RealMcCoy
Jun 20, 2003, 11:45 AM
To someone at Castle or Astro,
I purchased an Astro Flight 010 from Graves Hobby Shop located in Orlando, Florida. I have been really happy with this powerplant in a few different aircraft. About three weeks ago I began to have problems with the combo. I noticed that after landing with reserve power, although low. While walking back from the flightline to the pit area and holding the plane if I gave it full throttle the motor would not spin a complete revolution it would rotate forwards and backwards and at the same time the servos would go haywire. This would only happen at full throttle after a flight and if I gave it 1/4 throttle it would work just fine. Installing a fresh battery pack, the problem would not show up again until after landing with the pack lower. The setup was completely stock with the default low voltage cut-off and the pack was a 10 cell 720mah AAA NiMH running direct drive with the stock 5.5x4 master airscrew prop. After experiencing this about four consecutive times I flew just once more which was a big mistake. After a normal flight while coming in for landing I attempted a go around while still having plenty of power and while turning from base to the final leg of the approach the plane turned to the left and went straight into the ground. This plane was an aerobatic scratchbuilt aircraft which you can see at the following thread.
Earl's Blue Cor-O-Bat (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=115083)
Anyway after building a new fuselage and installing all of the electrical components I checked it out and the motor displayed the same simptoms as before with the motor not spinning just oscilating back and forth. I went to purchase a new Castle Creations Pheonix 25 which I needed for another plane anyway and tried it on the Astro Flight 010 motor and it worked fine so I'm sure the problem is with the Pheonix 10 controller that came stock with the Astro 010. My new fuselage I made much better cooling holes and scoops as well as a bigger exit hole as well. I did this because I'm afraid that I may have overheated the speed controller.
I am writing this find out if I should send it back to Astro Flight or back to Castle Creations. I would like somone to check out the speed control and see if it is capable of being repaired. If possible I have heard that if someone sends the stock speed control back to castle they will do an upgrade to the fully functional Pheonix 10 or 25 by paying a little more. If this is at all possible please let me know where to send it.
Thanks, Earl
I purchased an Astro Flight 010 from Graves Hobby Shop located in Orlando, Florida. I have been really happy with this powerplant in a few different aircraft. About three weeks ago I began to have problems with the combo. I noticed that after landing with reserve power, although low. While walking back from the flightline to the pit area and holding the plane if I gave it full throttle the motor would not spin a complete revolution it would rotate forwards and backwards and at the same time the servos would go haywire. This would only happen at full throttle after a flight and if I gave it 1/4 throttle it would work just fine. Installing a fresh battery pack, the problem would not show up again until after landing with the pack lower. The setup was completely stock with the default low voltage cut-off and the pack was a 10 cell 720mah AAA NiMH running direct drive with the stock 5.5x4 master airscrew prop. After experiencing this about four consecutive times I flew just once more which was a big mistake. After a normal flight while coming in for landing I attempted a go around while still having plenty of power and while turning from base to the final leg of the approach the plane turned to the left and went straight into the ground. This plane was an aerobatic scratchbuilt aircraft which you can see at the following thread.
Earl's Blue Cor-O-Bat (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=115083)
Anyway after building a new fuselage and installing all of the electrical components I checked it out and the motor displayed the same simptoms as before with the motor not spinning just oscilating back and forth. I went to purchase a new Castle Creations Pheonix 25 which I needed for another plane anyway and tried it on the Astro Flight 010 motor and it worked fine so I'm sure the problem is with the Pheonix 10 controller that came stock with the Astro 010. My new fuselage I made much better cooling holes and scoops as well as a bigger exit hole as well. I did this because I'm afraid that I may have overheated the speed controller.
I am writing this find out if I should send it back to Astro Flight or back to Castle Creations. I would like somone to check out the speed control and see if it is capable of being repaired. If possible I have heard that if someone sends the stock speed control back to castle they will do an upgrade to the fully functional Pheonix 10 or 25 by paying a little more. If this is at all possible please let me know where to send it.
Thanks, Earl