Help to get Superstar off the ground!
 

Hi All,
After fooling around with a Firebird Freedom and finally discarding it, I bought a Hobbico Superstar to fly .
On its maiden flight, it could not get up enough RPM's to get off the ground. Also, after being at full throttle for approx. 20 seconds, the elec motor quits.After returning the throttle to idle and then accelerating the motor runs again but quits again after a short period.
Can anyone share any insight on what may cause this?
I discharged the battery (7.4volt Nicad pack) and re-charged. Checking with meter shows proper voltage.
The ESC requires that the throttle be advanced for several seconds and then retarded to idle before the motor will run (safety feature I guess).
I am new to model RC and any help would be appreciated.
I assume that this kit from Hobbico was designed to develop enough power to actually get off the ground? I think the motor is a brush type?
Some at the field suggested replacing with brushless, li-po etc but that would shurely defeat purchasing the arf in the first place.
Thanks for any and all help,
Wayne

RE: Help to get Superstar off the ground!
 

I definitely recommend checking the Model Aeronautics Association of Canada (MAAC) site http://maac.ca to see if there is a flying club in your area. Getting "hands on" help is usually better than getting words from a web forum. Many clubs have instructors who will teach you to fly for no charge (other than club membership).

There is a review of the Superstar EP at http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...article_id=577
I think I remember seeing articles on simple mods to improve performance but cannot remember if they were in the RCU magazine or somewhere else.

RE: Help to get Superstar off the ground!
 

I have had a similar experience with a Hobby Lobby "Winged Dragon" park flyer. It's difficult to take off from the ground, I think it could use more power. No problem with my motor quitting though. Could it be your motor is overheating? I'm going to try flying mine again and if it still seems underpowered I'm going to consider another motor. LiPo batteries are expensive though.

Good luck,
Bill