Hi everyone,
I'm going to start flying some pattern contests next year, when I looked in the swap shop I didn't see anything interesting, so I began an exhaustive ten minute search and found the Wind 110 at a hobby shop in Grants Pass, Oregon. They recommend a Hacker A50-16L motor with a Phoenix 100 ICE ESC, which brings me to my question: Is that a good place for me to start ? This is my first trip to the electron side so I know nothing about whats going on over here, and it looks like I would get away with a $1000-$1300 investment depending on what I can use from my store of servos and things. I don't want to start a brand war, so please don't do that to me, I can order the three major pieces nice and easy peasy and get started assembling.
However, if someone here in the Southwest has a plane in the 100ish size they have been thinking about letting go, I would be interested in hearing from you too.
I've been practicing the Sportsman sequence with my 40% Comp-arf and I don't know if thats going to be a help or not when I get a true pattern plane. Oh, don't panic, I would never take the 40%'er to a pattern contest.

Thanks for you input,
Randy

Randy,
  The Wind 110 is a great place to start.  There are a few of them down here in San Diego, and I have flown them often.  It is more than enough to get started in pattern, and will be fine all the way up to Advanced.  I have never flown one with the stock setup, but if it is an 8S setup,  it should be fine.  Pattern planes a very sensitive to servo quality.  Not sure what you have in your servo stores, but use the best you can, don't go cheap on servos.

Learning the electric World is not that hard, and there are many people in the area with experience that will be willing to help.  Again, don't go too cheap on the charger.  Since you will be flying two four cells in series, a quality charger that is able to charge, and balance, two packs at a time will greatly enhance your electric experience.

 
I know you won't, but a 40% would be allowed to fly Sportsman.  LOL!

Steve

Randy,

I fly the Wind 110 with the A56-16 L on 8S 5000 packs. I buy the cheap packs from Hobby King and they work great. Bear in mind you'll be using 2x4S packs wired in parallel for an 8S pack. Depending on how long you like your individual flights to be you can get away with 4000 mah packs.
Oh, I also use an APC 18x12 prop. The Ice 100 will work fine but I like Jeti Spin controllers better better than Castle Creations controllers with outrunner motors like the Hacker A50.

Mike<br type="_moz"/>

Thanks for the replys Steve and Mike.
Mike, you say you use a A56 motor, I looked at the Hacker motors in the Aero-Models site and didn't see it. Is it a more powerful motor than the A50 ? I assumed that just because of the higher number. I have to learn about motors and batteries so please enlighten me. I'm a firm believer in having some horse power in the bank, you can always throttle down, but you can't throttle up once you have the pedal to the metal.
I fly at the same field as one of the top pilots (I don't want to drop his name), but he flies his sequence then immediatly lands. I suppose when I get there I'll probably do the same. Well, now that I think about it, landing is part of the sequence, DUH, my flights will be in the 7 minute range, plus or minus, I'm guessing.
As far as batteries and chargers go, I've been buying from A123 Racing here in Santa Ana, California, he always knows what I need. But, I'm certainly open to new ideas.
Being new to electrics, when you recommend or even mention your favorites, if you could give me a website that would be very helpful.

Just to be sure we are giving good information, you will be using 2 X 4S wired is series for an 8S pack, not parallel.

Parallel... serial... What's the differnce? Just kidding. Good catch. That could have caused him a real problem.

I think the A56 part is a typo. The A50 is very popular for the Wind 110. Another option if you want to go cheaper and want to get started is the Wind S 50e. I have one and I really flies nice. Not a lot smaller than the 110, but flies very nice as well. The Wind 110 is its own design, it is not a scaled down Wind S pro, whereas the 50e is a scaled down Wind S Pro and flies very nice. You can run the smaller and cheaper setup with the A50, 16S, and a 6S setup and it is a rocket ship if you want it to be. I have one and on a calm day it flies very similar to my 2m version. The Wind 110 is very nice also, but just more expensive. It is a little larger and heavier, so it does handle winds a little better. I don't think you can go wrong with either setup.

Arch

I must have been tired when I responded yesterday. That was a typo. Hacker makes motors in the A50 series. They have no A56 series like I typed above. I use an A50-16L just like you mention. It's the motor the plane was designed to use. In fact the wind 110 even comes with a plate and ballbearing to support the back of an A50-16L. It's makes for a nice easy motor install.


My first and favorite website as it relates to electric pattern is f3aunlimited.com You'll find everything you need there including the Wind110 itself. If you want to try some cheap batteries like the ones I've been using look here.

Hi Randy,

I just got back from travel and now have a keyboard so I can respond easier than on my iPhone, ha ha.

You must have me confused with someone else.... I'm afraid that if you drop my name you'll just get an empty echo and blank stares. LOL. I'm not a top pilot, that's for sure.

Anyway, glad to see you are looking at the Wind 110 that we discussed a couple weeks ago. I think it is a good choice. There's a thread on this forum somewhere with lots of info about it. Like I mentioned before, it is best to find a setup that works and copy it. It seems that the A50 is a good starting point. I'm surprised that the recommendation was for a Phoenix Ice 100. I think most guys are running the Ice 80 or HV 85 on the 10s aircraft. I'll look around and see what ESC the guys are tending to use on the A50 setups. Nothing wrong with the Ice as far as I can tell. It just seems that you could get by cheaper with a smaller controller.

As for chargers, you see a lot of the FMA Cellpro 10s units out there these days. Lots of Thunderpower 1010's with the external balancer module as well. I have one of each of these and they both work great. I like the Cellpro because it gives a bit more info. If you are going to be playing with electrics then get a good charger like one of these. I have a stack of older smaller units that are collecting dust now. I should have just gotten the bigger charger from the get go.

People seem to be having good luck with the Rhino packs from Hobby City. Likewise with the flightmax and other packs. They are going for a good price. I am trying a set of the Turnigy nanotechs which are also reasonably priced.

You'll need to get adapter cables for connecting the balancing plug on your lipos to the charger. I got a set for the Turnigy battery to Thunderpower charger here (and they have ones for the Cellpro too): http://www.rcaccessory.com/lipobalan...nadapters.aspx

Anyway, bring your 40% extra out and we'll start flying the AMA sportsman pattern. You can practice that while you get your e-plane going. I'll be out there Friday I think. Send me a pm with your email address and I'll let you know when I'm going for sure.

Steve.

Thanks Arch, I've been having that very same arguement with myself. Seven inches for about $200. Quite the delima, I believe in bigger flys better, and I'm legally blind in one eye which makes it harder too see a smaller plane. But then I could fly a smaller plane in a little closer.....it goes on and on.
Randy

Thanks Steve,

Dang, I bought a cellpro 4 a couple years ago. Close but no cigar.

I downloaded the sequence and the written description and have been studying it. I have to say there are more difficult manuvers in IMAC sportsman, but then maybe I should be comparing the IMAC Basic to the Pattern Sportsman.

Anyway, Friday sounds good, if the weather permits. I'll pm you my e-mail address.

Randy

No worries guys, I understand the difference.

Yep. Pattern Sportsman class is the entry level just like Basic is in IMAC. The Wind S 50e wasn't available when I bought my Wind 110. If it had been I might have gone that route.

Having flown both the 110 and the 50, the 110 isnt that much larger in the air. The 50 is every bit as tall as the 110. For visibility I would definitely consider the yellow scheme though. The Red/White/Blue is tough to see on a clear sky as the blue blends right in and there isn't much red for contrast. The bottom shows up great, but the top can be tough to see.

Arch

The 50 looks pretty cool. Pretty close in size to the 110 but you get to run the single 6s pack. That would be cheaper for sure. I would definitely consider that one. I like the yellow scheme. For our skies, yellow is really a good base color.

If you started in sportsman (like IMAC Basic) you would have more than enough airplane with the 50 or 110.

I know Chris at F3A unlimited has them both in stock and I believe he has a "combo" deal available. With blue skies I would definitely look at the yellow one.

Arch

But if you can't see it, the Judge can't either... what they can't see they can't downgrade

Have you ever totally lost a plane in the sky before? I have but I'm not having any trouble like that with the 110. I do think the yellow would be easier to see but personally I don't like it as much as the red Wind 110.

I have never totally lost it. There are skies that the orientation can be very hard to determine. Wings level and such. I'm not saying its ugly, or doesn't work. I even picked up a 2nd blue one, but it is not the easiest scheme in the sky to see. Several people have said the same thing watching it fly. After a while you learn to adapt and look at different things, as I am now comfortable with it, but it doesnt mean its any easier to tell orientation.

Arch

Yes, yellow is definatly my color.

Well, I just pulled the trigger, I called Chris at F3AUnlimited and ordered the yellow 50 with the 16s motor and the ICE 75 controller ? (not the lite), I hope I'm saying all that stuff correctly. He said the controller can be used with an 8s pack if I later go to the 110 size.
Assembling the plane won't be a problem, but when I get to installing the electronics I hope you guys will be here to help.

Thanks, and Happy Holidays to all.
Randy

No problem, we'll get you going.

Randy,

That is the exact setup that I'm running in mine. If you have any questions or want pictures of locations of stuff, just let me know. The 16X12 on a 6S 4000mah pack is my favorite setup so far. I can comfortably get 7-8 minutes out of it.

Arch

I'm assuming the sportsman sequence is about 7 minutes, sounds like you guys did a bang up job guiding me down the electron path. Arch, if you get a kick back from
Chris, tell him you sent me there, I'll vouch for you. LOL
Yes, pictures would be great.

Nah, no kickback from Chris...he just lets me play with his cool toys when he finishes them. It is nice to have local. Actually I was going to get the Miss Wind 50, but the wife said, no, she liked the monoplane better since it matched the other 2...so now I have the 3 Wind S planes. I'll get the bipe next though. I'll get some pics tomorrow evening.

You can easily get through the sportsman sequence. I've flown the masters sequence which is close to 7 minutes takeoff to landing, and uses a LOT more power and still had plenty.

Arch