RC Car Motors & Batteries...any good for Planes?

park-n-fly · Apr 22, 2005, 06:17 PM

I raced RC touring cars and offroad buggies for many years and have recently (Jan 2005) gotten bit by the Electric Plane bug. I am having a BLAST flying electric planes.

So, here's my question:

Are my RC car motors (modified &/or stock) good for use in any electric planes?
AND
Can I use any of my 6 cell 3300 battery packs for any planes or are they too heavy?

Any thoughts from all of you out there in the Ezone? Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Thanks!

tic · Apr 22, 2005, 07:07 PM

Your buggy motors can be of great value in an airplane.. the magnetic mayhem gets used alot amongst many others.. the 6 cell packs are another story. Most electric planes will require at least 7 cells and usually 8........ or more.

Mark Wood · Apr 22, 2005, 07:11 PM

Yup. Exactly what tic said.

You can use the higher winds direct drive but the lower winds like the Kyosho Endoplasma need a gearbox.
You can play around with different motor/prop/battery/gearing combinations for free by using P-Calc a handy online calculator.

mw

aeropal · Apr 22, 2005, 07:23 PM

The Magister is one option.

Daniel G · Apr 22, 2005, 07:33 PM

The magnetic mayhem is supposed to do great on a larger flying wing.

fhhuber506771 · Apr 22, 2005, 07:35 PM

The 6 cell packs are useable... some of the 2 meter e-power motor gliders like the Spectra will use them. (with the RC car motor and a gear drive... good combo)

BigShark · Apr 22, 2005, 07:54 PM

With a 6 cell gold peak 3300 nimh pack, kyosho endoplasma, 3.8-1 gearbox, 14x7 prop, you can generate enough thrust to take a 41 oz Skimmer straight up. Check out the free trial of motocalc for the possibilities

www.motocalc.com

lrsudog · Apr 22, 2005, 08:35 PM

Yup. Pretty much the gear I used to start in E power planes. Exactly what the Goldberg Electra was designed for.

jrb · Apr 23, 2005, 02:11 PM

A larger plane can be flown if you use Two Six Packs in series! Several set-up are discussed here, including using a Trinity E-Maxx Monster truck motor: http://www.rcgroups.com/links/index.php?id=4485 .

park-n-fly · Apr 23, 2005, 11:46 PM

Wow...I never expected this much feedback. You are all such a helpful bunch! Much thanks.

jrb, thanks for sending along the article link. The article was very informative.

pmackenzie · Apr 24, 2005, 12:19 AM

Another choice for 6 cells and a "Car" motor is Gary Wright's Quick-E sport /pylon model:
http://www.gwmp.net/HTML/Kwik-E.htm
Pat MacKenzie

JimNM · Apr 24, 2005, 05:22 PM

I started in e-planes with a glider from Wattage called the Thermalair. With the stock motor(540) and a 9x6 prop on 6xscr1900- I got about 400 feet per minute climb. Loops and rolls from level flight. That was enough to teach me how to fly with power, but it left me wanting more.

I dropped in an Endo on a 3.33 GB and propped up to a 13x7. On 6 cells I was now climbing almost 900 feet per minute. I flew that setup with less than 30 amps for over a year, before the airframe gave up the ghost.

My next foray was with a 6xscr1900 and an Orion Rush 19 turn motor on a 2.5:1 MAS GB on a 12x8. This setup flew my OLY II at about 500 fpm climb. Not stellar, but again enough to get started with.

Short answer is, YES you can use SOME car stuff to fly airplanes -

Fly'em HIGH
JimNM

uscra112 · Apr 25, 2005, 05:38 PM

See if you can find any threads mentioning Ivan Pettengill, of B.C. Canada. He's done some wonderful things with simple car motors.

park-n-fly · Apr 25, 2005, 06:06 PM

Will do, uscra112. Thanks for the lead...

pmackenzie · Apr 25, 2005, 10:51 PM

I think usc means Ivan Pettgrew. Here is one example of what car motors and round cells can do in the right hands:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122092
Pat Mackenzie

Apr 22, 2005, 06:17 PM	#1
park-n-fly better than park-n-work Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: California Posts: 556	RC Car Motors & Batteries...any good for Planes? I raced RC touring cars and offroad buggies for many years and have recently (Jan 2005) gotten bit by the Electric Plane bug. I am having a BLAST flying electric planes. So, here's my question: Are my RC car motors (modified &/or stock) good for use in any electric planes? AND Can I use any of my 6 cell 3300 battery packs for any planes or are they too heavy? Any thoughts from all of you out there in the Ezone? Would love to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Discussion Tons of EPP - any good for planes ?	xterra	Foamies (Kits)	12	Jul 08, 2006 10:20 PM
RC car motors used for planes??	nakman8	Power Systems	6	Dec 05, 2005 06:36 AM
Time for a new car - Is the Ford Focus any good?	mrebman	Life, The Universe, and Politics	61	Oct 26, 2003 11:11 PM
Are these batteries any good for R/C?	Bill Germanson	Parkflyers	2	Sep 09, 2002 08:27 PM
other kyosho motors any good for helis?	hnearnest	Electric Heli Talk	3	Feb 06, 2002 11:44 AM

Apr 22, 2005, 07:07 PM	#2
tic thunderscreech Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: New Cumberland, PA. US Posts: 10,799	Your buggy motors can be of great value in an airplane.. the magnetic mayhem gets used alot amongst many others.. the 6 cell packs are another story. Most electric planes will require at least 7 cells and usually 8........ or more.

Apr 22, 2005, 07:11 PM	#3
Mark Wood characters welcome Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: San Diego, Calif. Posts: 18,175	Yup. Exactly what tic said. You can use the higher winds direct drive but the lower winds like the Kyosho Endoplasma need a gearbox. You can play around with different motor/prop/battery/gearing combinations for free by using P-Calc a handy online calculator. mw

Apr 22, 2005, 07:23 PM	#4
aeropal Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: 3rd Rock From Sun Posts: 1,420	The Magister is one option.

Apr 22, 2005, 07:33 PM	#5
Daniel G It's been a while. Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 2,691	The magnetic mayhem is supposed to do great on a larger flying wing.

Apr 22, 2005, 07:35 PM	#6
fhhuber506771 Deletedfor proving Nauga wrong Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Posts: 15,865	The 6 cell packs are useable... some of the 2 meter e-power motor gliders like the Spectra will use them. (with the RC car motor and a gear drive... good combo)

Apr 22, 2005, 07:54 PM	#7
BigShark How do I land this thing? Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 448	With a 6 cell gold peak 3300 nimh pack, kyosho endoplasma, 3.8-1 gearbox, 14x7 prop, you can generate enough thrust to take a 41 oz Skimmer straight up. Check out the free trial of motocalc for the possibilities www.motocalc.com

Apr 22, 2005, 08:35 PM	#8
lrsudog Registered User Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Under seven Oak trees... Posts: 2,061	Yup. Pretty much the gear I used to start in E power planes. Exactly what the Goldberg Electra was designed for.

Apr 23, 2005, 02:11 PM	#9
jrb Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Edina, MN, USA Posts: 8,584	A larger plane can be flown if you use Two Six Packs in series! Several set-up are discussed here, including using a Trinity E-Maxx Monster truck motor: http://www.rcgroups.com/links/index.php?id=4485 .

Apr 23, 2005, 11:46 PM	#10
park-n-fly better than park-n-work Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: California Posts: 556	Wow...I never expected this much feedback. You are all such a helpful bunch! Much thanks. jrb, thanks for sending along the article link. The article was very informative.

Apr 24, 2005, 12:19 AM	#11
pmackenzie Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Toronto (Don Mills), Canada Posts: 7,549	Another choice for 6 cells and a "Car" motor is Gary Wright's Quick-E sport /pylon model: http://www.gwmp.net/HTML/Kwik-E.htm Pat MacKenzie

Apr 24, 2005, 05:22 PM	#12
JimNM WAA-08 THANK FRANK! Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States Posts: 3,784	I started in e-planes with a glider from Wattage called the Thermalair. With the stock motor(540) and a 9x6 prop on 6xscr1900- I got about 400 feet per minute climb. Loops and rolls from level flight. That was enough to teach me how to fly with power, but it left me wanting more. I dropped in an Endo on a 3.33 GB and propped up to a 13x7. On 6 cells I was now climbing almost 900 feet per minute. I flew that setup with less than 30 amps for over a year, before the airframe gave up the ghost. My next foray was with a 6xscr1900 and an Orion Rush 19 turn motor on a 2.5:1 MAS GB on a 12x8. This setup flew my OLY II at about 500 fpm climb. Not stellar, but again enough to get started with. Short answer is, YES you can use SOME car stuff to fly airplanes - Fly'em HIGH JimNM

Apr 25, 2005, 05:38 PM	#13
uscra112 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Mid-Michigan Posts: 2,178	See if you can find any threads mentioning Ivan Pettengill, of B.C. Canada. He's done some wonderful things with simple car motors.

Apr 25, 2005, 06:06 PM	#14
park-n-fly better than park-n-work Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: California Posts: 556	Will do, uscra112. Thanks for the lead...

Apr 25, 2005, 10:51 PM	#15
pmackenzie Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Toronto (Don Mills), Canada Posts: 7,549	I think usc means Ivan Pettgrew. Here is one example of what car motors and round cells can do in the right hands: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122092 Pat Mackenzie