3.2m (126in) Pilatus PC-6 Porter with 12kW

[fdix]

After some successful test with a Rascal 110 powered by an AXI 5345 on 12s (about 4100W) we decided to scale things up a bit.

Here is a video of the Rascal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqCLSppweyk

Specs so far

Ecotop Pilatus PC-6 Porter
Jeti Spin 300
HCS C12000W/4

some specs of the motor

voltage 10-15s LiPo
164 rpm/V
max efficiency 91%
max loading 300A /30s
weight 2080g

On 14s LiPo burst power would be about 14kW... We plan on using two 14s 6Ah packs in parallel. To charge them two of the new Robbe Powerpeak Eternity chargers are on the way... stay tuned for updates ;)

[mackone]

I think there is one of those motors in my washing machine :eek:

awsome vid great to see the electric advance :D

[Peter W]

what prop does that motor turn?!

[fdix]

I think there is one of those motors in my washing machine :eek:

awsome vid great to see the electric advance :D

Thanks! What washing machine do you have? :D Mine is only about 2kW.

The manufacturer recommends props form 26x12 up to 30x12. I am hoping to run a Mejzlik 27x12 three blade ;)

[Peter W]

who makes that motor? any pics of it in someones hand?

[MarkF]

Great airplane. We do aerotow in my area with the hobby lobby Taxi. Neu 2215 2y, 12s 2p 10,000 mah lipos, and 26 x 15 prop. It tows 4 to 6 meter gliders very well. Were do you order that airplane from. I like that plane a lot and have been looking for a bigger air frame. Thanks

Mark

[steve1814]

Great airplane. We do aerotow in my area with the hobby lobby Taxi. Neu 2215 2y, 12s 2p 10,000 mah lipos, and 26 x 15 prop. It tows 4 to 6 meter gliders very well. Were do you order that airplane from. I like that plane a lot and have been looking for a bigger air frame. Thanks

Mark

Here is the link (http://www.icare-rc.com/pilatusporter32.htm)

you can get the motor (http://www.icare-rc.com/plettenberg_predator.htm) from them as well...just don't faint!:eek:

I've been eying it for some time now.....Check out the Wilga (http://www.icare-rc.com/wilga.htm)-Awesome!

Cheers,
Steve

[Peter W]

these packs obviously cost a lot, that aside, do electric tugs offer you guys any advantages over their gas counterparts?

[fdix]

Here is the link (http://www.icare-rc.com/pilatusporter32.htm)

you can get the motor (http://www.icare-rc.com/plettenberg_predator.htm) from them as well...just don't faint!:eek:

I've been eying it for some time now.....Check out the Wilga (http://www.icare-rc.com/wilga.htm)-Awesome!

Cheers,
Steve

Thanks for the responses!

Yep that is the plane... The motor is a HCS C12000W/4 made by Freeair in the Czech Republic http://www.freeair.cz not a Pletteberg Predator 30. It is a bit less powerfull than the larger Predator 37.

The Wilga is very nice but at 2.4m too small for big motors. A large tug is also nice because of its visual footprint, you can see a 6m glider a long time but the 2.8m Rascal 110 often started to become very small.

Peter,
there are not many large gliders where we fly and we were interested in building something crazy... so a big electric tug is perfect!

At the moment I am drawing the motor mount in CAD...

[MarkF]

At the few scale glider events I went to in Las Banos the electric tug got used more than the gas versions simply because the gas ones had more problems keeping them running. Electrics are also quieter and less messy.
Mark

[MarkF]

Steve, before the Taxi we went through 2 of those Wilgas from that web site. Its a very cool looking airplane but not a very good tow plane. The plane has bad flight characteristics and is tip stally. This is not an easy plane to fly.

Mark

[fdix]

Some progress...

I decided to divide the elevator since I did not like the idea of having two servos on one control surface if it could be avoided. If one elevator half or servo jams for any reason you still have one left, which is nice ;) The elevators were closed with a triangle of 4mm balsa then covered.

[fishdude1111]

The Predator motor is incredible. I've seen it on 35% Imac planes. I was curios why they mounted the motor in the nose cone. I guess something
to do with CG. I'm glad to see battery size catching up with these motors,
the last plane I saw with this motor had so many packs paralled and seriesed
together it was the size of a car battery.

Best of luck

Great project. :D

[Peter W]

on that note, any pics of the flight pack pls?

[Jocke]

Very cool project, best of luck!

[henry.liu]

Great work!

[fdix]

Finally some progress. Today I milled the motor mount in 4mm plywood to check if everything was okay, it was not quite perfect so this test mill turned out to be a good idea.

4mm glass fibre plate should be ready soon for the definitive mount.

more soon!

[fdix]

Test fit of motor and ply motor mount

[baykah]

Hi !

I'm making the ecotop pilatus 2.50m :D, turnigy sk (the big 3250w one), 12S5000.

Keep us posted !

[fdix]

baykah: Let us know how things go!

Here is an update

An interesting note on the wing struts: the look symmetrical but are not! Nice! Especially because you will be working under the plane for a bit, since quickly flipping it over is not really an option.

[baykah]

Hi, I'm having trouble pluging the wing onto the "wing key" (french translation ;p), I can get the wing 1/2 in, but no more ....

Did you have something similar one yours ?

[fdix]

Clé d'aile? Do you mean wing joiner?
Mine needed light sanding with 600 grit sandpaper but after that went in fine... The only problem is the two holes do not line up with those in the fuselage, they are off about 1mm.

[baykah]

ok, I'm gonna do this

Did you sand the large side or the edge ?

thanks

[fdix]

I sanded the "large side" a bit, the edge (hight) was fine.

By the way just for clarification: the two holes, I mean the two 3mm holes for bolting the wing joiner to the fuselage.

[baykah]

yeah, I will sand today and see if the holes in the 2.50m version are at the correct position

Thanks for replying so quickly :D

Have a nice day

[baykah]

I'm getting crazy, I sanded only one side first a lot ... p280 p600 even with a lime and I still cannot get more than ~10cm into each wing (1 more than the other)

I will call topmodel tomorow, I'm a little bit angry...

[3 pointer]

Nice, certainly is one big motor.

[fdix]

I'm getting crazy, I sanded only one side first a lot ... p280 p600 even with a lime and I still cannot get more than ~10cm into each wing (1 more than the other)

I will call topmodel tomorow, I'm a little bit angry...

Have you tried if, for example, a 3mm carbon rod will go in more? With the appropriate light you might be able to see if there is anything obstructing the slot for the wing joiner. If the slot is obstructed you can sand the joiner as much as you want but it will still not go in :p

let us know...

Our LiPo pack will probably be 14s4p with 3700mAh cells devided into two 14s2p packs for charging. That would be 14.8Ah and about 4710g total

[baykah]

Yep I use a led flash light, nothing special inside.
Topmodel told me to continu sanding, but on the edge

[gator8287]

what is the secret to the flap servo mine seem to have the hardwood block on the wrong side. This causes on flap down one up like ailerons. Short of useing a sevo reverser in one side of the y harness or striping the flap back and installing another hardwood plate. Or am I missing something in my french to english translation.

[baykah]

I don't understand your problem, can you quote the manual in french ?

I don't think it was plan for use of an Y harness, I will use a 8channel receiver on mine for example.

[fdix]

Baykah how are you doing with your porter?


I finally milled the motor mount in 4mm glass fiber. The mount is designed in such a manner that no direct traction load is carried by the glue. One of the back plates goes in front of the firewall the other behind.

The lipos have also arrived!

It will be a 14s4p pack assembled from 3700mAh cells giving a total capacity of 14.8Ah. The other pack in the pictures is a 12s 5000mAh pack we use for our Rascal.

All cells are from Coldfusion LiPo.

[Peter W]

Almost a field battery lipo lol

[Tram]

Whatever happened to this?