Originally Posted by dunc1055

~~ i have got hxt900 servos and i have heard they are very reliable.

You will have to break the AXN to break them

Early stuff might help check the list here http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...postcount=6040

I don't know... I broke my AXN a few tmes already, but the hxts are still working perfectly

Originally Posted by sir_clive

I don't know... I broke my AXN a few tmes already, but the hxts are still working perfectly

Lol you know what I mean

Originally Posted by ColSonders

Hi guys,


Looking at the PNF versions seems to narrow it down to the Bixlers and the AXN, the AXN from what i've heard is the better plane with it's stock parts, not requiring any modding. Are there any other options out there available for a similar price in the UK? Are the Bixlers perhaps better for my needs?

I have a AXN & a few locals fly the Bixler. Both are good.
I still always fly my Atom, still so much fun :-)

Both the bixler & AXN have some dodgy OEM servo's & esc's (not all, some)
Get the kit without servo's or esc & buy your own.
Bixler will be better for fpv, AXN probhably better made & stronger, faster.

Best of all could be the Bixler2 ???, although not as fast.

looksee here
axn build vids , explains why you dont want the OEM servo or esc
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...3&feature=plcp

bixler vs axn, this guy has both.

Bixler vs AXN (3 min 41 sec)

Originally Posted by ColSonders

I don't really want to have to do much, if any modding.

Then just forget it altogether, period.

Hey js32257 and cubber1

Thanks for the advice. I have previously used both ailerons and rudder together for rolls. I just figured that by elongating the ailerons (extending them towards the fuse and maybe towards the wing tip at the same time) it would further improve roll rate.

I didn't like the look of the AXN in the video with the ailerons extended aft. It probably worked but it just looked all wrong.

I'll probably just go ahead and extend the ailerons and take my chances. I'll let you know how it goes.

My apologies for not replying earlier. It's been a busy week when hobbies have to take a back seat.

Originally Posted by Cathay Stray

Then just forget it altogether, period.

My lack of wanting to do modding is more of a nod towards the EZ1 as it has no ailerons.

I'm comfortable doing small mods, but want something that will fly well in the first place with as little done to it as possible while I get used to things, mods can and (given my track records of invalidating warranties on various items before even using them) WILL happen shortly afterwards.

There seems to be very little difference between the AXN and the Bixler and the Bixler 2 from what I can tell so I may just go for whatever is available at the time when I go to purchase.

From what I can gather the Bixler 1 has the most room inside for extra gear, the AXN is the fastest (and lets face it, the coolest looking) and smallest, the Bixlers will both roll a bit quicker and the Bixler 2 has a bigger prop/slower motor which gives smoother acceleration but lower top speed.

Am I missing anything else that's particularly important here? I've read that the Bixler requires more precise CG balancing but not sure how much truth is in that.

Price wise there seems to be little difference between the AXN and Bixler and I think the reason i've been swaying towards the AXN is mostly due to report of it working well without need for any modification.

One friend lost his beloved Skua wing last sunday in the slope (i was slope soaring with a Phoenix 2000 and flying fair in not much lift but enought to fly confortably , he tought if the Phoenix could hold his wing should since it has a lower wing loading but when launched his wing felt flat and dissapeared into the abyss) .. i was going to use the Clouds to mount a search and rescue mission , since the wing is missing and cant be seen from the oposite side of the slope i tought about putting a camera pointing 90º down and overfly the slope... if it cant be seen from the other side it should be visible from above..

Unfortunatelly i couldnt find a way to reliable fix the camera to the side of the CloudsFly ... scotch take didnt sticked to the sides ... any ideas that doesnt involve permanent damage or glue?

Originally Posted by JLT_GTI

One friend lost his beloved Skua wing last sunday in the slope (i was slope soaring with a Phoenix 2000 and flying fair in not much lift but enought to fly confortably , he tought if the Phoenix could hold his wing should since it has a lower wing loading but when launched his wing felt flat and dissapeared into the abyss) .. i was going to use the Clouds to mount a search and rescue mission , since the wing is missing and cant be seen from the oposite side of the slope i tought about putting a camera pointing 90º down and overfly the slope... if it cant be seen from the other side it should be visible from above..

Unfortunatelly i couldnt find a way to reliable fix the camera to the side of the CloudsFly ... scotch take didnt sticked to the sides ... any ideas that doesnt involve permanent damage or glue?

Rubber bands and Velcro is what I use.

Originally Posted by Beanz

Hey js32257 and cubber1

Thanks for the advice. I have previously used both ailerons and rudder together for rolls. I just figured that by elongating the ailerons (extending them towards the fuse and maybe towards the wing tip at the same time) it would further improve roll rate.

I didn't like the look of the AXN in the video with the ailerons extended aft. It probably worked but it just looked all wrong.

I'll probably just go ahead and extend the ailerons and take my chances. I'll let you know how it goes.

My apologies for not replying earlier. It's been a busy week when hobbies have to take a back seat.

One thing I don't understand:
In your original post you said you chopped the wing tips on your previous AXNs. I've seen videos of AXNs with chopped tips to 3 rolls in about a second.
How much faster of a roll rate are you looking for or did you mean you want to keep the tips on and still have it roll faster?

Originally Posted by ColSonders

There seems to be very little difference between the AXN and the Bixler and the Bixler 2.....

Mods. Well, yes the Clouds Fly can take off right out of the box, or nearly so. Never owned a Bixler but I suppose it's not far from this, too. You mentioned you were going to do close to mid range FPV - errr... I think there will be many people here who'll disagree but in my vision these two planes are little more than a preparatory step to flying a real FPV plane (when you get more gear you'll want to fly it safe, hence you'll want it to come back to you in case of a screwup, hence you'll want an autopilot of some sort, and there is simply no room at all inside those birds.

I put a tiny camera on the nose plus a video transmitter (also on the nose), and for that had to sacrifice 900 mAh (switching from 2200 mAh to 1300 battery), and it is all about this. Some do indeed fly with 'real' cameras (25x25 or even 32x32 mm) and even pan/tilts but.... a pony probably can drag a 40 ft container, but there are better vehicles to do it.

Still, it is an ideal little plane to learn the basics of FPV flying around the airfield and getting used to the different way the world looks on a monitor screen. But mid range...

One more thing, both Bixlers have perhaps the same room inside but a lot smaller opening to manage what is inside. My friend who flies a Bix uses a dental mirror to check the inside, and it's no joke.

Flying off the same field with that friend I can see that probably thanks to greater wing area a Bix soars longer on zero throttle than the AXN and altogether is probably a better glider.

I was busy today extending the ailerons of my AXN with thin but rigid plastic sheet, might be a mod you could consider from the beginning.

Hi Guys

Im about to charge my first ever lipo battery and just wanted some advice the charger im using is an accucel 6 and my battery is a Turnigy 2200mAh 3S 20C. I have a lipo safety bag as well as i have heard some horror stories

I am wondering is it always best to charge using the balance option as opposed to just normal charge? and any other points you think i need to know?

Thanks

Originally Posted by dunc1055

Hi Guys

Im about to charge my first ever lipo battery and just wanted some advice the charger im using is an accucel 6 and my battery is a Turnigy 2200mAh 3S 20C. I have a lipo safety bag as well as i have heard some horror stories

I am wondering is it always best to charge using the balance option as opposed to just normal charge? and any other points you think i need to know?

Thanks

Best to use the balance option every time, keep in mind it can be slower to finish off the charge as it tries to balance the volts across the cells.

I have never charged a battery in a Lipo bag and have had no issues after charging a thousand or so batteries.

Charge at 1C which in this case is 2.2 amps. If at the field you can push the charge rate up to 4.4 amps if needed. (check the battery specs, on the max C charging rate) normally for plane batteries they are minimum if 2C. (I haven't seen any lower anyway).

Obviously make sure the charge voltage is for 3S (11.1v) battery otherwise the charger will error out.

Originally Posted by dunc1055

Hi Guys

Im about to charge my first ever lipo battery and just wanted some advice the charger im using is an accucel 6 and my battery is a Turnigy 2200mAh 3S 20C. I have a lipo safety bag as well as i have heard some horror stories

I am wondering is it always best to charge using the balance option as opposed to just normal charge? and any other points you think i need to know?

Thanks

Dont charge the batts over 1amp for the sake of it!!
I use "CHARGE" to charge them.
I am getting my new batteries use to being on load so this is what I do.
Charge for 2hrs at 0.1a
then. Charge for 2hrs at 0.2a
Then 2hrs at 3 and so on until the voltage comes up to 4.15.
Then using a brushless motor run the motor on idle for 5 min then a rest for the batts then another 5 min and so on until the voltage drops to 4v per cell.
Now I charge my batts at 0.4a normaly if I am not in a rush.

So now begin pushing your batts more and more use them at higher throttle and charge them at higher a. Bit by bit they will soon be ready to go.

Yes I am being very anal about this but this is what I do to make them last longer.
What I have seen with the batts that if you just push them hard out of the box the cells will be unbalanced but if you do what I do the cells should be perfect and in the AXN the batts should be cool or tiny bit warm.

Originally Posted by sss34

Dont charge the batts over 1amp for the sake of it!!
I use "CHARGE" to charge them.
I am getting my new batteries use to being on load so this is what I do.
Charge for 2hrs at 0.1a
then. Charge for 2hrs at 0.2a
Then 2hrs at 3 and so on until the voltage comes up to 4.15.
Then using a brushless motor run the motor on idle for 5 min then a rest for the batts then another 5 min and so on until the voltage drops to 4v per cell.
Now I charge my batts at 0.4a normaly if I am not in a rush.

So now begin pushing your batts more and more use them at higher throttle and charge them at higher a. Bit by bit they will soon be ready to go.

Yes I am being very anal about this but this is what I do to make them last longer.
What I have seen with the batts that if you just push them hard out of the box the cells will be unbalanced but if you do what I do the cells should be perfect and in the AXN the batts should be cool or tiny bit warm.

You must have a lot of spare time, that is a very conservative approach to batteries . Also the cells should be balanced during your recharge procedure at some stage.

I use 7 batteries in 2 hours flying with 3 different planes. It would take me a week to recharge them for the next days flying.

I start recharging them while flying on another battery or plane so I can get more flights out of them during the limited time I have flying.