lots of 'stepper' motors, and they made the motors in the Space Shuttle robot arms.
The best motors and ESC's today are probably Kontronik but most British aeromodellers are too tight-fisted to buy them.
You are correct, Aveox didn't make brushed motors, though they did make brushed controllers. It's the Astro Cobalt and similar motors that the 100w/lb rule of thumb was based on. Other quality brushed motors were similar quality - like the Plettenberg Ultra, Mega R7 and the like. Those were much better than the typical can motors, but much more expensive.
There were less pricey alternatives available - some of the Kyosho buggy motors with removable brushes and adjustable timing gave a useful hop up in power levels without breaking the bank. They also benefitted greatly from optimising the timing, fitting better bearings etc and allowed decent perfomance in the days before brushless motors and lipos were widely available.
As I'm sure you know and contrary to modern perceptions, it was definitely possible to get decent electric flight performance back in the day with Nicds and brushed motors. it just took a bit more care and a bit more work. I've just been recalling this morning about the electric fly-ins in the early part of the millenium, before lipos, and we had a lot of fun and saw some very good performance from well thought out setups and even some cheap and cheerful ones.
Returning after a 20 year absence!
in Why Not Say Hello....
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I think that Doc's point was that the assertion that 35mhz has been superceded by 2.4ghz radios isn't the experience of some people . For example a fair number of the regular flyers that I fly with continue to use 35mhz, or a combination of 35mhz and 2.4ghz radios. These flyers just have their unique frequencies, rather than there being a pegboard, so there is no difference in practice.
As the flying is predominantly electric powered I'd obviously advocated the benefits of 2.4ghz in virtually completely eliminating those annoying intermittent instances of glitching that would plague some models. However, when you have a number of models that are working perfectly fine, with existing gear then carrying on using that ought not be an issue for anyone.