Nigel Heather

Where/How do you print out the plans. Do you print them on multiple A4 or A3 at home or work and paste them together for do you get them done by a printing company?

I believe that inkjet would be the best way to go - my experience with colour lasers, including the cheaper one I have at home and big expensive ones at work, is that they can't reproduce colours as accurately as inkjet nor with the same vibrancy. I know what you mean about the print heads clogging though. I have two printers at home, a colour laser and an inkjet. Mostly use the laser, the inkjet is for projects where I need good colour printing, photos, artwork etc. But I use the inkjet so infrequently, I have to spend time and ink to unblock the nozzles every time I attempt to use it. Inkjets are best if you use them regularly.

Over winter and spring at least. Have three traditional builds on the bench. Mick Reeves Gangster 63 Lite Evolution Models Fusion II Cambria Messerschmitt Bf 109E Cheers, Nigel

Just built a SLEC fuselage jig - wanted to do it as cheap as possible. First of all, surprised to find my local store selling it significantly cheaper than SLEC - that was a good saving. Then I started looking at MDF, initially from the likes of B&Q and realised I was talking at least £16. So paid a visit to my local timber shop and they had loads of offcuts more than big enough for £2 each. So managed to complete my jig for around £18.

Is there any way of checking what the current gift is other than going into WH Smiths and looking at the magazine? Not in any hurry but want to be able to monitor and then take out a subscription when the gift is something that I want.

Have some older servo, nylon and metal gear that I’d like to service. When it comes to greasing the gears, is it worth paying a bit extra for dedicated servo grease (like that from Hitec) or will generic white lithium be just as good? Cheers, Nigel

It is normal for a battery voltage to drop when under load compared with voltage at no-load or minimal load. The battery voltage is probably correct. With the crystal in the RF stage will be running which will place a load on the battery dropping it's voltage. With the crystal out the RF stage won't run and there will be minimal load on the battery, so the battery will show a higher voltage.

Thanks for the info. I'm content now with my gear. I've chosen a motor which is the next step up from the spec on 4-Max, going for an 80A ESC so I have headroom, 4S 3300 batteries that I already have, the trike undercarriage and might cap the wing ribs. The weight will be what it turns out to be. Confident that the power train will be good enough for me to get into aerobatic flying, probably not enough thrust:weight for a proper competition routine but I'm a long way from that and if I decide to go that way that will be the subject of a follow-on model.

Yep, I think 12" will be fine, my concern with ground clearance was going bigger than that. Nice finish on your Gangster.

Sorry, had to wait till I got home to check the calcs. This is according to the eCalc PropCalc software. The motor is a 4250-800, not 900 as I had stated earlier. With a 13" prop I can go to 6" pitch, if I increase to 7" then the current exceeds that rated for the motor. The 13x6 gives a thrust to weight ratio of 1.67 With a 12" prop I can go to 8" pitch. The 12x8 gives a thrust to weight ratio of 1.77. The often recommended 3548-900 on a 12x6 gives a thrust to weight ratio of 1.51 but there is a overheat warning on the motor case. I'll probably start it on a 12x7 and see how it behaves. Cheers, Nigel

Agreed, I tried a few KV options in the simulator and the 4250-900 with a 12" prop came out as a best option. I did try a 13" prop with different pitches and KVs and although their were so.e combinations that would work, the 4260-900 with 12" seemed to be the best compromise - according to the simulator. Also, if I stick with the trike, which is my preference, then the 12" prop is pretty much the limit unless I change the legs for longer ones.

Thanks, I've sized my setup using the eCalc PropCalc. Gone with a slightly bigger motor but running with a 12" prop (can't remember the pitch off the top of my head). What I found with the 3548 motor is that it would run but PropCalc was giving motor can temperature warnings. So I've gone with a 4250 but pretty much running as a 3548 but a lot cooler. The extra weight up front will probably be useful too. The 12" prop should be okay with the trike. When I tried a 13" prop in the sim it threw up over temperature and over current warnings. Had to reduce the potch to get rid of these which defeated the purpose as the thrust was the same as with the 12".

For those that have built one, what's your view on undercarriage - stick with trike or modify for tail dragger. I'm going electric which means I would probably fix the nosewheel on a trike because difficult to route control arm through battery compartment.

I've pulled the trigger and ordered now, this is what I decided to do: I'm catering for two models, an Evolution Fusion II Fun Fly and a Mick Reeves Gangster 63 Lite. For the Fusion II, I'm going to try the Corona DS-238MG which are recommended by Evolution Models. For the Gangster, I have stayed traditional and have gone for standard size Savox SC-352 Cheers, Nigel

Thanks, think I’m going to stick with the Hitec (225BB) and the Savox (352) that I have identified as alternatives. Will cost an extra £40 but I suspect that they are more likely to be consistent. Attracted by the weight and cost saving of the Coronas but think there is more risk.

I agree with this. But I can also imagine that Hitec, Futaba, and Savox servos are not manufactured by Hitec, Futaba and Savox. I can imagine that they are contracted out. But then again I can imagine that they are more like to be built specifically for Hitec and Futaba (not sure about Savox because I’ve heard that Savox and Align servos are the same thing) and I can imagine that the quality control is better.

How do you find them. Would you use them in other models. And if you had the extra quids to buy the budget Hitec or Savox equivalent would you?

Apologies I have asked this question before but buried in another thread and not very directly. Are Corona servos any good? They have been suggested by a kit manufacturer but before that I'd never heard of them - I now understand that they are predominantly a HobbyKing brand. Anyone with any experience of them. In particular do they centre well, what is the accuracy like, durability (do the metal gears wear well). Compared with the likes of Hitec and Savox they are significantly cheaper and, on paper. better specified. But are they great, okay or best avoided? The ones I would be considering are the 22g Mini DS-238MG and the 32g Mini-Standard DS-339MG Many thanks, Nigel

Must admit that I'm torn between the choice of servo for my Gangster. I'm down to two options Corona 339 Savox 352 I have no prior experience of either brands, not found many reviews of either. What I like about the Savox - I presume that Savox is a better quality product, it's a standard size which my be better, and you can spares which I perceive as a better quality product because the manufacturer supports it. What I like about the Corona - lighter because it is a mid-standard so about 40g total weight saving, price about £20 cheaper (but to be honest I'd be happy to spend that if need be). Overall, I think it is just the weight that is making me think twice - as it will help the thrust to weight ratio.

Ahh! I see, the small one goes up to 4S but the bigger one goes to 7S. So say I wanted to run on 4S, could I get the bigger motor, it would then run the same as the smaller motor but under-utilised but at a later date if I wanted to increase the power I could use 5S on the bigger motor. So getting the bigger motor would be more flexible for the future.

I notice that some motors quote a minimum prop - what does that mean - what would happen if you put a lesser prop on the motor? Cheers, Nigel

Yep what I was thinking but my question is if they are both capable of swinging a 12x7 within spec will they create the the same thrust (flight power), I assume they will and will they draw the same current (electrical power). So in other words will they both be the same - you are just taking full advantage of the 4050. Cheers, Nigel

Say I have two motors, one a 3648-900 and the other a 4050-900. The 4050 is quoted as being more powerful, more watts but if I attach the same prop and connect the same battery, the prop will rotate at the same speed because they motors have the same kV. So what cause the 4050 to be more powerful than the 3648. Is it because it can swing a bigger, pitchier prop. But if you swing the same prop is it a waste, are they same power motor in that case?

Agree with the faffing about with the engines - I was really referring to the fact that each kit/model came with instructions on what size engine to fit and then it was just a case of do I risk going cheap with MDS, go mid-range with Irvine or go expensive with OS. Funny enough with the ever present threat and occurrence of dead stick I became quite adept in gliding the rest of the circuit and landing nicely first time. Now with the undying reliability of electric it sometimes takes me two or more attempts to complete a landing. I guess necessity focuses the mind.

What is frustrating is whenever I have asked questions about electric setups I’ve been told - look at 4-Max, speak to George, look at their recommended setups, you can’t go wrong, they know their stuff. So when I found the Gangster in their recommended setups I thought I had a clear specification to work with - but now I’m being told that 4-Max are wrong so I don’t know what to think. The hobby was so much easier 20 years ago when we just had glow engines.