Glow pilot needs newbie e-flight advice

[RogerRoger]

Hey gang,

I’m a long time glow flyer and an average 3D pilot with my UCANDO 46 and various SPAD plans. My son is pushing for an electric to practice 3D. I’ve tried to educate myself but I’m suffering information overload and have decided to take the coward’s way out and by some matched GP gear.

Here’s what I’m considering:

Great Planes Flatana FlatOuts 3D EP Park Flyer ARF 36"
Great Planes Rimfire 22M-1000 Brushless Motor
Great Planes ElectriFly BL-8 Brushless ESC
Great Planes PolyCharge4

I’d like your opinions about the choices above and recommendations for batteries, servos and RX (I use JR TX). (I’ll probably go to fanfold foam once we destroy the Flatana.)

I really appreciate the help.

Roger

[2dogrc]

I wish I could help more..Those kits are okay, the polychare 4 you will like because of the multiple charging! I am unfamilar with the motor, but I would aim for a 10 A ESC. It will be more useful on other planes.

[Geoff_Gino]

Hi RogerRoger

That is my exact setup with the only difference being the ESC. The rimfire motor can pull 11 Amps and as 2dogrc says you will be able to use the larger ESC at a later stage. Good learning plane as you need to be wide awake to handle it but the youngsters have great reflexes and should be OK.

Geoff

[mwhitman]

Roger-

Regarding the charger...While I haven't used the Great Planes Polycharge, it looks like a good charger that can handle multiple LiPo batteries. I bought the Hobbico Accucharge (http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXEYD4&P=3); it has 2 outputs and can charge NiCd, NiMH, Li-ion, Li-Po, AND it comes with a small DC power supply. With 10 battery memories, you can store profiles for different types and sizes of battery packs. You can cycle, charge, and discharg, monitor battery voltage, mAh, and set the charge/discharge rates. I'm sure there are other chargers that do the same thing but I've only used this one and am quite happy with it.

Mike

[timocharis]

A couple of comments on the plane -- it's not the easiest build and part fit is not the best. The foam is not depron, but more like foamcore (although better). It's brittle and creases easily.

The newer futaba servos are well-regarded but I'm not sure if they have the right connectors for typical JR-compatible receivers (might, but futaba often uses a weird connector). HS55s are supported by that plane, but you'll probably have to do a little work on the servo mounts.

Unless you're going to fly quite a distance from yourself, a GWS R4-P2 receiver should be fine. I used a cheapo base-loaded antenna on it, but that's probably not necessary.

The ThunderPower 900 is probably a near-perfect match for that motor setup. I have no experience with the RimFires, since I prefer lighter powerplants. But on the GP FlatOuts that's not an issue -- the plane is relatively heavy and requires some nose weight just to get a reasonable balance.

If you're a crafty sort and can wind wire, a Komodo 13-turn would probably be a cheap alternative that pumps out pretty impressive power. I think you can actually buy them pre-made at slofly.com -- the kit is something like $17.

The 8-amp ESC is perhaps something you'll regret in the long run. Consider a 10-amp or even better a 12-amp from http://coolesc.com/ Being new at electrics, you'll like the switch. Most of us oldtimers do without, but they're fun. If you spot the BP ESCs, don't get one. For 3D you need to be able to turn off soft-start.

But don't sweat it too much. The cool thing about electric foamies is how easy they are to replace or upgrade. Well, that and how well they fly.

Dave North

[stuff]

I would sugest that you get the JR flight pack from Hitec it has a 6 channel rx and 3 hitec55 servos .This along with your power pack and speed control is all you will need for most electric planes that are talked about on this forum. Shop around before you buy.I check all the sponsors web sites on the forums for deals. Stuff

[debhicks]

The GWS 6 channel receiver has a greater range, however if you fly close to you you won't have any problems with the 4 channel. I am not familiar with the kits. Some are easy to put together and others are well, just plain hard. :)

If you like challenges and are an experienced builder you should have no problems. Lighter is better.

I am going to have to check but have had 2 of the same chargers come up a little short at the field as far as charging. Some thought their batteries were bad and come to find out this charger (its a hobbico brand) is not fully charging the batteries.

The charger and the esc are probably your most critical decisions. Your speed control is going to depend on if you are going to stay brushed or go brushless. If you like the idea of programming a speed control with your computer Castle Creations has them and a USB connector to hook into your computer to program it.

There are just a lot of choices out there for planes. But there is a lot of information on the websites and in these forums. :) Hope that helps in your considerations.

Happy shopping

[RogerRoger]

Thanks guys. You're input is much appreciated.

Roger