MJD

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[link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOng7Nb58E4]Simple 400 passes[/link]

[EDIT: okay, I need a .wav file don't I.. hmm, how do I do that.][Never mind, figured it out!]

Not exactly extreme speed but it is pretty quick and I curious. Would someone mind having a go at this, I am kind of curious about the actual speed..?

It's an ACE Simple 400, with the wing and fuselage strategically beefed up. It's a lekkie.. I know.. it has an EFlite Series Six 2700kV motor, APC 5.1x4.5 prop, and 3S 2100 25C Lipo. 33A static draw on a CAM 5x5, no reading on this prop. For a little sport plane it flat out hauls! It's one of my backyard fliers.

MJD

smoknrv4

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I'm curious too that thing really does haul!

MJD

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I swapped out the CAM 5x5 I've been using all along, for an APC 5.1x4.5. I assumed with the increased blade area and reduced pitch, I'd get more acceleration and a little more pull through lower airspeed manouvers, all that. What I got was more acceleration, more top speed, and what appears to be about equal flight time. A very good example of how the right match of prop makes all the difference. I'd putt a wattmeter on it if I had one, have to wait until I fly with someone who owns one.

MJD

vicman

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Ohhhh the shame and disappointmen...[sm=what_smile.gif][sm=50_50.gif][sm=75_75.gif]

MJD

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Hey, I did it all by myself! I downloaded waveoscope in German, I downloaded Goldwave, trial version, and wow was that easy.

I got 200-203 kph for the second pass.

All along I said the thing did about 120, turns out.. that's what it does and a hair more. Holy crap! Not bad for a cheap little sport jobbie. About 1/2hp input helps too.. [8D]

MJD

MJD

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But I don't treat them very well, and only fly them when I can't get to the real flying field.. aw c'mon! []

MJD

vicman

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Well put.

MJD

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Here's some really poor video but you can see it zip by a few times. We'll try a camcorder next.

[link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOdRE7QmXo4]Simple 400 [/link]

MJD

Mike Connor

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Your can download the "waveoscope.exe" file from this web page and it is in English.
http://happykillmore.com/main_downloads.asp

MJD

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Thx Mike. I'll try it again... when I tried to download it that evening, it hung up.

MJD

Mike Connor

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Let me know if you have trouble again and I will email it to you.
It gives the speed in mph and kph plus temp in F and C.

smoknrv4

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Is that the 2000 kv or the 2700kv motor, six series motor.

smoknrv4

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Silly me, I see you added what the set-up is in the first post.

I wonder what a 4 cell lipo would be like?

smoknrv4

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My LHS is telling me that its no longer availabe, I wonder where you could get one?
I've been wanting one since I flew yours, MJD.

combatpigg

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What does it look like?

proptop

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Looks kinda like a Q500...shoulder wing... but w/ tapered wings...(uses the Ace tapered foam wing panels, and has options to make either a conventional or V tail IIRC )

combatpigg

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Thanks Proptop.....I built something just like that for a SuperTigre .15 many years ago. It was pretty fast, maybe 90-100. With ailerons that had more chord at the tips than at the root, it was a blur.
I would guess that this electric plane has had some popularity in club racing?
If they've been discontinued, someone else could swoop in and offer this as a completely engineered package that would sell.

MJD

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Someone who keeps buying old ACE kits for ideas for sport model kits perhaps..? I'm eyeing my old Doubler kit too, between that and the Ace Upstart there are ideas brewing. I'm building one of the prototype ACE tapered built-up wings now, had the parts laser cut a week or so ago.

With a bit updated airfoil this could be a faster aircraft and still retain the excellent flying manners it has. Mind you, why change what works is also a sound theory.

I am having a ball with this thing. Charge, fly fast and stupid, land, charge, do it again ad illuminatum.

MJD

combatpigg

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I think ACE made the wings fat for 2 reasons. 1st to satisfy the AMA pylon rules [which are ridiculous] to keep the speeds restricted. Look at the AMA minimum fuselage height restriction, too, just ridiculous.
The other reason was to engineer builtin strength that the end user wouldn't need to add much wood to make strong enough for a hot TD.
Even though they look chunky, even chunkier if sheeted, they're pretty fast and fly great. The GLH instructions had you recontour the front of the airfoil and to sharpen it with tri-stock IIRC.
The plane I spoke of earlier was built from extra wing panels I had from 1/2A combat, which are thinner and symetrical...but the same idea, a simple wing and a tapered box to hold everything. That plane had variable dihedral until I retrofitted it with a better spar.

MJD

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AFAIK the intended airfoil was a NACA2415, but the injection molded panels I've checked all seem to match a 16-16.5% section. Nonetheless, this silly little model is evidence they don't hold it back too badly.

I've nearly finished the 3 view drawing in CAD - I started it at 5pm today. I guess it is a simple design! I already had wing 3 views done and cross sections of the airfoil etc..

I'm thinking I''ll cut and skin a thin glider section wing for it and check out the difference in performance. Landings are already hairy here at home though, need a real field. During the glide, it only seems to climb during base leg or final when the battery has already exhausted itself during the previous go-around. And it glides fast and flat. The belly shape is great for landing, sometimes it skips. I puit Kevlar veil across the bottom 1/2 of the fuse, and silkspanned the rest, sealed it up with nitrate then finished in Lustrekote. Came out light and not too hard on the eyes.

MJD

combatpigg

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I wonder what led to this model becoming discontinued? There has to be some kind of Darwinian reason why........

MJD

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If it was a slow but steady seller 15+ years ago and was able to justify it's existence by only a moderate margin, it was probably pushed into oblivion by the plethora of cheap and very functional ARF's out there now. I know of a kit company sitting on a whack of Speed 400 old timer and sport kits after the bottom fell out for them. I can only imagine that the numbers just weren't there - mine was gathering dust at my LHS. It doesn't cry out "glow conversion" for one, though you can. It looks dorky IMHO with an engine hanging out front, but at least it would sound and smell right. I guess the other kits moved off the shelves and this one didn't.


This forum is hardly a non-biased test of it's potential appeal to the general modelling public..


MJD

combatpigg

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Yep, you aren't going to get good market research out of the freaks & weirdos here. We're more like the folks who are still part of the proud silver and black Raider Nation, you know.... die hards. [sm=pirate.gif]

The hobby business sure is fickle. The most enduring products are stuff like engine mounts, fuel tanks, spinners. Quality kits that fly good will all eventually sell, like you say it is a matter of how hot certain items are at the time. Small electric planes should be a safe bet for the long haul.