I have a Windstar 2M sailplane I just resurrected and would like to add power. Anyone done that? Recommendations?

I would do a google search on the conversion. There are some articles posted on it.

todd

Any conversion is probably going to work around a brushless outrunner motor. 2M gliders are usually between 1.5-2 pounds so you'd look for a motor that'd put out 150-200 watts.

Some of those are advertised as "400" size based on the old brushed motors we used to use. Look at motors that just advertise their measurement among the ones that're 25 - 28 mm diameter. Find one that matches your budget and look at it's specs. It'll tell you what strength ESC you need from the constant amp and max amp rating. The specs will also mention the voltage range for the motor.

Here is an example of a "400" outrunner's specs of a suitable motor.
It'll provide the power the glider would probably require, about 155W.
It'll be just over 1" wide. (but would need about 1.5" room)
You'll need a 20A ESC at least, maybe a 25A to be sure.
You'll want either a 2 or 3 cell LiPo to fly it. Look for one that will fit your fuselage.
I'd start with a 1500-2000mAh 3 cell.

I've made plywood firewalls for a couple of conversions. They don't have to be thicker than about 1/8" to be strong enough.

BTW, you pretty much have to shop around for the motor first. Some retailers don't stock much of what they advertise. The motor is the starting point.

The hard part for a lot of conversions is the spinner/folding prop rig. An excellent place over the years for that stuff has been Esprit Models for me. http://www.espritmodel.com/

The spinner is the next thing after the motor. You need the dimensions of the motor and the spinner to get going.

Thanks for that. I appreciate the info

An inrunner brushless might be a better fit. There is not much room in the nose of a Windstar.

There have been some inrunner setups, but they often include an integral gearbox. I believe a few hotliners came with them early on. They most certainly make for an easier installation, but they can cause headaches other ways. I had a few E-flites. They both snapped their shafts. I tried replacing them with another mfg's units but the appropriate gearboxes weren't available. The combo that was available required a significantly larger prop.

sawdust, do you have a specific inrunner in mind? I've still got that glider waiting on a replacement motor. I frankly got tired of trying to outfit it and sorta felt like it was cursed as it'd eaten so many motors/gearboxes and so much money.

Mega makes some great innrunners. Look at the 16 and 22 series. They do not need gear boxes.

Todd

Who sells them?

Here is a link on where to buy Mega Motors. [link=http://www.icare-rc.com/mega.htm]motor[/link]


Todd

After some checking around here is the modifications of the Windstar, stripped, reworked and converted to electric.