[How do you select the correct pitch?]

Hi all,

thanks for the replies, the wattmeter will be ordered when I get home.

Frank, had a quick look at that calc, and it looks just the job, will download it properly when I get home as the company is a bit funny when it comes to downloading stuff on the pc's.

Starting to get my head around the electric setup choices, as all my heli's came either rtf or with specific guidelines on motor, esc, lipo and rotor blade length, and my two other planes are rtf.

 

Cheers

Tony

[How do you select the correct pitch?]

Hi all,

when I get home from this working trip abroad, I am hopeful of starting my Ben Buckle Super 60 4ch build, after reading a post from Tim I intend to use a E Power BL 3526/05 685Kv motor and swing a 14" prop, but what pitch?

I want a really slow flyer, to my mind (maybe wrong) but the slower the flight, the more time I will have to correct if I make a mistake.

Is it a case of buying a number of props of varying pitch, fit them on a test bed with a wattmeter inline and see which gives the best readings? or is there a magic formula that will give you the thrust generated for a prop of given dia and pitch?

As a second question, what would be the best with this motor and 14" prop, a 3S or 4S Lipo? I have a few 3S already for my heli's.

 

Cheers

Tony

[Super 60 build, Big Bandit]

Hi Chris,

any pics of the finished article yet? I noted on another thread that you had started the sharkface.

 

Tony

[A newbie]

Hello from a fellow rotor head.

[Super 60 build, Big Bandit]

Hi Chris,

yes there will be a small build blog, but sadly will have to wait till I get home from this trip, currently off the coast of Brazil laying oil pipe, and before you all say lucky sod, it's peeing it down but slightly warmer than home. Should get home around then end of Jan so providing the list of jobs is not too big from SWMO then I will be able to start the build, I can't wait, it will be the first build I have done for donkey's years.

 

Tony

[Super 60 build, Big Bandit]

That is looking really good Chris, and your build blog with it's good explanations, photo's and tips is going to prove invaluable when I start my build.

Keep up the good work.

 

Tony

[new member with super cub rc plane]

Plus the Super Cub is very light and does not like cross wind hand launches, don't ask

It needs a hand launch or rolling takeoff directly into wind.

[Super 60 build, Big Bandit]

Hi Chris,

enjoy your break, that hinge stiching, can you confirm that it forms a figure of eight, and how tight do you pull the thread and still get unrestricted movement ?

Cheers

Tony

[2012 Vintage Mass Build - What are you building?]

Ben Buckle 4 ch Super 60

[How is our hobby viewed by others]

A lot of people see our models as toys untill they realise that some can take hundreds of hours in the build and that some builders are really genius standard enginners who can fabricate something from odd bits in the workshop and end up with a fully flying model. I used to get it a lot when flying my heli's untill I explained that my heli can do things that full size machines can't i.e. hover upside down but mostly people are curious and want to know more and on the whole that must be a good thing, get more into the hobby, keep the LMS happy and possibly boost the local club numbers.

So I do not mind talking about my hobby and showing my models.

[Super 60 build, Big Bandit]

Hi Chris,

following your build with much interest, originaly I was going to get the Tranquiliser as a trainer build, but RCM&E plans have the plan sheet with no instructions and the mag article is no longer in stock. So this afternoon I purchased the 4 channel Super 60 kit to start a build in mid Jan when I return from work abroad, I will be doing the electric conversion and will unashamedly pinch some of your build ideas and mods if you don't mind. I have to say your photo's are nice and clear and your build explanations are really helpful, keep up the good work.

 

Tony

[New to flying but not to RC hello.]

Hi,

ok as a spinning head ??? a co-ax which Tim meant is an easy heli to learn on but you would quickly outgrow and soon get bored with, there is the MSR which is a very small single rotor but easy to learn on, great fun and can be flown outdoors on a calm day, it has the advantage of having dual rates pre-set so that with the flick of a switch you can set it on advanced and really throw it around, it is fairly robust, plenty of spares available when needed and the spares are fairly cheap as well. This heli has a big following so much so that other manufacturers have copied it, Align the makers of the T-Rex have marketed thiers as the T-Rex 100 but unlike there other models it is not very good and has had poor reviews, another one is the Heliguy Atom, google Heliguy and that will take you to the forum and online shop, the Atom is virtualy a direct copy of the MSR so flys very well, and is half the price, so although I have the MSR and thoroughly enjoy it, I would recommend the Atom.

 

Tony

[Push Moth as a trainer ?]

Hi Ben,

I have two ARTF fomies, a little powered glider and a Super Cub both of which I am using trying to master the basics, but as with my helicopters, I find the building just as enjoyable as the flying although I do know what you mean about the heartache of crashing a newly built model. So I am going to go down the route as you have suggested and get to grips with learning to fly my foamies while enjoying a very slow and steady build so that when the build is completed I will not trash it first attempt.

 

Peter, well that little snippet of info has helped me to make my mind up, the Tranquiliser goes on the xmas prezzie list and save the Push Moth till later.

 

Tony

[Push Moth as a trainer ?]

Hi Ken,

yes the powered glider is an option I am looking at as well, there are enough places in my area to fly one.

 

Peter, will have a look at this solarfilm as oposed to tissue.

 

Have been looking through the RCME plans, and have seen plans for a trainer called "Tranquiliser" which may hit the spot although a google search has not brought up any info on it, so it may be the powered glider to start with and then move on to something like this vintage build.

 

Tony

[Push Moth as a trainer ?]

Hi Guy's,

thanks for the replies,

 

Ken. Still want to go electric, I have a number of lipo's from my helicopters which would keep me flying.

As for sudden arrivals, that is why I would like to go the trad balsa and tissue route, have never used solarfilm or any of the modern coverings before and I think a trad build may make it easier for me to repair.

 

fb3 & Ernie. So possibly on the small size for a trainer, so will keep looking for suitable plans, I am a sucker for the vintage look stuff so will keep you all posted if I find something, sadly it will have to wait till the end of Jan now as I have to go back to work abroad and will not be back till then.

 

Tony

[DX7 Warranty/repair]

Hi,

if it is not the fuse then I would defo send to horizon even if just out of warranty, thier customer service is excellent and they would probably repair it at no or very little cost.

 

Tony

[Push Moth as a trainer ?]

Hi all,

I really fancy building my own trainer, I have built a couple of balsa models many years ago as a lad, and would like to get into it again. I like the look of the Push Moth and don't forsee any major stumbling blocks in the actual build, so my question is, is this model suitable as a trainer ?. From my limited knowledge and from reading much on this forum it seems to me that it may suit, a good bit of dihedral for stability, originaly designed for rubber power free flight so must be fairly benign in the air. So people, any thoughts on this ? and if not thought of as suitable as a trainer, any thoughts on a suitable balsa trainer fitted out for electric flight ?

 

Tony

[End of an era]

BBC 1 is showing all of next year's F1 races.

[How to trim your model out]

Tucked away in a folder, it will come in handy in the years to come.

[Removing or covering up painted signs on a spare wheel cover ?]

Try covering said picture, advertisment with duct tape, leave for a few days and then peel off, you will probably find the duct tape takes it off, it did on mine.

 

Tony

[Confusion over BMFA certificates and solo flying]

Hi,

just looked at the online version of the BMFA handbook and achievment scheme downloads. The good news is that powered gliders are covered by the silent flight electric A cert, and there is no mention of a minimum weight, only a discussion between the examiner and candidate on the suitability of the model for the local flying conditions with the possibility of the exam being postponed till suitable flying conditions are available for your relevant model.

Hope this helps.

Tony

[Lipo battery to Esc Connectors.]

Hi, some of my heli's had Deans, the only trouble is that you need to get a lot of heat onto the terminal to solder the wire correctly due to the thickness of the terminal, and it tends to melt the plastic making it unsightly. EC 3's howeber are soldered out of the plastic holder and then locked into the holder on completion, makes a much neater job.

The other problem with Deans that I found was the problem of sparking when connecting the lipo, it is fairly difficult to mate a deans connection without sparking, having raised this problem on a heli forum a lot of the expeirienced guy's put me onto EC 3's or EC 5's depending on the size of wire, due to the individual sockets for the +ve and -ve terminals, even if you do get a spark when mating the connection there is less liklehood of a short which as we all know is not good for lipo's.

Tony

[Choosing a Micro Electric Heli]

With a sim, it all depends on how you set the sim up for your chosen heli, ie if we look at phoenix, there is a vast array of settings that can be changed just as in real life with a programmable Tx.

One of the easiest things to try first is to change the sim speed, by slowing it down to say 80% things will be a bit easier, then change the ground effect to 100% as in real life, then you can add the expo to your controls which will smooth things out.

As for model selection, leave the so called trainers alone for the time being, choose the largest heli you have available in your menu, as with fixed wing in general, the larger the model the more stable it tends to be.

As you get more proficient you can start to reduce tha amount of expo you are using, change to a smaller model and start to increase the sim speed.

Sims if set up correctly are a great tool for training, especially heli's, as with a real model, any sort of crash or hard landing will cost loads in repair bills, in fact my first hard landing with a belt cp 450 cost over £30 in spares required to get it flying again.

Tony

[Choosing a Micro Electric Heli]

Hi, if you want an indoor model then go for the Blade MSR, do not go for the T Rex 100 which is a poor copy and does not fly very well. The MSR will fly outdoors in a light breeze, is fairly forgiving of crashes and is very stable, also great fun, i've had mine for over a year now and still love throwing it around.

If you are after a bigger outdoor model ie 450 size then I would recommend a CX 450, a clone of the T Rex 450 but a lot cheaper, you can learn on a 450 size and if you google Radds school of flight it will give you a free download of lessons to follow, he talks to you like you are a little kid, but if you can put up with that he will teach you to get it in the air.

The advantage of learning on a 450 size is that when you are ready you can mod the 450 a good deal before buying a bigger and more expensive heli later.

As you can tell I have come from flying heli's to having a go with fixed wing for a while, any heli related questions then just shout.

Tony

[Computer builds model aircraft]

Chrisie,

you don't have to wait that long, they are available now as long as you have a bank balance with loads of noughts on the end.

Tony