Micro Freeflight Power?

[zbert]

I recently saw a micro RC that was powered by a capacitor. If I have a 1.5-3.0v electric (260) motor how would I run that? Any good schematics on the web for that? Any plans for a plane that would run on that anywhere on the web? I'm pretty new to all this so any help is great help.

Thanks,
SSG Skelton

[micsaund]

Are you sure it was a cap and not a very small LiPo? All of the fast-charge cars and planes I've seen use what looks like a cap, but is actually a very small LiPo.

Mike

[George99]

He's right some lipos are very small, and shaped as "candy"

[Terry S]

I have seen FF planes powered by capacitors in the mags but never in the flesh.

Terry

[zbert]

No, it was actually labeled as a capacitor powered plane. I don't have the link anymore but if I see it I'll post it.

SSG Skelton

[zbert]

http://www.aeronutz.flyer.co.uk/

Try this link and go to "Electric Power"... this is where I first read about it.

[slipstick]

I've played with capacitors (Panasonic Gold Supercaps up to 5 Farads) in small indoor FF models years ago. You can't get much power out of them and it's not practical to run anything larger than a small pager motor. Think of something like a peanut scale rubber model but with an electric motor. There's no real circuit involved just some way to connect the capacitor to the motor and disconnect it to "recharge" it. I don't really know of anyone who still uses supercaps now that small lipo cells are so readily available.

Most of the relevant info is in the Aeronutz article. What else did you want to know ?

Steve

[Bob Blackburn]

I picked up some 2.3v 50Farad caps recently from Maplin in uk

They run a 7mm pager motor with a 5X3 gws prop on for about two minutes

When I put them on my variable psu set to 2.3volts they draw up to 15amps for a few seconds then drop rapidly down to very little current.

So charging takes approx 5secs for the two min described above

[slipstick]

50F supercaps from Maplin ? I missed those and they're not a bad price http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=50F&doy=4m3&source=15

Since it says "While stocks last" I guess they won't be stocking them for long. Do you happen know the weight of the 50F cap Bob, or of any of the others ? They're physically quite large but it might almost be worth having another play. As you say the really tempting thing is that they recharge in seconds ;).

Steve

[merc-blue]

most of the "candy" shapped batts in the little cars are nimh cells not lithium

[ronmeister]

Here is a very small lipo battery:
http://www.fmadirect.com/Detail.htm?item=1903&section=31
I think they used to have a battery even smaller than that one.
I will try to find it.

[slipstick]

By micro standards, at 350mAh, that's a really HUGE battery. The smallest I've seen is 20mAh e.g. http://www.bsdmicrorc.com/products.cfm?catID=10001

Steve