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Old 09-07-2009, 08:32 PM
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speedy72vega
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Default RE: motor- esc- battery- formula

Jim, sorry, I didn't mean to go off topic on your thread, I was helping Lee over the weekend with his plane.
In response to your question, what motor and ESC you choose to run with those batteries is going to depend first on the discharge rate of those packs, as this will kind of give you an idea of how much current they can deliver. A 3S 910ma pack is most likely going to be either a 10C or 15C discharge rate (you didn't specify), so to get a rough idea of your power available, 10C = 10x discharge rate = .910 amp x 10 = 9.1 amp constant. .910 amp x 15C = 13.65 amps constant. Next, you need to find a motor that operates within this range, and look at the wattage rating. That will kinda give you an idea of the total weight of the plane you can fly with it.
Generally, you want aroound 100 watts/lb for general trainer/sport type flying, 150 watts/lb for sport/light 3D, and 200 watts/lb and up for advanced 3D type flying. You can pretty much figure how much plane you fly with this info.
As far as the ESC, you will want to get one that can handle the current draw of your motor/prop combo. In other words, if your motor/prop draw 10 amps constant, you would be ok with a 15 amp ESC. You want to go a little bit higher capacity ESC than your system will draw to prevent burning it up.
You will definitely want to invest in a watt meter so you can see what your system is drawing. Changing props will significantly affect current draw, and it's very easy to overdraw and burn up your ESC or motor.
Hope this helps.