What do i need for Electic flight?

[Rookie]

Hello all,

 

I have decided to go with electric flight first off as it seems to be less messy and i dont need to fiddle with tuning, running in etc. i made a lil mistake by flying my new Parkzone Sukhoi in blowy conditions and now need a new fuselage and tail....oops, but i did have some fun flying before the demise (see video below).

 

I am looking to purchase a bigger, more stable model and would be grateful for your advice...basically i need to know what i need and any suggestions too, i am not that clued up with flying at all (hence the sukhoi lol) so if possible could you give me a little list of what i need (both heli and plane)?

 

I have a DX6i and phoenix simulator which is great for orientation etc.

 

PS here is one of my flights with the sukhoi before the heavy wind, sorry about the excited voice lol.

PPS i know the landing was a bit rough, but it survived that landing lol

Edited By Rookie on 29/10/2009 17:22:59

Edited By Rookie on 29/10/2009 17:23:21

[Rookie]

Ps would you by any chance be able to provide rough prices, if you have time. thanks again guys and gals.

[Andy Gates]

How much flying experience have you had?

Please do not feel offended by the question but for plane recommendations we would need to know.

 

If you are planning to continue flying in that small space, I would suggest one of the depron profile "Shock Fliers".

 

It will fly slower but will hate the wind even more.

 

Realistically a decent size field would be on my wish list as a first off with less obstructions and away from houses.

 

Next would be insurance incase the flight ended with the plane impacting with something other than the ground.

[Eck]

I think that the best advice would be to find a local club first (assuming you're not already "clubbed up"), as the members will know the best models for the local conditions. A club will also provide public liability insurance cover (essential these days) and, most importantly, somewhere safe to fly.

   On the equipment side, you'll need a suitable trainer (see above, and reviews on this forum), a motor,speed controller and battery to match your chosen model (often recommended by the manufacturer of the model), servos to match. You'll also need a suitable charger for your battery, and a small but expensive mountain of ancilliary stuff, like battery connectors, motor connectors, prop adaptors, props.

Sorry if that's a bit long winded-

Alex

[Rookie]

I will be flying at a field that is a lot bigger than the one outside so the bigger and more stable it is, the better.

 

I would join a club, but as i am due to move in the next couple of months to the middlands, from cornwall, i feel i would not benefit much due to the time of year....i am hoping to be set-up ready for when i have moved and joined the local club up there.

 

is that of anymore help?

 

Ps. other than the limited space in the video, how would you rate my flying? be honest i can take it lol.

[simon barr]

The Flying Wings V Trainer is very good...Flyingwings.co.uk...made of EPP it is bouceable and can handle a breeze better than Shockie types.

By the way, flying not bad for a first attempt...

[Andy Gates]

I am not so sure it is your flying abillity that is in question.

 

I am more worried by the thought of your plane hitting a child who could be walking by or one of the older folks who could not run away.

 

But since you asked, it looked like you flew from one near miss to another. The flight you posted looked very erratic and not in the slightest bit predictable.

 

Please use the bigger field, I hope it has less obstructions too.

 

Get more practice on your simulator, get the flight predictable with clearly defined phases.

 

Take off

Circuit

Landing (and I don't mean ariving on the ground!)

[Rookie]

I only flew that model when nobody was around, there is only one path through there and i would stop before anyone got close, i also had my brother in law behind the cam (which my wife was using) to ensure nobody came near while i was flying, it was windy when i flew that, but not as bad as when it bit the dust, but that is no excuse for my poor flying.

 

I was actually hoping to get some advice rather than crticism, but hey, there ya go.

 

ps i know my son was standing by me too, so feel free to criticise me about that too.

[Rookie]

Hi Simon thanks for the reply, i really like the look of the V-Trainer which Spetrum reciever would be good for that model?

 

Ps. i am getting insurance through BMFA as it is always better safe than sorry.

[Andy Gates]

Sorry if I seemed harsh.

 

I too fly on a public site which is the size of 2 football pitches, and people can appear or walk across your flight line quite quickly.

This means either you need the abillity to spot them and fly around again or you need some place to safely dump your plane.

From the site layout I saw, there is limited space for either of the above.

 

To you and me, the plane is light and slow so you would think little damage could be done.

 

Sadly this is wrong.

 

Many years ago (20+) I saw the results from a balsa glider weighing around 1.5lbs (750g roughly) flying almost at stall speed (brisk walking pace) catching the back of someone who had just "appeared" on a restricted field (field was big enough to hold 3 - 4 running track ovals with 2 entrances).

 

Nothing anyone could have done about it.

 

The person concerned was sadly french and did not understand the word "Duck" or the jestures of half a dozen people.

He was out cold for 10 mins, and an ambulance had to be called.

Luckily no permanent damage was caused.

 

This is where I am coming from.

[Rookie]

Sorry for my defensive reply Andy, i fully respect what you are saying, and you are right that is a small area to fly in, i will not be flying there again for the reason you gave as well as the short distance that i could fly before having to avoid obstacles.

 

When i get my sukhoi flying again and once i have BMFA insurance i shall get my wife to do another video so you may see how i am going.

 

Ps. any ideas for a good spectrum Rx for the V-trainer? and maybe suitable servo's, battery etc, as i dont have a clue lol.

Edited By Rookie on 29/10/2009 18:45:13

[simon barr]

I don't know much about Spectrum, Rookie, but you will need a minimum of 3 channels for the V Trainer; motor, rudder and elevator ( which need to be mixed for the "V" tail).

Good idea about the BMFA insurance, by the way...

[Andy Gates]

OK advice this time

 

The V trainer looks to be a superb choice to progress your flying.

Internal space will not be an issue with the size of the Spectrum recievers so any of them should fit.

So the next consideration would normally be how many channels, but since most of the Spektrum units are 5 or 6 channel then that is not much of an issue.

 

So your choice is going to be governed by your pocket and your source of supply.

 

Best of luck.

[Rookie]

Thanks for the advice guys, once i am up and running fully (inc insurance) i shall fly again and post regular videos for my progress for you all to watch and probably laugh at lol.

[Rookie]

PS. any ARTF heli's (i guess I.C.'s) and brief list of what would be needed to complete?

do not worry i would never fly one solo (even in a huge field), i have a LAMA v3 and that is powerful enough, let alone a IC heli.

[Rookie]

Ok here is what i have come up with for the suggested V-trainer and was wondering if you would mind checking it is all ok...and if the Rx will last a while once i go up in my models as i am serious about this hobby and want to progress alot further.

 

V-Trainer Brushless Value Kit                           £67.95

Power HD 9g Servo x 2 deal                               £10.45

HiModel 1300mah 3S lipo                                  £20.95

Fusion L60B Pro Typhoon                                  £79.95

Spektrum AR6200 DSM2 6Ch Rx Ultralite       £51.20

 

Well thats my list, i already hare the spekky Rx (DX6i) so no need for that.

 

Please also feel free to let me know if i have missed anything.

 

Many thanks

[Romeo Whisky]

Best self-trainer in my view are Multiplex EasyStar RR (comes with everything you need except the radio and battery) or the Multiplex EasyCub.  Both are tough - a must when you start, and stable - which buys you thinking time.

 

But whether you join a club or not please get yourself 3rd party insured by joining BMFA - you can join direct as a "country member" and then think about a club when you've moved.

[Bruce Richards]

Rookie,

 

That looks like a good set of kit. I am not sure what battery the V-Trainer requires but I sure you have chosen it based on what is recommended for the model.. It is worth contacting Flying Wings to get there recommended set up as they will no the model better than anyone. You may even get them to do you a price deal for the package.

 

Good luck

Bruce

[Andy Gates]

Looks like you have most stuff needed in that list.

 

I would suggest getting a handfull of extra whatever connectors you decide to use , some heat shrink (to cover the joints), some fuel tube to cover male connectors to stop short circuits, some appropriate fast setting glue just in case you need to do field repairs and some tape for reinforcement.

 

The other thing I would suggest you carry is a spare prop or 2 if they are cheap enough just incase you break one which is easily done when you first start flying.

 

I also echo Bruces comment, good luck !

[Bruce Richards]

You probably want more than one battery pack too.

Edited By Timbo - Administrator on 30/10/2009 18:39:50

[NigelH]

Posted by Rookie on 30/10/2009 13:09:06:

Ok here is what i have come up with for the suggested V-trainer and was wondering if you would mind checking it is all ok...and if the Rx will last a while once i go up in my models as i am serious about this hobby and want to progress alot further.

 

V-Trainer Brushless Value Kit                           £67.95

Power HD 9g Servo x 2 deal                               £10.45

HiModel 1300mah 3S lipo                                  £20.95

Fusion L60B Pro Typhoon                                  £79.95

Spektrum AR6200 DSM2 6Ch Rx Ultralite       £51.20

 

Well thats my list, i already hare the spekky Rx (DX6i) so no need for that.

 

Please also feel free to let me know if i have missed anything.

 

Many thanks

 

 

 You could save money and get the Spektrum AR500 receiver which is good for full range larger models and it is a smaller single unit.

 

Also, I've had a lot of success with the BRC Hobbies 1300 3S 20C own brand lipos which outperform by a factor of two the Mystery ones (sold on eBay) that I've seen.  I can't compare with the HiModel one but this is cheaper, even with extra postage, and has proved to outperform by a large extent the other brand that we could test.

 

You could also get a decent charger for half that amount but maybe it is still a good long-term investment.

 

[Rookie]

Thank you for all your replies, i will definatly look into the alternative batteries suggested as well as the reciever (you guys know alot more then i do) as well as getting a few batteries.

 

I understand the charger is a bit overkill, but as i am serious about this hobby, i feel it will be a sound investment as you suggest.

 

Thank you all again and i will keep you updated.

[birdy]

I have a v-trainer and the reccomended power set. I used 2cell 2200mah lipos from BRC hobbies own brand, with the prop changed to a 6 x 5.5 rather then the "stock" 6 x 4, which I think is about right.

Just as a thought you might want to have a look around here since it is cheaper (and not necisarily worse).

[Terence Moore]

Looking for a home (model) for a Lipo 2100 2S.

Any recommendations as to model/motor/esp to fly in field opposite my house. 

Preferably able to handle some wind?????????????????

[Andy Gates]

Terence

 

As before we need more information from you.

 

Do you like to build or are you after an ARTF machine?

Foam or balsa as a preferance?

What experience do you have?
How big is the field, and are there any obstructions (trees / houses)?

What gear do you already have?

How much do you want to spend on the model?