After I taught my 2 boys RC, I taught them CL. Now that they have young kids, two of which fly RC (one learning and one soloed), the kids are always asking me when I will teach them CL when they see those planes up on the top shelf in the shop.

I thought it would be great to convert at least one of the planes to electric complete with speed control. I never had throttle on my old CL planes, but now it would be real simple using a transmitter hooked to the belt. Either nitro or electric could be throttled this way but electric would be simpler.

Also, converting to electric would open up many smaller locations to fly like neighborhood parks due to the lower noise.

I am sure this has been covered somewhere in this forum.

SpadCat

Originally Posted by SpadCat2000

After I taught my 2 boys RC, I taught them CL. Now that they have young kids, two of which fly RC (one learning and one soloed), the kids are always asking me when I will teach them CL when they see those planes up on the top shelf in the shop.

I thought it would be great to convert at least one of the planes to electric complete with speed control. I never had throttle on my old CL planes, but now it would be real simple using a transmitter hooked to the belt. Either nitro or electric could be throttled this way but electric would be simpler.

Also, converting to electric would open up many smaller locations to fly like neighborhood parks due to the lower noise.

I am sure this has been covered somewhere in this forum.

SpadCat

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/thumb...one&starter=no

Thanks, Bob for the link. It so happens I have both a Flite Streak & a Flite Streak Jr. I was considering converting to electric.

SpadCat

I tried the transmitter on the belt thing a few years ago thinking that I could get back some of the same kick that I got out of a profile stunt model that I mounted an old carrier engine to and flew on three lines for a season or two. It was very entertaining to drop the throttle on the down line and putt around the circle just above idle, then goose it into some maneuver or other. It met its end at full throttle at the end of the traditional figure nine. Heavy sigh.

Alas, my electric experiment was a disappointment since I had too little motor/battery available at that time in it was abandoned. But now . . .

Yes, I went though a similar phase back in the early 90's with an e-powered RC sailplane made by Airtronics named the Eclipse. With the heavy batteries and low power geared motor, it flew "heavy" so I converted it to nitro and then it flew great.

The new lighter, higher capacity batteries and smaller more powerful motors, there should be no problem with power now.

That is what I had envisioned was being able to change power settings in flight. Touch and goes should be a lot of fun in control line just like with RC. Maybe we should name such a model an "RCCL", or "RCUkie".

SpadCat

Originally Posted by GallopingGhostlr

...There is a resurgence in CL, some like myself have discovered how fun it really is, and particularly with the larger CL aircraft.

In the past 6 months I've noticed more members browsing this CL forum than ever before. When I scroll down the forum list, where it says "x members viewing this forum," there were always more in the 1/2A RC section than the CL section. Now it's the other way around.

I finally joined a club and it's all RC flyers. Some of them had done CL as kids and never kept it up. They are fascinated with my 1/2A planes. I take out my two fast Baby Flite Streaks, Li'l Satan and my hotrod that I call the Refried Bean, 6.0 ounces of pure meanness, with a Norvel .061 on a pressure bladder that will scream around at the raw edge of my abilities. I always draw a crowd of onlookers and have gotten compliments on how hard it looks to fly and react so fast so close to the ground... I guess I don't make it look too easy, but I'll take the oohs, aahs and pats on the back

Here's the Refried Bean:

I like your Refried Bean, RknRusty. that is one hot tamale!

Originally Posted by GallopingGhostlr

I'm sure your RC buddies will be impressed, psychedvike. There is a resurgence in CL, some like myself have discovered how fun it really is, and particularly with the larger CL aircraft.

George

I gotta ask...I'll bet you have flown RC long enough to have flown a "galloping ghost" system?

George

PS. My first radio was a single channel pulse on 27.255 with a rubber powered compound escapement. My first digital system was a four channel World Engines "Blue Max" kit.

Actually George, what I have considerable experience with is Ace Pulse Proportional with KRD servo, rudder with auxiliary quick blip sequential motor control. Without elevator control, it is not true galloping ghost.

I had considered sending the transmitter in for further modifications, because one can link the rudder and elevator on an Adams Actuator, but then the narrow band frequencies came out. That put the kabosh on the Ace. Not long ago I picked up another system off E-bay on 27 MHz, equipped with quick blip throttle. I'm hoping to resurrect rudder only. Thinking about doing the Airco Aerostar, a weird 46" span swept wing cabin of the early 1960's, or similarly sized Andrews S-Ray.

My first proportional digital system was a 4 channel Charlie's R/C (Bill Cannon's wife) 810 mini-system kit on 72 MHz. I assembled it servos and all. This was prior to all the narrow band stuff.

First R/C model I had was a 27" span Top Flite R/C Schoolboy with Cox Pee Wee .020 and Ace Pulse Commander with Baby Twin Actuator on 26.995 MHz. Then one needed an FCC license (but there was no test, only apply and pay the fee).