Ideal drop system
 

After about 1000 jumps in the past 4 years, Frank and I have developed the ideal drop system. Start with a Hobby Lobby $209 Senior Telemaster- reinforce the fuse at wing attach points, lg attach points, and firewall. The power comes from an Exceed monster power 160 brushless ( $50.00 !!!) turning a 22-10 prop. Batteries are two blue sky 4s 20c 5000mah ( $35.00 each) in series to give about 30v. The speed controller is a Castle Creations Ice 100 ($120.00 can't go cheap here). Performance the plane is in the air in 10 feet and gets to drop altitude quickly (800 ft spektrum telemetry). We can do 6 drops on one set of batteries. We have 2 sets right now which gives us 12 drops in a session. The batteries show 115 degrees on removal so no problem there. The speed controller never gets even warm ( ice-ice-baby). NO STARTING PROBLEMS!!!! The batteries weigh 1 pound apiece but reside in the REAR of the radio compartment for correct cg. Total cost of the power system $310 about what a small gasser costs.
Without the man on board you can hover the plane!!!!

RE: Ideal drop system
 

hey banzai that looks real good are you and frank coming to muncie this year hope to see you there





Bob
st louis mo.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

Very nice to see more people going big electric. Once you do it you won't go back to gas or glow that is for sure.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

Dave, you are so right! I learned alot from Model Airplane News 'Ultimate Electrics' publications. A great formula: sailplanes, etc 75 watts per pound, sport - 100 watts per pound, 3d - 150 watts per pound. Watts = battery voltage times motor amperage (i.e. 60 amp for this motor). Two 4s lipos in series gives me 8 cells or about 30v x 60 amps or 1800 watts. Can easily lift 18 pounds which is in line for a telemaster and guy with room to spare. 5000 mah gives us 5-6 flights with a reserve charge.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

We are pushing around 1650 watts with our setup on 6 cells in a modified Kadet Senior. Plenty of room to throttle back. With a 5000 mah pack we could drop at 800 feet easily 6 times, we have actual done 5- 1200 foot drops on one charge. We use 3300's some times and are getting 3- 1200 foot drops. These are all with one 3-1/2 pound diver on board. These figures are running the packs to 75%, so we plan to get a long life out of the cells as well.

No mess, No hassle, No vibration, always ready to go we the jumper is ready. Just smooth pure horsepower.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

We have decided a 20-10 or 20-8 prop works better. Less amp draw. Thank you Castle link!

RE: Ideal drop system
 

I hope someone has time for a newbee question. I have agreed to help my friends design a jump plane. We are all experienced rc pilots and plane buildes but new to rc skydiving. The plane we want to build is purpose built for a junp plane. The fuselage will have 5 or 6 drop bays for the diver to be loaded virticaly into with trap doors. What size bay will work? 10 wide 12 tall and 4 thick. Please fell free to comment on ay aspect of the design.. The wingspan 12 feet and the power twin electric motors mounted on necells on the wing. My main concern is the size of the bays where the skydiver is loaded. thank for the help.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

This will all depend on who's skydiver you use.

On our skydivers we strongly recommend you drop them belly down, in the flat position. We do not recommend head or feet first like you are describing.

With the size you are looking for it seems to me the Micro Diver will be the only one that fits your bay size requirement.

6" x 10" x 4" would work for the Micro, it would take 18" x 14" x 9" compartment for the Hangtim Ultimate of ours.

Most of us just make a provision for the chute pack to go into and the rest of the diver hangs out.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

This is great information. Thanks for the help. Building a plane for the larger skydiver should not be a problem. maybe internal i could get 3 large or 6 small. I probley need to start an new thread for this build. we hope to start construction in january and should be flying by spring. About 10 years ago i remember seeing a jump plane there the jumper was loaded inside the plane on a 30 degree angle and not vertical what do you think about this. also if you were going to build a purpose built plane for skydivers what would it look like.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

You might consider the 12' giant telemaster. Great plane (except for the stock wing mounting). Have built 3 and my latest is a warhorse. DLE 111 on the front with pilatus porter looks. It dosen't know the 4 pound guys are there.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

we are going to scratch buils something.. I agree the 12 foot telemaster is a good plane i am going to use it as a reference for wing design and overall size The fusealage where the jumpers can be mounted is what we realy want to design for jumpers.. Taller gear to get to the belly of the plane.better. the twinn engine electric just for fun. all comments welcome.. The sky is the limit.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

Hi Superbee,

We dropped a few times down at the 3D line at the last Joe Nall with the Telemaster here.
(this pic is from the Muncie meet back in September, I think we have five jumpers on it in this pic)
Colton Clark piloted for us.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

Hey Gary,

Nice to see that 5th jumper worked out between the gear. Do you think the DLE-111 would pull up a 6th jumper if you rigged a second drop box in line on the fuselage? Just behind Lil' Juan in your picture? Or are you starting to push the envelope on that setup?


Paul

RE: Ideal drop system
 

I have a DLE 111 on my big telemaster weighs 45# without the men and the plane dosen't know the guys are there.
Takes off at 1/3 throttle. Mine could carry 6 with no trouble. Frank and I have thought about a four-guy under fusalage pod arranged
like this
X X
X X

RE: Ideal drop system
 

Mine weighed in at 43 lbs. but I can't remember if it had all of the drop boxes on when I weighed it, it may have only had two on it.
With the 111 I run a 27x10 or a 28x10 prop, not sure which one is on it right now.

At Muncie, when we took off with 4 or less jumpers on we went up to drop height without circling.
With 5 on we made one circle most of the time to get to drop altitude.
There were 5 different people flying the planeat Muncie, so everyone got a chance to fly their skydivers, (come to think of it though not one of them was from Ohio) and I don't recall anyone having any problems flying with a full load.

I'm sure it would handle six,but I don't plan to try, other than a rally, or maybe the Joe Nall event, three would most likely be the most I would take up at one time.

GaryV

RE: Ideal drop system
 

That is cool Gary. Looks like the struts are working well. Glad everyone got a flight! We almost did come over. We thought long and hard about it and we were going to come, it just did not work out. Family commitments on both sides stopped us. [&o]

Plane looks really cool with five on it.:D

RE: Ideal drop system
 

Got both my EP telemasters ready for the new year. There is so much LESS wear and tear compared to my gas powered planes.
Probably due to way less shake and no oil!! And my batteries are holding up well!

RE: Ideal drop system
 

Frank and I got 9 jumps yesterday! We are getting 6 flights to 500 ft on a set of batteries. Spektrum telemetry working well. I will be adding the ipad interface looks cool and is separate from my transmitter. We will have altitude, airspeed, and power battery voltage info on the ipad. Love EP!!!!!

RE: Ideal drop system
 

Hobbypartz has the motors in stock finally at a 50% increase over last year's price $74; and the batteries have gone from $30 to $44. The govenment lies about inflation.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

Was Frank using the RC Skydive SA chute, if so how was it perfoming.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

Frank likes that chute. Flies well but is has a little different feel

RE: Ideal drop system
 

[:o][:o][:o] Yikes! Hobby Lobby has jacked up the price of the senior telemaster arf from $209 to $249! The other one is probably not selling at $350. THEN they hit you with huge shipping charges.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

chinese workers are getting smarter and demanding more hourly wage. Plus as supply and demand goes up the price to get a carton of anything shipped from china to US is also going up.

Going to have to find another poverty country to start building stuff for us.

RE: Ideal drop system
 

Wonder what the actual shipping chargers are on a senior telemaster arf.....

RE: Ideal drop system
 

After two years of hard use, my Telemasters are showing some wear. I checked Hobby Lobby they have increased the price from $209 to $249 and will have an oversize charge. that is if you could get one - "Temporarily out of production" BUT! they do have the $350 version. I just happened to have a set of plans from RC Modeller Plans service, so I built two new fuselages. Improved TM fuselages. Lite ply reinforcement, wider fuse in the tail area, etc. I used the wings from my old ones two sets of wings, four telemasters 2 electric and 2 gas. The new fuselages fly great and cost me about $30 apiece!!