Need help bringing vintage Cox Canario into the 21st century
06-26-2003, 03:37 AM
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Need help bringing vintage Cox Canario into the 21st century
I just purchased an old NIB Cox Canario electric motorglider off Ebay. I had one of these back in the 80's, and thought it would be fun to give it another go with modern radio gear and building techniques. The one I had back then was way too heavy and underpowered; it has a geared Mabuchi 280 motor, and came stock with a 6 volt 450 MAH NiCad. They didn't have BEC receivers back then, so the model incorporated the radio's onboard pack as well as the power pack. They didn't have light proportional speed controls like those used now, so it was only 2 channel, and a switch on the side of the plane turned the motor on and off. My questions are,
- Can you buy an aftermarket direct replacement for the Mabuchi 280 motor, brushed or brushless?
-What size/kind of NiMh or LiOn batteries work good with a geared 280?
-What is the smallest servo you can safely use in a 280 sized plane?
-How hard is it to set up a pull-pull system, and what all do I need? Anything to keep in mind? (The stock metal rods are going to kill my already tailheavy plane since I'm not using a seperate receiver battery in the nose)
Thanks in advance for any and all input; I'll be sure to keep everyone posted on the final results.....this should be good
- Can you buy an aftermarket direct replacement for the Mabuchi 280 motor, brushed or brushless?
-What size/kind of NiMh or LiOn batteries work good with a geared 280?
-What is the smallest servo you can safely use in a 280 sized plane?
-How hard is it to set up a pull-pull system, and what all do I need? Anything to keep in mind? (The stock metal rods are going to kill my already tailheavy plane since I'm not using a seperate receiver battery in the nose)
Thanks in advance for any and all input; I'll be sure to keep everyone posted on the final results.....this should be good
06-26-2003, 03:21 PM
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Need help bringing vintage Cox Canario into the 21st century
Sure, the Mabuchi 280 motors are still available. As far as brushless upgrades, there are motors like the Hobby Lobby MiniAC series, Razor brand brushless motors, Astro 010, and many others. I'd refer you to that other forum site that I'm not allowed to mention, but I'm not allowed.
With regards to the battery question, you're going to have to be more specific. I mean, any NiMH or LiIon battery is "good" for a Speed 280... They all produce electricity. I'm not sure what you're trying to ask. You need to use cells that can produce the amount of current your motor needs. "Geared 280" is not enough information to determine how much current the motor will draw. A gear ratio and the propeller's diameter and pitch are minimum if you want reasonable answers.
If you want a power boost from the stock motor, use 7 or 8 NiMH cells. LiIon is old technolgy; Lithium Polymer, LiPoly, is current. Until you get a good feel for the care and feeding of batteries, I would stick with less volatile technology, such as NiCd or NiMH. A few expensive mistakes with LiPoly cells will sour your passion for the hobby.
With regards to the battery question, you're going to have to be more specific. I mean, any NiMH or LiIon battery is "good" for a Speed 280... They all produce electricity. I'm not sure what you're trying to ask. You need to use cells that can produce the amount of current your motor needs. "Geared 280" is not enough information to determine how much current the motor will draw. A gear ratio and the propeller's diameter and pitch are minimum if you want reasonable answers.
If you want a power boost from the stock motor, use 7 or 8 NiMH cells. LiIon is old technolgy; Lithium Polymer, LiPoly, is current. Until you get a good feel for the care and feeding of batteries, I would stick with less volatile technology, such as NiCd or NiMH. A few expensive mistakes with LiPoly cells will sour your passion for the hobby.
