Jonathan M Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 Idle mid-winter mullings, but I'm looking for a fairly quick-build, easily-portable, attractive-looking, electric aerobat for casual flying on calmer days, which can be hand-launched and belly-landed. So I've been looking at the 31" Bambina which was a free plan and article in the January 2017 issue of RCM&E. The CNC- or wood-pack is available for a tenner from SLEC and an inexpensive power-train and servos combo from 4-Max for just under fifty quid, with the 3S 350mAh Lipos at just a fiver each. At the other end of the spectrum, there's the recently released EasyStreet 2 but, aside from being ARTF which I don't want, it is much bigger and more powerful than my requirements, and much more expensive to fit out for flight. So, what would the Bambina likely to be like to fly? Would it be just too small and fast for an intermediate practicing aeros, would it lack sufficient power and/or duration, etc? Alternatively, are there alternative kit-built or plan-built designs, say up to 45" span, conventional-looking, and easy to build, which people can recommend? My usual mount is an Acrowot ARTF with a 70FS and I've also got a Gangster 63 Lite kit with an OS35 AX in the build pipeline - so this requirement is deffo for a smaller, fuss-free electric aerobat for lunch-breaks, holidays, etc. Cheers Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis Watkins Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 There are two words in your post, that don't fit a 31" craft Jon, and to me it sounds like you could do with a Limbo Dancer Which would suit your one piece, in the boot, flyer. The words that do not fit 31" are casual, and aeros. Mostly under 40" can be twitchy, and prefer good C of G and careful flying. You already know 60" is completely different to fly, more stable and aerobatic The Limbo Dancer, is light, small, is casual and will aero, or a Zaggi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan M Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 Thanks Denis The Limbo Dancer could fit the bill, but its a bit too 'square' and 3-D-ish for my tastes, although of course the rates could be dialled down. An alternative is Mike Freeman's 42.5" span Vamoose, also in the Jan 17 edition and also available as a CNC-cut pack by SLEC. A different animal perhaps, a hybrid almost between power and powered-glider, and not quite so quick to build, but interesting and attractive - and I've seen Mike flying it beautifully. Name: Vamoose Model type: Sport aerobat Designed by: Mike Freeman Wingspan: 42.5" (1080mm) Fuselage Length: 29.5" (750mm) Wing area: 2sq. ft. (0.19sq.m) All-up weight: 26.5oz (750g) Wing Loading: 13.25oz / sq.ft. (3.95kg/ sq.m) Functions (servos): Aileron (2); Ruddervator (2); throttle (viaESC) Powertrain used: Hyperion GS-3014-16 857kV outrunner, 11x7" prop, 40A ESC, 3S 1600mAh LiPo Edited By Jonathan M on 21/01/2018 22:09:59 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanR Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 What about a Fugly, Jonathan? **LINK** Ian Edited By IanR on 22/01/2018 07:55:45 Edited By IanR on 22/01/2018 07:56:07 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Berriman Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 What about the Tracer similar to above photo. Just checked and available through the Sarik web pages. Mine is always put in car with any other model I take to my flying strip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 A Nigel Hawes Tucano? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan M Posted January 22, 2018 Author Share Posted January 22, 2018 Thanks for the suggestions guys! Fugly: Falls into the same category as the Limbo Dancer - stocky, a bit too much of a fun-fly/3-D aesthetic for my current interests. Tracer-E: Mmmm, feasible, hand-launch, on the shortlist. What's like to build and fly? Tucano: Interesting and attractive, but I don't want to do a 'scale' model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Berriman Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 Hi Jonathan The Tracer is a dream to hand launch, fly fast or slow, aerobatic, docile and pussy cat to land. Having built and flown some of the flat wing types this model has a profile wing so you have lift and control. Easy battery access 1600/1700 lipo has over 50% left after a 7 min balistic fly round sky and if you have a well used 2200 battery even these work well. Build is straight forward as well, it is an electric version of the original Pylon Racers Good look with your choice Edited By RC Plane Flyer on 22/01/2018 11:44:55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanR Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 Here you are then, Jonathan, this is the one for you. Nigel Hawes Whizzza **LINK** Ian Edited By IanR on 22/01/2018 16:50:44 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan M Posted January 22, 2018 Author Share Posted January 22, 2018 RCPF - thanks for the gen on the Tracer-E (I see a wood-pack is available from Sarik), added to the shortlist. IanR - Whizzza also looks good, so also on the shortlist, although no wood-pack seems to be available for the electric version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan M Posted January 22, 2018 Author Share Posted January 22, 2018 Having sketched out a very basic and still incomplete matrix for comparison (I still only half-understand electrical calculations, and each retailer publishes data in confusingly different ways, so take my comparative max power and therefore W/lb figures with a large pinch of salt *), the Vamoose is still in instinctive pole position, with the Tracer-E second (pictured below), and the Whizzza third, mainly because it doesn't have a wood-pack (*) = I'd be grateful for a correct indication of the maximum power of each power-train listed below. The Vamoose might be the most build-intensive but at least there's a CNC-cut woodpack which the Tracer-E also has. It also has the lightest wing-loading at about 13 oz/sq ft which is almost slope-soarer territory, while the other two are up at 17-18 which is getting closer to my Acrowot IC loading. It has a decently-visible 42.5" wingspan, similar to the 42" Whizza, while the Tracer is smaller at 37" but has a relatively thicker chord to keep the area up. The v-tail will challenge me at first, not to build but to understand and tune rudder-vator mix. Its a longer-term project, so no rush, but interested - as always! - to understand these things. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Freeman Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Hi Jon, Thanks for your kind words about my Vamoose design. Just one thing though - I'm not sure the W/lb you quote is correct. The original Vamoose draws 23A producing 254W = 152W/lb. Still a blast to fly though! To add to the confusion I recall the model you enjoyed flying at our patch a year or so ago was my Taboo design: Spot the similar colour scheme!! The Taboo has an extra wing bay at the tips giving it a slightly larger wingspan of 1200mm 47" span and slightly higher aspect ratio. It featured in the Feb 2012 issue. There is a bit of a build blog on here too. The Taboo has no rudder and flies like a warmliner/slope soarer. FWIW the Taboo is my favourite - so much so that I rebuilt the wing and fuz after loosing an argument with a tree!! There is no denying both Vamoose and Taboo take a bit of building and I don't think Taboo is available as a pack either. I'm still enjoying flying both of them and still get a lot of satisfaction from the knowledge that they were created from a pile of balsa and lite-ply! Long live traditional building! Cheers, Mike Edited By Mike Freeman on 23/01/2018 08:39:07 Edited By Mike Freeman on 23/01/2018 08:39:34 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan M Posted January 23, 2018 Author Share Posted January 23, 2018 Hi Mike - good to hear from you on this thread! Yes it must have been the Taboo that I flew. It was actually quite a while ago, at a time when I'd only done some self-taught thermal and gentle slope flying with the 1m Elf DLG and before I'd learnt to fly power and use ailerons, yet I recall finding it very natural, instinctive and kindly! Maybe when the weather improves we can meet up at the patch for a 'review' of both the Vamoose and Taboo? They both sound close to what I'd like, but the Vamoose holds onto its lead position... as SLEC's complete CNC-pack and wood-pack would take some of the sting out of my first plan-build! Cheers Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 It seems like Jon has nearly made up his mind! But for anyone else looking for a similar model consider Flea Fli at 39 inch span and a set of lasercut parts is available for 17.50 from iGull ( check out their range of laser cut parts for loads of other designs too) There is a thread on this forum. Chilli Breeze 48 inch span Plan from Sarik Hobbies now. Was RCME free plan and there is a thread on the frum too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers Bowlan Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Posted by Jonathan M on 22/01/2018 20:19:39: RCPF - thanks for the gen on the Tracer-E (I see a wood-pack is available from Sarik), added to the shortlist. IanR - Whizzza also looks good, so also on the shortlist, although no wood-pack seems to be available for the electric version. I second Ian's suggestion, Nigel Hawes Whizza is an amazingly quick build and good flyer, I built it's little brother, Fizza, in three evenings. I can't think what you need a wood pack for with its sheet wings. The IC version is virtually identical to the electric, as a modern BL motor would be bulkhead mounted nowadays, unlike the original. Here is the plan, and if you are tempted, I can send you the original build article from April 2006 (if you pm me your address). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan M Posted January 23, 2018 Author Share Posted January 23, 2018 Thanks Piers - I can now see how easy the Whizzza would be to build with just standard sheet materials etc, and this puts it well back in the running! Lots of older threads on here about it (which I'll check out more fully after work). One question for now however: the wing section seems very flat, so does it need to be flown at 'whizzz' speeds, how would it perform across the range, i.e. at slower speeds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Berriman Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Your query over the flat wing in my experience is it has to be flown fast most of the time to keep it airborne. Others my say differently Edited By RC Plane Flyer on 23/01/2018 12:54:58 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers Bowlan Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 There are a lot of build threads for Nigel Hawes designs built with flat sheet wings on this forum, if you google them, mostly build blogs of his Tucano, which was the subject of the 2013 Mass Build. If you build light and don't over power them most people find they have a very good speed range and capable of being landed quite slowly. Being a small lightweight model the Whizza is probably better in light winds. I think the video posted earlier by Ian says it all. Edited By Piers Bowlan on 23/01/2018 14:41:10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan M Posted January 23, 2018 Author Share Posted January 23, 2018 Posted by Piers Bowlan on 23/01/2018 14:28:35: ...I think the video posted earlier by Ian says it all. Bruno: Ten! Darcy: Ten! Len: Ten! Craig: Ten! Lovely, and very convincing, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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