Wild Hare Electrics
 

Looks like I might have one of the new W/H electric aircraft on the way. I won't be back to the mailing address until Tuesday after T-Day but I'll be posting pics of everything as they get opened up. With any luck I might be able to get everything assembled and in the air for first and later flights before work in the mornings.

This should be fun!!:D

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

Keep us posted. [sm=thumbs_up.gif]

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

In spite of what appear to be an attempt by UPS to completely smash another box, the electric kit arrived today and in an undamaged condition. I still need to look at the cowl to assure that statement. I still don't know which plane it is because I only asked to be sent one and never specified the type;) I'll be posting some pictures of the kit contents after I get away fom the workplace and have some room to spread out in.

Overall it looks real nice!!

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

The boxes are not as heavy as I would have liked, but so far there's only been one plane damaged and it had a footprint on it where the box was caved in.

I have ordered some custom outer boxes which will triple the strength. I'm trying to keep the shipping cost low so we had to be very precise about the measurements, a half inch here or there would have doubled the shipping cost.

TF

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

I sure know how that works. The weight of a shipped item is often the smallest part of the cost....

OK, This one is a Slick, which will be a slight break from my usual type of flying machine. Looks really nice but the pictures will have to come along a little later. First item on my agenda is describe a little about how I'm going to go about this one. So here goes.

First off, everyone needs to know I'm not even a little bit an electric motor guy. I could fill a persons days with gas engine design, operations, and troubleshooting, but when it comes to electronics I'm a Rube. For me, where electrics are concerned 1+1=doo. Doesn't matter how much since it makes to someone else, for me it has to come out of the box, go together, work, and work well, or I'm done with it. So that's how this one is going to go.

In the past I've obtained some electric kits and power packages from other distributors that just didn't cut the mustard. Sort of turned me off on electric unless it was a foamie I did myself. I don't like the way foamies fly. Not even close to the way their larger cousins perform, which is what I predominantly fly. i want something that flies close enough in control and performance styles that will let me stay reasonably in tune with my 35% and larger stuff, and for those days where the location just won't permit a larger plane to work in. This one is intended to fill that desire and, at least for the moment, everything is proportioned and laid out like it should do so. Out of the box it's super light and I'll try to slide it on the scale at the shop to get some individual parts weights for everyone. Means some early days to get into the shop before formal working hours but what the heck.

I asked for a kit that was complete with everything suggested by the distributor that would let the plane fly to it's best performance level. So this kit came with the plane, motor, servos, ESC, servo extensions, and hardware. Evern a spinner! The only thing not in the box to make it ready to fly is the battery, and there is what I think to be a good reason for that. People have there own thoughts about what size and type battery they will want to use. In that area I'm no different. Another reason is that I can think of about a dozen ways a battery can get screwed up after it leaves the hands of a distributor. In other words, user induced failure. So letting the individual make their battery selection and obtain it themselves pretty much protects the distributor from having to warranty something they cannot control the use of. Practical thinking in my book. Tom makes a couple of recommendations, and in this case I'm going to pick up a couple of 4s, 2,500-3.000 ma li-polys for the power source.

So everyone is fore warned. I'm not going to post a bunch of stuff about amperage draws, watts, or any of that other 30 pound brain stuff. It's going to be assembled with what the distributor recommended and provided, and it will work or it won't. Darn thing better work cuz i have some pretty high hopes for this little girl. Right now I'm going to do something completely against my nature. I'm going to read the instructions before starting the kit...........

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

I can't wait to see how it turns out. The Slick looks very nice!

I have flown electrics for nearly 2 decades now, beginning with cobalt motors and Sanyo 1200 mAh SCR NiCd batteries. The new electric technologies released in the last 10 years (and accelerated over the last 5-6 years) represent a tremendous paradigm shift in terms of power increases, weight decreases, and price drops. For instance, my first brushless motor cost over $450 new with the controller 15 yrs ago, and my first LiPo batteries (about 9 yrs ago?) cost $75 for a simple 3S 1500 mAh pack that was lucky to put out 20 amps. Now it is possible to find a BETTER replacement for my first brushless motor for under $100, and 2500 mAh 3S LiPo batteries that are lighter and far more powerful can be found for well under $30.

I can fill in any blanks on information as needed, but I believe Tom F. has this one just about right. He has put a lot of work into it and through back-channel discussions I have had with him for nearly a year now on electric planes, I think he has come up with a direct, simple, effective, plug-and-play power system that is perfectly matched to his very nice airframe design.

It is light, powerful, and uses an efficient high-voltage/lower current setup for long flights on cheaper batteries. The fact that it is an affordable package makes it very attractive.

Pat, post some pictures when you get a chance.

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

I had one minor issue when I started inspecting the various parts. The motor Power H/D #HD-3542@ 920kv) comes in it's own box with a baggie of small parts included inside the box. Seems a couple of screws played a Houdidni and escaped the baggie during the original packaging at the factory and were drawn inside the motor by the motor magnets during the long transport. It was noticed when finger turning the motor. Not the first time this has happend with various electric motors over the years. So if anyone feels any restriction when turning over a new motor look for a screw or two inside the motor and remove it before powering up with an electrical source.

if one obtains the kit with the complete power and servo package, all the components are produced by Power H/D. The Power servos appear to have worked out to be pretty good products and the prices are quite attractive. The manual notes that if you'[re going to fly a lot of 3D you might want to use a somewhat stronger servo for the rudder. You have the choice of a tail mounted flight servo installation, both rudder and elevators, or you can install the rudder in a fuselage mounted pull-pull arrangement, either single or ganged. I have quite a few Futaba 3102 metal gear mini servos laying around so I'm going to swap out the Power rudder servo for the 50 oz. in. 3102 installed at the tail in a push-pull installation.

If you've had any of the larger W/H planes you'll notice the close similarities between the electric plane and it's larger cousins when you get to looking at the plane. The construction lay up is almost identical. The larger planes are quite strong so this small electric should be proportionally as strong. Wing is attached with a small C/F wing tube and a couple of 4-40 screws, just like the big ones. The cowl is attached almost exactly like the larger planes. The only difference is the electric uses only 1 center located cowl retaining screw instead of 2 outers. The canopy has a slick (no pun intended) attachment method where a spring loaded button on top of the fuselage is slighly pulled up and slid forward or back to release or secure the canopy/hatch assembly. Just slide the hath forward to engage the two lower front tabs into the forward cowl former and slide the latch pin home. Sweet. No gluing here, the canopy is attached to the hatch at the factory.

The C/F landing gear are REALLY nice!! Stout for sure, unlike those found on many other kits.

There's a little bit of glueing to be done at the tail group. All the tail parts are keyed for an easy fit and accurate assembly. Carefully cut away any covering and use medium ca or epoxy to set things in place. Liking to do things reasonably fast I'm going with the ca. Might want to do all the horn installations before setting the tail group. Easier to do laying flat or in your hand then it is when already mounted on the aircraft.

Got in some quick pictures this evening. I was in a bit of a rush so I missed a couple of parts but there's enough for a start. Not up to my usual standards but they will do until I can take them again in the daylight.

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oops.

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

hey Pat,
when you get a chance would you mind sharing what kind of prop clearances you can see on this electric?
im thinking of postponing my motor purchase for my baby edge electric project and picking one of these up so ive got it. (i have some form of addiction to collecting planes, good thing airplane starts with an "A" so i can claim AAA or something) my mind is already calculating a power system for this little one
thanks
mike

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

Will do. Likely be on it over this upcoming weekend.

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I'm really interested in this build thread. I'll be even more interested in how you think it flys. The 50 inch electrics are getting really popular at my field. Everyone there are flying the 3D Hobbyshop planes and they do fly nice but I like to have something a little different than everyone else and am pretty partial to the Wildhare planes. I sure hope these work out great as I'm wanting to try one.

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

and one with a cowl ring !
i swap motors and esc around playing with my little electrics. would be nice to have something with simple mounting instead of always refilling my holes with glue to make sure i have a tight screw when i re install

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

Using the wheels and tail wheel that come with the kit, a 12" prop has 5" ground clearance when siting with all 3 wheels on the floor.

TF

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

muyhahahaha
my mind is already rolling
600-700 kv
700-900 watts
4s batts
14 inch prop.
missile...

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

BTW I have a few 6s A123 packs available now, $100 each.

Plug one into your plane and fly all day, recharge in 15 minutes between flights.

TF

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Damn Tom i wished i woulda asked u about the packs yesterday when we spoke about my new hatch for the Slick 540. I woulda ordered one of the A123 packs.

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

I prolly should do the same.

One thing is certain. If you have all your parts on hand it will only take, at the outside, two evenings of casual assembly to have the plane ready for flight. The hardest item on the assembly list is the assembly of the landing gear. That is only awkward, not hard. If you use the method Tom notes in the instructions of clamping the gear legs to a table and adding the wheels and pants, that awkwardness dissapears. Unfortunately my roommate would have gotten really upset to see me clamping something to his dining room table....

The Power HD sevos are a pefect fit for the servo wells. One might have a need to slightly shave the ply servo mounts with an Exacto blade due to minor changes in sizing due to ambient humidity conditions. The fit is real close but easily works. Any servo larger than the Power HD will require modification of the servo opening. Centering of the motor in the cowl is pretty near automatic. The way the airframe is laid out at the engine mount area it's almost impossible to be off center. The engine sets itself more or less. Balance on this plane will be very easy to accomplish. There is nothing but room inside the fuselage to move things around. How you like your planes to fly will determine where you put the battery and receiver. No problems installing either item anywhere inside the fuselage. A little velcro and you're good to go.

I seem to have discovered a minor technical difficulty that will delay the completion of mine. Seems that UPS gorilla that had a stranglehold on the box did a little more dirty work than I thought. The damage done to the box let a couple of critical parts to escape in transit so I'll need to hold off until a vertical stab makes another trip.

I'm thinking the size of the plane will let it fit in most every car made fully assembled.

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Hello,

I just finished my E540 Slick. I had the plane that was damaged with the boot print on the box. The fuselage was trashed. Wild Hare was so fast to respond. They had a new fuse to me in 4 days.

The kit was very nice to build. It took me 2 1/2 days over the weekend to assemble the kit with Tom's power pack.

I plan on using 2 3C 2300 Thunder Tiger 45C lipo packs. Here are some photos of the plane.

More to come after I fly it!!!

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

Two more photos

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I'm curious to see if there is any variance in the engine mount box lengths. The spacers needed for my motor worked out to be 11/16" in length to provide for about a 1/16" gap between the back of the spinner and the cowl. How long are yours?

Thanks for posting the great pictures!

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

TOM my spacers ended up to be 20mm that gave me a 1.5 gap to the cowl. The spacers Tom sent never made this far they must have gotton out of the box along the way to PA.

If the weather stays good today I will take her for the first fight.

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

Just so you won't get lonely, mine didn't have any spacers either. Off to the shop today to make some. Easy enough to do, as you've already discovered.

Pat

Edit,

I just received the motor spacers in the mail. Looks like stacking up 3 of them is just about a perfect fit.

Thanks Tom. That saved me some begging at one of the shops;)

RE: Wild Hare Electrics
 

Here are two more photos.

But I must tell you about my maiden flight!!!!!! Wow Wow oh ooooo! This plane flys like a dream. It was a little breezy out and close to dark but I made it home just in time to test fly my 540E Wild Hare.
I faced it down my driveway and just pushed up on the throttle just about 1/3 and it took off in about 7 feet. The plane was very solid and only took a click of trim or two to make it fly true.
I have never flown a plane that has this much power - it is so insane. I have a few foamies that are very light and fast but this makes them look like they are slow out of a hover! But it is very soild even at very low speeds and landed well with no wing drop - just flat and slow. I will move the Cg back for the next fight to make it fly more like I like.
I will post a video in the next week.

If you do not have one of these planes on the way you should. After guys start talking, Wild Hare will be needing to order more to fill the demand.

Thanks, Mike

:D

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Mike, are you running a 6s set up?

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Yes, Im running two 3C 2300 Thunder Tiger 45C lipo packs = Wow [X(]:D