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E-Flite retracts

Old 05-31-2011, 04:03 AM
  #1  
edbu1
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Default E-Flite retracts

I'm putting together a Top Flite Gold Edition P-47, 63 inch wingspan. Using the 60-120 size E-Flite retracts. Got the wing assembled, installed retracts in the scale position. Using Robart 4 inch diamond treaded wheels (3.5 ounces), and find out that the E-Flite retracts can't pull up the Robart wheels. Using the stock coil-spring struts with Robart plastic strut covers, stock axle, two wheel collars, Robart wheel and 1/8 inch ply landing gear doors. Overall weight at end of strut is probably no more than 5 ounces. Strut length from pivot point to axle is 7 inches. So the E-Flite unit would need about 35 inch-ounces of torque. But the unit bogs down and stops with about an inch or so to go.

I've taken the retract unit out of the wing to make sure that it isn't binding on anything, made sure the screw is free of balsa dust and so forth. It works great sideways when it's not fighting gravity. I have replaced the Robarts wheel with a Dave Brown Lite Flite 3.5 inch wheel, which is 1.2 ounces in weight, and the landing gear does work with this wheel.

Would it help to change the 4 cell receiver pack to a 5 cell? I'm using a Futaba FAAST 2.4 Ghz system, but haven't checked if the additional voltage is OK with Futaba.

Anybody having this sort of issue with the E-Flite retracts?

Ed
Old 05-31-2011, 04:20 AM
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BarracudaHockey
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

Nothing in the Futaba setup that wont take 5 cell packs unless you have some unusual servos. Check the ratings for the servos you're using, if they have a 6v rating they will work fine.
Old 05-31-2011, 05:36 AM
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SCALECRAFT
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

Odd for these.

With a 6V pack, mine can open my garage door.


Steve
Old 05-31-2011, 07:34 AM
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edbu1
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

I'm using Futaba S3004 servos and have checked with Futaba. They say no problem to use a 5 cell Ni-Cd pack with their FAAST receiver and with these servos.

I spoke with technical support at E-Flite. The rep. didn't know right off if this situation is unusual, but took all of my information regarding the set-up and is checking into it. Checking to see if the retracts should be ble to handle this load at 4.8 volts, and also to see if going to 6 volts is expected to solve the problem.

I'll post again when I get an answer.

Ed
Old 05-31-2011, 07:40 AM
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Experten109/40
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

my guess would be not enough battery. more wieght = more power. sometimes the 4.8v batt won't cut it.
Old 05-31-2011, 08:37 AM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

Have you checked the health of the battery?
Old 05-31-2011, 07:04 PM
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LDM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

stupid question but I would rather be safe then sorry, did you check your radio settings on the retract channel? I usually go to my settings and cycle the gear,at times you would be surprised that with zero binding simple running the gamit thru the gear channel can really help the gear fully cycle.
Old 06-02-2011, 03:15 AM
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edbu1
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

Sorry to say that the people at E-Flite were not much help. They were unable to tell me for what torque rating the retracts are rated at. All they could say is that going to a 6 volt receiver pack should help. So I wired up a 5 cell receiver pack, charged and cycled the battery pack to ensure it is holding full capacity, and now the E-Flite retracts do lift the Robart wheels all the way. It does struggle a bit just before being fully retracted, but it does work. I always have the option of changing out the wheels to the lighter Lite Flite wheels and save 3 ounces, but the Robart diamond tread wheels are so cool and look more appropriate on a warbird.

Ed
Old 06-02-2011, 03:38 AM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

eflight no help ???? lol , really, considering we started a very long post on another website after I purchased eflight and did not see one differance between eflight for $89 and my cheapy ones from Hobby King for $29 !!! Some bashers said " customer servace ????? sorry for $60 dollars more I need to see hard core features , so far my cheapy retracts that range from $15 to $50 in differant sizes have worked great .
My eflight in my 55mm p47 , on event landing (even the really good ones ) the legs come loose , so they need to be removed , tighten and reinstalled .
A better design would be an L bracket to hold any add on leg to the moveing part of the retract . A simple set screw in this size retract is like putting your finger in a Damm to stop a leak
Old 04-12-2012, 05:52 PM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

Hi there

I have the E flight 60 - 120 size retracts and im having the exact same problem. Im using du bro 3.5 inch wheels wich weigh 4 oz per wheel, and the complete weight with the gear door is 6 oz.

and like edbu1 said, they make it about half way then just stop and make the beep sound. I have got the DX8 tx and AR8000 reciver and im running 8 savox sc-1257TG digital servos, and i run this of a lipo 8.4 volt 5000 MA battery pack. The problem i have is that the servose will only take 6 volts so i have to use a regulator. The regulator im using is a ALIGN RCE-B6X voltage regulator and the output on that is 5.8 volts to the reciver. When i take out the regulator the retract work great but i dont want to end up poping my servos so im stuck. Iv asked the guys at my local hobby shop and they dont seem to have any ideas. I suppose i could use high voltage servos but they are quite exspensive so im hoping there is a way around this problem. Iv tryed putting different wheels on there but they look crap, and these du bro wheels are the exact match of the wheels used on the original plane. I even brought some hanger 9 pro light 3.25 inch just to see if it would lift them wich it did but struggled a bit towards the end, and these wheels are 2 oz lighter than the du bro and a quarter inch smaller.

Kind regards

Chris
Old 04-12-2012, 06:42 PM
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flyntruk
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

  Yes ... I too am having trouble with the E-flite retracts in 60-120 size ... I'm switching to a 6 volt pack , to see if this helps .   The retracts are in a Kyosho spit fire 90 this is a 72 WS .   Thought of switching wheels  but I want to see how the 6 v pack handles things .
Old 04-12-2012, 06:52 PM
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da Rock
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

ORIGINAL: H1-RACER

Hi there

I have the E flight 60 - 120 size retracts and im having the exact same problem. Im using du bro 3.5 inch wheels wich weigh 4 oz per wheel, and the complete weight with the gear door is 6 oz.

and like edbu1 said, they make it about half way then just stop and make the beep sound. I have got the DX8 tx and AR8000 reciver and im running 8 savox sc-1257TG digital servos, and i run this of a lipo 8.4 volt 5000 MA battery pack. The problem i have is that the servose will only take 6 volts so i have to use a regulator. The regulator im using is a ALIGN RCE-B6X voltage regulator and the output on that is 5.8 volts to the reciver. When i take out the regulator the retract work great but i dont want to end up poping my servos so im stuck. Iv asked the guys at my local hobby shop and they dont seem to have any ideas. I suppose i could use high voltage servos but they are quite exspensive so im hoping there is a way around this problem. Iv tryed putting different wheels on there but they look crap, and these du bro wheels are the exact match of the wheels used on the original plane. I even brought some hanger 9 pro light 3.25 inch just to see if it would lift them wich it did but struggled a bit towards the end, and these wheels are 2 oz lighter than the du bro and a quarter inch smaller.

Kind regards

Chris

You say that you take out the regulator and the retracts work. That tells you two things. The retracts are powerful enough. The regulator is blocking them from getting enough juice.

Sounds like you need unregulated power to the retracts.

I had to modify a Y harness to run a dedicated battery for my Wingspan retracts. It'd work in your case.


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Old 04-13-2012, 01:05 AM
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LDM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

You can also put a battery and a on /off switch to your retracts and then one for your flight system , I think when connecting this method to the receiver one of the wires needs to be disconnected from the set up from the retracts , perhaps the e-power guys can comment .
Old 04-13-2012, 03:00 AM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts


ORIGINAL: LDM

You can also put a battery and a on /off switch to your retracts and then one for your flight system , I think when connecting this method to the receiver one of the wires needs to be disconnected from the set up from the retracts , perhaps the e-power guys can comment .

That's the Y-harness mentioned in the post just before yours.

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Old 04-13-2012, 10:01 AM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

Hi guys

Iv just been to the local hobby shop and brought a NIMH 2000 mah battery pack and switch and some y leads. Im going to connect them up and see what happens so ill keep you posted. Hopfully it will solve the problem and ill get to keep my scale look on the wheels.

Kind regards

Chris
Old 04-13-2012, 01:37 PM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

Hi guys

Just to let you know that i set up my retracts the way you guys said, and following the picture it was quite simple.AND IT WORKS , i now have independant 6v 2000mah power supply to the landing gear and it lifts my du bro 3.5 inch wheels no problem. As i said my landing gear doors and wheels weigh 6oz and it lifts them fine, so if anyone else is having this problem i would suggest wiring it up this way.

Thankyou for your help guysiv been picking my brains for about 2 weeks on this one lol.

Kind regards

Chris
Old 04-13-2012, 02:13 PM
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da Rock
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

Glad that you got it working.

What has started sweeping the model world recently is LiFe power. For an awful lot of models, just using a 6.6V LiFe battery does the job without requiring a regulator. You do need to make sure your servo's and RX can deal with a fully charged 6.6V LiFe pack however.

It's worth looking into.

A standard 4.8V 800 mAh NiCd pack weighs about 3.4 oz. A 5-cell 6.0V would be 4.25 oz.

A 6.6V 1800 mAh LiFe is about 4.5 oz. Tower has that size for for about $33. If weight were a problem, then the 1100 mAh Life is only 3.0 oz which is lighter than the 4.8V NiCd that couldn't do the job.
Old 04-13-2012, 02:19 PM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

One group of modelers who're doing the 'sweeping' are the IMAC guys. I was flying today with two of them who were flying planes that had just been switched over from regulator and power bus setups to nothing more than LiFes.

I was truthfully amazed as it was entirely out of character for one of them to be going simpler. His models almost always have another gadget.

Just retrofitting your battery seems too easy, just too easy. But it is happening.
Old 04-13-2012, 02:52 PM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

Da Rock thanks for the diagram , it will really help me as well , sorry I missed it .
Old 04-13-2012, 03:30 PM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

I used a similar separate wiring scheme in the 150 size H9 150 P-51 a couple years ago. The Jr 791 retract servos themselves wont operate on a 6v battery...only a 4.8v. But I needed the rest of the flight controls running on 6v.

As a side note.....I have the e-flite 60-120 size gear in my graupner fw-190 d9. They have 4" robart diamond treaded tires and they lift them no problem. But...I am using a 6v rx battery.
Old 04-13-2012, 04:59 PM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

For an awful lot of models, just using a 6.6V LiFe battery does the job without requiring a regulator.
Just be careful. There's a thread in the JETS forum where guys are frying servos on 2 cell LiFe batteries.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_11039283/tm.htm

Might be worth a read. - John.
Old 04-13-2012, 06:01 PM
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da Rock
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts


ORIGINAL: Boomerang1

For an awful lot of models, just using a 6.6V LiFe battery does the job without requiring a regulator.
Just be careful. There's a thread in the JETS forum where guys are frying servos on 2 cell LiFe batteries.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_11039283/tm.htm

Might be worth a read. - John.
There are a number of servos that won't stand 6V.

If the mfg doesn't report the specs for both 4.8V and 6V, I'd pass on that servo for sure.
Old 04-13-2012, 06:05 PM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

One of the downsides of JR servos. Unless they have changed, they only like 4.8
Old 04-13-2012, 06:53 PM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts


ORIGINAL: vertical grimmace

One of the downsides of JR servos. Unless they have changed, they only like 4.8
It depends on what servos, but there are a few that simply dont like 6v...but most work fine. Those jr 791's though are specific and wont run above 5.8volts
Old 04-13-2012, 07:17 PM
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Default RE: E-Flite retracts

I put the large E-flite's in this (pic is before the upgrade) along with Robart scale treaded wheels and oleo struts. They can pull them up at 6V.
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