Funtana 90 Lipo failure
04-20-2006, 01:16 AM
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Funtana 90 Lipo failure
Guys,
I recently upped from a 8S (17x10 prop) to a 10S (17x8 prop) in my Funtana 90. AXI 413020. 4000 Mah 15C Kokam batteries. Draw was less than 50 Amps either way.
I had an interesting flight the other day. The 20th with this plane and the 4th with this power increase. Outside temp 93 degrees. Anyhow the battery caught on fire and the speed control fried 30 seconds after takeoff. It was a rocket. Straight up! Only one of the 5 packs in the plane was actually destroyed. I landed the plane, it trailed smoke all the way down, and found it was still on fire on the runway. It has a seperate RX pack. Thank God. Otherwise it would have crashed. I emptied half of a fire Ex under the cowl.
My question is : Do you think the hot battery killed the 77 Amp controller or the heat from 60 Amp Max Kokams fried the Speed ?
I was thinking of putting more air ducts under the cowl to cool those batteries there. Procrastination hurts. The ones under the canopy hatch were barely warm from any flight, even when the plane was on fire, just the ones under that cowl were hot.
If the Jeti speed controller was hot first it shoul have cut out. The others I have owned do. I want to rebuild. A little covering and a new engine mount box.
StephenT
I recently upped from a 8S (17x10 prop) to a 10S (17x8 prop) in my Funtana 90. AXI 413020. 4000 Mah 15C Kokam batteries. Draw was less than 50 Amps either way.
I had an interesting flight the other day. The 20th with this plane and the 4th with this power increase. Outside temp 93 degrees. Anyhow the battery caught on fire and the speed control fried 30 seconds after takeoff. It was a rocket. Straight up! Only one of the 5 packs in the plane was actually destroyed. I landed the plane, it trailed smoke all the way down, and found it was still on fire on the runway. It has a seperate RX pack. Thank God. Otherwise it would have crashed. I emptied half of a fire Ex under the cowl.
My question is : Do you think the hot battery killed the 77 Amp controller or the heat from 60 Amp Max Kokams fried the Speed ?
I was thinking of putting more air ducts under the cowl to cool those batteries there. Procrastination hurts. The ones under the canopy hatch were barely warm from any flight, even when the plane was on fire, just the ones under that cowl were hot.
If the Jeti speed controller was hot first it shoul have cut out. The others I have owned do. I want to rebuild. A little covering and a new engine mount box.
StephenT
04-20-2006, 09:02 AM
#2
RE: Funtana 90 Lipo failure
Hi Steve,
It's been a while since I've seen a post from you. My bet is you were pulling way more than 50 amps with that setup. And the 90 degree temps didn't help. I'm thinking something 'tween the motor and speed control shorted out. I've pulled way over 80 amps with that speed control. (For a short time!!)
It's been a while since I've seen a post from you. My bet is you were pulling way more than 50 amps with that setup. And the 90 degree temps didn't help. I'm thinking something 'tween the motor and speed control shorted out. I've pulled way over 80 amps with that speed control. (For a short time!!)
04-20-2006, 11:27 AM
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RE: Funtana 90 Lipo failure
That's my gut feeling, too... The ESC failed shorted, and that is what caused the rest of the problems.
It may very well be that you did nothing wrong, and the ESC just failed from a manufacturing defect... It's gonna be hard to prove anything at this point, though.
When you say, "on fire," were there flames, or just smoke? If there were flames, the plane should've gone up like a tinderbox.
It may very well be that you did nothing wrong, and the ESC just failed from a manufacturing defect... It's gonna be hard to prove anything at this point, though.
When you say, "on fire," were there flames, or just smoke? If there were flames, the plane should've gone up like a tinderbox.
04-23-2006, 09:58 PM
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RE: Funtana 90 Lipo failure
Yes
Matt
Fire! The one lipo pack was in flames and the fiberglass cowl was melted. The other packs seem okay. The wood motor mount box was well charred and the PVC pipe COVEY style stand off for the motor was melted.
My friend took a picture of the aftermath. I will see if he can post it.
Meanwhile, I think it can be rebuilt. Some covering, reinforce the motor box and a new cowl.
A10
I work a lot of OT in the winter to play in the summer. No RCU time when the snowbirds migrate south. Oh! and I got married!!
StephenT
PS Anyone coming to Top Gun in Florida?
Matt
Fire! The one lipo pack was in flames and the fiberglass cowl was melted. The other packs seem okay. The wood motor mount box was well charred and the PVC pipe COVEY style stand off for the motor was melted.
My friend took a picture of the aftermath. I will see if he can post it.
Meanwhile, I think it can be rebuilt. Some covering, reinforce the motor box and a new cowl.
A10
I work a lot of OT in the winter to play in the summer. No RCU time when the snowbirds migrate south. Oh! and I got married!!
StephenT
PS Anyone coming to Top Gun in Florida?
