Also included in this column:
• ESC wires 101
• More Spektrum for
Multiplex Evo
• Winter boredom fix
ParkZone Sukhoi tips
February 2010 99
Electrics Greg Gimlick | [email protected]
The ParkZone Sukhoi is available in Bind-
N-Fly and RTF versions, and it uses a
Spektrum AR6400 DSM2 microreceiver.
The author slit the tape and opened the fuselage for Sukhoi
maintenance. He could use everything in a model of his design, if
he chose to go that route.
An AR6400 close-up shows its integrated
ESC and plugs for additional servos or
lights. Not all ports are used in the Sukhoi.
This product bulletin shows the corrected ports and components of the AR6400 ultramicroreceiver/
ESC.
Taking Off: Here we are in the dead of
winter, and most aeromodelers across the
country should be building and doing
maintenance that they have waited to do all
flying season.
I’m going to cover some brief topics this
month for you to think about as you build or
repair those models. I’ll also look at a simple
cure for those winter flying blues.
ParkZone’s Sukhoi: I saw this little gem at
last year’s Joe Nall Fly-In. That’s a strange
venue at which to learn about such a tiny
aerobat. Weighing a scant 1.2 ounces, it didn’t
fit into the Giant Scale offerings that filled the
place, but it stood out.
One of the Horizon Hobby employees was
flying the Sukhoi out back by the group’s
trailer, and it drew a heck of a crowd. I knew
then that I had to have one as soon as it became
available.
You might have seen a review of this model
by now, so I won’t go into all the details. But I
will point out a few things I’ve learned.
You will probably break a propeller at some
point. The good news is that there is a spare in
the box. And even if you have to buy one,
they’re cheap.
My first incident occurred over
pavement and the original propeller broke,
so I grabbed the spare and looked at
changing it. Guess what? There are no
instructions for how to do it, nor is it
readily evident whether it screws onto the
shaft or is a press fit.
After trying to hold the shaft with a pair
of needle-nose pliers and spinning the
propeller with no apparent effect, I decided
that it was a press fit. Guess what else? It
isn’t!
I unscrewed the propeller quite a bit
without noticing it had moved. When I
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/21/09 9:42 AM Page 99
100 MODEL AVIATION
This park flyer jet’s long battery wires proved to be the
problem for the ESC. The final wire length was 24 inches from
battery pack to ESC.
The author’s cure for winter doldrums. He purchased these
helicopters as Bind-N-Fly, to go with his Spektrum DX7.
employed the pliers to both shaft and propeller, I managed to pull it
off of the remaining threads. Score one for ham-fisted mechanic
and, fortunately, I did no damage to the shaft.
The moral is, unscrew the propeller until it comes off
completely; it takes awhile. When replacing it, I found it easiest to
open the fuselage and hold onto the gearbox gear while screwing
on the shaft.
The photo shows the fuselage laid open for maintenance. While
you’re in there, you can decide whether or not you want to increase
the aileron throws on the bellcrank. The instructions address this,
so I won’t describe it, but before you act, be sure you’re unhappy
with the throws you have.
Mine is plenty touchy for my skills, so I haven’t changed it. The
Horizon Hobby team changed the one I saw, and it was incredible
on the roll rate. The fuselage is opened by simply cutting tape on
the edges and letting it hinge back on the other side. This reveals
the little AR6400 DSM2 6CH Ultra-Micro Receiver/ESC that
comes installed in the Sukhoi.
I’ve included a corrected diagram here, showing all of the
pinouts and parts. These bulletins are posted on the Horizon Hobby
Web site.
The beauty of this little model lies beyond the fact that it flies
great. Once you’ve trashed it, its components can be removed and
installed in a model of your own design. All parts are available too,
if you want to rebuild.
My last tip concerning the Sukhoi is to set it up conservatively,
using dual rates and exponential. Mine fits me with low rates at
50% of full, and I use 40% exponential on high rates. This makes it
plenty lively for me. I do not recommend test-flying on full rates
without exponential, especially.
I love my little Sukhoi, and the neighbors seem to enjoy
watching it fly in my front yard.
ESC Wiring 101: I’ll start with my usual disclaimer; I am not an
electrical engineer! This information is meant for the everyday flier
who is trying to keep from ruining his or her equipment, and it is
gleaned from information I have received from engineers who
design speed controls for various manufacturers. I’ve tried to keep
it accurate and put it in laymen’s terms.
Many thanks to Doug Ingraham for helping me work through
this debate. He has been designing some of the top ESCs and
chargers on the market since I got involved in electric-powered
flight 19 years ago. He tolerates my silly questions and puts things
in plain language for me.
The main question I want to address is one I get repeatedly. Is it
better to lengthen the wires from the battery to the ESC or lengthen
the wires from the ESC to the motor?
The online forums are full of ideas, opinions, conjecture, and
debate about this question. From the mail I’ve gotten lately, that
has seemed to do more to confuse the issue than to answer the
question.
I’ll give you the simple answer first. It is better to lengthen the
wires from the ESC to the motor and keep the battery wires as short
as possible.
The debate arises about resistance and inductance. Some argue
that using a larger-gauge wire reduces the resistance, making the
longer battery wires acceptable. That doesn’t address the increased
inductance it causes.
Proponents of lengthening the battery wires say that the problem
can be overcome by adding capacitors to the front of the ESC. This
is not really a fix, but a patch.
The ESC comes with capacitors installed as the designer
determined for its intended application. Without specific
knowledge about current and how good the flyback diodes are, the
FETs’ switching speed, the FETs’ voltage rating, and the types of
FETs, you’re grasping at straws. If you do know those things,
you’ll still need to do a lot of math to figure out which capacitors to
add.
Following is Bob Boucher’s thoughts about which wire to
lengthen.
“I will repeat the message previously given. I hope you heed
some sound advice based on theory and practice.
“1. Wire resistance may rob you of a bit of power but will not
destroy your speed control or motor.
“2. Wire inductance will not damage your motor nor will you be
able to detect any effect even with 100 feet of wire.
“3. Wire inductance will kill the mosfets in your control and
may even blow the caps. [Bob is comparing inductance in the
motor-to-ESC wire to inductance in the ESC-to-battery wire.]
“I’ve been a design engineer and manufacturer of motors and
controls for over 30 years. You must keep battery wires as short as
practical. Short means 1 foot or less, brushed or brushless makes no
difference.”
Bob is better known as “AstroBob.” He owns AstroFlight and
holds a patent on electric flight. When AstroBob talks, I tend to
listen.
I could include much more text on this subject, but you probably
get the idea. If it’s possible, lengthen the wires from the motor to
the ESC. The best possible solution is to keep all wires as short as
possible, but sometimes that’s not easy when you’re working on
that special Scale project.
Thanks to AstroFlight, Castle Creations, Schulze Elektronik,
and Doug Ingraham for the help. If you want links to more
information, drop me an e-mail.
More Spektrum Options for the Royal Evo: Horizon Hobby is
now offering a 12-channel Spektrum module for the Multiplex
Royal Evo radio. For those of us who have hacked Spektrum
Futaba modules to use in our Evos, this gives us back the rest of our
channels.
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/21/09 9:42 AM Page 100
Spektrum item SPMMS3132 will
provide you with the module and a 12-
channel receiver. The price looks to be
roughly $339, and the package should be
available by the time you read this.
Got the winter boredom, no-fly blues?
Don’t be glum, chum; go flying! Do it in
your shop or living room.
Check out the photo of my Bind-N-Fly
collection of helicopters that keep me flying
all winter. I even got my wife to try the Eflite
Blade mCX. The Blade CX3 is a bit
big for my shop, but it’s been known to fly
there.
This will require you to use the CX3’s
2.4 GHz transmitters or one of your own
102 MODEL AVIATION
Spektrum/JR DSM2 radios. But even if you
don’t have one, you can get the RTF version
of the model that comes with a suitable
transmitter for a few bucks more. Then you
can use the system for all of the other
helicopters if you buy the Bind-N-Fly
versions.
If you think you’re beyond the coaxial
phase of your helicopter training, I urge you
to look at the Blade mSR. It is a single-rotor
and active-tail-rotor model that is incredibly
stable but uses a “normal” helicopter’s
controls. These models have helped me get
better at orientation and control.
If you have a gym or other indoor
facility to use, check these aircraft out and
see what people are doing to feed that urge
to fly during the long winter. Even here in
North Carolina, we’re seeing more and
more indoor groups pop up, and it’s a ton of
fun.
You have plenty of time to build
something for an indoor meet, such as the
one held at the Toledo Show every year.
There are ARFs, RTFs, and kits for builders
that are suitable for indoor flying. Check out
Stevens AeroModel for some great kits that
build quickly and use inexpensive
equipment.
Final Approach: I hope I cleared up the
wiring question. Let me know what other
topics you want to see covered. If you don’t
supply the ideas, you’re left to my
imagination! MA
Sources:
ParkZone
(800) 338-4639
www.parkzone.com
Horizon Hobby
(800) 338-4639
www.horizonhobby.com
AstroFlight
(310) 821-6242
www.astroflight.com
Castle Creations
(785) 883-4519
www.castlecreations.com
Schulze Elektronik
HQ: +49-6150-1306-5
Technical hotline: +49-6150-1306-98
www.schulze-elektronik-gmbh.de
Multiplex
(858) 748-8440
www.multiplexusa.com
E-flite
(800) 338-4639
www.e-fliterc.com
Stevens AeroModel
(719) 393-0830
www.stevensaero.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/02
Page Numbers: 99,100,102
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/02
Page Numbers: 99,100,102
Also included in this column:
• ESC wires 101
• More Spektrum for
Multiplex Evo
• Winter boredom fix
ParkZone Sukhoi tips
February 2010 99
Electrics Greg Gimlick | [email protected]
The ParkZone Sukhoi is available in Bind-
N-Fly and RTF versions, and it uses a
Spektrum AR6400 DSM2 microreceiver.
The author slit the tape and opened the fuselage for Sukhoi
maintenance. He could use everything in a model of his design, if
he chose to go that route.
An AR6400 close-up shows its integrated
ESC and plugs for additional servos or
lights. Not all ports are used in the Sukhoi.
This product bulletin shows the corrected ports and components of the AR6400 ultramicroreceiver/
ESC.
Taking Off: Here we are in the dead of
winter, and most aeromodelers across the
country should be building and doing
maintenance that they have waited to do all
flying season.
I’m going to cover some brief topics this
month for you to think about as you build or
repair those models. I’ll also look at a simple
cure for those winter flying blues.
ParkZone’s Sukhoi: I saw this little gem at
last year’s Joe Nall Fly-In. That’s a strange
venue at which to learn about such a tiny
aerobat. Weighing a scant 1.2 ounces, it didn’t
fit into the Giant Scale offerings that filled the
place, but it stood out.
One of the Horizon Hobby employees was
flying the Sukhoi out back by the group’s
trailer, and it drew a heck of a crowd. I knew
then that I had to have one as soon as it became
available.
You might have seen a review of this model
by now, so I won’t go into all the details. But I
will point out a few things I’ve learned.
You will probably break a propeller at some
point. The good news is that there is a spare in
the box. And even if you have to buy one,
they’re cheap.
My first incident occurred over
pavement and the original propeller broke,
so I grabbed the spare and looked at
changing it. Guess what? There are no
instructions for how to do it, nor is it
readily evident whether it screws onto the
shaft or is a press fit.
After trying to hold the shaft with a pair
of needle-nose pliers and spinning the
propeller with no apparent effect, I decided
that it was a press fit. Guess what else? It
isn’t!
I unscrewed the propeller quite a bit
without noticing it had moved. When I
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/21/09 9:42 AM Page 99
100 MODEL AVIATION
This park flyer jet’s long battery wires proved to be the
problem for the ESC. The final wire length was 24 inches from
battery pack to ESC.
The author’s cure for winter doldrums. He purchased these
helicopters as Bind-N-Fly, to go with his Spektrum DX7.
employed the pliers to both shaft and propeller, I managed to pull it
off of the remaining threads. Score one for ham-fisted mechanic
and, fortunately, I did no damage to the shaft.
The moral is, unscrew the propeller until it comes off
completely; it takes awhile. When replacing it, I found it easiest to
open the fuselage and hold onto the gearbox gear while screwing
on the shaft.
The photo shows the fuselage laid open for maintenance. While
you’re in there, you can decide whether or not you want to increase
the aileron throws on the bellcrank. The instructions address this,
so I won’t describe it, but before you act, be sure you’re unhappy
with the throws you have.
Mine is plenty touchy for my skills, so I haven’t changed it. The
Horizon Hobby team changed the one I saw, and it was incredible
on the roll rate. The fuselage is opened by simply cutting tape on
the edges and letting it hinge back on the other side. This reveals
the little AR6400 DSM2 6CH Ultra-Micro Receiver/ESC that
comes installed in the Sukhoi.
I’ve included a corrected diagram here, showing all of the
pinouts and parts. These bulletins are posted on the Horizon Hobby
Web site.
The beauty of this little model lies beyond the fact that it flies
great. Once you’ve trashed it, its components can be removed and
installed in a model of your own design. All parts are available too,
if you want to rebuild.
My last tip concerning the Sukhoi is to set it up conservatively,
using dual rates and exponential. Mine fits me with low rates at
50% of full, and I use 40% exponential on high rates. This makes it
plenty lively for me. I do not recommend test-flying on full rates
without exponential, especially.
I love my little Sukhoi, and the neighbors seem to enjoy
watching it fly in my front yard.
ESC Wiring 101: I’ll start with my usual disclaimer; I am not an
electrical engineer! This information is meant for the everyday flier
who is trying to keep from ruining his or her equipment, and it is
gleaned from information I have received from engineers who
design speed controls for various manufacturers. I’ve tried to keep
it accurate and put it in laymen’s terms.
Many thanks to Doug Ingraham for helping me work through
this debate. He has been designing some of the top ESCs and
chargers on the market since I got involved in electric-powered
flight 19 years ago. He tolerates my silly questions and puts things
in plain language for me.
The main question I want to address is one I get repeatedly. Is it
better to lengthen the wires from the battery to the ESC or lengthen
the wires from the ESC to the motor?
The online forums are full of ideas, opinions, conjecture, and
debate about this question. From the mail I’ve gotten lately, that
has seemed to do more to confuse the issue than to answer the
question.
I’ll give you the simple answer first. It is better to lengthen the
wires from the ESC to the motor and keep the battery wires as short
as possible.
The debate arises about resistance and inductance. Some argue
that using a larger-gauge wire reduces the resistance, making the
longer battery wires acceptable. That doesn’t address the increased
inductance it causes.
Proponents of lengthening the battery wires say that the problem
can be overcome by adding capacitors to the front of the ESC. This
is not really a fix, but a patch.
The ESC comes with capacitors installed as the designer
determined for its intended application. Without specific
knowledge about current and how good the flyback diodes are, the
FETs’ switching speed, the FETs’ voltage rating, and the types of
FETs, you’re grasping at straws. If you do know those things,
you’ll still need to do a lot of math to figure out which capacitors to
add.
Following is Bob Boucher’s thoughts about which wire to
lengthen.
“I will repeat the message previously given. I hope you heed
some sound advice based on theory and practice.
“1. Wire resistance may rob you of a bit of power but will not
destroy your speed control or motor.
“2. Wire inductance will not damage your motor nor will you be
able to detect any effect even with 100 feet of wire.
“3. Wire inductance will kill the mosfets in your control and
may even blow the caps. [Bob is comparing inductance in the
motor-to-ESC wire to inductance in the ESC-to-battery wire.]
“I’ve been a design engineer and manufacturer of motors and
controls for over 30 years. You must keep battery wires as short as
practical. Short means 1 foot or less, brushed or brushless makes no
difference.”
Bob is better known as “AstroBob.” He owns AstroFlight and
holds a patent on electric flight. When AstroBob talks, I tend to
listen.
I could include much more text on this subject, but you probably
get the idea. If it’s possible, lengthen the wires from the motor to
the ESC. The best possible solution is to keep all wires as short as
possible, but sometimes that’s not easy when you’re working on
that special Scale project.
Thanks to AstroFlight, Castle Creations, Schulze Elektronik,
and Doug Ingraham for the help. If you want links to more
information, drop me an e-mail.
More Spektrum Options for the Royal Evo: Horizon Hobby is
now offering a 12-channel Spektrum module for the Multiplex
Royal Evo radio. For those of us who have hacked Spektrum
Futaba modules to use in our Evos, this gives us back the rest of our
channels.
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/21/09 9:42 AM Page 100
Spektrum item SPMMS3132 will
provide you with the module and a 12-
channel receiver. The price looks to be
roughly $339, and the package should be
available by the time you read this.
Got the winter boredom, no-fly blues?
Don’t be glum, chum; go flying! Do it in
your shop or living room.
Check out the photo of my Bind-N-Fly
collection of helicopters that keep me flying
all winter. I even got my wife to try the Eflite
Blade mCX. The Blade CX3 is a bit
big for my shop, but it’s been known to fly
there.
This will require you to use the CX3’s
2.4 GHz transmitters or one of your own
102 MODEL AVIATION
Spektrum/JR DSM2 radios. But even if you
don’t have one, you can get the RTF version
of the model that comes with a suitable
transmitter for a few bucks more. Then you
can use the system for all of the other
helicopters if you buy the Bind-N-Fly
versions.
If you think you’re beyond the coaxial
phase of your helicopter training, I urge you
to look at the Blade mSR. It is a single-rotor
and active-tail-rotor model that is incredibly
stable but uses a “normal” helicopter’s
controls. These models have helped me get
better at orientation and control.
If you have a gym or other indoor
facility to use, check these aircraft out and
see what people are doing to feed that urge
to fly during the long winter. Even here in
North Carolina, we’re seeing more and
more indoor groups pop up, and it’s a ton of
fun.
You have plenty of time to build
something for an indoor meet, such as the
one held at the Toledo Show every year.
There are ARFs, RTFs, and kits for builders
that are suitable for indoor flying. Check out
Stevens AeroModel for some great kits that
build quickly and use inexpensive
equipment.
Final Approach: I hope I cleared up the
wiring question. Let me know what other
topics you want to see covered. If you don’t
supply the ideas, you’re left to my
imagination! MA
Sources:
ParkZone
(800) 338-4639
www.parkzone.com
Horizon Hobby
(800) 338-4639
www.horizonhobby.com
AstroFlight
(310) 821-6242
www.astroflight.com
Castle Creations
(785) 883-4519
www.castlecreations.com
Schulze Elektronik
HQ: +49-6150-1306-5
Technical hotline: +49-6150-1306-98
www.schulze-elektronik-gmbh.de
Multiplex
(858) 748-8440
www.multiplexusa.com
E-flite
(800) 338-4639
www.e-fliterc.com
Stevens AeroModel
(719) 393-0830
www.stevensaero.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/02
Page Numbers: 99,100,102
Also included in this column:
• ESC wires 101
• More Spektrum for
Multiplex Evo
• Winter boredom fix
ParkZone Sukhoi tips
February 2010 99
Electrics Greg Gimlick | [email protected]
The ParkZone Sukhoi is available in Bind-
N-Fly and RTF versions, and it uses a
Spektrum AR6400 DSM2 microreceiver.
The author slit the tape and opened the fuselage for Sukhoi
maintenance. He could use everything in a model of his design, if
he chose to go that route.
An AR6400 close-up shows its integrated
ESC and plugs for additional servos or
lights. Not all ports are used in the Sukhoi.
This product bulletin shows the corrected ports and components of the AR6400 ultramicroreceiver/
ESC.
Taking Off: Here we are in the dead of
winter, and most aeromodelers across the
country should be building and doing
maintenance that they have waited to do all
flying season.
I’m going to cover some brief topics this
month for you to think about as you build or
repair those models. I’ll also look at a simple
cure for those winter flying blues.
ParkZone’s Sukhoi: I saw this little gem at
last year’s Joe Nall Fly-In. That’s a strange
venue at which to learn about such a tiny
aerobat. Weighing a scant 1.2 ounces, it didn’t
fit into the Giant Scale offerings that filled the
place, but it stood out.
One of the Horizon Hobby employees was
flying the Sukhoi out back by the group’s
trailer, and it drew a heck of a crowd. I knew
then that I had to have one as soon as it became
available.
You might have seen a review of this model
by now, so I won’t go into all the details. But I
will point out a few things I’ve learned.
You will probably break a propeller at some
point. The good news is that there is a spare in
the box. And even if you have to buy one,
they’re cheap.
My first incident occurred over
pavement and the original propeller broke,
so I grabbed the spare and looked at
changing it. Guess what? There are no
instructions for how to do it, nor is it
readily evident whether it screws onto the
shaft or is a press fit.
After trying to hold the shaft with a pair
of needle-nose pliers and spinning the
propeller with no apparent effect, I decided
that it was a press fit. Guess what else? It
isn’t!
I unscrewed the propeller quite a bit
without noticing it had moved. When I
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/21/09 9:42 AM Page 99
100 MODEL AVIATION
This park flyer jet’s long battery wires proved to be the
problem for the ESC. The final wire length was 24 inches from
battery pack to ESC.
The author’s cure for winter doldrums. He purchased these
helicopters as Bind-N-Fly, to go with his Spektrum DX7.
employed the pliers to both shaft and propeller, I managed to pull it
off of the remaining threads. Score one for ham-fisted mechanic
and, fortunately, I did no damage to the shaft.
The moral is, unscrew the propeller until it comes off
completely; it takes awhile. When replacing it, I found it easiest to
open the fuselage and hold onto the gearbox gear while screwing
on the shaft.
The photo shows the fuselage laid open for maintenance. While
you’re in there, you can decide whether or not you want to increase
the aileron throws on the bellcrank. The instructions address this,
so I won’t describe it, but before you act, be sure you’re unhappy
with the throws you have.
Mine is plenty touchy for my skills, so I haven’t changed it. The
Horizon Hobby team changed the one I saw, and it was incredible
on the roll rate. The fuselage is opened by simply cutting tape on
the edges and letting it hinge back on the other side. This reveals
the little AR6400 DSM2 6CH Ultra-Micro Receiver/ESC that
comes installed in the Sukhoi.
I’ve included a corrected diagram here, showing all of the
pinouts and parts. These bulletins are posted on the Horizon Hobby
Web site.
The beauty of this little model lies beyond the fact that it flies
great. Once you’ve trashed it, its components can be removed and
installed in a model of your own design. All parts are available too,
if you want to rebuild.
My last tip concerning the Sukhoi is to set it up conservatively,
using dual rates and exponential. Mine fits me with low rates at
50% of full, and I use 40% exponential on high rates. This makes it
plenty lively for me. I do not recommend test-flying on full rates
without exponential, especially.
I love my little Sukhoi, and the neighbors seem to enjoy
watching it fly in my front yard.
ESC Wiring 101: I’ll start with my usual disclaimer; I am not an
electrical engineer! This information is meant for the everyday flier
who is trying to keep from ruining his or her equipment, and it is
gleaned from information I have received from engineers who
design speed controls for various manufacturers. I’ve tried to keep
it accurate and put it in laymen’s terms.
Many thanks to Doug Ingraham for helping me work through
this debate. He has been designing some of the top ESCs and
chargers on the market since I got involved in electric-powered
flight 19 years ago. He tolerates my silly questions and puts things
in plain language for me.
The main question I want to address is one I get repeatedly. Is it
better to lengthen the wires from the battery to the ESC or lengthen
the wires from the ESC to the motor?
The online forums are full of ideas, opinions, conjecture, and
debate about this question. From the mail I’ve gotten lately, that
has seemed to do more to confuse the issue than to answer the
question.
I’ll give you the simple answer first. It is better to lengthen the
wires from the ESC to the motor and keep the battery wires as short
as possible.
The debate arises about resistance and inductance. Some argue
that using a larger-gauge wire reduces the resistance, making the
longer battery wires acceptable. That doesn’t address the increased
inductance it causes.
Proponents of lengthening the battery wires say that the problem
can be overcome by adding capacitors to the front of the ESC. This
is not really a fix, but a patch.
The ESC comes with capacitors installed as the designer
determined for its intended application. Without specific
knowledge about current and how good the flyback diodes are, the
FETs’ switching speed, the FETs’ voltage rating, and the types of
FETs, you’re grasping at straws. If you do know those things,
you’ll still need to do a lot of math to figure out which capacitors to
add.
Following is Bob Boucher’s thoughts about which wire to
lengthen.
“I will repeat the message previously given. I hope you heed
some sound advice based on theory and practice.
“1. Wire resistance may rob you of a bit of power but will not
destroy your speed control or motor.
“2. Wire inductance will not damage your motor nor will you be
able to detect any effect even with 100 feet of wire.
“3. Wire inductance will kill the mosfets in your control and
may even blow the caps. [Bob is comparing inductance in the
motor-to-ESC wire to inductance in the ESC-to-battery wire.]
“I’ve been a design engineer and manufacturer of motors and
controls for over 30 years. You must keep battery wires as short as
practical. Short means 1 foot or less, brushed or brushless makes no
difference.”
Bob is better known as “AstroBob.” He owns AstroFlight and
holds a patent on electric flight. When AstroBob talks, I tend to
listen.
I could include much more text on this subject, but you probably
get the idea. If it’s possible, lengthen the wires from the motor to
the ESC. The best possible solution is to keep all wires as short as
possible, but sometimes that’s not easy when you’re working on
that special Scale project.
Thanks to AstroFlight, Castle Creations, Schulze Elektronik,
and Doug Ingraham for the help. If you want links to more
information, drop me an e-mail.
More Spektrum Options for the Royal Evo: Horizon Hobby is
now offering a 12-channel Spektrum module for the Multiplex
Royal Evo radio. For those of us who have hacked Spektrum
Futaba modules to use in our Evos, this gives us back the rest of our
channels.
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/21/09 9:42 AM Page 100
Spektrum item SPMMS3132 will
provide you with the module and a 12-
channel receiver. The price looks to be
roughly $339, and the package should be
available by the time you read this.
Got the winter boredom, no-fly blues?
Don’t be glum, chum; go flying! Do it in
your shop or living room.
Check out the photo of my Bind-N-Fly
collection of helicopters that keep me flying
all winter. I even got my wife to try the Eflite
Blade mCX. The Blade CX3 is a bit
big for my shop, but it’s been known to fly
there.
This will require you to use the CX3’s
2.4 GHz transmitters or one of your own
102 MODEL AVIATION
Spektrum/JR DSM2 radios. But even if you
don’t have one, you can get the RTF version
of the model that comes with a suitable
transmitter for a few bucks more. Then you
can use the system for all of the other
helicopters if you buy the Bind-N-Fly
versions.
If you think you’re beyond the coaxial
phase of your helicopter training, I urge you
to look at the Blade mSR. It is a single-rotor
and active-tail-rotor model that is incredibly
stable but uses a “normal” helicopter’s
controls. These models have helped me get
better at orientation and control.
If you have a gym or other indoor
facility to use, check these aircraft out and
see what people are doing to feed that urge
to fly during the long winter. Even here in
North Carolina, we’re seeing more and
more indoor groups pop up, and it’s a ton of
fun.
You have plenty of time to build
something for an indoor meet, such as the
one held at the Toledo Show every year.
There are ARFs, RTFs, and kits for builders
that are suitable for indoor flying. Check out
Stevens AeroModel for some great kits that
build quickly and use inexpensive
equipment.
Final Approach: I hope I cleared up the
wiring question. Let me know what other
topics you want to see covered. If you don’t
supply the ideas, you’re left to my
imagination! MA
Sources:
ParkZone
(800) 338-4639
www.parkzone.com
Horizon Hobby
(800) 338-4639
www.horizonhobby.com
AstroFlight
(310) 821-6242
www.astroflight.com
Castle Creations
(785) 883-4519
www.castlecreations.com
Schulze Elektronik
HQ: +49-6150-1306-5
Technical hotline: +49-6150-1306-98
www.schulze-elektronik-gmbh.de
Multiplex
(858) 748-8440
www.multiplexusa.com
E-flite
(800) 338-4639
www.e-fliterc.com
Stevens AeroModel
(719) 393-0830
www.stevensaero.com
