January 2004 99
THIS COLUMN SHARES some remarkable reader input, looks at
the 14-year-old Skyvolt with contemporary power, tells a tale of
“natural selection,” and continues the discussion of basic electrical
terms and concepts.
The 2/01 and 5/03 columns included photos of and discussion about
two Electric originals. The first was NiteLite: a Speed 280-
“motovated” night flier that incorporated bright and colorful LED
(light-emitting diode) illumination. The second was Stikum: a
simplistically structured 600-square-inch “large park flyer.” What
these diverse efforts had in common was the nature of reader
reaction.
NiteLite and Stikum were column offerings for the purpose of
sharing original ideas and flight results, therein encouraging reader
action. In each case the associated text made it clear that these were
singular undertakings and there were no plans or kits. Much of the
resulting reader reaction was singular in nature too—with many
asking for plans and/or kit information! I was only able to offer
supplemental information.
Two readers took matters into their own hands. Frank Donnelly
of Claymont, Delaware, did his own thing and sent me the photo of
his version of NiteLite. If you compare his with mine, you will see
how extremely well Frank did in duplicating the model, having only
minimal information with which to work. He is delighted with the
outcome and the joy that Electric night-flying (that is, in total
darkness) can bring!
Tom Peterson of Tyrone, Georgia, was so motivated by the
Stikum concept that he, too, did his own thing and sent the photo of
his version. Tom’s is smaller than my original, but the idea is the
same. Tom wrote, “It’s a great feeling to fly something built from
scratch. I intend to build another ... ”
Success! Given that my intent with the original column was
simply to share and (hopefully) inspire, it worked! In this day of
increasing popularity of Almost Ready to Flys (ARFs), it’s a good
feeling to see some still enjoying the rewards that come from
projects emerging from their handiwork. Thanks to Frank and Tom
for having faith, following through, and then sharing their
accomplishments with all of us.
Skyvolt was an original E-aerobatic model that appeared on the
cover of and as a construction article in the 1/90 MA. It was
originally kitted by Today’s Hobbies. Skyvolt was offered as the
next step past the popular three-channel entry-level E-kits of the day.
The latter included such designs as the Goldberg Mirage, the Great
Planes PT Electric, and the Midwest AeroLectric.
By comparison, Skyvolt was a four-channel, semisymmetrical
design that could do much more in the air. Power systems included
direct-drive “can” and cobalt 05 motors on seven cells up through
cobalt 15s on 12 cells. However, modelers soon found advantage in
geared motivation, and many still fly the Skyvolt with the latter
configuration; I still see them at meets.
My original Skyvolt (that was on the 01/90 cover) had been in
storage for many years. With the recent arrival of my new
AstroFlight two- and three-turn geared brushless 05 motors and the
need to put them in something, I resurrected the dusty Skyvolt.
Following some bench evaluation, I determined that the geared
two-turn with a 10 x 5 APC-E propeller and eight 2400s was
appropriate. (Ground-clearance limitation did not permit me to use
the three-turn with its associated larger propeller.)
What a difference a decade makes! The contemporary power
system is lighter and allows the receiver to run on Battery Eliminator
Bob Kopski, 25 West End Dr., Lansdale PA 19446
RADIO CONTROL ELECTRICS
Frank Donnelly (Claymont DE) scratch-built his version of
NiteLite based on a column photo in the February 2001 MA.
Tom Peterson (Tyrone GA) scratch-built his own interpretation of
Stikum from the photos in the May 2003 column.
Skyvolt (from January 1990 MA) is rendered anew with
contemporary Astro two-turn geared brushless sensorless
system.
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:18 am Page 99
100 MODEL AVIATION
Circuit (BEC), saving additional weight. It
has vastly more effective, efficient power
delivery than any previous installation, and
my “new” 46-ounce Skyvolt flies terrific!
Simple, throttle-managed aerobatic
flights are running an honest eight to nine
minutes. The early part of a typical flight is
nearly vertical if desired, and the airplane
remains fully capable of consecutive vertical
eights close to the end of flight. The
AstroFlight 05 brushless, sensorless system
has made the aging Skyvolt into an
essentially new airplane.
This power package would also
dramatically change the performance of
almost any similar-size E-design of one or
two decades past. If you have a leftover
AeroLectric, Skyvolt, Mirage, PT, etc. that
is just taking up space, consider dusting it
off and trying this approach. You’ll be
thrilled and amazed!
This brings me to my new three-turn
geared AstroFlight brushless motor and the
need for a suitable model in which to put it.
I do have more candidate E-aircraft in my
inventory, but I decided to start anew.
One photo shows my new Ruckus. It has
slightly more than 500 square inches of 15%
symmetrical wing, the motor, 10 2400 mAh
Ni-Cds, and weighs 55 ounces all up. As of
this writing I have only two flights on the
model and need to do some propeller
selection, etc., but so far Ruckus rocks! It is
a joy to fly with this contemporary power
system.
For those of you who see the preceding
as not so special in contemporary Electrics,
given the numerous high-performance ARFs
and modern brushless products on the
market, appreciate the fact that many readers
are unaware of today’s E-capabilities. There
are also readers such as Frank and Tom who
would likely be inclined to do their own,
similar thing but need some example to
follow—a gentle push.
I have written about how the blizzard of
E-products on the market is confusing to
many (see the 10/03 column) and have
encouraged readers to choose by doing what
works for others. This Ruckus (and Skyvolt)
discussion is for this purpose. And, no,
Ruckus is not kitted and I do not have plans
that I can easily share!
As have many E-modelers, I “grew up” in
Electrics with Ni-Cd battery power. There
is no question that this resource has
matured nicely; Radio Control 2400s have
twice the capacity of the 1200s of years
ago—in the same nominal size and weight
package.
In recent years NiMH has made deep
inroads into this hobby and elsewhere, and I
have used this energy-storage variant. Most
recently Lithium Polymer is appearing on
the flightline, but I’ve delayed taking this
step for several reasons. I may “go there”
next season, but for now it’s Ni-Cd and
NiMH for me. Or is it?
Without planning as such, as I select
airplanes for the day’s flying, I’m finding
that I’m routinely favoring those with the
good, ol’ Ni-Cd systems. It took some time
for me to realize this, but it’s clear now: I
seem to be “naturally selecting” Ni-Cd
power from the 16 or so ready-to-go
Electrics I have. As I’ve reflected, I’ve
decided that the reason for this is the shorter
charge time for Ni-Cd.
The current thinking for fast-charging
NiMH is to use the one-hour rate, which
means that a 2000 mAh pack would be “fast
charged” using 2 amps for roughly one
hour; this is not fast to me.
By comparison, a 2000 mAh Ni-Cd pack
would be treated to approximately 5 amps,
which results in a noticeably shorter charge
time. This feature seems especially
important to those who fly in the evenings
during those times of the year when
daylight hours are the shortest.
One can argue that NiMH offers longer
flight times for a pack of the same weight.
However, the flights are certainly not 21⁄2
times as long as the charge time (in this
example). If I had to wait an hour or so
between every somewhat longer flight, I’d
change my whole outlook on this hobby. As
I see it, one still gets “more, better flying”
with Ni-Cd per unit time.
In this natural-selection process I’m also
finding that I favor those Electrics of mine
with BEC—Ni-Cd or not. It’s far more
appealing not to have to maintain receiver
batteries. Right now I have nice-flying 16-
and 18-Ni-Cd-cell Electrics that I don’t fly
very often just because they have receiver
packs. Although I can charge almost
anything since I have vast charging
resources on hand, I don’t want to. BEC
systems are much nicer. See the 10/03
column.
How do you feel about all of this? Let
me know and I’ll share reader input with
everyone in the future.
Several previous columns have included
discussions about basic electrical terms and
concepts. In earlier installments I used the
word “power” in an offhand manner
without doing justice to its meaning. Thus
where I have described power (in watts) as
the simple multiplication of voltage and
current (such as might be associated with
motor input), I was not describing power
itself but how to determine it.
So what is power? What is a “power
airplane” or a “power flyer”? (Expressions
that tighten all of my screws to the breaking
point!) Although one could write several
chapters of high-school physics text on the
related terms “work,” “energy,” and
“power,” I’ll take a somewhat pragmatic
and simplistic look that is targeted at the
Electric modeler.
First, with due respect, “power” is
nothing more than a descriptive word for
the flow of “energy.” Energy, which can
take many forms (kinetic, potential,
thermal, chemical, atomic, electrical,
elastic, etc.), describes the ability of
something to do “work.” Work, in this
context and our application interest, is the
action of moving an airplane through the
air. The time-rate at which work is done is
power. Energy, work, and power are
intertwined.
As modelers we use stored energy of
some form to power any model through its
paces. In Electrics, the motor battery is a
storage tank for this energy. Rubber
modelers use the energy stored in twisted
rubber, wet-power fliers have fuel tanks of
energy stored in liquid form, and glider
fliers use the energy represented by the
initial height of the model upon release into
flight.
The stored energy is released during the
flight of any of these aeromodels. That is,
work is done as the stored energy changes
from its initial form, and the faster this
work is done, the greater the associated
power.
What this all means is that a higherpower
Electric; i.e., a larger, heavier, and/or
faster model, drains the battery faster. It
uses up the stored energy faster. The stored
battery energy is flowing out more rapidly
Ruckus, an original design for the Astro three-turn geared brushless sensorless
system, has 10 2400s, an APC-E 12 x 6 propeller, and weighs 55 ounces.
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:19 am Page 100
January 2004 103
and imparting more power to the propeller
so that the greater work needed to fly
heavier and/or faster can be done. But that
is true no matter what the power system is.
The stored energy in a tank, a battery, a
glider at release altitude, or twisted rubber
must have been put there in the first place.
The time rate at which that was done had
its own associated power. If any of you
think of this lightly, try winding a few
hundred turns into a hefty rubber motor—
say, 20 strands of 1⁄4-inch flat, 30 inches
long.
If you do this in some reasonable
amount of time (a few minutes), I’ll bet
you’ll be sweating because you will
quickly be working hard to move stored
energy from your body to the rubber. Even
a lowly Speed 400 motor could power a
locomotive or Abrams tank; it’s just that
the gear ratio would be enormous and the
resulting speed nearly imperceptible!
What is a “power airplane” and who is
a “power flier?” Every aeromodel that flies
and every aeromodeler who flies it, in that
order!
So ends one more column—this one with
my best wishes for a joyous holiday season
and a great Electri-flyin’ new year.
Please enclose a self-addressed,
stamped envelope with any correspondence
for which you’d like a reply; everyone so
doing does get one. MA
Mount Types “A’ and “B’ are designed for use WITHOUT a nose ring.
HYDE CUSTOM SOFT MOUNTS
• Proven life 6000+ flights •
• Superior noise and vibration reduction •
• 60-90% less current drain •
• 2002/3 F3A NATS/WORLD Winners/Flyers selected
single isolator Hyde type mounts approx. 40 to 1 •
“90 Day Trial Offer with $25.00 Bonus Refund”
See www.centralhobbies.com
for other types.
Easy to follow instructions provided. Sizes to 20.0 cu. in. $64.95-$284.95. $7.00
s&h. CK/MO. $10.00 COD USA incls. shipping. Backorders shipped within 60 days
or it’s “FREE”!! 180 day trial offer, complete satisfaction or your money back.
Patent protected - Single Isolator
2002
T.O.C.
Chanpion
Chip
Hyde
Orders/info: Merle Hyde, 3 Golf View Drive, Henderson, NV 89074
Ph/fax: 702-269-7829 or e-mail: [email protected]
Beam/Rail Type “A”
.049/.19 $24.95
.20/.30 $29.95
.40/.50 $39.95
.60/.70 $49.95
.80/.90 $89.95
1.0/1.1 $104.95
1.2/1.3 $114.95
1.4/1.5 $124.95
1.6/1.7 $134.95
1.8/1.9 $144.95
2.0/3.0 $149.95
2.5/3.0 $149.95
Backplate Type “B”
1.0/1.9 $109.95
2.0/2.9 $114.95
3.0/3.9 $119.95
4.0/4.9 $124.95
5.0/5.9 $129.95
6.0/6.9 $134.95
7.0/7.9 $139.95
8.0/8.9 $144.95
9.0/9.9 $149.95
10/11.9 $159.95
12/14.0 $169.95
Undrilled Specials: 25-75% off
Please specify engine size and make.
TIRED OF PAYING
$1.29 FOR 6 SCREWS?
Our 4-40x1/2 socket
caps sell for $4.35/100
for alloy steel, or
$6.65/100 stainless, or $7.50/50 aluminum.
For fair prices on sensible quantities of the fasteners
you need for model building, call, write or
fax for our free catalog!
Micro Fasteners 800-892-6917
24 Cokesbury Rd., Suite 2 908-236-8120
Lebanon, NJ 08833 fax 908-236-8721
e-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://microfasteners.com
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01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:19 am Page 103
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/01
Page Numbers: 99,100,103
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/01
Page Numbers: 99,100,103
January 2004 99
THIS COLUMN SHARES some remarkable reader input, looks at
the 14-year-old Skyvolt with contemporary power, tells a tale of
“natural selection,” and continues the discussion of basic electrical
terms and concepts.
The 2/01 and 5/03 columns included photos of and discussion about
two Electric originals. The first was NiteLite: a Speed 280-
“motovated” night flier that incorporated bright and colorful LED
(light-emitting diode) illumination. The second was Stikum: a
simplistically structured 600-square-inch “large park flyer.” What
these diverse efforts had in common was the nature of reader
reaction.
NiteLite and Stikum were column offerings for the purpose of
sharing original ideas and flight results, therein encouraging reader
action. In each case the associated text made it clear that these were
singular undertakings and there were no plans or kits. Much of the
resulting reader reaction was singular in nature too—with many
asking for plans and/or kit information! I was only able to offer
supplemental information.
Two readers took matters into their own hands. Frank Donnelly
of Claymont, Delaware, did his own thing and sent me the photo of
his version of NiteLite. If you compare his with mine, you will see
how extremely well Frank did in duplicating the model, having only
minimal information with which to work. He is delighted with the
outcome and the joy that Electric night-flying (that is, in total
darkness) can bring!
Tom Peterson of Tyrone, Georgia, was so motivated by the
Stikum concept that he, too, did his own thing and sent the photo of
his version. Tom’s is smaller than my original, but the idea is the
same. Tom wrote, “It’s a great feeling to fly something built from
scratch. I intend to build another ... ”
Success! Given that my intent with the original column was
simply to share and (hopefully) inspire, it worked! In this day of
increasing popularity of Almost Ready to Flys (ARFs), it’s a good
feeling to see some still enjoying the rewards that come from
projects emerging from their handiwork. Thanks to Frank and Tom
for having faith, following through, and then sharing their
accomplishments with all of us.
Skyvolt was an original E-aerobatic model that appeared on the
cover of and as a construction article in the 1/90 MA. It was
originally kitted by Today’s Hobbies. Skyvolt was offered as the
next step past the popular three-channel entry-level E-kits of the day.
The latter included such designs as the Goldberg Mirage, the Great
Planes PT Electric, and the Midwest AeroLectric.
By comparison, Skyvolt was a four-channel, semisymmetrical
design that could do much more in the air. Power systems included
direct-drive “can” and cobalt 05 motors on seven cells up through
cobalt 15s on 12 cells. However, modelers soon found advantage in
geared motivation, and many still fly the Skyvolt with the latter
configuration; I still see them at meets.
My original Skyvolt (that was on the 01/90 cover) had been in
storage for many years. With the recent arrival of my new
AstroFlight two- and three-turn geared brushless 05 motors and the
need to put them in something, I resurrected the dusty Skyvolt.
Following some bench evaluation, I determined that the geared
two-turn with a 10 x 5 APC-E propeller and eight 2400s was
appropriate. (Ground-clearance limitation did not permit me to use
the three-turn with its associated larger propeller.)
What a difference a decade makes! The contemporary power
system is lighter and allows the receiver to run on Battery Eliminator
Bob Kopski, 25 West End Dr., Lansdale PA 19446
RADIO CONTROL ELECTRICS
Frank Donnelly (Claymont DE) scratch-built his version of
NiteLite based on a column photo in the February 2001 MA.
Tom Peterson (Tyrone GA) scratch-built his own interpretation of
Stikum from the photos in the May 2003 column.
Skyvolt (from January 1990 MA) is rendered anew with
contemporary Astro two-turn geared brushless sensorless
system.
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:18 am Page 99
100 MODEL AVIATION
Circuit (BEC), saving additional weight. It
has vastly more effective, efficient power
delivery than any previous installation, and
my “new” 46-ounce Skyvolt flies terrific!
Simple, throttle-managed aerobatic
flights are running an honest eight to nine
minutes. The early part of a typical flight is
nearly vertical if desired, and the airplane
remains fully capable of consecutive vertical
eights close to the end of flight. The
AstroFlight 05 brushless, sensorless system
has made the aging Skyvolt into an
essentially new airplane.
This power package would also
dramatically change the performance of
almost any similar-size E-design of one or
two decades past. If you have a leftover
AeroLectric, Skyvolt, Mirage, PT, etc. that
is just taking up space, consider dusting it
off and trying this approach. You’ll be
thrilled and amazed!
This brings me to my new three-turn
geared AstroFlight brushless motor and the
need for a suitable model in which to put it.
I do have more candidate E-aircraft in my
inventory, but I decided to start anew.
One photo shows my new Ruckus. It has
slightly more than 500 square inches of 15%
symmetrical wing, the motor, 10 2400 mAh
Ni-Cds, and weighs 55 ounces all up. As of
this writing I have only two flights on the
model and need to do some propeller
selection, etc., but so far Ruckus rocks! It is
a joy to fly with this contemporary power
system.
For those of you who see the preceding
as not so special in contemporary Electrics,
given the numerous high-performance ARFs
and modern brushless products on the
market, appreciate the fact that many readers
are unaware of today’s E-capabilities. There
are also readers such as Frank and Tom who
would likely be inclined to do their own,
similar thing but need some example to
follow—a gentle push.
I have written about how the blizzard of
E-products on the market is confusing to
many (see the 10/03 column) and have
encouraged readers to choose by doing what
works for others. This Ruckus (and Skyvolt)
discussion is for this purpose. And, no,
Ruckus is not kitted and I do not have plans
that I can easily share!
As have many E-modelers, I “grew up” in
Electrics with Ni-Cd battery power. There
is no question that this resource has
matured nicely; Radio Control 2400s have
twice the capacity of the 1200s of years
ago—in the same nominal size and weight
package.
In recent years NiMH has made deep
inroads into this hobby and elsewhere, and I
have used this energy-storage variant. Most
recently Lithium Polymer is appearing on
the flightline, but I’ve delayed taking this
step for several reasons. I may “go there”
next season, but for now it’s Ni-Cd and
NiMH for me. Or is it?
Without planning as such, as I select
airplanes for the day’s flying, I’m finding
that I’m routinely favoring those with the
good, ol’ Ni-Cd systems. It took some time
for me to realize this, but it’s clear now: I
seem to be “naturally selecting” Ni-Cd
power from the 16 or so ready-to-go
Electrics I have. As I’ve reflected, I’ve
decided that the reason for this is the shorter
charge time for Ni-Cd.
The current thinking for fast-charging
NiMH is to use the one-hour rate, which
means that a 2000 mAh pack would be “fast
charged” using 2 amps for roughly one
hour; this is not fast to me.
By comparison, a 2000 mAh Ni-Cd pack
would be treated to approximately 5 amps,
which results in a noticeably shorter charge
time. This feature seems especially
important to those who fly in the evenings
during those times of the year when
daylight hours are the shortest.
One can argue that NiMH offers longer
flight times for a pack of the same weight.
However, the flights are certainly not 21⁄2
times as long as the charge time (in this
example). If I had to wait an hour or so
between every somewhat longer flight, I’d
change my whole outlook on this hobby. As
I see it, one still gets “more, better flying”
with Ni-Cd per unit time.
In this natural-selection process I’m also
finding that I favor those Electrics of mine
with BEC—Ni-Cd or not. It’s far more
appealing not to have to maintain receiver
batteries. Right now I have nice-flying 16-
and 18-Ni-Cd-cell Electrics that I don’t fly
very often just because they have receiver
packs. Although I can charge almost
anything since I have vast charging
resources on hand, I don’t want to. BEC
systems are much nicer. See the 10/03
column.
How do you feel about all of this? Let
me know and I’ll share reader input with
everyone in the future.
Several previous columns have included
discussions about basic electrical terms and
concepts. In earlier installments I used the
word “power” in an offhand manner
without doing justice to its meaning. Thus
where I have described power (in watts) as
the simple multiplication of voltage and
current (such as might be associated with
motor input), I was not describing power
itself but how to determine it.
So what is power? What is a “power
airplane” or a “power flyer”? (Expressions
that tighten all of my screws to the breaking
point!) Although one could write several
chapters of high-school physics text on the
related terms “work,” “energy,” and
“power,” I’ll take a somewhat pragmatic
and simplistic look that is targeted at the
Electric modeler.
First, with due respect, “power” is
nothing more than a descriptive word for
the flow of “energy.” Energy, which can
take many forms (kinetic, potential,
thermal, chemical, atomic, electrical,
elastic, etc.), describes the ability of
something to do “work.” Work, in this
context and our application interest, is the
action of moving an airplane through the
air. The time-rate at which work is done is
power. Energy, work, and power are
intertwined.
As modelers we use stored energy of
some form to power any model through its
paces. In Electrics, the motor battery is a
storage tank for this energy. Rubber
modelers use the energy stored in twisted
rubber, wet-power fliers have fuel tanks of
energy stored in liquid form, and glider
fliers use the energy represented by the
initial height of the model upon release into
flight.
The stored energy is released during the
flight of any of these aeromodels. That is,
work is done as the stored energy changes
from its initial form, and the faster this
work is done, the greater the associated
power.
What this all means is that a higherpower
Electric; i.e., a larger, heavier, and/or
faster model, drains the battery faster. It
uses up the stored energy faster. The stored
battery energy is flowing out more rapidly
Ruckus, an original design for the Astro three-turn geared brushless sensorless
system, has 10 2400s, an APC-E 12 x 6 propeller, and weighs 55 ounces.
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:19 am Page 100
January 2004 103
and imparting more power to the propeller
so that the greater work needed to fly
heavier and/or faster can be done. But that
is true no matter what the power system is.
The stored energy in a tank, a battery, a
glider at release altitude, or twisted rubber
must have been put there in the first place.
The time rate at which that was done had
its own associated power. If any of you
think of this lightly, try winding a few
hundred turns into a hefty rubber motor—
say, 20 strands of 1⁄4-inch flat, 30 inches
long.
If you do this in some reasonable
amount of time (a few minutes), I’ll bet
you’ll be sweating because you will
quickly be working hard to move stored
energy from your body to the rubber. Even
a lowly Speed 400 motor could power a
locomotive or Abrams tank; it’s just that
the gear ratio would be enormous and the
resulting speed nearly imperceptible!
What is a “power airplane” and who is
a “power flier?” Every aeromodel that flies
and every aeromodeler who flies it, in that
order!
So ends one more column—this one with
my best wishes for a joyous holiday season
and a great Electri-flyin’ new year.
Please enclose a self-addressed,
stamped envelope with any correspondence
for which you’d like a reply; everyone so
doing does get one. MA
Mount Types “A’ and “B’ are designed for use WITHOUT a nose ring.
HYDE CUSTOM SOFT MOUNTS
• Proven life 6000+ flights •
• Superior noise and vibration reduction •
• 60-90% less current drain •
• 2002/3 F3A NATS/WORLD Winners/Flyers selected
single isolator Hyde type mounts approx. 40 to 1 •
“90 Day Trial Offer with $25.00 Bonus Refund”
See www.centralhobbies.com
for other types.
Easy to follow instructions provided. Sizes to 20.0 cu. in. $64.95-$284.95. $7.00
s&h. CK/MO. $10.00 COD USA incls. shipping. Backorders shipped within 60 days
or it’s “FREE”!! 180 day trial offer, complete satisfaction or your money back.
Patent protected - Single Isolator
2002
T.O.C.
Chanpion
Chip
Hyde
Orders/info: Merle Hyde, 3 Golf View Drive, Henderson, NV 89074
Ph/fax: 702-269-7829 or e-mail: [email protected]
Beam/Rail Type “A”
.049/.19 $24.95
.20/.30 $29.95
.40/.50 $39.95
.60/.70 $49.95
.80/.90 $89.95
1.0/1.1 $104.95
1.2/1.3 $114.95
1.4/1.5 $124.95
1.6/1.7 $134.95
1.8/1.9 $144.95
2.0/3.0 $149.95
2.5/3.0 $149.95
Backplate Type “B”
1.0/1.9 $109.95
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4.0/4.9 $124.95
5.0/5.9 $129.95
6.0/6.9 $134.95
7.0/7.9 $139.95
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10/11.9 $159.95
12/14.0 $169.95
Undrilled Specials: 25-75% off
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01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:19 am Page 103
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/01
Page Numbers: 99,100,103
January 2004 99
THIS COLUMN SHARES some remarkable reader input, looks at
the 14-year-old Skyvolt with contemporary power, tells a tale of
“natural selection,” and continues the discussion of basic electrical
terms and concepts.
The 2/01 and 5/03 columns included photos of and discussion about
two Electric originals. The first was NiteLite: a Speed 280-
“motovated” night flier that incorporated bright and colorful LED
(light-emitting diode) illumination. The second was Stikum: a
simplistically structured 600-square-inch “large park flyer.” What
these diverse efforts had in common was the nature of reader
reaction.
NiteLite and Stikum were column offerings for the purpose of
sharing original ideas and flight results, therein encouraging reader
action. In each case the associated text made it clear that these were
singular undertakings and there were no plans or kits. Much of the
resulting reader reaction was singular in nature too—with many
asking for plans and/or kit information! I was only able to offer
supplemental information.
Two readers took matters into their own hands. Frank Donnelly
of Claymont, Delaware, did his own thing and sent me the photo of
his version of NiteLite. If you compare his with mine, you will see
how extremely well Frank did in duplicating the model, having only
minimal information with which to work. He is delighted with the
outcome and the joy that Electric night-flying (that is, in total
darkness) can bring!
Tom Peterson of Tyrone, Georgia, was so motivated by the
Stikum concept that he, too, did his own thing and sent the photo of
his version. Tom’s is smaller than my original, but the idea is the
same. Tom wrote, “It’s a great feeling to fly something built from
scratch. I intend to build another ... ”
Success! Given that my intent with the original column was
simply to share and (hopefully) inspire, it worked! In this day of
increasing popularity of Almost Ready to Flys (ARFs), it’s a good
feeling to see some still enjoying the rewards that come from
projects emerging from their handiwork. Thanks to Frank and Tom
for having faith, following through, and then sharing their
accomplishments with all of us.
Skyvolt was an original E-aerobatic model that appeared on the
cover of and as a construction article in the 1/90 MA. It was
originally kitted by Today’s Hobbies. Skyvolt was offered as the
next step past the popular three-channel entry-level E-kits of the day.
The latter included such designs as the Goldberg Mirage, the Great
Planes PT Electric, and the Midwest AeroLectric.
By comparison, Skyvolt was a four-channel, semisymmetrical
design that could do much more in the air. Power systems included
direct-drive “can” and cobalt 05 motors on seven cells up through
cobalt 15s on 12 cells. However, modelers soon found advantage in
geared motivation, and many still fly the Skyvolt with the latter
configuration; I still see them at meets.
My original Skyvolt (that was on the 01/90 cover) had been in
storage for many years. With the recent arrival of my new
AstroFlight two- and three-turn geared brushless 05 motors and the
need to put them in something, I resurrected the dusty Skyvolt.
Following some bench evaluation, I determined that the geared
two-turn with a 10 x 5 APC-E propeller and eight 2400s was
appropriate. (Ground-clearance limitation did not permit me to use
the three-turn with its associated larger propeller.)
What a difference a decade makes! The contemporary power
system is lighter and allows the receiver to run on Battery Eliminator
Bob Kopski, 25 West End Dr., Lansdale PA 19446
RADIO CONTROL ELECTRICS
Frank Donnelly (Claymont DE) scratch-built his version of
NiteLite based on a column photo in the February 2001 MA.
Tom Peterson (Tyrone GA) scratch-built his own interpretation of
Stikum from the photos in the May 2003 column.
Skyvolt (from January 1990 MA) is rendered anew with
contemporary Astro two-turn geared brushless sensorless
system.
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:18 am Page 99
100 MODEL AVIATION
Circuit (BEC), saving additional weight. It
has vastly more effective, efficient power
delivery than any previous installation, and
my “new” 46-ounce Skyvolt flies terrific!
Simple, throttle-managed aerobatic
flights are running an honest eight to nine
minutes. The early part of a typical flight is
nearly vertical if desired, and the airplane
remains fully capable of consecutive vertical
eights close to the end of flight. The
AstroFlight 05 brushless, sensorless system
has made the aging Skyvolt into an
essentially new airplane.
This power package would also
dramatically change the performance of
almost any similar-size E-design of one or
two decades past. If you have a leftover
AeroLectric, Skyvolt, Mirage, PT, etc. that
is just taking up space, consider dusting it
off and trying this approach. You’ll be
thrilled and amazed!
This brings me to my new three-turn
geared AstroFlight brushless motor and the
need for a suitable model in which to put it.
I do have more candidate E-aircraft in my
inventory, but I decided to start anew.
One photo shows my new Ruckus. It has
slightly more than 500 square inches of 15%
symmetrical wing, the motor, 10 2400 mAh
Ni-Cds, and weighs 55 ounces all up. As of
this writing I have only two flights on the
model and need to do some propeller
selection, etc., but so far Ruckus rocks! It is
a joy to fly with this contemporary power
system.
For those of you who see the preceding
as not so special in contemporary Electrics,
given the numerous high-performance ARFs
and modern brushless products on the
market, appreciate the fact that many readers
are unaware of today’s E-capabilities. There
are also readers such as Frank and Tom who
would likely be inclined to do their own,
similar thing but need some example to
follow—a gentle push.
I have written about how the blizzard of
E-products on the market is confusing to
many (see the 10/03 column) and have
encouraged readers to choose by doing what
works for others. This Ruckus (and Skyvolt)
discussion is for this purpose. And, no,
Ruckus is not kitted and I do not have plans
that I can easily share!
As have many E-modelers, I “grew up” in
Electrics with Ni-Cd battery power. There
is no question that this resource has
matured nicely; Radio Control 2400s have
twice the capacity of the 1200s of years
ago—in the same nominal size and weight
package.
In recent years NiMH has made deep
inroads into this hobby and elsewhere, and I
have used this energy-storage variant. Most
recently Lithium Polymer is appearing on
the flightline, but I’ve delayed taking this
step for several reasons. I may “go there”
next season, but for now it’s Ni-Cd and
NiMH for me. Or is it?
Without planning as such, as I select
airplanes for the day’s flying, I’m finding
that I’m routinely favoring those with the
good, ol’ Ni-Cd systems. It took some time
for me to realize this, but it’s clear now: I
seem to be “naturally selecting” Ni-Cd
power from the 16 or so ready-to-go
Electrics I have. As I’ve reflected, I’ve
decided that the reason for this is the shorter
charge time for Ni-Cd.
The current thinking for fast-charging
NiMH is to use the one-hour rate, which
means that a 2000 mAh pack would be “fast
charged” using 2 amps for roughly one
hour; this is not fast to me.
By comparison, a 2000 mAh Ni-Cd pack
would be treated to approximately 5 amps,
which results in a noticeably shorter charge
time. This feature seems especially
important to those who fly in the evenings
during those times of the year when
daylight hours are the shortest.
One can argue that NiMH offers longer
flight times for a pack of the same weight.
However, the flights are certainly not 21⁄2
times as long as the charge time (in this
example). If I had to wait an hour or so
between every somewhat longer flight, I’d
change my whole outlook on this hobby. As
I see it, one still gets “more, better flying”
with Ni-Cd per unit time.
In this natural-selection process I’m also
finding that I favor those Electrics of mine
with BEC—Ni-Cd or not. It’s far more
appealing not to have to maintain receiver
batteries. Right now I have nice-flying 16-
and 18-Ni-Cd-cell Electrics that I don’t fly
very often just because they have receiver
packs. Although I can charge almost
anything since I have vast charging
resources on hand, I don’t want to. BEC
systems are much nicer. See the 10/03
column.
How do you feel about all of this? Let
me know and I’ll share reader input with
everyone in the future.
Several previous columns have included
discussions about basic electrical terms and
concepts. In earlier installments I used the
word “power” in an offhand manner
without doing justice to its meaning. Thus
where I have described power (in watts) as
the simple multiplication of voltage and
current (such as might be associated with
motor input), I was not describing power
itself but how to determine it.
So what is power? What is a “power
airplane” or a “power flyer”? (Expressions
that tighten all of my screws to the breaking
point!) Although one could write several
chapters of high-school physics text on the
related terms “work,” “energy,” and
“power,” I’ll take a somewhat pragmatic
and simplistic look that is targeted at the
Electric modeler.
First, with due respect, “power” is
nothing more than a descriptive word for
the flow of “energy.” Energy, which can
take many forms (kinetic, potential,
thermal, chemical, atomic, electrical,
elastic, etc.), describes the ability of
something to do “work.” Work, in this
context and our application interest, is the
action of moving an airplane through the
air. The time-rate at which work is done is
power. Energy, work, and power are
intertwined.
As modelers we use stored energy of
some form to power any model through its
paces. In Electrics, the motor battery is a
storage tank for this energy. Rubber
modelers use the energy stored in twisted
rubber, wet-power fliers have fuel tanks of
energy stored in liquid form, and glider
fliers use the energy represented by the
initial height of the model upon release into
flight.
The stored energy is released during the
flight of any of these aeromodels. That is,
work is done as the stored energy changes
from its initial form, and the faster this
work is done, the greater the associated
power.
What this all means is that a higherpower
Electric; i.e., a larger, heavier, and/or
faster model, drains the battery faster. It
uses up the stored energy faster. The stored
battery energy is flowing out more rapidly
Ruckus, an original design for the Astro three-turn geared brushless sensorless
system, has 10 2400s, an APC-E 12 x 6 propeller, and weighs 55 ounces.
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:19 am Page 100
January 2004 103
and imparting more power to the propeller
so that the greater work needed to fly
heavier and/or faster can be done. But that
is true no matter what the power system is.
The stored energy in a tank, a battery, a
glider at release altitude, or twisted rubber
must have been put there in the first place.
The time rate at which that was done had
its own associated power. If any of you
think of this lightly, try winding a few
hundred turns into a hefty rubber motor—
say, 20 strands of 1⁄4-inch flat, 30 inches
long.
If you do this in some reasonable
amount of time (a few minutes), I’ll bet
you’ll be sweating because you will
quickly be working hard to move stored
energy from your body to the rubber. Even
a lowly Speed 400 motor could power a
locomotive or Abrams tank; it’s just that
the gear ratio would be enormous and the
resulting speed nearly imperceptible!
What is a “power airplane” and who is
a “power flier?” Every aeromodel that flies
and every aeromodeler who flies it, in that
order!
So ends one more column—this one with
my best wishes for a joyous holiday season
and a great Electri-flyin’ new year.
Please enclose a self-addressed,
stamped envelope with any correspondence
for which you’d like a reply; everyone so
doing does get one. MA
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1.4/1.5 $124.95
1.6/1.7 $134.95
1.8/1.9 $144.95
2.0/3.0 $149.95
2.5/3.0 $149.95
Backplate Type “B”
1.0/1.9 $109.95
2.0/2.9 $114.95
3.0/3.9 $119.95
4.0/4.9 $124.95
5.0/5.9 $129.95
6.0/6.9 $134.95
7.0/7.9 $139.95
8.0/8.9 $144.95
9.0/9.9 $149.95
10/11.9 $159.95
12/14.0 $169.95
Undrilled Specials: 25-75% off
Please specify engine size and make.
TIRED OF PAYING
$1.29 FOR 6 SCREWS?
Our 4-40x1/2 socket
caps sell for $4.35/100
for alloy steel, or
$6.65/100 stainless, or $7.50/50 aluminum.
For fair prices on sensible quantities of the fasteners
you need for model building, call, write or
fax for our free catalog!
Micro Fasteners 800-892-6917
24 Cokesbury Rd., Suite 2 908-236-8120
Lebanon, NJ 08833 fax 908-236-8721
e-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://microfasteners.com
MADISON COMPONENTS • 1-800-811-9135
1059 Valley Crest Drive, Birmingham, AL 35226
www.qualityrcproducts.com
•Made from
Anodized
Aluminum
•Receptacle
plug is fixed
•Mating plug can
only be plugged in
the correct way
•Cap seals out dirt,
fuel and grime
•Easy to assemble
and install
CHARGE RECEPTACLE
We’ve Put A New
Spin On Charging!
only
$10.95
01sig4.QXD 10/27/03 9:19 am Page 103