N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

I had a little issue with my Herr Extra this weekend. Well, OK, it was a pretty big issue. She's totalled... It wasn't pilot error, but it was more like "Flight Engineer" error. But, seeing as how I was the Flight Engineer too.......

Anyway, I started thinking... it was the 3rd flight, and my little 350 mAh battery pack had had enough. I made a turn that should have cleared the ground nicely, but it didn't. The pack had run out of poop. Disaster city! But then it started me thinking, which is always dangerous...

I started with this airplane running a Norvel .074, Hitec HS-55 servos, and a 350 mAh battery pack... which should have been enough for this size engine.

Then I installed an OS-10LA. Not a powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination, so I moved up... Never gave a thought to the battery pack or servos.

I installed a Magnum 15 XLA and I was having a ball with this plane until.......

Now, if you think about it, those HS-55's and the 350 mAh pack should have been enough for the original .074 setup. But once I started upgrading the engine, should I have upgraded the servos too? Yes, I admit that it's a no-brainer that I should have upgraded the battery pack. Or at least limit myself to 2 flights.... Blasting those control surfaces with a 8x5 running 13K takes a lot of electrons...

My question is - what are you guys using for servos and have you had issues with the HS-55? Have you stripped a gear??? I figure that to get back into the air it will cost about $100 with a new Herr and a few accessories. But, if I have to spend an additional $30 each for four digital servos to fit into those micro servo slots, then it's just not going to be worth it..

What are you guys using for servos, and how do you like them?

Bob

hogflyer

N1EDM,

Here's what I have in mine:

HS-65HB for the ailerons
HS-81MG for the rudder/elevator
el-cheapo from the LHS for the throttle (soon to be replaced by an HS-55 if it keeps acting like it does)
720 mAh NiMh receiver battery (sits right next to the throttle servo in the servo tray)
Berg 7P receiver
OS .10 FP for power, will be replaced by an OS .10 FSR
Fuel tank: stock 2 ounce that came with it
Ready to fly weight minus fuel = 29 ounces

I think most of this set-up will work for your .15 powered plane except for the fuel tank. I set mine up for .15 power just in case the .10 didn't work out, and right now the jury is still out. I'll know more when I can break in the FSR and try it first. Right now I get about 6 minutes of mostly full throttle flight - set the timer at 5 min 30 sec and when it goes off I have to land right then, and have no chance of a balked landing.

Hogflyer

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

Thanks, Hogflyer. I see that the 81's are discontinued... I wonder if the 65's would work all around, but that would still be another $100 to add to the cost of the plane. Not sure if I want to go that far...

I'll look at the 65's to see if they would work all around. But, it would give me a nice feeling to know that the HS-55's would work all around. But, I'm not so sure.

Thanks again,

Bob

Tee Bee

I bought 55s all around for mine for use with a 10LA but haven't built it yet. I think it will work out ok. I've used those servos in several 1/2A-sized planes with no probs but I'm just a sport flyer, not a 3D-type.

Mainspar

My Feedback: (27)

I used 5 HS-81's and a 500mAh battery in mine. Works great.
I don't see any problem with using your 350mAh battery, though. I have a 270mAh battery in my Stinger 10 and it will run 4 flights on a charge without any problems.

Mr. Mugen

The 55's will be suffice for the ailerons and throttle. I would get into a 65 for the rudder (maybe a MG since it does steer your tailwheel and rudder) and one for he elevator as well. I love the 65 line in both hb and mg....great servo's. If you shoudl strip a hb gear the mg gears will fit in as the hb's do....exactly.

Kevin

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

Hi Mr. Mugen,

I take it that you have already installed some 55's in your airplane. I have 'em in mine too....

I found the 65's on TH for about $26 each... that might be a compromise. I didn't want to buy any servos at all, but this might be a way around it.

Thanks for the input.

Bob

Mr. Mugen

I only installed them in the ailerons and throttle. I do not trust them in the tail. I had a bunch of 65 laying in a drawer so I used them. I like the 65's for most of my 1/2 a tails. I have not had a single issue with them to date.

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

81's discontinued? I just got 3 of them last week from tower?...I got some hayes racing wheels for mine cause the wheels are too small for my field, so no cool wheel pants either...started on mine last night ,will have an os .15,,I had one a few years back, I didnt remember the tank looking so small, but as a rule I deadstick in 95% of the time anyway,,got 55's but I may go 85 for the ele....Rog

Mr. Mugen

Yes the 81's have been discontinued for some time now. Tower has a few of the plastic geared servos left but thats it. They revamped their entire servos line and the 82's repaced the 81's. I got a mess of 81's new on the bay for 8 bucks a piece a few weeks ago. Guy was selling off the last of his 81 stock.

BuzzBomber

My Feedback: (4)

FWIW, I am using GWS Naro +BB servos all the way around in my Extra. IIRC, they are akin to the 65s in specs, but the 55s is price. I've always had good luck with GWS servos, some of the picos I own have withstood six seasons of hard flying and still keep going strong. The gearsets seem to be stronger than Hitec nylon gears, but I don't honestly know how they compare to the karbonite.

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

I've been thinking about it and I don't think that I'm going to resurrect the Herr... I'm going to move on to other projects. If I had been a bit smarter and started off with the stronger servos and battery pack, that would be one thing. But it would be pretty expensive to start all over again for a plane that I only flew occasionally.

Please don't get me wrong. I want to emphasize that this combination is a blast, but that anyone contemplating it should go in with heir eyes open and immediately move up to the Magnum 15, stronger servos, and higher-capacity battery pack. You're going to love it.

I'll still monitor the thread - I want to see what others are doing. I'm going to miss this airplane...

Bob

STRAUBMAN

I crashed mine the other day. Very windy and not enough experience. Came in for landing and realized I couldn't not land myself. Called for help and tried a go around. Well, I went around. Around into the ground!! Not to bad though. Just busted the gear off. A little epoxy and she'll be back in the air. I'm really learning how to fly this bad boy pretty well and I love it. Engine is also running great now. Looking at previous post I am a bit worried as I'm running 55's all around. I guess we'll see.

microsprint9

Yep, same servos that i used in my lil extra too, i had to use a HS-81 on the throttle though as moving the linkage to the opposite side for my Mag .15xl created some binding problems and after stripping a HS55 i used a HS 81 and all was good, but i agree, all my GWS servos have performed quite well and i don't think i've ever stripped one gear set on my pico or naro servos.

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

OK, let me reconsider this then....

Is there anyone out there who has stripped a HS-55 servo while running a Magnum 15 (or equivalent) engine?

Bob

Toad

I have stripped them in my small 1/2a stuff, usually the elevator if the landing was rough, I did have one ailiron servo quit, in flight. since that one, I dont use them in glow ships of any size. I think it is the vibrations that get to them and I really think you need at least 20oz of torque for any plane that goes over 40mph. Just my thinking on it. I like the 65's and the 85's 81's. I have not had any failures or stripped gears with those except in some "Hair Pie" straight in nose landings from altitude. I use servos that come with mounting grommets. the ones without are just asking to fall apart from vibrations

Mr. Mugen

I agree 100%. I try to keep 55's out of my nitro's. I have stripped quite a few in electrics and nitro's. Usually the rudder or elevator. I only had one fail in aileron position so far. I am running 55's in the ailerons of my lil extra with a 15la and haven't had any issues so far. They are greal lecky servo's though. Just too much vibration for them in nitro's I think. I also had one throttle servo kick the bucket and it had perfect gears. I think the pot went in it.

Kevin

LittleRock

Is a .15 engine 1/2A ? Isn't that the size range for this heading?

microsprint9

The Herr lil extra was designed for the Norvel .074 which is pretty close to 1/2A but since Norvel is no longer around the only real engine choice for this plane is an OS .10LA, OS .15LA, Magnum .15XL or XLS or any other .15 since the .074 was quite strong in it's day.

Luna_Rendezvous

What about the Enya .09 ? looks like a sweet little plain bearing motor, does anyone have one? if so what props does it turn with what RPMs?

planebuilder66

My Feedback: (8)

If your stripping HS55 gears on a throttle, look at the throttle barrel, something is binding enough to make it strip gears. I've ran micro servos on big gassers with no ill effect. All throttle linkages should be smooth and free.

microsprint9

On the lil extra when running a magnum .15 i had to move the plastic tube to the opposite side than the way it comes, the steel rod inside the plastic did not move quite freely enough for a HS 55 to survive but the HS 81 worked fine. I'm sure if i tweaked it some more i could have got it moving better but since i had a 81 in stock i just decided to do that.

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

Finally got mine in the air today....still took the whole runway to take off, it balanced and flew fine but with a minute or two the throttle or carb was running up and down ( you remember 5 oclock charlie on MASH) and after another minute of this it died and floated in like a glider...then raindave pulled up and gave me a 8x4 prop so I switched it out and fired it up and saw the problem,,the air line from the muff was pumping in enough air to blow fuel by the fuel line.....he gave me a smaller piece and I wire tied it on at the field...took off in 40 feet flew out great, since it was a real maiden I went up high, ailerons are a bit twitchyer than I remember but it was fine, 3 minutes or so the engine starts to 5 oclock again, turns out that the clunk isnt laying on the bottom of the tank so its sucking fuel and pressurized at the same time, enough to make it run like its got bubbles in it at the end of the tank, this time deadstickin in I thought I'm gonna have to walk a mile to get it,, right when I would have dove just a bit, it did on its own?, flaired it in for a great landing,,battery was showing low and a sprinkle moved in on us so we packed it in....but I'm happy with it, I put Hayes racing wheels on mine because our grass is kinda high and the stock wheels wouldnt let me do more than weed whack....Rog.

5 hs-55
600 mah batt
os .15la
2.5 inch wheels-3/4 tail wheel
Herr extra
FUN!!

hkbii

Howdie gents. I allways use braided brass cable on the throtle. I solder a brass thread link on the engin end to put on a clevis and tin the end that goes throu the kwick link at the servo. A steel or plactic rod will tranfer the engin viberations right to the gear train and wear them out faster then youd think. I allways mark the throtle servoes so they are not used on a flight serface.hkbii

ndb8fxe

My Feedback: (1)

Am I completely crazy for considering using Tower Pro SG90's in mine?