Raptor Conversion

[steph280]

Since nobody has posted anything here yet, I thought I could jump in and hopefully bring in some discussions.

My raptor started its life as a Raptor 30 V1 that I flew with OS 32 engine and Hatori tuned pipe back in 1999. In 2003 I bought electraflight's electric and CCPM conversion kit. The heli also got a longer tailboom/belt with 600mm blades, making it a 50 sized heli. The power plant back then was:
Hacker B50-16XL, Schulze 35 Ho, 24 Sanyo HRSC2600 Nimh cells. Flight time was 4.5 to 5 minutes. Later on I started running Thunderpower 6s4p lipo which flew for almost 20 minutes! But the power was still not as impressive as I would like it to be.

Then in 2004 I installed a tppack box with 8s3p lipo. The setup now is Hacker C50-12XL, Kontronik Jazz 55-10-32, 6s3p lipo. The improvement was like night and day. Consistent headspeed through manuvers, globs of power, definitely more than 50 sized glow counterpart.

Now the hot power setup is Hacker C50-15XL or Neu 1512-2y with Tp prolite 10s2p lipo. This is by far the most powerful combination for the Raptor 50, glow or electric.

Feel free to jump in with comments/suggestions.

[K9JST]

Originally Posted by steph280

Since nobody has posted anything here yet, I thought I could jump in and hopefully bring in some discussions......

.......Feel free to jump in with comments/suggestions.

steph280,

I find your post especially interesting to me. While I am relatively new to helis, as I am still hovering my Corona, I have also built a Raptor 50 which I haven’t yet flown. Also, a have a Logo 20 still new in the box and a Hacker C50-15XL waiting for a home.

While I was not very interested in getting back into nitro power after 30 years, I bought the Raptor on its reputation as a great flyer. After reading your post, I am not sure if I want give the Raptor 50 with the OS 50 a try or stay with electric and use the Hacker C50-15XL in the Raptor instead of the Logo 20.

Your comments will be greatly appreciated.

Joe

[steph280]

Joe,

The only disadvantage about converting your Raptor to electric power would be the initial cost. The Raptor is absolutely a blast to fly, glow or electric. But the convenience of electric was well worth the cost for me.

The Logo 20 is a great flyer as well, but you'll probably find the 15XL not enough torque with the stock gear ratio. It seems to spin the head pretty fast even on 8T pinion, but will bog down on manuvers. The best motor for Logo 20 is probably a Tango 45-08. Your C50-15XL is perfect for the high voltage conversion on Raptor. Run it on a box with stock gears, and use a Thunder Power 10s2p lipo pack. You will not look back at glows after you try this setup.

Good luck and let us know what you end up with.

Stephen

[K9JST]

Stephen,

Thanks for your expert tips/comments. Looks like I have a few difficult decisions to make. I had hoped to first use the 15XL in the Logo 20 and perhaps use it later in the Raptor after giving glow a try, but after your comments I’m not sure.
I don’t see a Tango 45-08 and new large lipo packs in my current budget for the Logo20, but I guess I could just leave it setting on the shelf a while longer while getting more practice with the Corona.

As a beginner, I am not interested in 3D by any means, and had planned on using a rather mild setup of the 15XL, Hacker 48 ESC, two (2) TP2100 3-cell packs in series (6s2p), as I have these available currently. Do you think I am just dreaming with this setup?

Sure sounds like you’re sold on the Raptor Conversion you described in your post. It is something I surely will consider sooner or later. I would like to stay away from glow if possible with in my budget. After being 100% electric in fixed wing flying for over two years, I would like to stay that way completely.

Joe

[steph280]

Joe,

The 15XL will work in your Logo 20, just not the most optimal setup. I flew that combo for a while on 20 Nicd cells. The headspeed was high, but torque was lagging. Do a quick climb and you can feel the lack of torque right away. But this is fine for a mild setup like you mentioned. So it doesn't hurt to give it a try.

In your description, a 6s2p setup would require four 3s-TP2100 packs, two in series (3s x 2), two in parallel (1p x 2). With two 3s-2100 you would either have 6s1p or 3s2p, not 6s2p. I don't know what currents the 6s2p setup would be capable of, but you need something that can handle 40 amps continuous and 60 amps burst, which the TP2100's may be able to handle.

Experiment your power setup on the Logo 20. And if you decide you like the larger helis, then invest in the box for your Raptor. Logo 20 is a fine heli, but it doesn't have the crisp cyclic like the Raptor. Although with Logo's new head that may be different.

Stephen

[K9JST]

Stephen,

Sorry for the confusion on the intended battery setup, I intended to say 6s1p, the two 3s1p TP2100's in series.

I believe I may follow your suggestion to go ahead with the Logo 20, and save the Raptor conversion for a possible future project.

Joe

[cptsnoopy]

For those looking into Raptor conversions one option is to check out tppacks.com

They have some really neat stuff starting to come out there. Instead of paying $300 or more for a good motor, you can now get the same or better performance for $150. They are trying out the new batteries from eMoli. These are the batteries that you will find in the Milwakee 28volt cordless tools. They appear to be lipo's and so far the guys that are trying them are very impressed. The all out performance to weight ratio is pretty close to the current high end lipo's that are available. The cost is somewhat less and will most likely go down a good amount as the batteries are produced in larger quantities. So the big upfront cost of converting to electric is starting to fall rapidly. I have a eRaptor50 using the Kohler actro 24-4(airplane version) with stock 85/10 gearing, a Hacker Master 77-O-Heli esc, tppacks.com eccpm kit and I am using six Thunder Power pro-lite 2100s in a 9s2p(33.3volt/4200mah) config. The thing is very impressive and I get up to 8 minute flights of aerobatics and mild 3d. The cost of this conversion was $2000. That covered everything except the transmitter.

[Ticidytoc]

I was under the impression that eMoli cells weigh in at 100g each ? Correct me if Im wrong but same power to weight ratio as LiPo ?

Matt

[torqeroll]

if anybodys interested, im selling my e-raptor 50 in the classifides , with boxed hacker
c-50, 15 xl, carbon blades, aluminum main head, just install your electronics, your esc and your lipo and go fly, 500.00 obo

[cptsnoopy]

Originally Posted by Ticidytoc

I was under the impression that eMoli cells weigh in at 100g each ? Correct me if Im wrong but same power to weight ratio as LiPo ?

Matt

As I understand it you are right. A TP2100 3.7v cell should weigh approx 33g. the emoli cells have a higher mah rating but they do weigh quite a bit more for the amount of mah that you get compared to the TP prolites. I was reading a thread about the emolis back when they came out and missunderstood what was being posted about them. Apparently they do provide better flight times per dollar than the standard model lipos but worse power to weight ratio.