Mikerjf

Don't know why anybody buys anything else.

Mike

walterwitt

Vahn, I read your reply and I have a question. I fly both gas and electric and for backyard flying, this easystar is a gas. I'm not however getting much airtime out of the 1100 mAh 7 cell sub C I use, certainly not the 25 min at 1/2 throttle you mentioned. What are you using? Maybe I'll switch over.
Walt
Harleysville, Pa.

Mikerjf

Try the 1800 AA nimh's.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Need your help guys!

My friend has one of the new Multiplex Easy Gliders. It is made of the same Elapor foam as the Easy Star and some other Mulitplex planes.

In any case, I was flying it and put it into a tree. I dinged the leading
edge of one wing. Nothing too serious. A depression about the depth of half a
nickel with a small crack in the foam, maybe 1/2 inch deep. Foam was starting to return to shape after sitting about 10 minutes but not all the way back yet.

To restore this foam to shape I heard you pour boiling water over the foam, or dip it in boiling water and the foam returns to its original shape. Is that so? Have you tried it? How much boiling water? How long does it take to happen?

I would presume after you do this you get it all aligned, drizzle in some CA
and it all glues together good as new.

Tell me this is so! Please!

marionfred

I am a new owner of an EasyStar.
I have got one pack of battery Ni-Mh KAN 1050 mAh: (brand new)

I am looking for constructor DATA of these battery, in order not to distroy them at the first charge and to format them properly.

Who knows which cycles of charge-discharge is recommended to format these kind of battery before the first use at nominal power ?

Many thanks for you help. (Sorry for my poor language)

Regards.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I use 1/10C to 1/5C to initally charge my motor batteries. Then take them thorugh lower than normal rate of discuarge either through a cycler or about 1/2 throttle setting.

I do that twice, then go to normal charge cycle which would be to charge them at about 1.5C. About 1.5 - 1.6 amps for those packs.

marionfred

Many thanks aeajr,

So first charge at 100 mAh during 20 Hours.
Then discharge at 6 A , corresponding to a 1/2 throttle setting: right or not ?
For me, by using a Graupner Ultra Duo 30 for the discharge at 6 A

Second charge at 100 mAh, and discharge at 6A

And first quick charge at 1.5 C.

Do you confirm my understanding ?

Thanks again for your help.

Regards.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

That's right.

You could do the first quick charge at 1C if you like. Ease it in, so to speak, Then just fly normally.

The discharges could be less than 1/2 throttle. I just recommend no more than 1/2.

Many cyclers discharge at 1, 2 or 3 amps. That is fine. Just takes a little longer.

Greg Covey

Easystar Hop-up

FMA’s Balance Pro 2s Charger is part of a revolutionary new LiPo battery and charge system for R/C aircraft. In essence, it is very similar to the 2s Scorpion system for R/C cars. With a variable charge rate of 0.5amps to 10amps, the charger brings Balance Pro 2s packs to 90% of capacity in as little as 20 minutes. FMA’s Safe Charge Connector is a key part of the system. It enables the charger to monitor individual cells and independently charge each cell to its optimum level. Charge protection dramatically improves pack performance, pack life and charging safety. All Balance Pro packs from FMA come standard with the Safe Charge Connector. The Balance Pro charger may be used to charge only FMA's new Balance Pro 2S (7.4V) LiPo packs in capacities ranging from 1250 mAh to 6400 mAh.

At 7.4 volts, a single FMA BalancePro pack may be used in any application that requires a 2s Lithium pack for R/C aircraft. Further, you can place multiple BalancePro packs in series to obtain higher output voltages. Since the BalancePro charger can safely recharge a BalancePro pack at 3C (or 20 minutes), you can still charge three packs in the normal 60 minutes time of most other Lithium packs. Alternatively, you can use seperate BalancePro chargers to keep the pack charge time down to only 20 minutes.

Greg Covey

Easystar Hop-up

The Multiplex Easystar from Hobby Lobby was easy upgraded to double the flight time over the stock 7-cell, 1100mAh NiMH pack using the BalancePro 2-cell, 2AH Lithium pack. The BalancePro provided slightly greater power than the stock pack and fit perfectly into the Easystar nose. I held it in place with a foam wedge.

To better facilitate the longer flights, I mounted my ESC so that the top surface obtained direct air cooling. The BalancePro pack never gets warm due to the low 8amp maximum current draw and the motor cooling is already built into the Easystar fuselage. This system provides 10-15 minute flights while keeping all the components cool to increase longevity.

Greg Covey

The Easystar is one great flying plane that will fly in wind and even thermal!

Keokiboy

Hi all! I'm new to this site and new to RC flying in general. After much researching, I bought the Multiplex Easy Star, RTF. I love it. After correcting the channel 2 servo issue in which pulling back on the radio stick made the plane go down instead of up, I was able to successfully launch the plane. My first landing was rough - a stall at about 6 feet made the plane nose over into the field. NO DAMAGE! Adjusted the CG and launched again. After getting it trimmed, it glided nicely. A couple more landing mishaps before I had a smooth landing. A few more flights and a "touch and go" and I was feeling comfortable. Does anyone else notice that the Easy Star seems to drift to the right? I have some left trim which keeps it flying straight at center stick. Also, it seems more responsive turning to the left than to the right. More control is required and it takes longer to complete a right hand turn than left. Maybe my imagination, but maybe you guys might have some ideas. I've checked that the plane is balanced left to right. To keep the CG at the manual spec and the plane flyhing level, I have the 6 cell NIMH pack pretty far forward (almost to the nose) and a little down trim too. Does that seem normal? Times like this I wish my Dad, an eperienced RC builder and flyer, was closer so he could fly it and offer some suggestions.

Well, it's still in one piece and ready to go again. I love it!

stockdaddy

If you are using a around a 1000mah 2/3 A battery, it can loop at level flight at 1/2 power. You get 10 min flight times out of this pack. (not counting any time just sailing around)

You can fly inverted and even get the plane to do turns around the field inverted. Also will do loops, outside loops, stall turns.

A lot of the problem with the RTF kits is they put in a cheap 6 cell battery so you will not get close to max performance out of the easystar with this pack.

This plane beats the slowstick in that it handles a lot more wind, it's more durable and a better trainer for higher speed flight.

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

How many cells? This could be 6, 7 or 8 cell pack.

15Blade

Where did you get the S400 motor mount? Did you make it your self or buy it somewhere?

Thanks

stockdaddy

8 cells

marionfred

Easy Star: Ni-Mh versus LIPO

Personnaly, I forgot Ni-Mh
LIPO are wonderful.
I am using LIPO 2 cells (1500Mah or 1800Mah) 70Grs only from RC-Craft
Model Poly-Quest.

For sure, its more power full than with Ni-Mh.
Knowing that my EasyStar is a tuned version (with ailerons) http://www.detract-online.de/mpx-easystar.de
So heavier than the standard version.
But following the save weight due to the LIPO, I am flying 20-25 mn with one pack (charge in one hour only)
So with 3 packs (25$ only by pack on RC-Craft) and two basical chargers, I am able to fly continuously.

The only issue to solve is to correctly balance the model:
By moving forward as much as possible all the electronic staff (batterie, receptor, regulator)
By reducing weight on the back area (mobile part especially)

And ...
By adding a lead counterweight (20Grs), located 4 inches in front of the cell, and 2 inches above (in order him not to clash with soil at landing !!!)
So I inserted and glued two carbon rods (External diameter 5mm, Thickness 0.5mm: Rod common on kyte) in the lateral borders of the noze of our favorite animal to place the counterweight (fishing lead) at the proper location.

It's working wonderfully.
To be fully hoonest, my modified EasyStar is less able to sustain large wind (being less powerful and lighter)
But I am able to fly full time.

Regards.

Nota: Sorry for my poor english (I am french !)

jkkrobbins

I just bopught the ARF and have the other parts coming in the mail. Questions -

1) I'm very confused about the 47 nF capacitors. Will I need these?
Instructions say "If you intend to use a different controller, you should
improve the motor interference supressor to be on the safe side. For this
purpose, a suitable cupressor set # 8 5020 is available. If doing this,
solder on a 47 nF capacitor between the motor connection and the motor
housing and another, also of 47 nF, between the motor connections." I'll be using
a 20 Amp Pixie ESC.
2) Why do the instructions show 2 sets of wires going to the motor? Seems
like all the motor needs is a red wire to the positive terminal and a black
wire to the negative, correct? Looks like maybe, it's the receiver. The
receiver body sits in the fuselage and the end of the antenna attaches to
the motor. This makes no sense. Or maybe it does - no antenna running
outside the plane - the motor is the end of the antenna. Is this correct?
3) The motor is glued to one of the fuselage halves and then the two halves
are glued together. How are you supposed to ever change the motor
out? Gotta bust some glued joints, and aren't you going to tear foam if you
try this? I'm really really really confused
because the motor is trapped between two pieces of foam which it appears
we're trying to join together forever.

nothinglasts

Hi, I don't have ARF instructions as I bought the RTF package but a couple of things which could help are:

Use three capacitors on the motor, 2 go from each motor terminal to the body of the motor which are usually 0.1 micro farads (104 is written on the capacitor) and one between the terminals 0.047 micro farads (labelled 473). You can also install a 3A or 5A schottky diode between the terminals (must have the banded side to the +ve terminal) part no SB540. Different speed controllers might have their own noise supression built in but it doesn't hurt to be safe and install the whole lot.
How do I know this? I made the mistake of modifying my beautifully flying Easystar with a high powered Cobalt motor and have so far been through 2 motors, 2 speed controllers, 3 props, 7 capacitors, 3 diodes, tape, glue, 12+ hours of labor trying to get it flying right. My plane looks like sh*t from glitches causing many crashes and I wish I had left it the way it was.

Yes the motor only uses two wires, the RTF kit motor wires were run in the foam above the wing then down to the cockpit which is good to separate them from the receiver antenna which exits the cockpit under the receiver and travels to the back under the fuselage in the pipe provided.

Don't need to use glue, use double sided tape for assembling the whole plane including the motor. It's not too hard to remove the motor later by sliding a knife between the motor and foam. The RTF kit is assembled using tape and I have removed my motor and reinstalled it at least 10 times. I have also stripped the plane down completely to repair it and then reassembles using double sided tape. Just make sure the tail is stuck on good as mine came off mid-air and caused the worst crash so far.

Hope this helps, Josh.

jkkrobbins

Thanks for the feedback. I looked again at the instructions. The picture shows the motor with 2 sets of wires coming from it. But it's marked with an * indicating it's or the RTF.

Just to make sure - you're telling me that with the RTF, the body halves are taped together? Why does the ARF say to glue? What's the deal with these Germans???

jkkrobbins

a

nothinglasts

I suppose they say to glue it to be sure that it stays together and not have anyone b*tching that the crap tape they bought comes apart too easily. But if they tape it and everyone else tapes it then yes tape works and is nice because you can undo it. 3M Poster Tape seems to be the most recommended tape to use. I have now used some glue because my plane is bent out of shape and needs the extra grip to hold the parts together because they are buckled. On a new one they fit together perfectly thanks to the German engineering.
At the least you could just use tape on the motor.

AutorocK

My Feedback: (1)

Does anyone know the type and capacity of the Multiplex battery that the eazy star comes with? The cells are not AA, they look more like a smaller sub C.

jkkrobbins

I think it's a 6 cell 600 mAh NiCD. With some funky third world connection. I snipped that junk off and soldered a Dean's on and got a 2 cell 4000 mAh LiPo. And STILL had to add some nose weight to balance the darn thing! (No kidding, with throttle management and thermals, I have stayed in the air as long as 1 hour and 40 minutes.)

I bought the LiPo from China for $35, including shipping. Had it over a year, no problems. I bought another one a few months ago. Worth every penny!

As far as the battery that comes with the plane, either throw it away, unless you need a paper weight.

jkkrobbins

I