In-air flying-field mishaps: who’s responsible?
January 2009 81
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Virtual aircraft museum
• Simulated windshields and
windows
• Propeller savers
• New 0.6- and 2-gram brushless
outrunners
Also of interest to Scale modelers, HistoricAircraft.org has 3,368 full-scale airplane
photos from the Wright brothers’ time until the early 1950s.
The Virtual Aircraft Museum has a
tremendous amount of detail for the
Scale modeler or aviation enthusiast.
PLEASE WRITE IN with your questions,
since that is the only way we can keep this
column format going. When referring to
already published Q/As (for follow-ups),
provide the number as a reference.
References to addresses and Web sites
are now placed in a group, separate from the
text, at the end of this column under
“Sources.”
Q380: “I’m relatively new to the RC hobby
and have a question concerning flying field
etiquette and the AMA Insurance Program.
During a recent flying session at my local
field, I saw a very fast delta wing aircraft
come very close to a slow flying scale
biplane. After both planes landed the bipe
owner was upset and cautioned the other
pilot that his bipe was worth $1500 and it
could have been lost had the fast flying
delta wing plane hit it.
“This got me to thinking, would the
delta wing pilot have been responsible for
any damage inflicted on the bipe? Would
the AMA insurance step in and pay for the
bipe? This situation is very important to
me because as a beginner I can’t always
keep my plane where I want it to be. I’m
worried about crashing into another model
and being responsible for the damages. I
can’t afford to shell out a thousand dollars
for a split second mistake.”
A380: I felt that this was a very important
question and decided to refer it to Ilona
Maine, who coordinates the AMA insurance
program. Following is her answer.
“The AMA liability policy has an
exclusion for property damage to any model
airplanes by another model airplane. So
unfortunately AMA coverage wouldn’t apply
in the situation you just outlined. Keep in
mind that AMA insurance coverage is an
excess insurance, so a claim would have to be
filed with the pilot’s primary carrier
(generally homeowner’s coverage) first, who
may provide coverage for this incident.”
With more than 50 years of flying RC
models, I admit to being involved in several
midair collisions that resulted in damage to
both aircraft. The other modelers caused a
few of those incidents.
I was clearly at fault on one occasion. I
offered a replacement aircraft to the modeler,
who at first refused but finally accepted. That
was my solution to the situation.
I hope that most of our members would be
willing to work with other pilots toward an
amicable solution. This is a hobby, and we
should all be able to have fun and enjoy it.
Q381: “I heard several friends talking about
a Virtual Aircraft Museum that can be found
on a Web site. I tried several search engines
but couldn’t quite find what I was looking
for. Can you help me out?”
01sig3.QXD 11/21/08 3:06 PM Page 81
82 MODEL AVIATION
The new hexTronik 2-gram brushless
outrunner motor from Hobby City is rated
at 7700 Kv and operates on one Li-Poly cell
(3.7 volts nominal).
Bob made simulated windows on his Boeing L-15 Scout from
white Con-Tact shelving paper. (Its matte finish is perfect.)
The white side windows on the L-15 provided an excellent
contrast to the military olive-drab base color.
Propeller adapters are popular on smaller motors. The propeller is held in place with
small O-rings. On a rough landing, the propeller folds back but doesn’t break.
Even smaller than the 2-gram hexTronik, a 0.6-gram brushless motor from Bob
Selman powers this 5.5-gram-total-weight Thistle micro indoor aircraft.
A381: Many of my answers of late have
involved references to Web sites; I feel like
I’m directing traffic. But many of these sites
are proving to be helpful. If you find these
references useful, please write in and let me
know.
In this instance, I started with several of the
regular search engines such as Google and
ASK. At first I kept getting a virtual museum
for helicopters. I stayed with it and finally got
to the Virtual Aircraft Museum. See the
“Sources” list for the Web site address.
Maxsim Starostin of Estonia maintains the
site. There is a place on the home page where
you can send him an E-mail.
The site is absolutely amazing. The home
page lists 39 countries, and clicking on each
will bring up the aircraft manufactured there.
Some of these nations’ sections contain more
than 400 airplanes. There are photos,
descriptive text, specifications, and even threeviews.
Another section of the site called “Aircraft
01sig3.QXD 11/21/08 3:07 PM Page 82
Profiles” is worth a look; you can access it
from the home page. In the “Related
Resources” section, I found a link to an
interesting Web site containing historical scale
data. There is so much on this site that you
owe it to yourself to keep digging.
Q382: “I’ve been trying to find a source for
simulated windshields and windows for use on
stand-off-scale model aircraft. I’ve tried using
iron-on covering in both white and black, but
the finish is always too glossy. I’d like to have
a flat or matte finish. What do you use?”
A382: I recently completed a fantasy-scale,
electric-powered park flyer of the little-known
Boeing L-15 Scout. I finished it with a spray
flat olive-drab military color. Black simulated
windows would certainly not show up on the
relatively dark finish.
I tried MonoKote trim in white, but, as you
pointed out, it is far too glossy for this
application. So I went shopping at The Home
Depot store and saw a white shelving paper
that has an adhesive coating on one side and
has a flat finish. The product is Con-Tactbrand
multipurpose decorative shelving paper,
which is actually a vinyl material.
To use it, cut the shapes you need and then
peel off the backing paper, exposing the
adhesive surface. A 24-foot roll that is 18
inches wide cost only $5.74. That’s probably
a lifetime supply.
I suspect that the Con-Tact material is also
available in black, but I haven’t found any. I
know that SR Batteries sells a black (matte
finish) contact paper. See the “Sources” list
for contact information.
After applying these windows, I misted a
light spray coat of Krylon Crystal Clear
acrylic (item 1311, Matte Finish) for added
protection. You can find that product at most
craft stores.
Q383: “I have a propeller saver on one of my
electric motors and I’m having trouble finding
a proper size rubber band or o-ring to hold the
propeller securely to the adapter. Where can I
get these o-rings and, in fact, where can I
purchase additional propeller savers for
several of my other motors?”
A383: The dealer that sold the motor should
have the proper-size O-ring to suit that
adapter. The key thing to remember is “proper
size.” An O-ring that is too small will be
difficult to stretch across the two posts or
screws.
On the other hand, an O-ring that is too big
will result in a loose fit. That makes for a
good chance that the propeller will be thrown
off your motor, yaw and pitch with control
input, and rob the motor of its output
potential.
I’m not a big fan of these propeller savers,
but several of my small AXi motors come
with them built on the output shaft. So you are
stuck with the saver-type adapter unless you
reverse the motor and attach a standard or
collet-type adapter on the opposite end of the
motor shaft. In many cases, that is easier to
say than to do.
I have found a supply source for both Orings
and the propeller-saver adapters: Heads
Up RC. See the “Sources” listing for contact
information. The company sells a package of
10 O-rings (a universal size) for $1.75. It also
sells propeller-saver adapters for 2mm, 3mm,
and 3.17mm (1/8 inch) motor shafts. These
adapters are roughly $3.
Heads Up RC also sells many brushless
motors, ESCs, Li-Poly batteries, and more.
It’s worth looking at the entire site.
Q384: “In recent times you have mentioned in
your column and in RC Micro World new
micro size brushless outrunner motors as light
in weight as 5 and 10 grams. Just the other
day someone told me about a new 2-gram
brushless motor. Where can I purchase one
and what size model airplane are we talking
about?”
A384: The vendor you are referring to is
Hobby City, which is based in the Far East.
See the “Sources” listing. The company has a
new 2-gram hexTronik brushless outrunner
motor (item 1000-7700), which is rated at
7700 Kv and operates on one Li-Poly cell (3.7
volts nominal). The recommended propeller is
a GWS 3 x 2.
This motor’s average current on one cell is
1.5 amps, which works out to a power input of
5.5 watts at 3.7 volts. This should enable you
to fly models that weigh 1 to upward of 3
ounces—possibly 4. The best news is that this
little motor sells for only $12.95.
Hobby City also sells the companion
micro-size brushless ESC—the DP-3A—
which is rated at up to 3 amps and weighs
only 1 gram. It is available for $19.95.
You may want to adapt the 2-gram
hexTronik motor to use with the ParkZone
control system on the new Vapor indoor
micro RC model. The stock brushed-motor
ESC (or brick, as it’s sometimes called) will
not work with this tiny brushless motor. But I
just learned that Bob Selman of BSD Micro
RC is going to offer the Vapor brick along
with a special converter (weighing only 0.2
gram) that allows a brushless motor to work
off of the brick.
Therefore, you will be able to enjoy micro
brushless-motor power along with 2.4 GHz
digital spread spectrum RC flight controls.
See the “Sources” listing for BSD Micro RC’s
contact information.
Keep in mind that the Vapor brick can be
operated with any Spektrum DSM2 RC 2.4
GHz transmitter (such as the DX6i and DX7).
You can bind the brick to any of those.
As I was closing this column, I learned that
Bob Selman has obtained a prototype 0.6-
gram brushless motor from DC Enterprises
that he has tested in the 5.5-gram Thistle.
Details should be available on Bob’s Web site
by the time this column is printed. MA
Sources:
Virtual Aircraft Museum:
www.aviastar.org/index2.html
HistoricAircraft.org:
www.historicaircraft.org
SR Batteries
(631) 286-0079
www.srbatteries.com
Heads Up RC
(715) 203-4250
www.headsuprc.com
Hobby City
(800) 607-5803
www.hobbycity.com
BSD Micro RC
(417) 358-9521
www.bsdmicrorc.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/01
Page Numbers: 81,82,84
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/01
Page Numbers: 81,82,84
In-air flying-field mishaps: who’s responsible?
January 2009 81
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Virtual aircraft museum
• Simulated windshields and
windows
• Propeller savers
• New 0.6- and 2-gram brushless
outrunners
Also of interest to Scale modelers, HistoricAircraft.org has 3,368 full-scale airplane
photos from the Wright brothers’ time until the early 1950s.
The Virtual Aircraft Museum has a
tremendous amount of detail for the
Scale modeler or aviation enthusiast.
PLEASE WRITE IN with your questions,
since that is the only way we can keep this
column format going. When referring to
already published Q/As (for follow-ups),
provide the number as a reference.
References to addresses and Web sites
are now placed in a group, separate from the
text, at the end of this column under
“Sources.”
Q380: “I’m relatively new to the RC hobby
and have a question concerning flying field
etiquette and the AMA Insurance Program.
During a recent flying session at my local
field, I saw a very fast delta wing aircraft
come very close to a slow flying scale
biplane. After both planes landed the bipe
owner was upset and cautioned the other
pilot that his bipe was worth $1500 and it
could have been lost had the fast flying
delta wing plane hit it.
“This got me to thinking, would the
delta wing pilot have been responsible for
any damage inflicted on the bipe? Would
the AMA insurance step in and pay for the
bipe? This situation is very important to
me because as a beginner I can’t always
keep my plane where I want it to be. I’m
worried about crashing into another model
and being responsible for the damages. I
can’t afford to shell out a thousand dollars
for a split second mistake.”
A380: I felt that this was a very important
question and decided to refer it to Ilona
Maine, who coordinates the AMA insurance
program. Following is her answer.
“The AMA liability policy has an
exclusion for property damage to any model
airplanes by another model airplane. So
unfortunately AMA coverage wouldn’t apply
in the situation you just outlined. Keep in
mind that AMA insurance coverage is an
excess insurance, so a claim would have to be
filed with the pilot’s primary carrier
(generally homeowner’s coverage) first, who
may provide coverage for this incident.”
With more than 50 years of flying RC
models, I admit to being involved in several
midair collisions that resulted in damage to
both aircraft. The other modelers caused a
few of those incidents.
I was clearly at fault on one occasion. I
offered a replacement aircraft to the modeler,
who at first refused but finally accepted. That
was my solution to the situation.
I hope that most of our members would be
willing to work with other pilots toward an
amicable solution. This is a hobby, and we
should all be able to have fun and enjoy it.
Q381: “I heard several friends talking about
a Virtual Aircraft Museum that can be found
on a Web site. I tried several search engines
but couldn’t quite find what I was looking
for. Can you help me out?”
01sig3.QXD 11/21/08 3:06 PM Page 81
82 MODEL AVIATION
The new hexTronik 2-gram brushless
outrunner motor from Hobby City is rated
at 7700 Kv and operates on one Li-Poly cell
(3.7 volts nominal).
Bob made simulated windows on his Boeing L-15 Scout from
white Con-Tact shelving paper. (Its matte finish is perfect.)
The white side windows on the L-15 provided an excellent
contrast to the military olive-drab base color.
Propeller adapters are popular on smaller motors. The propeller is held in place with
small O-rings. On a rough landing, the propeller folds back but doesn’t break.
Even smaller than the 2-gram hexTronik, a 0.6-gram brushless motor from Bob
Selman powers this 5.5-gram-total-weight Thistle micro indoor aircraft.
A381: Many of my answers of late have
involved references to Web sites; I feel like
I’m directing traffic. But many of these sites
are proving to be helpful. If you find these
references useful, please write in and let me
know.
In this instance, I started with several of the
regular search engines such as Google and
ASK. At first I kept getting a virtual museum
for helicopters. I stayed with it and finally got
to the Virtual Aircraft Museum. See the
“Sources” list for the Web site address.
Maxsim Starostin of Estonia maintains the
site. There is a place on the home page where
you can send him an E-mail.
The site is absolutely amazing. The home
page lists 39 countries, and clicking on each
will bring up the aircraft manufactured there.
Some of these nations’ sections contain more
than 400 airplanes. There are photos,
descriptive text, specifications, and even threeviews.
Another section of the site called “Aircraft
01sig3.QXD 11/21/08 3:07 PM Page 82
Profiles” is worth a look; you can access it
from the home page. In the “Related
Resources” section, I found a link to an
interesting Web site containing historical scale
data. There is so much on this site that you
owe it to yourself to keep digging.
Q382: “I’ve been trying to find a source for
simulated windshields and windows for use on
stand-off-scale model aircraft. I’ve tried using
iron-on covering in both white and black, but
the finish is always too glossy. I’d like to have
a flat or matte finish. What do you use?”
A382: I recently completed a fantasy-scale,
electric-powered park flyer of the little-known
Boeing L-15 Scout. I finished it with a spray
flat olive-drab military color. Black simulated
windows would certainly not show up on the
relatively dark finish.
I tried MonoKote trim in white, but, as you
pointed out, it is far too glossy for this
application. So I went shopping at The Home
Depot store and saw a white shelving paper
that has an adhesive coating on one side and
has a flat finish. The product is Con-Tactbrand
multipurpose decorative shelving paper,
which is actually a vinyl material.
To use it, cut the shapes you need and then
peel off the backing paper, exposing the
adhesive surface. A 24-foot roll that is 18
inches wide cost only $5.74. That’s probably
a lifetime supply.
I suspect that the Con-Tact material is also
available in black, but I haven’t found any. I
know that SR Batteries sells a black (matte
finish) contact paper. See the “Sources” list
for contact information.
After applying these windows, I misted a
light spray coat of Krylon Crystal Clear
acrylic (item 1311, Matte Finish) for added
protection. You can find that product at most
craft stores.
Q383: “I have a propeller saver on one of my
electric motors and I’m having trouble finding
a proper size rubber band or o-ring to hold the
propeller securely to the adapter. Where can I
get these o-rings and, in fact, where can I
purchase additional propeller savers for
several of my other motors?”
A383: The dealer that sold the motor should
have the proper-size O-ring to suit that
adapter. The key thing to remember is “proper
size.” An O-ring that is too small will be
difficult to stretch across the two posts or
screws.
On the other hand, an O-ring that is too big
will result in a loose fit. That makes for a
good chance that the propeller will be thrown
off your motor, yaw and pitch with control
input, and rob the motor of its output
potential.
I’m not a big fan of these propeller savers,
but several of my small AXi motors come
with them built on the output shaft. So you are
stuck with the saver-type adapter unless you
reverse the motor and attach a standard or
collet-type adapter on the opposite end of the
motor shaft. In many cases, that is easier to
say than to do.
I have found a supply source for both Orings
and the propeller-saver adapters: Heads
Up RC. See the “Sources” listing for contact
information. The company sells a package of
10 O-rings (a universal size) for $1.75. It also
sells propeller-saver adapters for 2mm, 3mm,
and 3.17mm (1/8 inch) motor shafts. These
adapters are roughly $3.
Heads Up RC also sells many brushless
motors, ESCs, Li-Poly batteries, and more.
It’s worth looking at the entire site.
Q384: “In recent times you have mentioned in
your column and in RC Micro World new
micro size brushless outrunner motors as light
in weight as 5 and 10 grams. Just the other
day someone told me about a new 2-gram
brushless motor. Where can I purchase one
and what size model airplane are we talking
about?”
A384: The vendor you are referring to is
Hobby City, which is based in the Far East.
See the “Sources” listing. The company has a
new 2-gram hexTronik brushless outrunner
motor (item 1000-7700), which is rated at
7700 Kv and operates on one Li-Poly cell (3.7
volts nominal). The recommended propeller is
a GWS 3 x 2.
This motor’s average current on one cell is
1.5 amps, which works out to a power input of
5.5 watts at 3.7 volts. This should enable you
to fly models that weigh 1 to upward of 3
ounces—possibly 4. The best news is that this
little motor sells for only $12.95.
Hobby City also sells the companion
micro-size brushless ESC—the DP-3A—
which is rated at up to 3 amps and weighs
only 1 gram. It is available for $19.95.
You may want to adapt the 2-gram
hexTronik motor to use with the ParkZone
control system on the new Vapor indoor
micro RC model. The stock brushed-motor
ESC (or brick, as it’s sometimes called) will
not work with this tiny brushless motor. But I
just learned that Bob Selman of BSD Micro
RC is going to offer the Vapor brick along
with a special converter (weighing only 0.2
gram) that allows a brushless motor to work
off of the brick.
Therefore, you will be able to enjoy micro
brushless-motor power along with 2.4 GHz
digital spread spectrum RC flight controls.
See the “Sources” listing for BSD Micro RC’s
contact information.
Keep in mind that the Vapor brick can be
operated with any Spektrum DSM2 RC 2.4
GHz transmitter (such as the DX6i and DX7).
You can bind the brick to any of those.
As I was closing this column, I learned that
Bob Selman has obtained a prototype 0.6-
gram brushless motor from DC Enterprises
that he has tested in the 5.5-gram Thistle.
Details should be available on Bob’s Web site
by the time this column is printed. MA
Sources:
Virtual Aircraft Museum:
www.aviastar.org/index2.html
HistoricAircraft.org:
www.historicaircraft.org
SR Batteries
(631) 286-0079
www.srbatteries.com
Heads Up RC
(715) 203-4250
www.headsuprc.com
Hobby City
(800) 607-5803
www.hobbycity.com
BSD Micro RC
(417) 358-9521
www.bsdmicrorc.com
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/01
Page Numbers: 81,82,84
In-air flying-field mishaps: who’s responsible?
January 2009 81
? Frequently Asked Questions Bob Aberle | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Virtual aircraft museum
• Simulated windshields and
windows
• Propeller savers
• New 0.6- and 2-gram brushless
outrunners
Also of interest to Scale modelers, HistoricAircraft.org has 3,368 full-scale airplane
photos from the Wright brothers’ time until the early 1950s.
The Virtual Aircraft Museum has a
tremendous amount of detail for the
Scale modeler or aviation enthusiast.
PLEASE WRITE IN with your questions,
since that is the only way we can keep this
column format going. When referring to
already published Q/As (for follow-ups),
provide the number as a reference.
References to addresses and Web sites
are now placed in a group, separate from the
text, at the end of this column under
“Sources.”
Q380: “I’m relatively new to the RC hobby
and have a question concerning flying field
etiquette and the AMA Insurance Program.
During a recent flying session at my local
field, I saw a very fast delta wing aircraft
come very close to a slow flying scale
biplane. After both planes landed the bipe
owner was upset and cautioned the other
pilot that his bipe was worth $1500 and it
could have been lost had the fast flying
delta wing plane hit it.
“This got me to thinking, would the
delta wing pilot have been responsible for
any damage inflicted on the bipe? Would
the AMA insurance step in and pay for the
bipe? This situation is very important to
me because as a beginner I can’t always
keep my plane where I want it to be. I’m
worried about crashing into another model
and being responsible for the damages. I
can’t afford to shell out a thousand dollars
for a split second mistake.”
A380: I felt that this was a very important
question and decided to refer it to Ilona
Maine, who coordinates the AMA insurance
program. Following is her answer.
“The AMA liability policy has an
exclusion for property damage to any model
airplanes by another model airplane. So
unfortunately AMA coverage wouldn’t apply
in the situation you just outlined. Keep in
mind that AMA insurance coverage is an
excess insurance, so a claim would have to be
filed with the pilot’s primary carrier
(generally homeowner’s coverage) first, who
may provide coverage for this incident.”
With more than 50 years of flying RC
models, I admit to being involved in several
midair collisions that resulted in damage to
both aircraft. The other modelers caused a
few of those incidents.
I was clearly at fault on one occasion. I
offered a replacement aircraft to the modeler,
who at first refused but finally accepted. That
was my solution to the situation.
I hope that most of our members would be
willing to work with other pilots toward an
amicable solution. This is a hobby, and we
should all be able to have fun and enjoy it.
Q381: “I heard several friends talking about
a Virtual Aircraft Museum that can be found
on a Web site. I tried several search engines
but couldn’t quite find what I was looking
for. Can you help me out?”
01sig3.QXD 11/21/08 3:06 PM Page 81
82 MODEL AVIATION
The new hexTronik 2-gram brushless
outrunner motor from Hobby City is rated
at 7700 Kv and operates on one Li-Poly cell
(3.7 volts nominal).
Bob made simulated windows on his Boeing L-15 Scout from
white Con-Tact shelving paper. (Its matte finish is perfect.)
The white side windows on the L-15 provided an excellent
contrast to the military olive-drab base color.
Propeller adapters are popular on smaller motors. The propeller is held in place with
small O-rings. On a rough landing, the propeller folds back but doesn’t break.
Even smaller than the 2-gram hexTronik, a 0.6-gram brushless motor from Bob
Selman powers this 5.5-gram-total-weight Thistle micro indoor aircraft.
A381: Many of my answers of late have
involved references to Web sites; I feel like
I’m directing traffic. But many of these sites
are proving to be helpful. If you find these
references useful, please write in and let me
know.
In this instance, I started with several of the
regular search engines such as Google and
ASK. At first I kept getting a virtual museum
for helicopters. I stayed with it and finally got
to the Virtual Aircraft Museum. See the
“Sources” list for the Web site address.
Maxsim Starostin of Estonia maintains the
site. There is a place on the home page where
you can send him an E-mail.
The site is absolutely amazing. The home
page lists 39 countries, and clicking on each
will bring up the aircraft manufactured there.
Some of these nations’ sections contain more
than 400 airplanes. There are photos,
descriptive text, specifications, and even threeviews.
Another section of the site called “Aircraft
01sig3.QXD 11/21/08 3:07 PM Page 82
Profiles” is worth a look; you can access it
from the home page. In the “Related
Resources” section, I found a link to an
interesting Web site containing historical scale
data. There is so much on this site that you
owe it to yourself to keep digging.
Q382: “I’ve been trying to find a source for
simulated windshields and windows for use on
stand-off-scale model aircraft. I’ve tried using
iron-on covering in both white and black, but
the finish is always too glossy. I’d like to have
a flat or matte finish. What do you use?”
A382: I recently completed a fantasy-scale,
electric-powered park flyer of the little-known
Boeing L-15 Scout. I finished it with a spray
flat olive-drab military color. Black simulated
windows would certainly not show up on the
relatively dark finish.
I tried MonoKote trim in white, but, as you
pointed out, it is far too glossy for this
application. So I went shopping at The Home
Depot store and saw a white shelving paper
that has an adhesive coating on one side and
has a flat finish. The product is Con-Tactbrand
multipurpose decorative shelving paper,
which is actually a vinyl material.
To use it, cut the shapes you need and then
peel off the backing paper, exposing the
adhesive surface. A 24-foot roll that is 18
inches wide cost only $5.74. That’s probably
a lifetime supply.
I suspect that the Con-Tact material is also
available in black, but I haven’t found any. I
know that SR Batteries sells a black (matte
finish) contact paper. See the “Sources” list
for contact information.
After applying these windows, I misted a
light spray coat of Krylon Crystal Clear
acrylic (item 1311, Matte Finish) for added
protection. You can find that product at most
craft stores.
Q383: “I have a propeller saver on one of my
electric motors and I’m having trouble finding
a proper size rubber band or o-ring to hold the
propeller securely to the adapter. Where can I
get these o-rings and, in fact, where can I
purchase additional propeller savers for
several of my other motors?”
A383: The dealer that sold the motor should
have the proper-size O-ring to suit that
adapter. The key thing to remember is “proper
size.” An O-ring that is too small will be
difficult to stretch across the two posts or
screws.
On the other hand, an O-ring that is too big
will result in a loose fit. That makes for a
good chance that the propeller will be thrown
off your motor, yaw and pitch with control
input, and rob the motor of its output
potential.
I’m not a big fan of these propeller savers,
but several of my small AXi motors come
with them built on the output shaft. So you are
stuck with the saver-type adapter unless you
reverse the motor and attach a standard or
collet-type adapter on the opposite end of the
motor shaft. In many cases, that is easier to
say than to do.
I have found a supply source for both Orings
and the propeller-saver adapters: Heads
Up RC. See the “Sources” listing for contact
information. The company sells a package of
10 O-rings (a universal size) for $1.75. It also
sells propeller-saver adapters for 2mm, 3mm,
and 3.17mm (1/8 inch) motor shafts. These
adapters are roughly $3.
Heads Up RC also sells many brushless
motors, ESCs, Li-Poly batteries, and more.
It’s worth looking at the entire site.
Q384: “In recent times you have mentioned in
your column and in RC Micro World new
micro size brushless outrunner motors as light
in weight as 5 and 10 grams. Just the other
day someone told me about a new 2-gram
brushless motor. Where can I purchase one
and what size model airplane are we talking
about?”
A384: The vendor you are referring to is
Hobby City, which is based in the Far East.
See the “Sources” listing. The company has a
new 2-gram hexTronik brushless outrunner
motor (item 1000-7700), which is rated at
7700 Kv and operates on one Li-Poly cell (3.7
volts nominal). The recommended propeller is
a GWS 3 x 2.
This motor’s average current on one cell is
1.5 amps, which works out to a power input of
5.5 watts at 3.7 volts. This should enable you
to fly models that weigh 1 to upward of 3
ounces—possibly 4. The best news is that this
little motor sells for only $12.95.
Hobby City also sells the companion
micro-size brushless ESC—the DP-3A—
which is rated at up to 3 amps and weighs
only 1 gram. It is available for $19.95.
You may want to adapt the 2-gram
hexTronik motor to use with the ParkZone
control system on the new Vapor indoor
micro RC model. The stock brushed-motor
ESC (or brick, as it’s sometimes called) will
not work with this tiny brushless motor. But I
just learned that Bob Selman of BSD Micro
RC is going to offer the Vapor brick along
with a special converter (weighing only 0.2
gram) that allows a brushless motor to work
off of the brick.
Therefore, you will be able to enjoy micro
brushless-motor power along with 2.4 GHz
digital spread spectrum RC flight controls.
See the “Sources” listing for BSD Micro RC’s
contact information.
Keep in mind that the Vapor brick can be
operated with any Spektrum DSM2 RC 2.4
GHz transmitter (such as the DX6i and DX7).
You can bind the brick to any of those.
As I was closing this column, I learned that
Bob Selman has obtained a prototype 0.6-
gram brushless motor from DC Enterprises
that he has tested in the 5.5-gram Thistle.
Details should be available on Bob’s Web site
by the time this column is printed. MA
Sources:
Virtual Aircraft Museum:
www.aviastar.org/index2.html
HistoricAircraft.org:
www.historicaircraft.org
SR Batteries
(631) 286-0079
www.srbatteries.com
Heads Up RC
(715) 203-4250
www.headsuprc.com
Hobby City
(800) 607-5803
www.hobbycity.com
BSD Micro RC
(417) 358-9521
www.bsdmicrorc.com