ferminr

Hi there,

My brother gave me a Great Planes Big Stik 60 that had been sitting in his garage for a few years (before that, he bought it for a few bucks from a guy who's garage it had been sitting in for SEVERAL years).

Anyway, after taking a look at it and going over its condition with a shop owner in Endicott NY I think it is best that I convert it to electric and set it up to fly with my Spektrum transmitter.

The trouble is, I don't know anything about it nor do I have the interest in actually doing the work since I probably can't fly the thing by myself at the moment anyway (I have never flown an R/C plane - yet...)

So, while I am learning to fly on a super cub (which is what everyone is suggesting I buy) I figured that I would put the money into converting this plane so that when I am ready I can get on a buddy box and learn to fly this one too.

Is there anyone who is a part of this forum who might be interested in doing the conversion for me? I will of course pay for all the parts and pay you whatever you think is fair (I am hoping to keep the total under $200).

I live in Owego NY and I would be more than happy to deliver the plane to somewhere here in the southern tier.

If you are interested feel free to reply here and then we can catch up Via PM or Email.

Thanks

Fermin

PS: A quick google shows that there are lots of threads on other boards of people who have done the conversion and there are even some youtube videos of the completed conversion. So I am confident it can be done.http://bit.ly/kUk5Vj

alltumbs

Did the shop owner that looked over it with you show any interest in doing the work for you, or offer to work with you so you might get some experience working on your own airframes ???

Jim

ferminr

No - I don't think this shop owner really wanted to get into it. Not to his detriment, I think because I am a beginner he felt the $$$ it will cost for the conversion was perhaps not something I wanted to do at the moment. I was a little surprised when he didn't offer to look up all the parts needed and give me a quote. But I don't think he deals in planes as much as other items.

Since this plane was free to me I am hoping I can find someone to do the work for me since I don't suspect I will be doing much more than working with these two for the summer.

Getting it in the air as fast as possible is really a high priority for me.

opjose

Why not leave it as is, with a glow engine?

You're going to invest in the electronics needed for the conversion, and swapping out the battery packs is going to be a pain as the plane was not designed for this.

Instead fly it as is, then invest in an electric plane later.

But before you do anything, join a club, take and pass the training/certification, etc.

Your views and propects will change greatly after you get your feet wet so to speak.

CGRetired

My Feedback: (1)

Conversion from glow to electric is not as simple as putting a motor/esc/battery pack in a plane and flying it. The motor/esc/battery pack must be carefully selected based on the flying style and the weight of the model in question. No one can simply put this together as a package for you (the OP) to fly.

As Opjose suggested, leave it be as a glow and fly it that way. Then, if you want a similar plane as electric power, well, put it together as an electric and do the work associated with powering it. This is not rocket science, but for some, it is close to it...

CGr

Oberst

Sorry, I can't because I only fly Glow and I don't know anything about electric. If you join a Club, they can help you. I would contact Marty at Redneck R/C in Fulton and he will help you out. Just tell them Pete sent you.



Pete

dredhea

My Feedback: (13)

Marty might be a little far away for him, Pete. He lives in Owego ( without the "s") in the southerntier. Without looking at a map, I'd ballpark him at about 80-100 miles from Fulton.

jester_s1

I'm with opjose. Leave it as is, especially if it already has an engine on it. Even if it doesn't, you'll spend significantly more on an electric conversion than you will a .60 glow engine and fuel. To fly it well, you'd be looking at power systems in the 800-1000 watt range. Just the ESC for that will cost as much as a lower end engine, and once you add 2-3 batteries (a minimum if you want to make more than 1 or 2 flights in a day) you'll probably spend double. Then you'll need a good charger, which adds another $40 on the low end (very low end) and upwards of $140 for a full featured unit.

Oberst

Yes I just got that. Also when he said Upstate he threw me off.


Pete

ferminr

Ha ha... Yeah, I guess for you I would be more downstate huh. I suppose I consider anything outside the city to be upstate for me.

ferminr

I understand it isn't as simple as putting on a motor. However, in my original post I left a link for lots of threads where people have in fact done the conversion and they were even kind enough to leave a parts list. I am not going to be flying nitro. This is probably a pretty casual hobby for me so I believe if I don't make moves to get this thing in the air as soon as possible it will end up sitting in my garage just as it has sat in my brothers garage.

I was told the motor is shot. (I don't know how he knew but he told me that it would need to be completely disassembled, cleaned and re-assembled.

It's a cool plane. I like it. I would enjoy getting it in the air.

ferminr

$140 doesn't sound very expensive to me. I was thinking more like $200 from some quick googling.

I just want to get it in the air. I know it isn't worth much so I would prefer to put the cash into the plane so that my daughter and I can see it fly. That's all - we just want to see it fly. I know it can be done because there are videos online that prove it can be done (both with this model and the next step larger).

Really, the reason for my post was to locate someone local who might be interested in doing this project and making a few bucks. I suspect anyone who is capable of doing this work has been in the hobby for a while and will probably even be willing to help me fly it. I apologize if it looked like I was asking if the board thought it was a good idea.

ferminr

I am pretty certain it will cost me just as much to get it in the air with a glow engine (since I think the one that is on there is broken). The only thing my brother had in his garage was the plane and a SUPER old remote that I can't find batteries for anymore. So at the very least I am going to be looking at a new reciever. But then I understand that I will need fuel, some kind of starter thing and a plug and probably plenty of other items that I don't think I will end up using.

Meanwhile, if I convert it - Then I only need a charger and the electronics to get it in the air.

Thanks, I think I am going to see if I can find some local club members this week. In the meantime perhaps someone will still come forward on this board...

jhatton

I am willing to bet the most wrong with the glow engine is a bad plug and it probably needs new bearings (a very inexpensive fix), other than that just flushing it out will most likely free it up and it will run fine. Bring it to the AGS field off day hollow road (warrick road) and someone there can take a look at it and let you know... as far as an electric conversion it sounds to me like that is more investment than you need to make until you are sure this is a hobby that you want to stick with. I should be up at the field today and Thursday evening after 5:00 as long as it is not raining too hard.

ferminr

My daughter and I were planning on heading up there today. See you there.

Bax

My Feedback: (11)

Here's a link that details just what you need for the conversioin:

http://www.electrifly.com/powersyste...nversions.html

It details the motor, prop, speed control, and battery pack you'll need. You'll then have to select an appropriate charger for the battery pack. So the list is:

GPMG4770 RIMFIRE 1.20 50-65-450 OUTRUNR US$129.99
GPMM1860 SS80 BRUSHLESS 80A ESC HI VOLT US$199.99
GPMM1895 SS60, SS80, SS100 PROG CARD US$15.99
APCQ1606 LP16060 16X6 SPORT PROP US$12.95
GPMP0543 LIPO 5S 18.5V PS 3350 25C US$259.99
GPMM3155 AC DC TRITON EQ CHGR BALANCER US$199.99
GPMM3156 AC/DC TRITON2 EQ CHGR BALANCER US$299.99

These listings show the MSRP of each item. What you pay will be less, and depends upon who you purchase from. Check with your favorite hobby retailer. We've also posted two charger options, depending upon which features you want/need. Of course, you have a whole lot of other options as far as what equipment to use. These are suggestions from our charts.

Remeber, you'll need 2, 3, or more battery packs so that you can have a reasonable amount of flying time once you're at the field.

All this is in addition to the actual RC system you use to control the model.

Also, don't forget the safety sack for charging:

GPMP0751 SAFECHARGE LIPO CHARGE BAG US$24.99

Its purpose is to contain the flames if you have a battery go bad during a charge.

ferminr

That is AWESOME!

Thank you - this is exactly what I was looking for - Strange that I couldn't find this page in my initial searches. I will buy up all these parts and just do the conversion myself I think. I found another forum that had a slightly more positive response to someone wanting to do the same conversion. Thanks again.

opjose

If you look at the totals for all of the above items you'll need, plus the cost of 2-4 battery packs, you're looking at far more than it would cost to simply purchase a new SuperTigre 90 engine and stick it on the plane.

The latter would be far less work and easier for a novice to handle.

Electrics are wonderful, but you are trying to perform a "large" electric conversion which is really best left to more advanced flyers who have a commitment to staying electric.

Don't overlook the advice given because you may not like the answer.

ferminr

I guess I should have noted... (I thought I did)
This is more about getting this plane in the air and less about money. I will spend the money to get it in the air to prove that it can be done. My brother gave me a hard time when he gave me the plane. It has sat in his garage for a long time and he thinks it will sit in my garage.

Even if it flys once and never leaves the ground again I will know that I put it in the air. Even if it does a faceplant under the control of my in-experienced hands. I will still know (and hopefully have it on video).

But I don't plan on doing that. By the end of the summer I will have trained on a super cub (which I am hoping to pick up this week) and then I have a Trojan I will move up to after that. I have some other BNF planes sitting in boxes that I am sure I can get into the air too but I am told those are for pro's only. SO I would rather not crash them since one of them has a $399 price tag still on the box.

Thanks for all your help everyone.

Mod - Feel free to close or lock this thread.

crash1ace

Why bent on electrics??? A 60 size motor is still cheaper than all that electric stuff put together. I currently own a bigstick 60. I put a supertiger61 in it, which I had gotten for low price at the time. Got it up in the air a few weeks ago, needed very little trim. Awesome plane, plenty of power for me. Glow is the way to go! :-)

GerKonig

Dear Lord! This information is absolutely wrong! You do not need that size stuff. He gave you the info for a 120 (giant stik). Do yourself a favor and check around what other people are using. And then get a price from Hobby City or Hobby King. Nowadays some of the motors are even marked clearly what size they are (40, 60, 120, 160). Heck my escape (100A) did cost less than $100. $260 for a lipo is a ripoff. They cost less than the half of that.

Again, please get a helping hand from someone that actually flies electrics. These prices are outrageous. You need to buy your electric stuff from other sources (or be willing to pay twice the value).

Good luck

Gerry
PS: Google "Big Sick 60 electric conversion" and you will see what other people are using.

opjose

All the more reason to leave it as a glow plane and just swap in a new engine.

You can do that in about an hour, along with replacing the flight battery pack ( which you should too ).

This is far less complicated ( for a beginner ) than trying to convert a plane to electric, particularly one so large.

The Hobby King ( low cost ) idea would be great for a more experienced RC pilot.

The plane was designed for glow, is set up for glow and can be made to fly this way quickly.

I'll even bet the existing engine can be made functional but that may take a more experienced hand...

jester_s1

Ferminr, try not to take our comments as negativity towards you. If you absolutely must do an electric conversion, then folks on RCU here are happy to help you. But remember that we are experienced modelers, many of which have flown both glow and electric planes. We know the difference and we know what both power systems can and cannot do for you. You said you wanted to get into the air as quickly as possible. We offered help to meet that goal, which would be to clean out that glow engine and fly it. You also originally said you wanted to keep the cost under $200. Sticking with glow will do that, while going electric will cost more than double that. If we misunderstood what your priorities were, then by all means we can help you. If you don't care how much it costs and must go electric, then many of us can provide equipment lists for you. I'd do the conversion for you free of charge if you got the plane to me, but shipping to Texas from NY would cost more than paying someone local. We want to see you be successful, so if you'll be clear about your goals we'll give you the most useful answers we can.

cloudancer03

My Feedback: (22)

I would also suggest you contact " BP HOBBIES" .com call or email them and tell them what you have and the weight of the plane and what kind of flying you want and they will recommend a inexpensive system.

Hobbypartz.com has a line of inexpensive motors called monster motors.they have motors capable of genrating more than 1000 watts inexpensively. your definitely looking at 200 bucks at any rate just because you will need a lipo charger and more than likely you'll want several batteries.each of the components are not in and of themselves expensive but its like starting out with glow theres a start up cost.If your sure you are going to fly electric and this project is not a one trick pony then make the investment.I have completely switched over to electrics over a 3 year period.I still have my four strokes and a gasser but all my glow engines are gone.for me its just the convenince and not a criticism of glow as I did glow for 30 years. the stick is a great great plane .you could start out with a eflite stick25e...

as one person here has said conversion projects are not always easy but I think in your situation affordable and easy.I would prefer you just started with an electric stick first but thats just my 2c

jester_s1

For that matter, if you decided to try the glow engine, I'd clean it up for you and get it ready to run for free. It's not hard to do, but I understand it's intimidating for a new pilot to go at alone. I've helped guys repair planes, I serve as a trainer at my club, I've tuned many engines at the field, and try to be as generally helpful to new guys as I can. Plenty of old timers sacrificed their flying time for me early on, and I repay the favors every chance I get.