Zippi

My Feedback: (10)

I'm still waiting on my prop adapter for my motor but hopefully I'll get this plane in the air soon. Here is my setup.

ZS3025B-10 Hyperion motor
Turnigy 85 amp ESC
4000 45c packs
13X6.5E or 14X7E APC, depending on amp draw

jzrf6c

I've used the Turnigy motors in everything from foamies to the new eFlite extra 300s with no problems. No problems once I had the ESC programmed right that is. Throwing old motors away is a BAD thing to me. Sometimes you use the parts for other projects.

I agree HK is tough to deal with. But, how many of us speak chinese? I think they do a fair job even if their web site sucks big time. But for those that have money to burn I guess they will continue to buy, try and throw away.

bart4u

jzrf6c I don't have money to burn. My motor was completely useless and there were no usable parts. The motor was a bit larger then the Eflite 32 and is built to be used in large planes. I would never risk using this motor again on a plane the size of the Eratix. Like I said before the cost to shipping it back would almost be the cost of the motor. No reason for me to keep the piece of junk. I have a number of Turnigy motors for my small foam planes and they work fine, I just don't trust their large motors.

50mph

Wow all that power for this plane. I have never needed more than the Eflite 32. Its good o se others are still enjoying this kit, I have always liked to fly the Eratix.

netdudeuk

Large motors ? This [link]http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=14427[/link] is a large motor !

What an utter monster.

bart4u

I saw that the other day. Yep that is a big big motor. It better work right for that price. I am guessing you would have a very large plane if you are using that size motor.

gasayers

Morning, how are you putting your esc into this plane?
Can't get at under the battery plate unless I velcroe the esc into place. Seems silly to take an item that needs cooling and wrap it in vlecroe insulation.
Any simple solutions to place and keep it cool.
There's plenty of room. just no access to it.

Cheers

jmir

My Feedback: (1)

I placed the ESC under the battery cage. I carefully cut the covering on the bottom to make access to it and was able to put it back in place neatly. No velcro. I used a plastic tie strip.

gasayers

Thanks jmir
Shortly after I posted it finally occured to me to use plastic ties on the wires. I'd been thinking about it all night and as usual when the answer comes it couldn't be simpler or more obvious.

Cheers

Hopefully get to maiden it in a couple of days.

Zippi

My Feedback: (10)

Here is how I mounted my ESC. I used a piece of 1/16" ply for a tray and two 1/4" blocks to hold the ESC off the bottom side of the structure just behide the firewall. It's held in with velcro. Should cool pretty good.

gasayers

Zippi

My Feedback: (10)

I was going to maiden mine tonight but I have to get with one of the guys at our field that has a program card for my Hyperion ZS 3025-10 motor. It wants to chatter when I advance the throttle.

jmir

My Feedback: (1)

Congratulations on your maiden flight!

The Eratix is my best airplane. Even though I'm not good at hovering, the Eratix makes me look better than I am at it. It does perfect knife edges and I have learned to do knife edge loops with it I'm the only one at our field that can do this.

I'm still working on the flat spins. I can do them, but not very consistent. Also, I still have problems keeping the wings steady on harriers. I will continue experimenting with different settings till I get it right.

Zippi

My Feedback: (10)

gasayers,

Congrates on the maiden. Hopefully mine will be in the air soon. My motor was chattering when you try to advance the throttle so I was going to look for a program card but I'm in luck. The TURNIGY 85amp ESC I'm using doesn't need a program card. You program it by using your throttle stick and then lesson for the tones that are spelled out in the instruction guide and move the throttle stick to full at the tone you want to change. Pretty cool. My motor was pulling 45 amps at 725 watts with an APC 13X6.5E. Not bad.

gasayers

Not quite sure what’s going on with my model at the moment. Going great but
using a z3025 08 Hyperion, pulling 42 amps max (reading could be dubious) with 11x5.5 I'm only getting 9.48 minutes before dead stick from 3300mah 4cell. Some people seem to be saying 10 minutes and then only replacing 2200mah. HHHHhhhhhmmmmmmm.
Models 4pound (1800grams) with suggested servos and 500mah 3cell flight pac.<o></o>

Battery and motor both near cold.

jmir

My Feedback: (1)

I use an Eflite Power 32 with a 14 X 7 prop and a 2650mah 4-cell lipo. I can fly around 10 minutes with this set up.
I do fly at 1/2 throttle most of the time. Only time I go higher than that is when getting out of hovers, knife edge loops, and fast climbs.
I usually replace about 1400 mah when recharging.

]

jmir

My Feedback: (1)

Correction: 2400 mah (type error)

gasayers

Ok well I reported a flat battery at 9.48 minutes based on the motor shutting down and doing a dead stick landing - however, when I charged the battery I only put 2280mah in, not 3300 so I'm going to change out the speed control and install an 80A OPTO V3.1.
To be quite honest I have no idea what the current speed control is (hard to believe but true.)

I'll hopefully get to try this tomorrow morning and see if that works better.
Cheers

Turns out speed control was castle creations Phonix-125

gasayers

Replaced the speed control and flew this morning. No glitches.
Two flights
just stooging around, few vertical climbs, bit of hovering, lots of loops and cuban eights etc
great

flight one, throttle ontime only. 10 minutes 37 seconds 2770mah = average 15.65 amps

seconds flight, total time actually in the air. 14minutes45 seconds 2727mah = average 11.09 amps

And both flights left about 20% battery in reserve. (if my calcs are wrong please let me know before I crash ) Plane has tons of performance.
I can certainly live with those figures and my goal was actual time in the sky flights of 10 minutes before charging. Accomplished

Cheers
Glen

gasayers

Average of just 8.4 amps for a 3D 4 pound plane. That’s impressive
you obviously have a motor better suited to the task than mine. No money in my kitty for that upgrade though unfortunately.

bart4u

The Eratix was one of my favorite planes. Mine crashed a few months ago the linkage for the elevator broke. All I need is a new fuselage and will buy one soon. A few things that I notice on this plane was that the rear stock linkage should be change to a better system and you should beef up the area where the landing gear screws in to the body. Glue extra supports around that whole area. Its a wonderful flying plane.

jmir

My Feedback: (1)

Yes, the landing gear area should be reinforced, especially if you fly on windy days (as I do) and can't avoid some of the rough landings. I reglued all the joints as well as I could and glued a thin piece of plywood to the bottom of the plane (about 2" long) and mounted the landing gear on top of it. It is hardly noticeable. Have not had any problems when landings have been rough.

My other problem has been with warped ailerons. They were OK when I built it, but after a couple of weeks (I fly almost every day), I noticed the warping. My guess is this was caused by exposure to the sun being a new plane. I corrected some of the warp using a heat gun while holding the aileron in the proper position, put it is still slightly warped.

This is my second Eratix and, if I destroyed this one, I would get a third one. It's my best airplane.

gasayers

Some interesting numbers

8min35s 1599mah (hyp 35c 4cell 2200mah)
8min58s 1930mah (hyp 35c 4cell 2200mah)

There was a lot of throttle conservation but it was loops, rolls, cuban eights, inverted flat spin with at least a couple of big verticals and several hovers. Both batteries would hold a hover just before landing. That’s impressive. The plane does weigh 4 pound. Things have come a long way in just a few years. And they say the new ZS Hyperion motor is 10% better than the one I’m using.

I’m going to enjoy this plane. Flying casually I can charge and fly two small batteries continuously but still have the planes 4C 3300mah for showing off. (not that I would or could for that matter!)

Zippi

My Feedback: (10)

I changed the timing and I still had the chattering when trying to advance the throttle so I changed the ESC for another one I had in my Toledo Special. This one works fine with no chattering. I guess the new TURNIGY 85a SBEC is bad. Now I get to maiden my Eratix this morning .

jzrf6c

Remember, that beside the timing you must set the throttle "range" on most Turnigy ESC that I've seen. To do this, simply set the throttle to max, turn on the plane (plug in the battery, etc) now move the throttle to the minimum and wait for the beeps. Turn off the plane and restart. This has worked more than once for me. Also make sure there is "normal" throttle travel range and mid range for trim before you set the throttle range.