QF1heavy

Can someone please advise on the life expectancy of the motor supplied with the Aerobird Xtreme? I realize that the answer depends very much on how aggressively the aircraft is flown, but assuming that full power is used for take-off plus 30 seconds climb, and thereafter most flying is done at less than full throttle, how many hours is the motor likely to last?

I approached Hobbyzone with this query but they said they "had no specifications for longevity."

Your comments/experiences would be welcome.

Regards,

QF1heavy.

LuckyArmpit

Motor should last a long time. The motor I think is a 7.2 volt motor. And, I think the batteries being used are 7 cells, or 8.4 volts.
The more volts you pump through, the less the motor lasts. I've had a speed 400 6 volt motor on a FMA Razor. Ran a 5.5x4 prop and 8 cell batteries (9.6 volts). Got over 500 flights on it before I replaced the motor. These flights lasted about 7 or 8 minutes. Plus, these motors are really cheap in cost. I'd fly it full throttle the whole time.

Dave...

QF1heavy

Thanks, Dave, for the useful input.
Cheers, QF1heavy

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

I have the AB Challenger 200+ flights and going strong.

QF1heavy

Hallo aeajr,

Thanks for your reply. To date I've flown my Aerobird Xtreme for about 10 to 12 hours and the performance seems to be noticeably better now than when first flown. Judging from your comments, there's lots of life left in the motor and maybe it's only just getting run-in.

Recently I've been experimenting with a home-brew "burp" charger and this gives a significantly better charge to the standard 1700 mAH battery than does simple DC charging.

Other minor but worthwhile mods have been to replace the elevator elastic bands with small coil springs about half an inch long by three-sixteenths diameter, whose tension approximates that of the elastic bands. I simply don't trust rubber bands in strong Australian sunlight! I've also added a small fastener on the cockpit cover so that there is no chance of it opening in flight thereby allowing the battery to slide out under negative g. However, the fastner is weak enough to let go should the model crash with g forces great enough to eject the battery. Hopefully it will never be put to the test!

In general, I'm quite impressed with the Xtreme and regard it as very good value for money, but it does take time and care to get an accurately trimmed model with satisfying performance.

Thanks for your help.

Regards,
QF1heavy.

QF1heavy

Xtreme Propellor Pitch. Can someone please advise me of the pitch of the standard propellor supplied with the Aerobird Xtreme?

I've approached Hobbyzone for this information but have received no reply.

Regards,
QF1heavy