I have an EG that I converted to brushless that is my current FPV plane. I like it, but it is a little underpowered for what I would like.

I purchased an EayGlider Pro and put a big motor and good servos that won't jitter in it for my FPV 2.0 plane.

I also have an EasyStar that has a pretty strong motor that would be well suited for FPV.

I can't decide between the 2 planes and I haven't been able to in 2-3 months so I can't proceed.

EG Pro - Pros
* Big (lots of lift and length to seperate equipment)
* Quiet (the motor is pretty quiet at 31 amp full throttle)
* Already has good servos for FPV
* Motor has amazing power to lift camera into clowds

EG Pro - Cons
* Big - feels much larger for transporting in the car
* Prop will always be visible when motor is on

EasyStar - Pros
* Small for transporting
* Rear prop - can fly without seeing prop
* huge canopy area
* Motor less power hungry - 18A full throttle yet still good power
* Already has ailerons so flys similar to EG
EasyStar - Cons
* Significantly louder motor (2200KV with 6x4 prop) - kind of sounds like a Stryker F27C


From that list it seems that the only thing holding me back about the EasyStar is the noise. I really like how quiet my Glider is, you can barely hear it even at WOT. I don't really want people to hear my plane when I fly around...

Another plus for the EasyStar, I want to have a glider, and right now my EG Pro is prestine.. although a little nose heavy with the huge motor and ESC I put in it expecting to offset that weight with FPV equipment.

The easystar isn't too audible once you get it up to altitude. You can also reduce prop noise by trying different propellers and different brands.

Thanks Mark, I will probably go that direction, but I am still deliberation (after 2-3 months.. lol).

Here is a drawing (I suck at this) I made up with Powerpoint that shows my general idea for my EasyGlider. My plan is to put the battery on the fuse, to make it super easy to get ready to fly. I hate having to sneak my battery past all my wires in my current EasyGlider, trying not to unplug something.

This also means that the canopy would rarely need to be removed, leaving all the OSD hardware safe from bumping. I like the idea of putting the video Tx as far away from the servos and GPS as possible, way on the back with plenty of air flow.

This picture doesn't show the OSD stuff, but that would be tucked away under the canopy. The battery would be positioned for CG and secured with a velcro strap and whatever else it needs to be secured.

How does this setup look? I know the battery isn't good for aerodynamics, but neither is the camera...

nathan, did you see the build log of Daniel Wee? Highly recommended. He's on part 2 right now, but it should already give you enough information if you're impatient. Do NOT place your battery there. Battery goes inside the fuse, period.

Gliders are meant to be flown power off. Your 31amp setup is definitely the way to go ... that should give you around 15m/s climb, right? Plenty of power!

What you should do is throttle up for 10 seconds, then glide for a while, then power up again. During most parts of your flight you will not hear ANY motor and the folding props will be nicely out of view.

As for flight duration, have you considered using thermals to stay up? I usually get bored after 1 hour in the air. Very often I power up for 20-30seconds throughout the whole flight.

The battery is FAR worse for aerodynamics than the camera. I really doubt you'll need the battery very far back. Keep the battery inside.

Truth is I'm not too worried about having an FPV glider, I just like the EasyGlider for its flight characteristics, not necessarily for staying aloft gliding or thermaling. I must also admit that I have never really been able to glide correctly. The plane is capable of staying up for serveral minutes if I get to decent altitude, but I can't keep altitude like some guys.

How come you are so against having the battery exposed?

I have heard that the trailing edge affects performance more than the leading edge, is this why you say the battery is worse than the camera?

My current Easy Glider is cramped "under the hood", and I don't have the OSD in there yet. I could hide some components in the fuse like Daniel is going to do I guess.

I am still undecided, but the Easy Star seems to have more room...

nathanj: stability in flight comes from air moving across your surfaces in uniform fashion. lift and "controllability" comes from air moving smoothly. If you expose the battery, you create turbulence. Your plane will be harder to control and fly worse.

This is the reason why aircraft are generally "rounded", to channel the air over the surfaces without creating any turbulences. Angles create turbulences. If you look at the battery, you create 4 angles, 2 on the side, 2 on front and back.

The camera has to be exposed. There is no way around that. The battery doesn't have to be exposed it can be tucked away neatly wherever you want.

Also, if you have the TX at the back, then your CG is WAY off in any case with the battery position.

In regards to thermaling: I'm developing something that might help you. Won't say any more at this stage, though

Well it appears that my idea has been shot down with a heat seeking missile! I thought it would be a good idea, if I didn't care about some efficiency loss, which I think I would be fine with. But I think you are spot on about my CG being WAY off, the Tx way in the back throws it back significantly just because of the long distance, the battery would make the plane unflyable.

The battery that far back creates a problem for the ESC, there was a thread on that a couple weeks ago and I was curious what I was going to do (add caps or something).

Thanks for the firm advice guys.

You're welcome I can understand that efficiency is a "minor" concern - I've got some foamies that wouldn't be considered anything close to efficient - but aerodynamics are very important. We wouldn't want you crashing the plane, this is why we went with the "firm" advice

On another note ... do you have a video of your EG Pro and more info on the nice power setup? What's the all-up weight? I'd really love to see how it flies. 32A for a 2m glider... mhhh... sweet!

Get an EZStar and a set of EZG wings and get the best of both worlds.

Originally Posted by scrtsqrl

Get an EZStar and a set of EZG wings and get the best of both worlds.

Are EZG wings a direct fit?
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXKYG7

As of a quiter motor, you could put in an outrunner in your EZ * and it will be much quiter. Solves that con!

I could use an outrunner, but then I would need a larger prop, which means I would have to raise the motor. It seems like I could also do that to the Easy Glider by making a motor mount.

I may see if I can squeeze a 7" prop in there, maybe with less pitch if they make that.

I am in the process of trying to fit everything in the plane, I have to hand it to anyone who makes their FPV planes look organized...

I have managed to tuck everything into the plane, while still leaving the cockpit/canopy area fairly open. I plan on using an AR9000 receiver with 2 remote receivers. Both remotes would possibly be on the tail, or maybe one up front just above/behind the canopy.

If I decide to do this, I will have to cut some access holes from below for future access.

With this layout, I would probably put the camera setup in front of the canopy, allowing the canopy to be removed without fear of the wires and camera attached to it. I could also do what most people do and mount the camera on a custom flat wood canopy.

How does it look?