hit, those big Ni-Cads tumbled through the fuselage like an out-of-control rocket, straight out the front end. Total wreck. That left me with two Astro 05 motors (non brushless) and a brick-sized Ni-Cad battery and no airplane. Keep in mind that Li-Pos and outrunners were still in the future.
So what next? Of course, I’d convert that old Four Star 40 to an electric twin.
I began by stripping off the old Monokote. Now when you strip the covering off an old nitro-powered model you are in for a truly stinky treat. Whooee! After letting the bare frame dry out for a couple of weeks I was surprised at how firm the balsa was. I installed the Astro 05s and Ni-Cads, loaded the front end with a ton of lead buckshot (OK, so I’m exaggerating.), and it did fly; but that’s about all I could say for it. It was heavy, flew like a slow blimp but landed like a lead sled loaded with gravel. And the short flights were less than fun.
So back on the ceiling where it hung for another year. Then came Li-Pos and outrunner motors. I was re-inspired. So once again I took the old bird down from the ceiling and that is where this article actually begins.
I had always been a big fan of the MotoCalc calculator for predicting flight performance from various power systems. So I turned to it now. It helped me finally decide on two Pulso 2826/12s and two Rhino 3700amp batteries wired in parallel . Maybe I didn’t need that many amps, but I wanted the nose weight..
For the complete wiring system I used read the accompanying article in this issue: “Wiring Up Twin Electrics.” So I won’t go into the details of wiring here accept to point out that I had to tear out all of the old wiring because of its
So what next? Of course, I’d convert that old Four Star 40 to an electric twin.
I began by stripping off the old Monokote. Now when you strip the covering off an old nitro-
So back on the ceiling where it hung for another year. Then came Li-
I had always been a big fan of the MotoCalc calculator for predicting flight performance from various power systems. So I turned to it now. It helped me finally decide on two Pulso 2826/12s and two Rhino 3700amp batteries wired in parallel . Maybe I didn’t need that many amps, but I wanted the nose weight..
For the complete wiring system I used read the accompanying article in this issue: “Wiring Up Twin Electrics.” So I won’t go into the details of wiring here accept to point out that I had to tear out all of the old wiring because of its
inch of solid balsa. But because the fuselage gets quite narrow toward the nose, it still made for a very tight fit for the batteries.
As you can see in the above photo I had to stagger the Rhinos to make them fit. The lower one goes into the nose farther than the top one. The receiver battery is mounted in an upright position, and held in place with hook and loop as is the receiver.
As you can see in the above photo I had to stagger the Rhinos to make them fit. The lower one goes into the nose farther than the top one. The receiver battery is mounted in an upright position, and held in place with hook and loop as is the receiver.
series setup. With Li-Pos and outrunners everything had to be rewired in parallel. But this time I was determined that I was not going to load a bunch of lead in the nose. So to move the battery weight more forward I lengthened the nose section.
The result, I believe, is a better looking twin. As most designerrs say: Form follows function. The pointed nose was shaped from one
The result, I believe, is a better looking twin. As most designerrs say: Form follows function. The pointed nose was shaped from one
