Model Solutions

Lew, you should try to mount the speakers in a completely enclosed box, for better volume and better sound quality and, of course, make sure there is plenty of holes in FRONT of the loudspeakers to let the sound out. Ideally, the loudspeakers should be mounted in a place where the entire loudspekaser cone is exposed to the outside.   Often what works well is mounting one speaker facing down in each wing and cover it with a light weave fabric to let the sound out.   Multiple speakers in the same enclosure are alright. They won't cancel each other out as long as they are wired in series (so they act together) and not in anti-phase). See this article on my web site about how to wire multiple speakers. See here   - David Edited By Model Solutions on 11/01/2010 14:34:49 Edited By Model Solutions on 11/01/2010 14:37:41 Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 10/03/2011 15:10:35

Posted by Phil B on 11/01/2010 13:29:16: It is always a sad day when your model goes in. particularly such a nice one. There is always the post crash inquiry about what happened. Was it pilot error or something failed one the model. Maybe one-day models might have a black box that will give us some clues (just an idea).   Phil, there are already flight data loggers available from companies such as Eagle Tree Systems (no connection to me) that can record battery voltage, current, temperature, airspeed, altitude, motor speed and, with an optional GPS receiver, location throughout the flight. While not the complete equivalent of a "black box" they are pretty close.   Regards, David

Hi, folks, I'm David Harrison, CEO of Model Solutions of Canada Ltd. and designer fo the SFX6 sound module. Congrats to Tim for making the video of the SFXPC3 GUI. Well done!!   I'd like to reinforce, though, that the module is completely plug and play right out of the package. All you have to do is set up the max. and min. throttle settings using a simple push button procedure. You do not have to use a PC at all to setup and use it if you don't want to. But if you are so inclined to add your own sounds or modify any of the many configurable settings, then you install the SFXPC3 application that comes on a mini CD-ROM with the module.   Thought you also might all like to know that we are having a January Sale on for the SFX6 sound modules and loudspeakers. The SFX6 Sound Module is going for 20% off at CAD$159.95 (about £96).   If you want to get one of these amazing high performance sound systems, order now!!

Just to let everyone know that our new high performance SFX6 sound modules are now in stock and are shipping.   It plays at full CD sound quality - 16 bit/44100 samples/second, plays two sounds simultaneously at that rate or four sounds simultaneously at 16bit/22050 samples/second. Dual independent throttle controlled engine sounds plus up to eight other sounds. And of course, our hallmark USB interface so you can download your own sounds and/or set the many configurable options. An on-board 40watt power amp, all in a board with a footprint smaller than a credit card. More advanced features are planned such as GPS Derived Enhanced Doppler shift and more... Full details are at : http://www.modelsolutions.ca/catalog_sound_systems.htm David Harrison CEO Model Solutions of Canada Ltd. www.modelsolutions.ca  

Tom, it all depends on how pedantically "scale" you want to be. Perhaps having sounds judged in competitions is not a good idea because it would be so subjective and, as you say, so dependent on what the judge(es) think the real plane should sound like.   But in the general course of things, while flying around your field for fun or demonstrating to friends and the public at large, having sounds that approach the sound of the real plane as far as is possible, without being 100.0000% accurate, does indeed add greatly to the pleasure of flying and watching these models.   I think modellers are allowed a little bit of "poetic" licence to deviate just a bit from the real thing. In any case, having digital recordings playing from the plane sounds a whole lot more pleasant than the sound of a model I.C. engine, or, if you get the volume right, the whine of the electric motor.   I speak from experience, also from the model boat world, when model boats fitted with digital sound systems are huge head turners and crowd pleasers - it all adds to the fun of the hobby.

Timbo, I don't think you can assume that BRC Hobbies will send you a new SFX6 for the same price as the older SFX5.3. I believe they are out of stock of the SFX5.3's and I would have thought they should have refunded your money if they didn't have stock, but that's between you and them. We are pricing our SFX6 s slighlty more than the older model due to its very advanced features and lengthy product development time. As far as your loudspeaker placement goes, here is some technical advice. Simply placing a speaker in any model with no airtight enclosure gives very poor results. When a loudspeaker is energized it radiates sound pressure waves from both the front of its cone and the rear of its cone. But the rear sound pressure wave is in anti-phase to the front one (think of the cone as a piston, pressurizing the air). This rear pressure wave is going to be reflected off any nearby surface and, depending on the net phase shift, will either reinforce or partially cancel out the front sound pressure wave. This is all very dependent on the frequency of the sound, and the distance and reflectivity of these surfaces. Hence the concept of an "infinite" baffle which is a theoretically infinite board in which the speaker is placed. In that concept the rear sound wave can never reach the front one and hence not mess it up.   The nearest thing to an "infinite" baffle is a very rigid airtight enclosure. As long as the walls are rigid and cannot vibrate themselves with the rear sound pressure wave then it dramatically reduces the sound intereference and improves the sound quality enormously.   From a practical point of view, there are two issues - making the walls rigid enough and making it airtight, especially at the seal around the loudspeaker frame. In a model airplane we can't make the walls too thick because of the weight, but a minimum of 3/16 high grade plywood is recommended. If you can get some acoustic fibreglass insulation and stuff that inside, so much the better.   Real Hi-Fi speakers have walls as thick as 1" and made of very dense wood, but we don't have that luxury here. Making ported speaker enclosures such as "bass reflex" types is a complicated science and shouldn't be attempted without that knowledge, otherwise you could be worse off than without the port.   Mounting the speaker in the bottom of the fuse with many holes to let the sound out is a good idea but if the surface is curved, you have to pay good attention to the seal around the speaker. There's not a whole lot you can do about the wall thickness or rigidity but stuffing acoustic insulation in there is a good idea   Best Regards, David  

Tom, the whole point of scale model building is to achieve as close to realism of the real plane as possible. This entails attention to detail in all areas - dimensions, appearance, colour, flying characteristics and of course sound. As many folks have mentioned , if you are flying in an area where people are complaining about noise, then turn the sound system volume down or off altogether. But in areas where that is not a problem, there's nothing at all like a Rolls Royce Merlin or Griffon or a Pratt and Whitney radial engine sound plus guns blazing coming out of your model airplane. You literally get goose bumps as the plane flys by!

The BRC Hobbies ones are from us - Model Solutions of Canada Ltd.. They will eventually be stocking our new high performance SFX6 units once a U.K. source has been set up. David Harrison CEO Model Solutions of Canada Ltd. www.modelsolutions.ca  

Guys, we sell a very high performance sound system for R/C models of all kinds. IT is not a sound simulator but plays back digital sound recordings at full CD sound quality!, the only R/C sound module to do so. It has two independent throttle controlled engine sounds and many more world first features. It has its own 40Watt amp. on board, its footprint is smaller than a credit card and only 14mm thick.   Full details at : http://www.modelsolutions.ca/catalog_sound_systems.htm   David Harrison CEO Model Solutions of Canada Ltd. www.modelsolutions.ca  

Also please consider our modules from Model Solutions of Canada Ltd.  :   http://www.modelsolutions.ca/catalog_sound_systems.htm   David Harrison CEO Model Solutions of Canada Ltd. www.modelsolutions.ca    

Hi, guys, David from Model Solutions of Canada here. Thought you might be interested in our new SFX6 high performance sound module. It plays back at full CD sound quality (16 bit/44100 samples/sec) and has two independent throttle controlled engine sounds - great for twin engined aircraft. Lots of othe rworld first features including an intruiging Enhanced Doppler shift based on GPS input data. These are now in the assembly plant and we exepct to have them by July 22, 2009.   Full details are at : http://www.modelsolutions.ca/catalog_sound_systems.htm   Regards, David Harrison CEO Model Solutions of Canada Ltd. www.modelsolutions.ca  

Hi, guys, I'm David Harrison, CEO of Model Solutions of Canada Ltd, the manufacturer of the SFX5.3 sound modules to which Timbo refers. I can answer any and all questions regarding the sound module and the speakers which we sell. The speaker specs. are an .mht file which is a single html archive file and should be able to be read by any Internet Explorer version. And when comparing prices be sure you are comparing apples with apples, not oranges. Our sound modules are actually very much cheaper compared to the Benedini systems where you have to buy not only the module, but a separate power amp. as well. Also, just to clarify the intended application of these. They are intended for use with electric powered planes, not I.C. engines. and the engine and gun sounds are genuine digital recordings of the real thing, not simulations. And the intent is not to make an electric airplane sound like a gas or glow powered model airplane, it is to make it sound like a real RR Merlin, Griffon, Pratt and Whitney - what have you engine. If you have a high voltage system running on 10-12S and add a high voltage amplifier, you can get 100-200Watts out . Add appropriate speakers and you will get realistic sound levels. Of course I'm talking giant scale airplanes here. Cheers David

Hi, all, I have used MotoCalc to predict the eprformance of this plane/motor/prop combination and It predicts the damn thing should climb at 1536ft/minute, almost as fast as the real Spit!!. All sorts of other positive data came out of MotoCalc as well. I have done lots of anaylysis and optimizations with Motocalc and it reckons this motor/prop are good for each other.  I have received comments from some folks saying the Kyosho Spitfire 90 is not very true to scale dimensions and that the printed panel lines look very cartoonish. Anyone else got any comments to support or deny this?  As well, these GAP (ground adjustable pitch) props can be fine tuned at the field for the flying conditions and/or motor etc. This (or another)  plane is going to be used as a demo and marketing platform for our Model Solutions of Canada Ltd. new SFX5 sound systems, so we would like it to be as true to scale as possible.

A few questions guys. I've just ordered my Kyosho Spitfire 90.  I will be converting it to electric using an AXI 5330/24 motor (about 2KW or 3 HP). I would like to use a scale 4 bladed prop, which works out to about 20" diam and would like to use the excellent GAP Solo props. But I am concerned about the prop. and motor weight. A Solo 4 blade 20" prop. weighs in at 363 grams (13oz). The motor weighs 652 grams which is already a bit over typical 1.0cuin or 16cc gas engines. Spitfire models, including this one, are known to be typically nose heavy and nose-tippy to start with, so I am reluctant to add a 13oz prop. to the front end. Does anyone have any comments on this amount of weight for the prop?