ORIGINAL: Portlandflyer
Joe,
The timing number in the Hacker manual and web site says 25 degrees.
Bill,
The concept of the brake is to “not” stop the prop, rather to maintain a controlled rotation to create a large plate the diameter of the prop. With no brake, the prop will just windmill on downlines and continue to speed up. If the brake is set too high, the prop will do the opposite and come to a complete stop, again not creating the plate affect we want to slow the plane in downlines.
The brake will not engage if the ESC detects any input above the low throttle setting. In other words, to engage the brake the throttle has to be at zero with no idle trim. If you arm the ESC and then bump up the trim to an idle the brake will not set.
One test for brake strength is on landing. I don’t want to see the prop stopped on approach…just a bit of rotation on touchdown.
It’s a fine line. On my Q80, bumping up the brake by just 5% will stop the prop on downlines and it falls like a rock.
That's what I figured, I have never run a brake until now and I get the wind mill effect on downlines, because I do not have it set correctly. How do you know where to set the brake to engage via the low end/trim, that is the part I am confussed with? I am going to try Chad's setup and use the idle down switch. Not idle trim... Got it! Should I take it to an idle and bump the trim down until it stops or will using a switch do the same?
Feel pretty stupid being an FAI/F3A flier asking these questions. I flew 2009 and won the Districts (2) flying a YS and playing with EP and then went overseas, just started flying again. I am just trying to bridge the gaps in my knowledge of setting these things up. Thanks for being patient with me,....
bill