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Posted by PeterVRC | Dec 02, 2012 @ 07:50 AM | 9,888 Views
A few videos of the Dynam 1200mm Spitfire, fitted with the MrRCsound Pro_A sound system.
Pretty lousy flight video! But I will change that to a better one eventually.
I guess the installation video is pretty poor and dark too!

My Spitfire has had a hard life!! Two big crashes in its early days - one from an unknown spiral/spin to the ground from the top of a lowish loop, and one from a failed battery and loss of power which was at a very inopportune time! Both cases snapped a wing, and more.
But after its repairs it still looks quite good all in all, and flies totally fine still!! A very nice scale plane to see and HEAR flying around!!

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Spitfire with MrRCSound demo (2 min 43 sec)


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Spitfire01 (1 min 28 sec)
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Posted by PeterVRC | Dec 02, 2012 @ 06:16 AM | 12,915 Views
The Starmax 90mm F-16 PNF is a beautiful model!! More so if you like F-16's!!
I think they just have this almost classic look to them - a bit of this or that in them, but also a unique end result.

The paint finish of the kit is fantastic - whether in the all-grey camo version, or the blue-grey camo version. I chose the blue-grey, but I like either really!

It comes with AIR retracts, and with so many electric retract options these days, that is a far nicer system to have. Slower operation - not a "SNAP" and they are in, or out!
But as it turned out, setting up a good retract/oleo system was a pretty big task!! (more later of course).

I did a number of "improvements" to the base design - as I always do. To ensure proper operation, flying, and reliability of the plane. I try to cover ALL possibilities BEFORE they are ever going to happen! So I am yet to have a "Oh dear, this thing broke (or whatever) and it crashed.....". LOL

I also had about ZERO faith in the Starmax EDF unit, so even before I bought it I had intentions of going to a CS12 90mm fan unit. Though along the way some issues with those units have turned up (they can EXPLODE! LOL) so I am yet to finalise exactly what will be in the first test flight version! It will be a CS12, but I had a Turnigy 3025-1500kv motor installed in a 'early' CS12 unit, which may, or may not, be safe to use!
I also have a 1600kv 'new stronger' CS12 unit allocated for this F-16.... but I am tossing up on the odds of my 'early' CS12 being fine, because the flawed ones are beleived to have been from later batches than that one.
Eeeny, meeeny, miny, mo !!!

So next I will look at the F-16 and what it 'needs' done to it.....
Posted by PeterVRC | Dec 02, 2012 @ 06:06 AM | 13,251 Views
Well this is certainly an "old" kit..... first out in 2007 ?
And although there are numerous videos around, not many people talk about it or own up to having one! LOL

I didn't read up on it before buying it and whilst I was waiting for it to arrive I did come across the one lonely thread about it. And that made it seem it had not been such a great idea to get one - versus the many other choices of aircraft (even any other HTG ones alone).

But anyway.... I have it now. And after a bit of checking it over, and the info from the Jepe kit build log, I will press on. With fair belief it will end up quite a nice looking F-22... that should even fly well.
Posted by PeterVRC | Dec 02, 2012 @ 06:04 AM | 8,444 Views
The MrRCsound Pro_A sound system...
This is an AWESOME addition to a plane! This transforms RC aircraft 'modelling' massively!! You are now flying a model that not only LOOKS like the real aircraft, but can SOUND very much like it too!!!
Once you have used one, you almost wince when flying electric aircraft that don't have one!!
I even wince at Internal Combustion models!! LOL. Because that little screaming motor is nothing like a real one either!! The electric motor powered aircraft, with a sound system, is a clear scale model winner!!

More to come.....
Posted by PeterVRC | Dec 02, 2012 @ 06:02 AM | 11,118 Views
This is a very nice CHEAP kit. Typical of pretty well all Dynam's very nice balance of "Nicely done, cost effective, but keep things basic". At $117 in Australia, it is a great value plane... even if you just built it and flew it as it comes!
But as usual, I go over everything... and do 'improvements' to make sure it is properly airworthy and going to operate and fly PROPERLY and ONGOING!

I also added the MrRCsound Pro_A sound system... and this is an AWESOME addition to a plane! This transforms RC aircraft 'modelling' massively!! You are now flying a model that not only LOOKS like the real aircraft, but can SOUND very much like it too!!!
Once you have used one, you almost wince when flying electric aircraft that don't have one!!
I even wince at IC (Internal Combustion) models!! LOL. Because that little screaming motor is nothing like a real one either!! The electric motor powered aircraft, with a sound system, is a clear scale model winner!!

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Posted by PeterVRC | Dec 01, 2012 @ 05:07 AM | 9,676 Views
The Lander 10-Blade 70mm Alloy 6S 2200kv EDF unit seems to be using the CS10 rotor. It is a very nice and well made unit. Maybe a bit overly robust, and thus heavy, but this is a powerful and 'up to the task' unit.
They quote 1900W and I have only pushed mine to 1700W approx, which it can do but even at that level it gets very hot if you run it for very long at that level of power. I don't think it is 'fatally hot', but it is getting close to being detrimental for its long term lifespan. You would probably (and maybe I did) hit 1900W in peak bursts of a high C battery (65C) coming off fresh, or a lower power 'rest' period.

It comes with a screw off inlet ring, so you can use that, or not, as required. (required for bench testing). It also has two mounting flanges that are screwed on, so they can be left off if you want. Presonally I always use mounting flanges for all 70mm and upwards EDF's, partly to ensure they are 100% rigidly held always - especially for higher powers - but also so they can easily be removed, maintained, tested etc. It is easy to put plywood mounting rails into any foam aircraft.

HobbyKing currently sells this unit at $71.99, which is very good value for what you get really. But if you can dig up a BuddyCode it then drops it to $66, which a a real BARGAIN then! A 2960 motor alone would cost you in the area of $40 at least, if not more like $50 top $60.... and then $75+ for a HET. For no better result really. Then a CS10 for $15..... plus it is all...Continue Reading
Posted by PeterVRC | Sep 24, 2012 @ 09:25 AM | 9,396 Views
Here is just a bit of bits and pieces about the A-10 Warthog from HobbyKing.
It is a twin 75mm EDF powered, 1017mm Wingspan EPS foam jet.
I have heard there are EPO versions? Maybe a more recent batch from the same moulds? But I am not sure.

Twin 75mm sounds powerful!!! But really, they are just "numbers". 75mm alone doesn't mean anything really... it could be driven by weak motors, low voltage, the blade pitch could be low.... so that it really has far less power than you might have thought.
And that is what they have done in this case - under a lame excuse of it having large fans to get more low end thrust. Which I guess is actually technically possible. And it might even be that it ends up as a more efficient way to do things - that is one thing that it seems to do from my assessment of that. It gets very good flight times for an EDF... but it is also a very weak, under-powered, plane!
And is at the cost of having huge nacelles, way bigger than scale. Looking a bit silly really.

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Posted by PeterVRC | Sep 19, 2012 @ 07:40 AM | 9,741 Views
Just a quick throw together of a Turnigy 2836-3200kv outrunner, into a CS10.

I always drill an access hole into the housing to allow an allen head drvier to get into the shaft adaptor grub screws.

I also always file two opposing flats onto the shaft adaptor to allow the use of two shifters (spanners), so you can do up the rotor nut properly. No force on the fan or motor, just on the shaft and nut like you technically should only do!

Most aircraft don't have the inlet lip on the fan when it is installed, but some do. And for bench testing you need it ON, so that the fan can 'grab' its full load of airflow - wthout it results will be WAY lower than they can do with ducting. I just use 4 pieces of fibre tape to affix the inlet ring for testing, each placed at 90deg around the fan.

BALANCE the rotor!! I static balance it first. Sometimes dynamic balance them.... but really SHOULD do that to them all. (Note: this post is 'old' now)
The balancer is a Turnigy carbon fibre heli blades balancer, disassembled and placed up an a wooden frame so I can do any rotor size, and also propellers up to about 14" or so.
For rotors I have mounted rare earth magnets so the balance shaft is suspended in mid air at one end, for zero friction, and the shaft has points ground on each end, so even the end that does sit against a magnet has near zero friction.
In a way that is TOO LITTLE friction, as the rotor can roll to a stop for the weeniest imbalance - which means less imbalance than even needed to care about. But you really gauge imbalance by how far it swings per 'rock' and how fast it 'rocks'.
Stuff small pieces of tape into the hub 'holes' between the strengthening ribs. And check again.....

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