RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

Found a replacement cowl and only $5.29 + 8.99 shipping
http://www.sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmar...art.html?E+Sig

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

photo 1: battery tray supports
photo 2: battery tray and hatch mount
photo 3: topside of hatch
photo 4: underside of hatch
photo 5: placement of hatch
photo 6: hatch & fuselage cooling vents

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

Great job do far! What battery are you gonna use?

Andrew

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

Thank you. I am considering either one of these batteries. Depends on the $$$ I can get together, but I do know it will be a Lipo 4S battery.
[link=http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=7454&Product_Name=Zippy-Ec_2500mAh_4S1P_20C_Lipoly_Pack_]Zippy-Ec 2500mAh 4S1P 20C[/link] OR [link=http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=7734&Product_Name=Zippy-Ec_3600mAh_4S1P_20C_Lipoly_Pack_]Zippy-Ec 3600mAh 4S1P 20C[/link]

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

For a 20C discharge LiPo pack, I wouldn't go with less than a 3000mah pack. The 2500mah pack you have listed would be getting close to minimum, plus your flight times would be rather low.

If you wanted to stay with the NiMh packs you would need to get two 6 cell packs and run them in series.

Be carefull with the hatch that you have made. Do you have any other supports inside the fuselage? I know you don't want to fly around and do a battery pack bomb drop.

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

OK, so looks like I will be going with my 2nd choice for the battery pack.

Don't know how to run batteries in series so I won't get into that.

The inside of the fuselage is plenty supported by the battery tray I made. The hatch itself is attached with a lip in the back and a 4-40 screw in the front. Also there are small supports inside the fuselage at the rear hatch area to prevent the hatch from being pushed in.

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

Being pushed in is not going to be your problem. Since your hatch is on the bottom, any time you make a turn, or do a loop, the weight of the battery pack is going to be pushing out on the hatch. I don't see any stiffeners running lengthwise on the hatch. Also on picture 1 you have a hole for 1 hatch, but on picture 3 you have two hatches.

Instead of running the ESC in the fuselage, why not have it in the cowl with the motor? That will solve two problems at once. It will be easier to keep cool, and the weight will help balance the plane.

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

I don't believe that will be the case as the battery pack will be velcroed onto the battery tray and removable scrap wood will be going across the battery pack widthwise.

In photo 3 only the forward section of the fuselage is the hatch. Behind the hatch is two holes drilled into the fuselage to vent the ESC.

Can not do, there is a harness switch connected to the ESC with a very short wire. I did not want to cut out a 2nd hole for a switch (this plane was originally a glow plane so it already had a switch cutout) I wanted to use the switch cutout that was already there.

The conversion is completed, I will be posting photos later of the completed project. Just waiting to order the proper battery pack now.

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

I am curious about the switch for the ESC. Most electrics that I have seen (which isn't a lot) do not have switches. When you plug in the battery, they are on, and when you unplug the battery, they are off. Is the switch that you are talking about going in the large power wire between the ESC and battery, or in the servo wire from the ESC to the RX?

I am not sure that switching the servo lead from the esc to the RX is a safe thing to do. If the power from the battery to the esc to the motor is still connected, the motor could still run when you don't want it to.

I can't wait to see the finished plane and hear how it flies.

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

mclina is correct, the switch is a component that you don't need. It could have a bad consequence if you plug in the ESC and the switch to the receiver is turned off. What could happen can vary from ESC to ESC, but can range from the prop turning on unexpectedly to the ESC burning out. I'd remove the switch. As was said above, the receiver is powered up when the battery is plugged in.

Ken

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

Have your LHS order it for you and probably save the shipping costs. They will just add it to their weekly order.

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

As you can see the switch is connected to the ESC, not to the receiver.

As all other electric motors have it has the motor plug directly into the ESC, the ESC has the typical wire going to the battery, and another going to the receiver. But the ESC also has a switch attached directly to it as well and there is no way to remove the switch without damage to the ESC.

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

The finished conversion.

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

More pics.

P.S: The battery pictured is not the battery that will be going in it so it was not set up completely, was only for photographic purposes.

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

http://plawner.net/4/hardware/esc/jeti/esc_tests.html the switch is factory installed. Not being an "electric" guy I'm not sure of exactly how it functions on this particular unit and I couldn't find a manual with a quick search. MAY actually be a good thing.

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

Great job. I can't wait to hear how it flies.

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

As in glow planes it is simply a power switch so that the electric motor does not accidentally turn on unexpectedly. And there is no need to unplug the battery pack when you are done flying, just simply turn the switch off.

RE: CONVERTING KADET TO ELECTRIC
 

Not sure if it is worth purchasing a new cowl, will think about it. I am not that fussy on how it looks, as long as it looks neat, which I think it does. Concentrating on getting the battery packs first.