trensber

Was this a drop in replacement of the ni-cad for li-po? What was the battery size/voltage? Thanks

chagolucho

HI everyone, I put a dualsky xm3635ca-8t on my SS, with the stock batt (8,4v) and a 11*10 MA glow prop, man it went fast! But apparently it was too much power, and thepiece of wood that retains the wings broke, the wings detached and my SS looked like a rocket falling to the ground. SNIF, . Mayor damage and bent shaft.

Im finishing the repair, now it looks more like a mustang-SS-freak, but at least wings and tail still hold on.

In the meantime I bought a VNH style Speed .40. Chinese made, some mistakes, but really cheap here in Chile. I've got a OS .40 engine, but does someone think that my brushless with a 11.1v batt could lift these near 2kg plane?

Happy Flying
Chago

Charley

My Feedback: (2)

I added a short piece of lite ply to each of the fuse sides at the front of the battery compartment in order to make them thick enough to hold the small rare earth magnets from Radio Shack. Then I drilled blind holes in the sides from above and put a magnet in each hole. Then I drilled matching holes in the bottom of the hatch cover in front and put the other two magnets in those. I put a little tongue at the rear of the hatch cover to hold that end.

Those little magnets are only ~3/16" in diameter but they sure are strong!

I'll try to upload a pic or two if the description isn't clear enuff. ;^)

CR

dr_d_2k

trensber

I put a 11.1v 2100mAh 3s 20C lipo and electrifly 35A ESC. It flew great until it smoked the stock motor. I got about 5 flights out of the motor with the lipo's. 11 volts was just too much for the old motor.

I just received a Dualsky XM PR 25 outrunner and Max Velocity 40A ESC. I am trying to decide which way to go on the mounting.

I hope to post some pictures soon.

Dave

trensber

thanks. any guess how it might have gone with a 2s li-po?

ayrobotech

My Feedback: (6)

with a 2 cell lipo, the stock motor would fly just fine. Since it is 8.4 volts, it won't cook the motor.

So here is a little variation. I took my SS up a couple weekends ago and it is currently running the modified power system that this thread originally started with. The plane had the 3:1 gearing and was running a 10x7 electric prop from Master Airscrew. Fine so far. Used a stock battery with the plane.

I took the plane up and it flew like crap. Had no speed. When I went to pull a loop, it went about 40 degrees in the air and stalled out. And it was just SO SLOW. It would stall while turning, etc. I haven't flow this plane since last October and have been flying many others with brushless outrunners and compared to those planes, this one sucks.

Anyways, so what I'm thinking is this: How does the modified power system fly with the original 12x10 prop? That would give me the speed I need plus the 12 inch prop should give me enough power to do better verticals. Has anyone tried it? How many amps does it draw? I'm finishing up some summer classes, but want to try this myself one day soon.

-David

ayrobotech

My Feedback: (6)

One more question... How do you slow this plane down? Has anyone tried chopping in a new servo in the wing to have dual aileron servos so that you can do flaperons? I would think that you could get rid of the Futaba S3101 servo and instead chop in two Futaba S3110 micro servos side by side in the same spot. I really like those S3110 micros, they have a ton of torque for their size.

I almost put this SS into a fence because I wasn't used to how well it glides. I'm used to my wattage Pitts which doesn't glide at all. So i need a way to slow it down because my field is relatively small.

Charley

My Feedback: (2)

You need to learn to fly the model at a high angle of attack, at part throttle. Here's how: get it up a couple of mistakes high. Experiment with the throttle setting until you find a setting that allows the model to fly slowly but not lose altitude. Now pull the nose up slowly. At some nose-up point the model will start to slowly lose altitude. If you add power it will stop settling. If you add more power it will climb. This is how you get the model "set" for a landing. To land, you line it up with the runway, "set" it as described above and control the descent with the throttle.

Don't let it get too slow or it will drop a wingtip; my SSEP does. Also, don't try to turn it sharply. That's why you practice this a couple of mistakes high. If you stall it or it snaps you have room to recover. FWIW, I do this with any model that's new to me, in order to see how it behaves in slow/landing mode.

Cheers,

CR

trensber

thanks for the reply. I've fished out the rubber bands long enough

trensber

Were these 2 or 3s lipo's. Ifi read you correctly, you started out with the stock motor, stock ESC, and just replaced the battery. The ESC got changed because it failed (due to the new batteries?) I'm thinking I'll change the ESC to a lipo friendly shutoff (I don't think the stock one is) and battery, but can't decide what battery arrangement / voltage.

Charley

My Feedback: (2)

Not only that; when I went to brushless power, the increased airflow thru the fuse caused the rear of the hatch to lift. That's why I have the tongue in the rear and the magnets in front.

CR

dr_d_2k

I just put in a DualSky Pr.25 outrunner with a 40A ESC and 11x6 Prop. I noticed the increased airflow blowing up the hatch. I put bigger rubber bands in to hold it down.

The plane flies great with the brushless motor. The hatch did pop up on one side on one flight. I am going to go to the magnet and dowel method of hatch closure.

Charley

My Feedback: (2)

I attached a few pics (I hope) of my hatch magnet installation. Lessee how they come out.

Shux, no pics. Wonder why. Maybe it timed out on me. I'll try again.

OK, you'll see that the tongue I installed in the rear of the hatch is slanted. It slips under the former easier that way. Also, I had to round the lower front edge of the hatch so it would better clear the "firewall" when pushing it down, and narrow the front locating tabs to clear the magnets. Those little rare-earth magnets really grab!

Charley

My Feedback: (2)

Here are a couple of pics of my Hyperion outrunner installation. You can see the hole I cut in the center of the mounting plate for cooling airflow. I squared up the plate to the original mount rails in an attempt to get the same thrust line as original. Still had to add a couple of washers under the "X" mount after the first flight to get enough down thrust.

How about it guys? Show us your mounting methods.

CR

dr_d_2k

I mounted mine the same way. It was a toss up between this extended firewall and the method a few pages back with the pvc and machine screws. I added right and down with washers behind the mount. After todays flights it looks like I need just a touch more.

It flies great with the outrunner. I am getting 15 minute flights with some full power OOS verticals. Today was real calm. Friday is was a bit puffy at 15 but it was still fun.

mikedsilva

I have just ordered a SS EP. It should be here early next week.
I am planning to use a Himark 3630/1000kv brushless inrunner motor in a clamshell mount.

The clamshell mount is designed to mount the shaft in line with the bearers, but from the photos you guys have posted, it looks like i will have to raise the thrust line so the shaft lines up with the cowl.

Can someone tell me the distance between the bearers in mm? it looks like the 36mm diameter motor i am planning to use will fit between, but its nice to know in advance.

Battery selection will be a combination of lipo and also nimh as i have a few spare cells from my hotliners. ESC is a Hyperion 80amp, only because i already have it!
will post pics as it is assembled, but i expect it should be a spirited performer!

regards

Mike

Charley

My Feedback: (2)

Hi Mike,

I'm too lazy to remove my spinner, prop and cowl but I measured the original clamshell mount; it's ~43mm wide where it fits between the bearers. So the bearers are close to that distance apart. Since you need to block your motor up off the bearers about 13mm to get the prop drive lined up with the cowl, it shouldn't be any problem to make up some rails to accommodate your mount.

Regards,

CR

mikedsilva

actually, the box just turned up at work and it looks like everything will fit perfectly,... however mine didnt come with the ESC for some reason.
there are stickers on the box to say "no ESC included" almost as if they were removed before being sold here in Aus...

anyone know of a problem with them?

Charley

My Feedback: (2)

Never heard of that before. It might be worth an Email to Great Planes in order to find out why. Maybe some crazy export/import restriction? MIght also ask your supplier. My curiousity is piqued. Pls let me know what you find out.

Oh, just remembered. My model came with a 30 amp ESC in place of the earlier one of lesser current handling capability. I wonder if yours was an "in betweener."

Cheers,

CR

Charley

My Feedback: (2)

Hi Mike,

What's the news on your SSEP? Flown it yet?

CR

dr_d_2k

I lost the radio in my SSEP on Fri. I was coming down for a low flyby and all of a sudden it nosed straight down and I had no control. The power cutoff and it had a touch of up to it. Just enough up so the plane hit at about 25 to 30 degrees going really fast rather than straight in. It hit on asphalt and bounced into a field. Broken prop, scratched cowl and fuse and the gear folded back almost against the wing. No damage to the motor or even the addon firewall for the outrunner. Nothing structurally wrong with the airframe. Amazing.

I re-maidened it this morning and it's back the way it was except for a new Radio set and I added a pilot and rerouted the antenna wire up throught the cockpit and attached it to the stab. I stil need a bit of work on the gear. The foam tires are showing some wear after the 10 or so landings this morning.

I thought this plane was toast when it nosed over. What a sick feeling.

Charley

My Feedback: (2)

Did you confirm that the radio gear failed? I wonder if the BEC played games on you. I've had some strange things happen lately when the battery got low and not only on my SS-EP.

dr_d_2k

Charley,

When I got back to the house I took the rx out and hooked a fresh battery and servo to it and it didn't even chirp. I took the crystal out of that rx and put it in another and still nothing. I haven't tried a different crystal in the 'bad' rx to see if that works. I had only been up about 5 minutes or so. The battery didn't take much to charge back to full. It seems like the tx or the crystal went. I didn't know crystals go bad. I haven't had a tx go bad either for that matter.

I haven't had any heat issues. The batteries are a cool warm after mostly 1/2 throttle flights with bursts of WOT. ESC is never really warm.

Have you cut any extra breather holes in the fuse. One of the guys at the field couldn't believe it was staying cool without extra exit holes.

Dave

mikedsilva

after reading the last 2 posts, i am starting to feel better about the fact that my SSEP did not come with a ESC at all. Apparently, in AUS, they do not come with any form of ESC at all. I am not sure why.... but they dont. Either way, i am using a Hyperion 80amp ESC and Tanic 11.1V 3 cell lithiums. I have two of these cells in the plane, so effectively i have a 3S2P pack. As each of them is rated at 2220 mah, this means i have a 4.44aH pack, which is more than double the capacity of the inlcuded 7 cell pack with more volts too!

Weight of the lithium pack is a few grams lighter than the supplied nicad pack.

HOWEVER, my plane is REALLY nose heavy! My motor is lighter than the original, my battery is lighter than the original, however i am very noseheavy! i am sure that a read a few posts claiming the CG was spot on... how did they manage this?

i am thinking of relocating one or both servos to the tail to make up for the balance... what do you think?

dr_d_2k

I was a bit nose heavy with the stock setup. I never flew with the nimh pack. I went to lipo then 5 flights went to brushless outrunner. I am now light but I only fly 3s1p 2100maH pack. I have though about putting 2 in parallel but I get real good peformance. Never know though....

I still think it was a radio fail and not a ESC fail. I wil further test the RX/TX and continue to fly this EXC. A truth will show up one way or the other , only one way I will have a bunch of splintered SSEP if I am wrong.