RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Today, maiden flight....all perfect !!!

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Congrats's!!!

That is one good lucking plane!

I will pick up my no. 3 SPARK in 2 weeks :D

By the way, I have noticed that my motor can be a bit hot after landing and no airflow to cool it down, so I have bought the following http://elektronik-lavpris.dk/product...ucts_id=104986 solder plug on and now I'm able to cool mu mototr when landed, it uses 3S and take 100 mAh.

Joen

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Thanks Joe....

The fan is good idea...and very effective !!!!...

best regards

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Just a small notice about my cooling fan.

Today was the first day I used it, normally I have to wait about 60-70 min to cool down the motor(hot temperatures outside) but with the fan I only needed 17-20 min to get it cooled down :D so on a normal day I will get around 4 flights, today I managed to get 6 flights.

So boys start your cooling fan and enjoy more flying :)

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

That is great news.
What motor are you running in your Spark, forgive me if I didn't see that before and what temperature is your motor coming down from a flight at?

Andrew

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

I'm using MEGA ACn F3A and it it is fairly hot around 70-75 degree C, manufacturer says it is no problem and it seems to be ok. Running a Mejzlik 22x12WE prop.
At the moment we are facing high 20 temps nearly 30 in the shadow, in the sun more like 40-45 degree. You must expect something similar in Portugal during WC

Joen

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

During my practice my motor is coming down about 60C or 140F. Usually with in 10-20 minutes I'm ready to fly again with the motor down to 110 degrees.

Andrew

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

I found a use for my old glow starter battery !! I use it to power a 12 volt computer box fan
that I purchased from Radio Shack to cool down my Hacker outrunner after a flight. Temp
goes from very hot to the touch to cool in about 10-15 minutes. Battery charge lasts for a few
weeks.

tommy s

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Do you just put the fan in the front intake and let it go by the motor and out the fuse? Just wondering. This seems like it may be good information to have if people are having problems with there motors running hot.

Andrew

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Computer fans work great, I dont use them to cool motors but I hook two of them up to the 12V supply on the charger to force cool batteries down so I can recharge sooner. Makes it possible to keep flying with only two packs and two chargers.

Andrew, you manage to get JAS out of bed yet :D

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

No problem I like it simpel.

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Chad,

Jason just made it in to Dtw. He isn't feeling so hot. When I leave work we will head out to the flying field.

Andrew

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

We’ve had relatively high ambient temps here recently(30degrees C).
I don’t have an accurate measure available, but my Plettenberg motor was landing too hot to touch, and taking 30 minutes to cool sufficiently for me to feel happy about flying again.
This “spinner with the nose cut off”,with a skeleton aluminium back plate, allows me to have just a ten minute interval between flights.
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/6811/img0245g.jpg
Crude, but effective, apparently.

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

joenella,

That is exactly how I do it also.
I use the 12 volt power supply if electricity is available and the 12 volt
battery at fields with no power available.

tommy s

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

f3a05

Anything above 60C is basically too hot to touch, and at 30+C it would be normal to be above that, so checking by feel is not a very good way to determine temperature. In all my time I have never felt the need to allow a motor to cool off before the next flight. Simply, the hottest point your motor will get is shortly after landing, the moment you takeoff for another flight it will cool off from that point and begin operating at normal temps. As long as your motor is not exceeding about 80C after landing measured on the outside can, then you are OK.

I have many times flown back to back in temperatures at 35C+ while at the US Nats in Indiana, where it is very hot and humid without problems.

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Yesterday I helped a friend maiden his new Spark. Plane flew great from the first flight, and just got better as he dialed in the CG, and rates. The Spark is a great snapping plane for sure. We are planning to fly some more this morning. The selfish bugger didn't offer me a flight, and I didn't ask, maybe today....

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Thanks for that, Chad-it will be nice to be able to put the better-looking spinner back on!
So-if I can find/borrow a thermal probe thingy,if I remove the bottom chin cowl asap after landing, then take a reading off the can surface-as long as it's less than 80 degC everything should be OK?
Thanks again!

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Forward flights Spark Dynamic, in sequence video...

There are a little difference with old Spark, but great difference on the air !!!!.

Final weight with LIPO 4350 mAh , 4,550 grs (4,55 Kgs) !!!!!!....

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOMPrwIZHnk[/youtube]

greetings.

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Great video!!

Yes there is a little difference in the look of the 2009 version SPARk compared to the "old" versions, but in the air there is big difference, new one is just very very "crisp" and clean.

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Bisides the paint schemes, what did the change on the 2009 version?

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Rudder have new shape is without balance tap and more dihetral on the wings. Beside this is I think there has been a slight change in weight distribution back to front.

Joen

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

I maidened my 2009 Spark yesterday. I set the CG a bit forward for the first flight. No aileron trim needed. One click of rudder. A couple clicks of up elevator as expected with the forward CG. Two more flights to adjust CG to put it just behind trailing edge of wing tube. With 15% aileron differential, downline rolls are perfectly axial. Following 1bwana1's advice, I backed off on rudder and aileron rates. On the next flight snaps were incredibly crisp - stopping immediately when controls went to centers. I was doing all this in a 15mph (23 kph) wind that was at 45 degrees to the runway - the Spark needed almost no rudder to stay on a nice line parallel to the runway - it weathervanes almost perfectly.

Landing was quite different in the cross wind compared to my 25% ExtremeFlight Yak and 35% Comp-Arf Extra: instead of needing to add rudder to rotate the nose into the crosswind, I needed just a touch of opposite rudder to hold the centerline down the runway.

There is very slight coupling to the gear when applying rudder - easily dialed out with a rudder to elevator mix.

Landing is very easy since the plane shows no tendancy to tip stall at low speed.

Power is Neu 1515/3D with 6.7:1 heavy duty gearbox, CC HV-85 ESC, Mejzlik 20x12E prop. More than enough power for great uplines. Also very efficient: My last 8 minute flight used only 2650 mA-Hr from the packs.

With two 5350 5S Flightpower F3A batteries, the all up weight is just slightly over 5kg. I can easily reduce weight by cutting the flight pack batt from 2S-1300 to 2S-850, by reducing main batts to 4300mA-Hr, or by swapping out the 1515/3D for a Neu F3A-1 Motor or by replacing the 8oz P42 gearbox with the 2.3oz P32 gearbox.

Amazing plane that looks marvelous on the runway or in the air and flies with no effort at all.

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Congrats on the flights. I now have both Sparks in my scheme flying very well.
Andrew

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

This is only one of two in Australia.

But after the World's with Andrew at the sticks, I think that's going to change very quickly.

- James

RE: Spark F3A, from Krill Models - SPAIN TEAM
 

Hi Andrew

Congrats on your 11th placing in the worlds, I think it is an awesome achievment. It must be difficult chosing the top ten when everyone flies so well.
My Spark is going very well over 400 flights so far and the airframe is holding up very well. I am in love with your scheme as well as the black and yellow flame.
Is your scheme a custom one or is it offered by krill?

Cheers Neil