zoott

Hi all I know I posted this in a few different forums but trying to get a good idea what I need for hobbyzone super cub to go brushless.

Can someone share there successful conversion?
What did you use for the following?
Motor
speed control
battery
prop
motor mount adjustments?

Please help with any pertinent info.
Thanks

Tram

My Feedback: (6)

Sounds like you want to swap out the power system entirely? Is this right?

I do not own one of these, but from what I have seen of the airplane, I would be tempted to do this:

Get:

A new TX (the best I could afford) with a nice micro rx and servo's.. I like Hitec.. So, something like a Hitec 6 Channel with a Supreme 6 Channel RX and some HS55 or HS81 servo's.. Castle Creations Phoenix 25 Speed Controller..
Eflight 370 Brushless Motor and top it off with some 3S 2100 Common Sense packs.. http://www.commonsenserc.com/product...products_id=39


From what I read, the Eflite 370 hhas an adapter that should make it fit into your current gearbox.. However, the cheapest easiest thing to do, would be just upgrade the battery, propbably something like a 2S 2100 on the stock motor, as the 3S would burn it out.. http://www.commonsenserc.com/product...roducts_id=145

If you wanted to keep the stock motor and keep it alive, you could regear, reprop and run 3S and probably not melt anything..

Do you already own this bird?

Sounds like alot of headache to convert this bird, when you could buy something similar off the shelves..

zoott

I own this plane. I also bought a stripped fuselage wing and tail set of this plane.
I the stripped one is the one i plan on putting the brushless in. I also would like to re-use as much of the stuff in my next electric plane which will be a goldberg eagle 400 ep.
Thanks

critterhunter

I've been thinking about buying the body parts myself and throwing my own gear into it. You have a few possibilities. If you don't own a standard radio yet then you could keep the stock gear and throw a Powerzone ($30) or (another company) adaptor in it that will allow you to use a brushless motor with your current RX and rado. You could also then use a lipo for it as well. You'd then only need to buy an ESC, something like a Tower Pro 30 amp brushless ESC (under $30) that will hitch up to the Powerzone and in turn to the stock RX.

You're next option is to step into the wonderful world of standard electronics. This would require a radio. I prefer JR equipment and bought the JR Sport 600sx 6 channel computer radio for $149. This radio is a great value and will come with 4 servos and a good RX. You have the option to pick what servos you want and RX. I'd go for the 6 channel Sport RX but the regular 6 channel is just a bit bigger and will work fine. Don't know JR servo model numbers but get something matching Hitec HS55 or HS81 servos. The JR match to an HS55 will probably be enough but get something matching the HS81 and you'll never have to worry about stripping a gear. If the Super Cub has the "standard" stock servos the Challenger, Extreme, and Stryker use then the HS81 servo size will be a perfect match. The body on them is identical to the Parkzone servo's.

As for batteries. Look on the 27 Stryker Way Past The Limits thread back a page or three and you'll see a link to some really cheap lipos for $32. Three cell, 2200ma, 20C (44 amp ability). Those should be able to handle any amp draw concerns with the stock motor on a brushless setup.

I'm not familiar with the motor mount area on the cub but believe it's running a geared 480 motor? If there is room in there I'd run a brushless outrunner in her. An outrunner can be geared but doesn't need to in most instances so do away with the gearing if you can and shoot for a Tower Pro 2408-21 (BP21...people call it). This motor on an 8x4 to 8x5 prop should give the plane great torque but not too much speed (which you don't want on this plane...It'll be plenty fast enough, believe me). Or, if you want even more power and speed try a Tower Pro 2409-12 (12T...people call it). Run something in the 8x4, 8x5, 9x4, or 9x5 range and you should have even better power than the BP21 and a bit more speed too. The BP21 prefers an APC 7x6SF prop on the Stryker and has good power and a lot of speed. Too much speed for this plane, so stay in the 8x4 or 8x5 range. The 12T on the Stryker has even more speed and unlimited vertical on an 8x6, so stay low in the 8x4 to 9x4 range or so with it. This are ungeared prop ranges for these motors on a 3 cell. The BP21 will draw around 12 to 16 amps. The 12T will draw close to 30. With the BP21 a 10C 2000ma 3 cell pack will work fine. For the 12T (or BP21) you'll have to step up to 20C 2000MA packs or higher. Buy one of these Tower Pro motors and a Tower Pro 30 amp ESC (or, I'd go up to a 40 amp or higher ESC with the 12T to be safe) as a combo deal from Aero-nuts.com, rchotdeals.com, or some other website and you'll get the motor and ESC combined for under $40. Don't pay for a name when buying motors, lipos, or ESCs. However, if you buy an inrunner (non-bell outrunner) type brushless motor it may install into the plane's original motor housing without major mods.

Let us know what you do.

patnchris

Forget the Park 370.....It's not near enough motor for a plane with a 46 inch wingspan....A Park 400 running a 10 X 4.7 APC slow flyer prop would probably make it.....I'm running a Park 450 with a TP 3 cell 11.1 V 2100 ma lipo in mine. With a 10X7 prop it has awesome power. Plus the addition of larger wheels will allow me to run an 11 inch prop if I need more torque for grass landings and take off's......This power package will allow me to fatten up the plane some with covering material, paint, and additional servos for ailerons and some other accesories I may want to add................Pat

zoott

Pat what mods did you have to do to put the motor on? is it a park 450 outrunner?
Thanks

didiboy16

Pro Hobbists:
Im a total noob to RC, but I just love flying my super cub and would really be interested in making it brushless with a Lipo as well so I can enjoy longer flight time and improved speed so I can be flying it anytime regardless of how the wind is behaving.
So I ask all you experts out there and specially those who have succesfully converted their supercubs to Brushless and Lipo:

Do you recommend A buy a Spektrum DSM 6 radio which includes servos and RX?
What kind of Brushless should I get to use the same mount originally on the super cub?
what kind of ESC and battery/charger should I get?

Thanks for taking your time to read this and appreciate a response.

didiboy16

You mentioned its a headache to this and could probably get something better off the shelves.....what kind of plane are you referring to and what site can I buy it from? Thanks.

kawgomoo

i have a super cubby, and i love it! i understand the need for a brushless. though many will try and talk you out of it. the cub is a great flying durable plane and does ROG like noones business. i fly in a desert field full of rocks, grass all kinds of nastiness. my slowstick and formosa cant really handle the rough ground too well. if it wasnt for them being so overpowered they can rog in there own length thered be no way to launch except by hand toss... landings are a pain and often costly.

back to the cub.

first off you dont need anything to use a lipo with a cub. there is a jumper inside the cubs esc/rx you can remove to set it up for a 3s lipo. i ran my cub with a 7.4 lipo and DO NOT recomend it.

the stock electronics are junk. you can use a powerzone and brushless, but that 30 bucks you spend on a powerzone will cover the cost of a spektrum receiver. you still need a brushless esc when using a pz.

spektrum dx6 is what i use. and i simply love it. no glitching, ever. at all. we fly the slow sticks so high its ridiculous. i cant even look up at them without getting queezy. my bro lost his stick in the wind {40+ mph gusts} his plane was fairly high up and more than two tracks away. we live in a track housing development, so basically he was 2 neighborhoods away. all you could see was a little red spec. yet somehow he got it back. the dx6 never lost range or contact. it paid for itself in that single flight.

figure 199. for a dx6, which will include the receiver and enough servos for {2} 3 channel planes.
35 bucks for a brushless and esc.
25 bucks for a 2250 mah 3s lipo
20 bucks for a lipo charger/balancer

there is an xport adapter so you can add the hz drop module, dog fight, or light module to the extra channel on the spektrum receiver. im a huge fan of the drop module so i figured its worth mentioning.


dont let people discourage you. if you enjoy this hobby good tx and gear is a wise investment. sure the lipo/brushless upgrade will cost you more than the original kit. but now you have room to grow. the spektrum will work with several models, teh receivers are coming down in price thanks to new models. i think dx6's are down to 150 160 these days. i put all the fore mentioned gear on a 35 dollar gws slow stick. no one *****es about that. i dont see why people are such haters when it comes to modding the SC. the cub is a great starting point. learning to fly a plane, and learning to assemble and set one up are completely different skills. and the chance for failure is much higher. i like the parkzone stuff cause its ready right out the box, and once you get used to it the option are endless.

check out united hobbies and a handful of other importers from china, hongkong etc. i have the el cheapo brushless's and esc's in 3 planes and they fly great. my cheapy lo-ong lipo is freakin great. ever so slightly larger than a thunder power, but it does have a couple hundred extra mah. both my bro and i have slowsticks with the cheapy gear. they are stupid fast, handle and fly awesome not to mention we both flew for an hour today doin touch n goes and just pokin around having a good ole time. his esc finally lvc cut off on him and i decided to land since it was showing power loss. our batteries were drained, but the smiles on our faces were undeniable. my bro has a thunderpower lipo i have the lo-ong, i get slightly longer run times but i dont fly as hard as he does. and my plane is faster even with the off brand batt and lower kv rated BL.

at this point the only question you should be asking, is outrunner or inrunner. any 28mm inrunner should fit the SC stock motor mount with slight dremeling. if u do outrunner just get a stick mount, and put a 4" piece of square stock into the SC fuse with the 3 degree cant and hot glue the sucker in there. or epoxy.. whatever.

no reason not to mod the cub. even if you buy a "better" plane you will still have to invest in the radio gear so why not get the gear now and expirement with what you have. if you think converting a cub to brushless is a headache try building a plane from a kit! lol remember anything you buy that is RTF has junk for electronics. if you plan to keep flying constantly buying RTF is tossing money out the window. upgrade now if you think you will stick with flying you will save money in the long run, and countless headaches from glitchy failure prone rtf electronics. tinker, have a good time.... this is a hobby after all

jokerman67

i am looking to upgrade my SC to brushless and lipo. do u have any suggestions on chepo BL motors and lipos?

Thanks, Tom

Dr Kiwi

You need something which spins a 10x6 GWS HD at ~150W - a Suppo A2217K/09 on 3s would suit. Check out www.lightflightrc.com

jokerman67

Thanks that is a great help. How much better is this motor than the stock motor on a 3s lipo?

Thanks, Tom

Dr Kiwi

Sorry, I've never seen nor tested the stock motor.

Monkeychow

Wow, Great information! thanks.

Ok I've got a head scratcher I thought I'd put out there. I've been running my cub on 3s lipos for a while and what fun. I had to upgrade to a spektrum radio so life is good. Since I have everything else I decided it was time to go BRUSHLESS! So I popped an E-flight 480 brushless 910 KV on it. (I've been running this motor on my Typhoon and its great.)

So now for the mystery: As soon as I put the motor on, my plane now rolls from one side to the other until I lose control. If I apply a little rudder the plane will start to roll into the turn, then it will roll alot, if I apply a little rudder the other way, it will suddenlly roll almost all the way over the other direction. If I apply rudder to correct again the other way, it may roll back it may not. It may roll hard one way, or it may roll the other. Almost like a tip stall, but it will do it while flying flat too. I thought it might be a CG problem so I checked the center of gravity and I even over weighted the front so it was a little front heavy, which helped a tiny bit, but it still starts rolling. It rolls to either side, so I do not think it is a torque roll from the motor. I tried aiming the motor down more... no good. Checked my dihedral - its fine. Tried a different motor ... still no good.

Anyone had a problem like that, or have any ideas for a newish cub pilot?

HEMICUDA

monkeychow,

I'm not an expert but I think it's either too much motor (power and weight) or the torque thrust angle
is not set right. I believe that it should point down and to the right. But than again the stock brushed
motor is pretty heavy if not heavier. it's got to be the angle.

hugger-4641

My Feedback: (6)

Hemicuda is correct that the motor should be pointed down and slightly to the right side(left if you are looking head on) I made my own aluminum mount for the 480 brushless and ran 1800mh 3cell lipo in one of my Super Cubs. When I made the motor mount, I copied the angles of the original gear box. I don't remember what they were, but you can compare with the gear box and see if it's close. If this is not the problem, there are two other problems I've had that will cause it to roll like you are describing. The tail section is prone to get loose on this plane(especially after you add more speed and lipo power) and if any part of the elavator can slip or flex up and down it will cause this. I secured the elevator and rudder to the fuse with tape and even glued tooth picks from the rudder(stationary part) to the elevator surface to act like struts and keep everthing in place. The other thing that will cause it is a warped wing or struts that are not adjusted. Again, more speed and power contribute to this, especially if you do a lot of loops and inverted flying like I do. Just FYI though, I put a 1350mh 3cell lipo on a stock Super cub and it performs better than the 480 brushless. I am going to pull the brushless set up out and put it back in a Trojan and put the stock motor back in the Super cub and run the 1350 lipo from now on.

1320Fastback

I just converted my HZ SC to brushless/lipo.

My set up now includes a JR SX600 RX/TX, Turnigy Plush 30A ESC, E-flite Six Series Inrunner into the stock gearbox, 1350 Zippy Lipos, I use many different props 10x4.7, 10x8, 11x4.7, 11x7 and havent picked a favorite yet. 10min+ flying time.

Mods to the plane are: 24" Carbon Fiber tube in wing , removed struts, aileron mod, Dave Brown lite flight 2.25 tires in front, 1" rear tire, Onboard Sony Camera looking thru cabin "window",

hugger-4641

My Feedback: (6)

Sounds awesome, I'm still flying mine stock with the 1350 lipo, got about 30 flights on it now, getting 20min+ flight times and haven't burned the motor up yet!

trucheek62

has anybody tried to convert super cub servos to standard wiring; if so please post instructions. thank you. [email protected]

sergiozaki

Hi guys

My english is a mess so il give a try
I have a A-10 55mm ( twin engines , Twin ESC) I bought 2 4200KV engines and 2 Turnigy 30A Plush ESC
to use with a 11,1V 2200mha battery , pls Help.
I have a Y conector to conect both ESC to RX , I have to disconnect 1 red wire from one ESC?
I have a program card to setup turnigy ESCs , what setup i should use?
Thanks in advance

yamaha74

I have a stock super cub, that runs the
Ni-MH 8.4v 1000mah that weighs 150 grams,

I have a few Hyperion 11.1v 25C 1300mAh CX G3 108 gram lipo's (42grams lighter),
that can be charged at 5C, according to the hyperion website.
(Seem like good batteries - never get hot when charging, or using in the planes, and only cost $28)
I use them in a Kyosho DF55 F-16 EDF jet ,
and also use them in an RC Jet Boat and a Hovercraft, that were
designed for 9.6v 700mAh Ni-CD's, and have never had a problem
with anything going wrong, or burning out

(quote) there is a jumper inside the cubs esc/rx you can remove to set it up for a 3s lipo.
i ran my cub with a 7.4 lipo and DO NOT recomend it. (quote)

Is it a neccesity to remove the jumper in the cub, and if so,
what does it look like / or how do you do it ?

found an explanation here on how to remove the jumper,
but is there any pics ?

http://www.wattflyer.com/forums/show...page=2&t=11339