Small Electric Flight Times?

Small Electric Flight Times?
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Small Electric Flight Times? - 11/16/2007 9:57:40 PM

mmattockx

Posts: 2205
Joined: 4/28/2005
From: Calgary, AB, CANADA
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I am thinking that I would like a smaller electric pattern type plane to get some quick flights in at local soccer fields and at lunch time from work. I really like the looks of the Vanquish and nobody seems to have a bad thing to say about it. But, reading the reports in here, the flight times are terrible from what I consider to be expensive battery packs. Nobody seems to get more than 6-7 minutes at best. I like the A123 cells over lipos from what I have been reading (not terribly fussy, easy to charge, etc.). Is this old glow flier just never going to be happy with electric? I am used to 10-12 minute WOT flights if I want, with plenty left for a couple of go-arounds if required. 6 minutes of carefully managed throttle use doesn't sound like much fun to me... One note, this is not a serious practice plane, just a smooth flying sport plane for me. I just like pattern flight characteristics over 3D, that's all. Maybe a smaller airframe instead of the Vanquish?

Thanks,
Mark

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RE: Small Electric Flight Times? - 11/16/2007 10:44:49 PM

bobferguson

Posts: 260
Joined: 6/21/2003
From: Mission, BC, CANADA
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Four cell A123 packs are what I use on my new planes. I have three planes flying with A123 now. But the packs are larger, heavier and less a little less voltage but better current handling than a 4 cell lipo. I don't buy anything that will not use one of my existing packs sizes. I like my Pulse XT on two A123 packs. But you are limited to 6-8 minutes flying. If you want longer flight time you will probably want to stay to (expensive) lipos. A 4 cell 3000 or 3600 mah would give you closer to 10 minutes on the Vanquish depending on the motor and prop you pick. If a pack that size fits the Vanquish

(in reply to mmattockx)

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RE: Small Electric Flight Times? - 11/17/2007 8:54:18 AM

swlarcham

Posts: 392
Joined: 4/9/2002
From: DeQuincy, LA, USA
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Mark
I got a chance fly a Vanquish 2 weekends ago and promptly went home and placed an order. I would like to share me experience with you.
1st You will not fly the Vanquish at WOT, ever - The stock motor & esc flies the 402 sequence at never more than 3/4 throttle.
With the 4s 2500mah batteries I will be expecting 8 minute flights.
In your post you mentioned lunch time flying, so get two batteries and two 8 minute flights at lunch sounds like about all you'd have time for anyway.
Eddie

(in reply to bobferguson)

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RE: Small Electric Flight Times? - 11/17/2007 8:14:50 PM

J Lachowski

Posts: 397
Joined: 9/2/2003
From: Bridgewater, NJ, USA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: swlarcham

Mark
I got a chance fly a Vanquish 2 weekends ago and promptly went home and placed an order. I would like to share me experience with you.
1st You will not fly the Vanquish at WOT, ever - The stock motor & esc flies the 402 sequence at never more than 3/4 throttle.
With the 4s 2500mah batteries I will be expecting 8 minute flights.
In your post you mentioned lunch time flying, so get two batteries and two 8 minute flights at lunch sounds like about all you'd have time for anyway.
Eddie

Don't expect 8 minutes. Set timer to 6.5 minutes and then land. You might be able to stretch to 7 minutes but land quickly. All this if you want the batteries to last. I just get one complete Masters sequence out of it and this in mild wind conditions. After about 3 dozen flights I am not that impressed with the Vanquish. Bigger still flys better. Tempted to get an Angel S 50 from Sebart, a 6S setup. Unfortunately, I'm not running to get one that quicky because then you need all new sets of lipo configurations floating around. Already have 19 lipo packs laying around.<g>

< Message edited by J Lachowski -- 11/17/2007 11:00:38 PM >

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Joe Lachowski
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RE: Small Electric Flight Times? - 11/17/2007 9:03:30 PM

mmattockx

Posts: 2205
Joined: 4/28/2005
From: Calgary, AB, CANADA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: J Lachowski
Don't expect 8 minutes. Set timer to 6.5 minutes and then land. You might be able to stretch to 7 minutes but land quickly. All this if you want the batteries to last.

Well, I guess there is my answer. To me 6.5 minutes is a decent time with a hot Q500 at full speed, enough adrenaline to last for a while. But for fooling around flying aerobatic maneuvers that is pretty pathetic. I am apparently too stuck on glow and the relatively low maintenance requirements it brings. Balancing packs, measuring current, measuring how many mah you use per flight and all the other things I hear about from the electric users just seems like way too much work compared to filling the tank, hooking the glow driver on and flipping it over for the next flight...

Thanks for the replies,
Mark

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RE: Small Electric Flight Times? - 11/17/2007 11:15:36 PM

J Lachowski

Posts: 397
Joined: 9/2/2003
From: Bridgewater, NJ, USA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: mmattockx

quote:

ORIGINAL: J Lachowski
Don't expect 8 minutes. Set timer to 6.5 minutes and then land. You might be able to stretch to 7 minutes but land quickly. All this if you want the batteries to last.

Well, I guess there is my answer. To me 6.5 minutes is a decent time with a hot Q500 at full speed, enough adrenaline to last for a while. But for fooling around flying aerobatic maneuvers that is pretty pathetic. I am apparently too stuck on glow and the relatively low maintenance requirements it brings. Balancing packs, measuring current, measuring how many mah you use per flight and all the other things I hear about from the electric users just seems like way too much work compared to filling the tank, hooking the glow driver on and flipping it over for the next flight...

Thanks for the replies,
Mark

Yeah, but once you have everything figured out for a plane it is plug and play pretty much after that. Worried about flying time, ya just need a few extra packs to make up the difference. The problem with these small planes is that the people marketing them are catering to 3D. Where the money is of course. <g> I've used the recommended confgurations on a number of small planes and it always seemed that they fall flat on flight time. On the other hand, my Extreme Flight Extra 300 with the recommended configuration using TP Prolite 2100's gets me an easy 8 minutes of flying time. Frankly, at times I enjoy flying it more the Vanquish.

To me the easiest pattern setup hands down to deal with is flat out the OS 140 RX with the EFI bearings of course. I've flown just about everything and thats the way I sees it. The YS 140 FZ's and the old Hanno .61's were right up there too during their day.

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Joe Lachowski
NSRCA 330

(in reply to mmattockx)

Post #: 6

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