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Glenn Howcroft

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Everything posted by Glenn Howcroft

  1. Glenn Howcroft
    Just to say thanks for a really great design Peter. I'm actually going to build this one .. my first plane in nearly 2 years !!!. I caught the helicopter bug and have been learning to fly, and fix the bent ones, for a what seems like ages now. Can't wait for the smell of superglue, the balsa dust and the cut fingers ... again. It's going electric though .. can't do with all those smelly, noisey things any more. Will be using a Emax 2820/07 motor, swings a 11-12 inch prop on 3 or 4 cell LiPo. More or less a direct replacement for a .32 i.c. engine so should work fine. Have used the same setup in my OD Tucano of 56 inch span and flew well on 3s, but will probably go to 4s for the extra grunt. Will post some pics when I finish it.
  2. Glenn Howcroft
    Hi Peter I know what you mean with a well setup I.C, my shuttle heli has never missed a beat in 5 years. Then again, the "it goes or doesn't go" applies to electric as well, once setup, and with no mess . Did some tests tonight and it appears the battery I used is a little tired so a new battery needed ..  Also put the new outrunner in the model and reprogrammed the ESC. No more throttle trouble now, must have been some idiot who did it wrong the first time .. (me )
  3. Glenn Howcroft
    Hi peter(s) The flight over grass certainly proved the plane, so im happy there.  Im still not convinced that the poor power with floats on is down to needing a bigger motor. Although I do have a nice outrunner I can fit if all else fails.  Im using a brand of ESC i've never tried before,( from the cheap end of the market ), and I think the problem could be there. Static tests on the bench last night showed that the motor was at max revs at a little over half throttle.  I'll have to check the prop RPM with this ESC and compare it to the same setup with another ESC. I seem to remember that this motor reved a lot harder on my old Castle Creations ESC, ( now defunct, my son with his buggy, don't ask ). I'll try a couple of different batterys as well just to make sure there ok.  Ahh well .. it's all  part of the fun.
  4. Glenn Howcroft
    Hi Peter       Finally got that Husky finished.       Tried it out today at my local boat clubs lake. Taxi trials went very well, lots of control on the water with the twin water rudders, tracked nice and straight and got up onto the step with little fuss, lots of power. Unfortunately the flight wasn't so good.. took off with no problems but just didn't seem to want to climb away .. as though once past 3/4 throttle I was getting no more power. Things just seemed to get worse power wise so had to bring her around and land very quickly. As can be seen from the next pic it was quite a heavy landing .. floats tried to do the splits.   I checked the connections and the ESC seems to work fine when I run her up static. The motor pulls 37amps static with a 60a OPTO ESC, ESC doesn't even get hot.  I removed the floats and had a 10 min flight after .. over grass of course . Flew really well too.  Glenn  
  5. Glenn Howcroft
    The result of a heavy water landing
  6. Glenn Howcroft

    Glenn Howcroft posted a gallery image in Member Albums

  7. Glenn Howcroft

    Glenn Howcroft posted a gallery image in Member Albums

  8. Glenn Howcroft
    Np on the ply comment Peter . it's the first time i've tried building the sides like that .. bit of an experiment .. but im happy with the results so far ..   I must admit that I build more than I fly .. Once I've flown the model 3 or 4 times its time for another build.   I do boats as well, (hides face in shame ), Thats part of the reason the Husky is on floats ..    As Phil says boats are fun .. but as I prefer electrics have a look at http://www.ampdraggers.co.uk/     I do believe there faster than IC as well .. they just dont race as long.  I've clocked the mono 1 fast electrics at over 40 miles an hr with the club speed gun .. mono 2,3 and the hydros are faster !!!    
  9. Glenn Howcroft
    I know .. i know .. liteply would have been better. I just happened to have the 1/16th ply already and im tight with my money !!! . Saying that the model as shown with wire U/C and fiberglass skins on the bottom of the floats only weighs in at  1lb 3 oz ..   Peter, your right about the full size planes .. I was at RAF Cosford museum last week, had a fantastic day. It really gives you a buzz for making models when you get up close to the aircraft you've only seen in books. Standing under a Vulcan bomber looking up into the open bomb bay is something i'll not forget !! .. or walking around the TSR2 .. magic   I came away with loads of photo's and another 2 or 3 models on the "must do" list .
  10. Glenn Howcroft
    Thanks for the replies Peter (s) ..    The sides are actually from 1/16th ply ... heavier I know but with all those wholes it's not too bad .. and strong. Theres also a pair of 1/4 sq balsa longerons top and bottom of each side running full length. .. You can see from the attached working plan ..   The floats are from a free plan on i found at   www.svensons.com/airplanes .. the wing section is also from another plan .. but the rest is mine. I've made some changes from the plan shown .. just not had time to redo it ..   I'll try the plastic sheet for the screen ...     
  11. Glenn Howcroft
    Floats from free plans on www.svensons.com/airplanes/ ..
  12. Glenn Howcroft
    Hi all ..    Great reading Peter.   Thought i'd post a pic of my latest OD model a Christen Husky, should be around 58 inch span and 8 inch chord if I ever get it finished. For electric power. Drew up my plan in TurboCad from a 3 view I found online. Will be stand off scale ..   Still deciding how to do the canopy for this one ...   Edited By Glenn Howcroft on 02/06/2009 23:18:27
  13. Glenn Howcroft

    Glenn Howcroft posted a gallery image in Member Albums

  14. Glenn Howcroft
    thought id have a go at an OD ..
  15. Glenn Howcroft
    aound 58 inch span for electrics
  16. Glenn Howcroft
    Hi all ..   You should give it a go Phil.   I built one when the plan originally came out, but modified the power train. I used a pair of jamara 480s with irvine 400 gearboxes and 9x6 APC-E props. battery was a 10 cell pack of Cp-1700s . Power was excellent ..a real fun plane for little cost.   I was looking over the original plan a few weeks ago and was thinking of doing a brushless version myself, let us know how you get on ...   Glenn
  17. Glenn Howcroft
    Hi all ... Not been following this thread for a while .. sorry .. work. Bustergrunt the Walrus pictured was my own design, but I must give a very large tip my hat to Tony N. I followed his concept of sheet wings and simple box fuse, and his advice on the incidence of the wings. Without his RCM&E plans I would never had a go myself. The plane flew ... once. She was a handfull to say the least. Hand launch was perfect, climb out was excellent, if anything too much power available so throttle back to 1/3 and a few clicks had her flying straight and level. Pitch a little sensative, maybe a slightly rear CG. Then we come to the turns, thats when the problems arrived. Aeleron into the turn, seemed very sluggish, added a bit of rudder, much better, then she digs in so opposite aeleron and rudder to hold in the turn. Recover to level flight again sluggish even with rudder assist. Flew twice around the field and decided to land. Good approach, soft touch down, slides along nicely on belly ... then snags a tuft and forward rolls. Badly split the top wing in two places, snapped 2 of the carbon wing struts, pulled 3 of the carbon rods out of the engine pod which was badly damaged, oh yeh ... and cracked the fuse at the wing mount.  Although I could have repaired her I decided to use the motor and other kit in the Mini Limbo Dancer I posted pics of. Shame really, she looked really nice in the air. Glenn .. 
  18. Glenn Howcroft
    Hi all ... Nick ... thanks for the nice comment about the Mini Limbo Dancer, its loads of fun. But ... what's a  Polikarpov BG when it's at home ??? ... The only other pics I uploaded, a while ago now, were of a prototype Supermarine Walrus, 400 size again. Sadly it resides in the great bin liner in the sky now ... Ooooops. Already on to my next project, a ME109-E ... started skinning the fuse last night. Still loads to do though.  This ones a bit bigger, about 48 inch span. Using a Megga 22/20/3E for the grunt. With 8 x 4300 NiMH for the batts. Terry ...  THe MC72 looks cool. Your right, it would REALLY cause a stir at the boat club .. LOL. I'd love to see the plans . All the best .. 
  19. Glenn Howcroft
    Hi ... The Aquastar looks great ... let me know how she flies as I'm interested in buying one. Some of the lads at my boat club are building seaplanes for more watery fun. Boats get boring ...LOL Just uploaded a couple of pics of my 400 Funfly to the Gallery. Flies well on a brushless 400, 2000kv on 8 x 1400 NiMH cells and a 7 x 5 APC-E prop. Will ROG, do any manouver I can throw at it except prop hang. Needs a outrunner and 3 cell Lipo for that I think ...  will probably fit one in the new year.  Have fun ...
  20. Glenn Howcroft
    Yep ... wheels to ...
  21. Glenn Howcroft
    400 inrunner brushless, 2000 kv, 8 x 1400 Nimh, 7 x 5 APC-E prop. Great fun !!
  22. Glenn Howcroft
    Don't know if any of you will be interested as its not flying ... but have a look at the vid at this URL ... http://www.fastelectricsrfun.co.uk/ampdraggers/photosandvideos.htm The guys racing pop cells regular ... sometimes a cell a race .. thats 4300 Mah NiMH or better ... anywhere between 7 to 20 cells depending on the class. I've seen 100 amp ESC burnt out in a single race and thats with a water cooling jacket to take the heat away. The REALLY hammer the electrics. My oldest blew a Hacker navy 70 amp esc in half a race .. and there only 6 minutes long.
  23. Glenn Howcroft
    I built a small KK free flight glider as my first flying model ... don't know what it was called. Bought it for my youngest. Needless to say he never got a look in !! Phil .. the second childhood starts when you decide to add ANOTHER hobby ... thats the time the women REALLY begin to moan at you. I build and fly planes and heli's, race fast electric MONO and HYDRO speedboats, occasionally race electric buggies ... and try to play guitar ... wife says the only difference between me and the kids is the length of the trousers and the price of the toys !!!
  24. Glenn Howcroft
    Lol ... Anything to help would have been nice. Can't imagine what a brushless powered 600 size spit would go like on control lines ... bet it would be fun !! I did fly a PAW powered c/l my mate had made .. was very cool. The PAW was a lovely engine. Brand new as well .... are they still in production ??
  25. Glenn Howcroft
    I know the feeling ... The first control liner I ever flew was my mates own design. He neglected to tell me it was a speed model .. and he put a smaller prop on it to get the revs up .... staggered all over the place and fell over after 3 minutes of flying, but had managed to land it. Do they do electric control liners these days ...
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