basic questions
 

Hi folks,

I've been flying greasy for 14 yrs and I wanna try an indoor 3D electric. I have a question that's so dumb I can't even find it on RCU! OK, does the battery power the motor AND the reciever? Or are there two batteries? Also, do you think it would be worth going brushless and LiPo right away, or try my hand with brushed and NiMh first. I plan on buying a Triton charger whether I go electric or not as I don't have a good charger at home. Do I need to buy an expensive adapter to run the Triton off of my outlets at home? Other than that...I'll probably get exactly what is recommended on foamyfactory for setup. Any recomendations of websites where I can buy the motor, prop, esc, and battery?

Thanks for enduring my stupid questions!

RE: basic questions
 

NO such thing as a dumb question.It is when you don't ask questions that is dumb.CHeck out todds tiny models(Ithink thats it.) He seems to have a good deal of indoor stuff.Also check the 3D electric forum here!!.Yes to your first question.The esc has a bec(battery eleminting circut) this gives power to the motor and servos. As for brush or brushless it depends on this$$$.My 2cents;)stefanP

RE: basic questions
 

If you are going indoor for the first time I would recommend taking a look at some of the GWS planes like the Tiger Moth. They are inexpensive and GWS has a really good system for selecting the flight pack.

Brushless? Why? If you are flying indoors, you want slow flight, not fast. What would be the benefit of brushless.

LIPo on the other hand would be a good move. I can't comment on the charger as I don't fly Lipo

RE: basic questions
 

Triton is an excellent choice and will serve your needs for quite a while. You do how ever need a 12 volt power source or a converter, it will not plug into a wall outlet. There are many power sources available. Go to E-zone and do a "Triton" search under chargers.;)

RE: basic questions
 

The FoamyFactory stuff is great fun and can be flown indoors.

I scaled down the Ultimate by 80% for easier flying in a gym-sized area.

Check out my bashed Ultimate Foamy [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/Free_FoamyFactory_Ultimate_Plans/m_1266349/tm.htm]here[/link]. There is a video of it flying near the end.

You can purchased GWS IPS and EPS power systems at [link=http://www.aeromicro.com/index.htm]Aero Micro[/link].

RE: basic questions
 

Hi,

1. Does one battery power both the receiver and motor? Sometimes; this really depends on your setup. Generally ESC's have a part called a Battery Eliminator Circuit which allows you to use just one battery for both the receiver and motor. It works by monitoring the voltage and when a certain level is reached shutting down the motor to allow the remaining current power your receiver and servos. Some ESC's are programmable so that depending on the number and type (ie: NiMH vs Li-po) of cells you have you can select different voltages.

The downside is that as you add more cells a BEC will power a fewer number of servos. IE: the same BEC might run 4 standard servos at 7.2V, but only 2 standard servos at 10.8V This may or may not be an issue depending on your plane. If it is, just use two batteries and follow the ESC manufacturers recommendations on how to bypass the BEC.

Note that overloading a BEC may not cause an immediate failure on the ground, but rather the plane may fly for a few minutes then simply go into a dead stick situation. This is because the BEC converts excess voltage to heat and will eventually overheat and shut down. BTW, third party BEC's such as the UBEC (http://koolflightsystems.com/ultimatebec.htm) are available; these generally have better performance than those included on regular ESC's however it will add more weight to the system.

If you are going to use lipo cells check out the ESC's from Castle Creations (www.castlerc.com)

2. Is it worth going brushless / lipo immediately? I'd say yes to lipo, no to brushless. Browse around RCU for info on proper lipo handling, especially after a crash. Brushless will provide better power and much longer motor life, but it's more expensive to start. Burn up a $10 - $15 brushed motor or two then decide what you really need. Then again, you may see 100+ flights on a $10 motor.

3. Triton adapter. I have no experience with the Triton so I can't recommend anything.

4. Website recommendations: www.towerhobbies.com; www.hobby-lobby.com; www.aeromicro.com;

RE: basic questions
 

The I.F.O. Aerobatic R/C indoor/outdoor Slowflyer -

As I understand it, this can be flown indoors in a gym, or outside in under 7
MPH winds. With the right flight pack, it can hover on its prop and is almost
indestructable. You could sit on your back porch and fly this around your
kids.



IFO Demo at the 2000 Tournament of Champions
http://www.wildrc.com/htmlpages/movies/toc2000.mpg
Flying Combat in a gym
http://www.wildrc.com/htmlpages/movies/mk3combat.mpg

A bunch of IFO Flight videos including one inside a 15X25' office
http://www.wildrc.com/htmlpages/flightvideos.html

I have read that you can even pack this up in a suitcase and take it with you
on a trip.

Check to make sure that the set-up will go 3D. Not sure if all set-ups will 3D

This is the MFG site. YOu can order here
http://www.wildrc.com/index.html

Here is another source. l
http://www.hobby-lobby.com/ifo.htm

How cool is this "plane"?