I won't comment on the Nicad or Nimh batteries....I've pretty much stopped using them. I installed a Lithium 2200 and regulator....I know it's overkill.......but I put on 4 or 5 flights last weekend...and I'm not even close to the point that I want to charge. Notice i said WANT.....not NEED. Everyone has their preference.....use what your comfortable with or what your demands call for.




Regards,


Neo

cstevec, You are probably right. I was using way too much rudder. It just surprised me. And I ran out of time. The SFGs were pretty cool though. With practice I hope I'll get better. I was able to KE the full length of the runway before now just a little more difficult but nose was much higher. One time I even got it low enough people could see the plane.
Thanks
Barry

Don't feel bad, part of the learning process I guess. I have been trying to make knife edge loops look like loops (round) and the different amounts of rudder needed at different aspects of the circle are kickin' my *****! I trashed my Sukhoi sat. on one of the prettiest knife edge loops I have ever done 'cause I was so pleased with myself I forgot to feed in the extra throttle as I was going across the bottom of the loop. Realized what was happening at the last minute and "snap" !! Maybe I should practice a little higher!

I have a feeling this plane is going to be a real learning tool for a lot of us if we can just keep it outta the grass.

STG. I just did another test tonight. About 86 degrees. A little hotter tonight than when I did my last tests. But tongiht I got about 9400 RPM with the 16x6 (Peak about 9550) and 12lbs 8ozs thrust. With the 16.5 x 5W I could get 8800RPM and only about 12lbs 5 ozs thrust. And that was as high as I could get the speed. She won't do any more, not at my elevation. So for me the 16x6 prop is better.
If you want to try it I will send you the prop at no charge, since I won't be using it. I don't know if it is a freak couple of props or not but it doesn't work for me. Can't speak for someone at a lower elevation. My engine really heated up also.
If you want to try it, PM me with an address.
Thanks
Barry

Also, anybody else added any right thrust to their engine? I added one washer worth and my flys just a little be better. I felt like it fell out to the left and had to add a lot of right rudder when in hover. Anybody else experience this?
Thankd
Barry

PM sent on that prop .

Me with the Showtime just before I flew it for the first time with the SFGs. It's a little out of focus because my knees were shaking so bad it effected the camera.
Thanks,
Barry

All I have left to do is mount the engine & fuel tank, then balance. I'm torn here. I have a Saito 1.00 in an Ultimate, and a Saito 1.20 in a Laser 200. Which do you think would be the better engine for this plane?

Saito 1.20 Given mine isn't running at it's best.....but there is much to be desied from the 1.00 in this plane. I believe I'm gonna be replacing it soon.



Neo

I think the 100 would really struggle with this plane. I had the 100 in my UCD and it weighed 7lbs 4ozs. It flew it fine but maybe still just a little bit underpowered although I must say, not bad. But this plane with a Saito 100 would still weigh 8.5 lbs. I think that would just be too much weight. I'd go with the Saito 120. That would work fine.
Thanks,
Barry

This in addition to my earlier post....I should have put in more details. My ST weighs in at 8lbs 12 oz. My Saito 1.00 dosen't seem to be runnng at it's best....it's got some time on it. But....overall it will fly it good. Not Great. Cruise is at between 1/2 to to 3/4 throttle......verticle is ok....barely enough power to do good waterfalls. KE is no problem.....big loops no problem. Hover is done about 3/4 throttle....with very little pullout. I started to run a 16x4 instead of the 15x6....I'm turning right at 9200 RPM and it seems to pull better in the verticles. I'm also only running 15%.....30% may give it the extra kick it needs. There are many variables......I'm satisfied with the way it flies....but not thrilled. It all depends what you like to do. It would work for pattern...but all out 3D....it's pushing it.


Hope this helps!!


Neo Out!!!

Thanks guys, sounds like the 1.20 is the better choice, I bet it requires moving the blind nuts though. Hanger 9 should include adjustable motor mounts with their planes so we could just bolt 'em up & go. Are you listening Mike?

The 1.20 will be the better choice......I forgot to mention with the 1.00 at that weight I had to put the throttle servo as well as battery and regulator all in the nose of the plane to get it to balance without adding lead.




Neo

cstevec, thanks for the input.

I think I will go for 945 and 925s , may be a couple of digitals at the tail and a NiCd at 2400 mAh at either 4.8 or 6V. Now regarding the engine choice, I already have a YS 140 FZ I it has only 15 tanks. I have it since 1997 it is one of the very first ones I have replaced the silicon of the regulator and works fine with 30% Cool Power Heli. Some people have suggested to replace the gaskets but I will not bother, I'll see how it goes.

I'm really tempted though to go for the for the 110 FZ I just want to save some weight and go with the recommended configuration. There are also an OS-120 Mk III and a Webra 120 on self but I don't think I will use them for various reasons.

Well I have not been into gassers and bigger planes. Lately I fly 3D fun fly models such as the Flip 3D, Cougar 2000 and the electric Fliton Jumping Jack. Well this is gonna be the first 120 size plane combining 3D,pattern and freestyle capabilites. So I would like to use some descent equipment that will be above average. I also have a local pattern contest to participate in September so I wouldn't rather my plane to be under-equiped compared to the 2x2 patternships I will probably see there.

The plane will depart from England on Friday and will be here in a week's time. When I receive it I will try to take some photos and weigh everything, I would like to compare with yours.

Rgds,

Nick

Sounds like good choices Nick, & more importantly good reasoning. That YS is sure to be way overkill in the power range for this plane though but then I fly a Funtana 90 with a Saito 1.50 so who am I to talk.

My Showtime is equiped with Hitec 5625 digitals all around except for the rudder which is a 5645. A 6 Volt 2700 mah NiMh battery to power everything & a first for me, a Polk 8 channel reciever. The neat thing about that is the reciever is synthisized so I can operate on any frequency I choose. It appears to work in either ppm or pcm mode and the price is very reasonable, under $80 delivered. A recent review in RC Report magazine on the smaller 6 channel Polk reciever was very favorable so I thought I would try one.

With the Saito 1.20 & the big batt. my plane will probably be just a tad porky but I doubt if it will affect the flying, if anything it may just be smoother in the air. I'll let you know. Hopefully I can find the time to get everything mounted up tonight and some test flights in before the weekend.

Theoretically that is true if you just turned on your receiver and servos and did not ask any real work out of them. But in the real world what drives these servos is watts (volts x amps = watts) and what really pulls power from the battery is when you put a load on the servos.(fly them around aggressively -- KE puts a lot of work on rudder servo )

4.8volt battery pack x 1400mah = 6,720wh
6.0volt x 1400mah = 8,400wh

As you can see the 6 volt battery carries another cell and so another 1680wh of energy.

Now, if you placed both the batteries under the same load condition so they draw the same amount of watts (flew exactly the same flights--remember it is the watts that drives the servos) do you still think that the 4.8 volt battery with 1680wh less of energy will outlast the 6 volt battery?

Nice picture Barry.

A 6 volt pack will provide more current draw than a 4.8 that is why it will drain faster.

It will only draw as much current(watts) as it needs in order to get the work(watts) done. Yes at rest the 6.0 V is drawing more, but when working they are drawing only enough to accomplish the task(same).

So what your saying is if you give the rudder full deflection in the air and with a 4.8 volt pack and a 6 volt pack its going to pull the same amps? It wont, the 6 volt pack will provide more current which = shorter run time.

Its the same thing as on an electric plane, if you run a 8 cell pack and say a 10" prop and it draws say 10 amps, now take the same setup and put a 9 cell pack on it and it will draw more amps, = shorter run time but more power.

Even though you have a servo that is capable of 133oz (at 4.8)of torque, most of the time it only takes 50oz of torque to get the work done(example). Yes, if the 133oz is not enough to hold the surface and you are running a 6 volt battery and that servo can provide 166oz at 6.0 volts then will draw more current or watts. But it will accomplish more work while doing so. (And you have the wrong servos in your plane)

What if you held the throttle back on the 9 cell pack to apply the same amount of power(same RPM) as the 8 cell pack? Amps x Volts = watts.

Has anybody installed a Saito 1.80?

I run a KOKAM 1500 mAh LiPo W/6v regulator and will fly 5 to 6 times at the field.. the next time i charge it on my triton it usually takes 185 or so mAh to top it. I fly about 15 min a flight.

iflyit is in fact correct. Watts consumed is a function of the current being drawn out of the battery at the given voltage of the pack. Ohms law is pretty basic, E=I x R. E is the voltage of the pack, I is the current drawn from the pack due to the load & R is the load on the pack or the servo. R is a constant in this case, the servo is the servo is the servo. A 4 cell pack puts out a nominal 4.8 volts and Ohms law says Servo X at voltage (4.8v) is going to draw Z amount of current. When the voltage increases & the servo stays the same, the current pulled from the pack is going to increase as well. So a 4.8 volt 2700 mah pack is going to deplete slower then a 6 volt 2700 mah pack.

Sad but true

edited to get the facts straight.

Wow.

Part of the equation is the Mah, but another part of the equation that is overlooked is what the average voltage that a pack carries over a discharge. For instance if I have 2 six volt packs that I discharge and both say that have 1800 mah's of capacity but one says an average voltage of 6.2 volts and the other says 6.35 volts, which one will last longer?