With an electric bird this size, are you guys installing arming switches for the batteries, or do you just plug the batteries in right before you fly?

just plug the battery in before the flight

The best thing to do is to have a mix that kills your throttle. Some esc need you to have fixed endpointd to do this though. The only incidents I have had on the ground have been from bumping the throttle stick on accident. The arming switches won't fix that and most escs will also not arm unless the throttle is at 0

Thanks for the responses guys. I really need to redo this power system.

Took it out last night, flew great for the first 6 mins or so. Then something went south. Lost all power to the motor, of course right when I'm just above stall speed. It was either keep going straight into a line of trees or try to come back. Chose to come back. Which killed all air speed I had, and had to pancake it in from about 15~20' up. Completely ripped out the landing gear plate, and punched a hole in the covering of one of the wings.

Luckily I already had a motor box on the way to me. So I'll get it all fixed up next week. But I'm afraid to try this power system again. I worked fine when I got up to the plane after the landing.

sounds to me like u hit LVC. You should certainly check that setting on your esc to makes sure it is a gradual reduction in power and not a hard shut off.

Not positive, but I'm 95% sure it wasn't LVC. With the batt I was using the guy before me was getting 12 min flight times. Plus I'm pretty sure I heard it squeal (like bad timing set up in the esc), but there was a gasser making a pass right in front of me at the time it happened. And this was the second time this has happened to me (squealing) at about the same run time on the battery.

Luckily the first time it happened I had just landed to check the motor temp, and I was taxing back out to take off. At the time I thought it was the prop making that noise because the nut had came loose and it kinda melted the back of the prop where it spun, I grounded it at that time because it was getting way too dark anyway and wanted to re-tighten the prop nut good before I tried it again. But now I think it's something with this motor esc combo. And when I put that batt on the charger the next day (the first time it happened), all cells were within 0.01 of each other and only put 1800 or so back in a 5000 pack.

You can still hit LVC if the pack isn't holding voltage very well. I like to set my esc's up with soft cut off, so that I can easily tell that it's the LVC. It also helps to have a little power if it hits at a bad time. It's usually not enough to do much, but it may give you that extra 5ft that you need.

Also, just in case you didn't already know, an LVC will reset after returning the throttle to zero for about a second.

so you guys arnt recomending the rx pack in this plane with a arming switch?

Rx pack? Just keep it simple and use a bec. Lots of esc's out there now-a-days that can handle this size of airframe with the built in BEC.

No reason for an arming switch IMO. Flight pack is super easy and fast to get to on these 3DHS airframes. Just plug in the flight pack and go.

i know how easy it is to get into these planes but i didnt know if that extra insurance would be a good or bad thing?

Adding any kind of switch into the system is just adding more failure points (swtich, solder joints, connectors, etc) IMO. Nothing is safer than physically disconnecting the battery, so I wouldn't consider it extra insurance on any airframe where you can quickly and easily do that.

Of course there's many ways to so stuff in this hobby...so if it makes you happy, add a switch.

no im saying insurance of knowing if u have a battery failure to all ur electronics u have a back up pack running your servos so you can make a safe landing and not a lawn dart landing. Thats all im saying cause it just happened to my 42 slick.

Sorry, we're both off on different tangents...

As for Rx packs - this is a never ending debate that will never have a clear winner. Gotta just use what makes you feel safe.

I use BEC's (built in or external) on all of my electric planes. On my 7x" airframes (my biggest) I use external BEC's to somewhat seperate the servo/Rx power in the event of an esc failure. I don't buy into the "Rx packs are safer" argument. Failures can and do happen with them as well. My one and only Rx power system failure happened on a glow plane with an Rx pack. A solder joint inside the pack let go and cut all power to the Rx. It's also one more pack to maintain and forget to charge. IMO until you step up to redundant power systems, one is no more secure than the other...so I'm sticking with the system that is lighter and requires less from me (it's my hobby and should be relaxing!).

When I set up a plane using a BEC, I add some weight to each control surface and operate all of the controls vigorously for several minutes. If the BEC can't handle your setup, the control surfaces will start to slow and do other wierd things. If you can hammer the sticks for a few minutes without any issues, than the BEC will be able to keep up in flight.

IMO i think rx packs in these planes are a little over boarrd unless u really feel safe, and or need that extra weight up front but my honest opinion i think a BEC works just fine.

Originally Posted by Cougar347

Hi Guys. Just got my new Slick 59 yesterday and I'm ready to start ordering all the accessories that I'll be needing. Please forgive me, I'm putting in a lot of hours at work lately and I really don't have time to go back and read all the great information that has been posted in this thread.

From what I can gather from going back a few pages, there seems to be three motors of choice, the 3620-750, the 4315-668 and the 4315-714. I fly in the North East, where the temperatures do get pretty hot in the summer, not sure if that's a point of contention or not. Is this just a matter of personal preference, or is there sound reasoning for buying one motor over the others? My favorite airplane right now is a profile, it's a 6 lb. Mojo 60 with a Saito 100. I"m only using that as a reference as to the type of power I'm used to. I can manage the left stick, so tons of power does not bother me. With that being said, I don't like sick power either, I like to do a lot of harrier/hovering type of flying, don't do any vertical drag racing these days.

With the Motrofly motors, what ESC's is everyone using? I really like the Castle Creations stuff, but am open to any suggestions. I'm thinking it would be the CC 100 size for this motor?

I believe I'm going to stick with the 5645's, I have a bunch of them and really like them. Fast, strong, relatively inexpensive. Are the control rods that come with the kit sturdy enough, or are you guys reinforcing them? I haven't even had the time to open my kit yet.

Thank you for any and all suggestions, much appreciated. I am anxious to get this plane in the air since it's my first "fatty". I have read nothing but glowing praise about it and met all of the 3DHS guys at Toledo this year. What a nice bunch.

Thanks again.

Mine's a rocket on an AXI 4120/18, ICE 75, 15x6 prop, and 6s 3300 battery.


Chuck