air-madness

Hey, guys. Several questions. I'm new to gliders, well, I will be when I actually purchase one. Anyway, I'm looking to buy a glider/sailplane. I really don't want to spend a fourtane on an ARF (I have all the gear since I fly nitro an all). Is the Tower Hobbies brand any good - it is very cheap in price?

Is there any such thing as a unit/device that is specifically used for gliders that allows the pilot to activate a motor? Now, now, I know all about speed controls and such, what I mean is there a unit that could allow me to use one of my extra channels on my transmitter to switch the motor on and off so I can get the glider up to altitude? I don't want to use any of my Cox engines as power pods (defeats the purpose with all that oily goo)); don't want a speed control; and really don't need variable power that a speed control offers.

I am basically looking for a glider that can be hand-launched, or hi-started that I will use as a UAV to rig a small wireless camera system on (weighs less than half an ounce).

rc4funmd

here is a place to look:
[link=http://forums.flyesl.com/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=14]ESL[/link]
In that you have experience some of the info you should already know. Unless you have someone to help you learn a Hi-start I would suggest that you start off with an electric powered glider especially considering that you want to add a camera. Be careful choosing an ARF a lot of them are underpowered with the stock setup.
I do not understand why you wouldn't want to use a speed controller to control the motor. Yes you can use a switch big enough to handle the power required by the motor and control it with a servo but the weight ends up being the same or heavier. IMHO the SC is a much better / safer option.
Is your desire to learn to fly sailplanes or to get the camera air born?
Some of the Tower planes are good and others not so great.

sawdust

My Feedback: (7)

You need to read up on the Easy Star. It is often used as a camera platform. Rcgroups.com has a hugh thread on this plane. It is a cross between a plane and a sailplane.

The plane is cheap and as durable as you can get.

It will fly with the stock motor but you will want a 20 amp ESC, add 3/4 inch to the rudder, and add a prop adapter with a 6 x 4 prop. You can use either a 2 cell lipo or a 7 to 8 cell nimh packs with the stock motor. Many beef it up to a brushless and a 3 cell lipo. I have 2 EZs. One with the stock motor and one with a brushless.

This is the plane of choice for what you want to do.

But read up on it. The thread has thousands of posts on the Easy Star.

Todd

spiral_72

I'd agree with not using an ESC being heavier. You'd either have to run a switch and seperate battery (to eliminate the possibility of running your radio battery too low) or run a BEC that is in a SC anyways. Besides, the switch idea will only work on a brushed motor. IMO you'd be better to stick with standard equipment.

I believe tower sells the radio accessory relays, if not, I've seen them for sale. You'll prabably want a 15A(20A to be safe) contact and a 2cell Lipo. You'll need a 4-cell Nicd pack for the radio unless you want to run a programmable BEC circuit and set the cutoff to "high". A 400 or 480 brushed motor will work depending on the size of the sailplane

The camera idea is pretty nice. I always like seeing these videos.

The silent flight is pretty amazing itself!

air-madness

Yeah, I've been flying planes for a few years now and have tons of equipment; radios, motors, engines etc. I do have experiance with the high-start system and I like it, but set up time is the issue - I want to arrive and be able to fly immediately. Perhaps an electric system is in order. The particular glider at Tower is this: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...1&I=LXLGM5&P=K

Speaking of the Easy Star, Multiplex, I actually had one of those a few years back when they first came out - my third plane, actually. It was alright for a foamy, but I'd like to go balsa. The Tower brand glider doesn't have a power unit, although a power pod may work.

Thanks for the help!!

elmog

air-madness-

Many ESC's have a propeller "brake" feature that will stop the prop from windmilling when the motor is off. This is good as the drag from a rotating propeller will really hurt your gliding performance. A rotating propeller causes a lot of drag and the benefit of having an ESC with the brake feature completely offsets any disadvantage you might be concerned with. Just pose the question to guys who fly motor gliders at the field and they will agree that a prop brake is the way to go.
If you decide to build up a glider from a kit you will end up buying things that are not included when you purchase an ARF. Extra things like 3 different types of CA adhesive, 2 rolls of Monokote, pushrods, clevisis etc... and the list goes on. It's actually cheaper to purchase a glider like the Vista ARF than to build, say a House of Balsa 2x6 from a kit. If you're really hankering to build a wooden glider, check out the Chrysalis 2-meter motor glider. There's an thread on the Chrysalis right now on RCGROUPS.com under Electric Sailplanes and you can see for yourself how they go together. It $85 for the basic airframe kit.

Note: Someone mentioned the EasyStar. While it makes a great training ship, it's not really a glider. A much better choice would be the EasyGlider as it has a 72 inch wingspan and comes equipped with ailerons and a nose-mounted folding prop. While the Easystar can be used to catch thermals, you would be light years ahead to go with the EasyGlider in terms of gliding performance. Not trying to push you toward foam, just thought you should know. Jim

sawdust

My Feedback: (7)

The Easy Star is a very good sailplane. It thermals as good as the Easy Glider. I often get 1 hour flights out of mine. Note that I use a timer and 1 hour is all my old body will stand. I aways land with battery left. You need to get a good brush less and get it up high. And then look for thermals. It will also fly in 20 MPH winds. I fly the Easy Glider Electric and the Easy Star. I think the Easy Star is the better sailplane. Certainly cheaper and easier to fly. Do not over look the Easy Star as a sailplane.

Todd

elmog

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aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Air-maddness,

Welcome to gliders.

It seems to me that you are working very hard to do something that is so very easy.

An electric glider with an ESC is the easiest, cheapest, lightest solution posible. There are dozens of great electric gliders available so there is no need to convert a pure glider to electric unless you really want to. More time, more cost, no real value in it.

And a power pod is the worst possible solution. It is heavy, draggy, limits prop size and places a lot of weight high on the plane, reducing stability. I would not go this path.

Way balsa? Nothing wrong with balsa, there are many great balsa planes, but I am trying to understand your thinking. If you have a preference for balsa, I would like to understand why.

Since your camera equipment weighs about an ounce, almost any e-glider can carry it. So what would be your other decision criteria, other than price?

How far away do you want to fly? - size

What kind of climb rate do you need? - power system set-up

What kind of air time do you need? - assuming no thermal or slope lift?

Other criteria?

As far as your equipment, much of the radio equipment used in glow planes is large and heavy compared to what is typically used in gliders. In gliders we usually want to keep the weight down to maximize the glide ratio.


Since there is much I don't understand aobut your goals, I will toss out some ideas for you to consider. Then come back with the answers.

Easy Glider -
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...CH=Easy+Glider

Made from tough foam that is transparent to your video signal. The foam will naturally cushion your equipment from hard landings. Should you break it, it is super easy and quick to fix. You can get it receiver ready or as a kit. You can get it pure glider or with a speed 400 motor. This would be an excellent fit.

Tower Vista EP - Electric Vista
You never stated which Tower plane you were considering
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...SEARCH=vista++

Why covert a pure glider when they have already done it for you?

Great Planes Spectra ARF
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXADK2&P=ML
Wood, comes with motor,spinner, folding prop. Will take your big servos and receiver. Similar to the Tower Vista ( you never said which tower plane you were considering.)


There are probably 200 more I could list, but these would bea first cut based on what you have posted.

mattsmith1030

I just got word from Joshua Underwood from Horizon Hobby that E-Flight will be coming out with a 2m glider with all the bells. It will come in two versions electric and non electric. You can contact Josh at e-flights wep page he will email you the pics. I will also post them soon

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

Pictures available yet?

ricochet965

does anyone have a diagram of how to set up my radio gear in my glider i have built it myself and is not a branded one i need to know how to set up esc to motor using seperate battery from servos and receiver a simple diagram would be great many thanks

aeajr

My Feedback: (2)

There should be instructions included with your ESC.

Typically if you are using an electric motor, the ESChas a BEC that provides power to the receiver and servos. You don't need a separate receiver battery. The instructions for your electronic speed control should provide instructions on how to hook things together. This link may also prove helpful. Go to the chapter on the ESC, electronic speed control.

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ELECTRIC FLIGHT
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7100376/tm.htm

Basically the motor connects to the ESCvia 2 or 3 wires. The ESC connects to the receiver in the throttle channel, according to your radio's instructions. The battery connects to the ESC, providing electricity to the system.

BMatthews

Ricochet, next time don't be afraid to start a new thread. Your question has pretty much nothing to do with this old thread and you just confused the issue by bringing it back from the grave.

Like Aejr I don't understand why you want to use a separate battery for the receiver and servos. It can be done but there's no good reason to do so.

If you insist then the way to do this is to cut the red wire in the servo lead that comes from the ESC to the receiver. That will leave only the white or yellow signal lead and the black ground wire intact. Set up that way it will use the motor battery to power the motor and ESC and the radio battery to run the receiver and servos.

tlar

I think if you look again Tower has a electric version of the Vista complete with required motor controller.I have seen rf controlled switches but you still would have the battery problem. Dollar for dollar I would get an ARF with motor. Seems to me an upstart or high start is the way to go.

heavy metal thunder

Air Madness

Using a ESC with a built in BEC (nearly all ESC 40A and less have a BEC built in), brushless motor, and Lipo are best way to go. Using a switch hooked to a servo is really old technology. I have a old Cox glider ARF made in the late 70's that had a switch to servo setup, not the way to go. Besides a switch type set up can only be used with brushed motors. When I have the change I'll upgrade it to a brushless set up.

ricochet965

many thanks to you all for your advice sorry not to have replied earlier but due to my disability and illness i spend lots of time in hospital but all your information has been logged into my head and i now have a better understanding thank you

BMatthews

Because this is an old thread that was mistakenly brought back up by a new topic I'm going to lock the thread to avoid confusion with the original 2 year old portion. Richochet, if you still need any further help please post a new thread on what you require.