flybyjimbo

I have an Aerobird extreme and love the way it flys but the electrics that come with it are tempremental to say the least. It is my first RC plane and so i have no idea what standard electronics to get for it. I have read almost every post on this site to do with converting the plane to electrics- many thanks to the likes of critterhunter etc.

My problem is that the threads such as 'Installing standard electronics to an extreme' imply that the aerobird owner has a knowledge of transmitters and recievers and electronic speed controls. As the ABX is my first plane i find it hard to distinguish between the features of one transmitter and the other and reciever and another etc.

Basically i feel that it would benefit both myself and others in a similar position to me if some people with more knowledge could give me some pointers as to which products to buy based on my needs.

I want to use the stock six cell 1700mAh Ni-Mh battery
I want to be able to use my six cell 2800mAh Ni-Mh battery
For now i want to use the 540 brushed motor

My research has led me to believe that i need a transmitter which i would like to be able to use on other planes, a reciever, an ESC and two servos

If i were to upgrade the motor to a brushless one i understand i would need a brushless ESC to go with the motor.

I would be very greatful if someone could tell me which parts to get to go with my needs

Many Thanks,

James

Mountain_Flyer

I use to own an Aerobird Extreme put allot of flight time in on it. I finally sold it to a friend earlier this year. I never did have any problems with its electronics but i'm fully aware that mine was the exception and not the norm. With that said i'll give you a parts list of what "I" would put in an ABX if I were to change it over to "standard" electronics and still retain the stock motor and batteries

ESC my first choice would be the "New" brushed ESC by Great Planes [link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXKBF4&P=0]C25 Mini Brushed ESC w/BEC [/link] i realize you're in the UK so availibility might be an issue. But this is a nice well made Brushed ESC that has the correct LVC for 2S and 3S Lipolys as well as the standard Low Voltage Cuttoff for NiCD and NiMH batteries. Its quite easy to program also with good instructions. It also has a programable motor brake ( not really needed for the ABX but would be usefull if you ever wanted to use it on a powered sailplane/Glider ). The 25 Amp ESC would be plenty for the 540 Can motor in the ABX they normally draw around 17 to 20 amps max. Although you could use the C35 ( 35 amp rated model ) if you like, its just a bit more expensive with the same features.

TX/RX this is going to be more of whats available to you and what your price range is. You can get away with pretty much any "good" quality TX like the Hitec Neon SS 3 channel all the way to a Futaba 14MZAP (as long as it has V-Tail mixing)... But i would recommend for a nice first TX to go with the [link=http://www.hitecrcd.com/Radios/OPTIC.htm]Hitec Optic 6[/link], its a computer radio with allot of nice features you don't think you will ever use but do and if you plan on staying in the hobby the "extra features" become a must have rather than a novelty quickly .
You can normally get a package deal when you buy a radio that comes with a receiver (RX) something like the Hitec Micro 05S would be fine its a 5 channel ( i know you only need 3channels on the ABX but its ok to have unused channels and what you really want is an RX with good range and not overly expensive ) the Micro 05S has a 5000+ foot range and has "auto shift detection" so it works with any brand of TX. I would recommend buying your Radio equipment locally I realize in the UK you use 35mhz for R/C so best to talk your you're local hobby shop for TX/RX packages availability

Servos lastly you're going to need 2 servos either something like the Hitec HS-55 or the HS-81 servos would be fine i would recommend making a mounting board out of hardwood ply to hold them you can mount the board right where the stock electronics board mounts in the ABX now . how you go about that is up to you

I hope this helps give you a basic idea of what you're going to need...

flybyjimbo

Hey thanks alot for the info above i think il do pretty much what u advise and see how i go. Im pretty good at working stuff out when ive got it, i jus got a bit bogged down with all the different bits of kit available. Im starting to become a bit of an addict to the hobby now so i do think its a good idea to get a radio that will last!

Thanks alot and il let you no how i get on.

James

toporunner

I was in the exact same boat as you in that a lot of gurus in the forum talked about doing the conversion but because I was new to the R/C world they often went just a tad over my head in the details. I wanted a little more specifics especially when it came to what things would cost etc.

At any rate, I did the conversion on my FBC2 first so I would not put my ABX out of commission. But the beauty is they use the same size board. I have since moved the board from my FBC2 to my ABX with the same great results:-)

You can find my step by step instructions along with photos here:
[link=http://www.skyrunner.com/planes/]http://www.skyrunner.com/planes/[/link]

I also cover some things like setting up your radio and timing your motor. Like you, I did not want to jump right into brushless. However, just adding a dedicated ESC made a big difference in power. Then, timing the motor made it even better.

Right now the photos are for the FBC2. Soon I hope to add some for the ABX. But again many of the steps are the same. Indeed, it was downright easy on the ABX since there was so much more room than in the FBC2!

Matt Carpenter

jagermeister064

I happed across this forum looking to get my ABX flying again after giving up on it 1.5 years ago when the 2nd fusilage in a row burned up only seconds after being in the air. I got a 3 channel hitech radio, 2 sub-micro servos, and i went ahead and got a 35 amp esc because i just quite simply dont want it to burn up again!! LOL

I've frankensteined all this stuff together and it seems to work. I'll just have to wait till I can get a chance to fly it.

Leo L

Matt,

Your article on modifying the FBC2/ABX is terrific! Last spring I bought a 2-channel plane called the Wind Spirit from e-bay. At the time I had just learned how to fly with the FBC. I flew the Wind Spirit for several months, but since moving on to the ABC, Cub and Decathlon, the Wind Spirit and the FBC have been shelved. This winter I thought about modifying it to a 3-channel configuration, but never got started on the project. Now, with the help of your article, I'll be making the modification. If you're not familiar with the Wind Spirit, its the same color and body shape as the ABC, only much larger. In fact, its bigger than your ABX, having a wing span of 60". Once I make the mods, I'll post how it flies. Thanks again.

jagermeister064

After about 15 flights on my new gear I have to say I love the ABX now. It's a really nice flying airplane. I've also made a tail out of the Corruplast, and it's the last tail i think i'm gonna need. Much improved. I'm having fun with this plane now that it actually works. The plane does indeed have more power after changing to the new ESC, but it will only fly for bout 10 minutes tops, even with one of the upgraded NiMH batteries. Other than the electronics this plane is very durable though. I've wrecked it pretty hard about 10 times now while learning to fly and i'm still on the original wing and fusilage shell.

[8D]