I am starting this thread due to the number of questions from other 'HOG' pilots. I will tell you exactly what I did and discuss some other mods. first off - if you want blazing speed, this plane will NOT do it. It flies around 20-30 mph and looks very scale. It is very stable and has a beautiful slow speed glide with no tip stall tendencies. It is a great parkflier jet.
My GWS A-10 is completely stock an weighs 15.5 - 17.5 oz depending on the battery used. I have 2 GWS naro servos, an ics 300 esc, and a GWS 4ch naro rx. I used the ics 300 because I think running an ics 100 which is recommended is pushing the limit of the esc and the 300 was cheaper!
The batteries I use are a gws 7 cell 730 nimh and a home-made 7 cell 700 nicad (n700aac). The nimh is good for calm days and I get better climb due to less weight. The nicad is heavier so the climb isn't as good, but it penetrates the wind better and nicads have more punch, so I get a little more top end.
The airframe - 1) First thing is to ditch the gear (if you can belly it in somewhere) It adds drag and looks better with no gear anyway. If you need or want to leave the gear on get rid of the steering servo and glue the nosewheel straight. Nws does almost nothing anyway due to the hard plastic wheel (it's like steering on ice).
2) build light!!
3) On the nacelles, sand the inlet and exhaust smooth. This is very important. In the exhaust put packing tape over the molding holes. When you lightly glue the nacelles together - put packing tape over the seams in the nacelle exhaust and seal the motor wire hole with a drop of silicone. I did the above step as I built it so I can't compare but guys on e-zone did it after flying and said there was a noticeable improvement! Just ask the guys in the jet section how important a smooth inlet and exhaust is!
4) notch out the back of the battery compartment. You will need to slide the pack back. The c of g should be set at the aft most point of the recommended range - or it will be to nose heavy! I find that if I move my pack back untill I can see 1 or 2 cells in the batt compartment - it is about right.
5) Motors. Everybody knows there are problems with the motors, but through trial and error, I have found something that works. First after assembly I broke in the motors by running at min throttle for about 5 min. Other than this, DON'T run these motors static. Put a drop of light oil on the shafts every couple of flights, this keeps the shafts from scoring the bushings and jamming - causing motor burnout. (We at e-zone have disected a number of motors and found this to be the most common cause of motor failure) My motors have 20 flights on them and they still go strong. I think the limit is about 30 flights (based on approx 6 min per flight) That is pretty much a flying season for me, and replacements are cheap.
6) I set the control throws per the book. Start there and then you will need to increase them a little to do rolls and loops. Yes these are possible with a little dive for speed. (well it kinda falls out in the top half of the loop but it rolls nice!)
Good luck and I hope this helps a little. Tommorow I will touch on the powerplant upgrades.
Posts: 146
Joined: 1/14/2003 From: Davis, OK, USA Status: offline
How about that info on the powerplant mods? I just picked up one of these kits, and am about to start building it. If there are any mods that are worth making, I would like to try them!! Already planning on installing a tailcone on the back of the motors.
Posts: 71
Joined: 3/15/2003 From: las vegas,
NV, USA Status: offline
what not to do...
those little motors in the edf50's in my a-10 only lasted 5 flights on eight cells. i think they would have lasted longer had i oiled them between flights. so i took out the ducted fans and put two speed 400 direct drive motors running 5x5 props on them sticking out the back of each nacelle. i put in a ten cell battery to run everything. it gives an impressive amount of thrust but there is a problem with this setup as i found out a little too late into the first flight with this configuration. unless both of the elevators are at exactly the same angle, the thrust off the props will roll the plane over faster then you can see it much like a rudder works on a boat. maybe ten cells running an 11 turn mpi cobalt 400 with a 6x4 prop stuck on the back of the plane between the elevators would make a good modification. plenty of speed and not a worry about those little p.o.s. motors dying after 5 flights.
Posts: 88
Joined: 8/2/2003 From: Colorado Springs, CO, USA Status: offline
Sounds like the stock EDF-50s underpower the beast a bit. Based on other airplanes in CO (not just mine) being underpowered is a big problem for us here, so I need to hear more about PP upgrades before I can buy one...
I just flew the "Mini Hog" here yesterday. Stock configuration, no wheels or steering servo, 7 cell nimh, got about 6 minutes and 3 to 400 feet altitude. OK but could be better. Will try Li-Polys next.
Posts: 406
Joined: 12/9/2001 From: Covington Ky 41015 Status: offline
I'm fairly new to electrics, the Sky Scooter is my first. I bought a pair of GWS edf 50 BH units on ebay. According to GWS figures, these will handle 9.6-10.8 volts compared to the standard units 6-7.2 volts. They have the RXC motors with 5 blade fans, rated thrust is a little more than the stock ones too. Do you think these would be good for the A-10 on 8 Nimh cells 1800 Mah? These are the batteries I'm running on the Scooter.
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Stock GWS A-10 building, setup, and mods - 
