Thoughts from the workbench of Radical RC. The online retailer of electronics and kits for radio control aircraft. Dave Thacker shares his thoughts and knowledge of electronics, batteries, kit design and overall enjoyment of the hobby.
Jeff Lucius provides us with his Voltage Drop Calculator. An excellent site to help understand why wire size maters. If you have a 1000kv outrunner and your voltage drop across wires and connectors is .5v then your losing 500 prop RPM. Yikes!
Worldwide Metric: The best metric / length / weight/ volume / pressure / weight calculator on the web. I use this site every week for something.
Photos sent to me by Bob Slater. He’s encouraging me to finish mine with Inspirational photo’s and “You will be thrilled with your Dallaire.”. Bob’s in Scottsdale, Arizona and is into SAM (Society of Antique Modelers) Old Timers, and sport acro. My Dallaire is almost completely framed up. When I started this project many years ago, I was dreaming of putting Saito 80 on it. I wanted to do a RC field to RC field cross country flight and figured this model would be easy see, slow and just right for the job. Of course, if I get started on it again, it’s going to be electric. I am getting the itch to get it down and get some glue on my fingers. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Old-Timer aircraft.
I was looking forward to flying at NEFI this year. We arrived fashionably late Friday around noon only to hear about the storms earlier in the day. After getting our 20 x 30 canopy setup, our goods wheeled in and only just starting to set them up so we could be open on Saturday and Sunday. A huge thunderstorm set in, lasted about 20 minutes it seemed. Both John and I were leaning into one of our end canopy walls trying to keep the wind from busting it inward. It nearly knocked us both over several times. Scarey stuff. Both of us soaked to the bone from head to toe. I’ve a bunch of kits and other product that needs repackaging now. Looking at the forecast for the evening, it looked as if there was some risk of another thunderstorm. I strongly contemplated loading up and leaving right then. After spending 2 or 3 hours drying everything out, we decided to stack it tightly in the center and cover it well, we’ll setup in the morning. Well about 3am we are awakened to a rocking camper. Goods all dry this time. But an even more frightening 20 minute toss trying to keep the tent together and not lose everything. The whole time I’m thinking, “had my chance to leave…”. This late night storm was a good 20mph stronger than the earlier one. Torn sidewalls, bent poles in the tent, I had the strong feeling the good lord has just sent my second boat. I decided to bug out before the 3rd boat came. I mean, how many warnings are required? Morning Radar showed lots of storms with red in them headed that way still in western Indiana and Illinois. My decision was made. By the time we were packed up, the lot was full of cars and sky was mostly blue. Not sure what happened if anything after we left. The storms took all the will to fly and wind right out of my sails.
NEFI is a great event run by a good bunch of people and the venue is perfect. I hate not being part of the event this year. Hope to make it up next year. NEFI is growing and we are looking forward to it being even bigger (and less stormy) next year.
[display_podcast] Bob’s Lucky 13 Kadet Senior and my flight predictions. A photo of the model and it’s owner was posted on June 1st. The High Voltage Paradigm Shift. Form Charging NiCad and NiMH packs. Important Considerations and general information on how peak charging works. Post flight commentary on Bob’s Lucky 13 and the importance of understanding what you want from a power system. The test flight video is available in the June 3rd post.
Show Notes:
Stick 400 Kit
GWEDP-300(A,B,C)
Here it is. You can hear Bob stepping in the throttle on the take off. The model looked like it had pretty good power. He didn’t get around to removing the propless glow motor (donor fuse) so the actual flight weight here is about 10lbs 10oz. Yikes! On speed 300’s. Very sorry to say, shortly into the fight the rudder servo failed and after about 10 minutes of circling trying to work it over the field with throttle and elevator only, he gave up before it got too far away and it made an off field landing in a thicket. Might be a month or longer before this wounded soldier makes it out of refurb.
This model to be the subject of a future RadicalCast. There is no “in the box thinking” employed for Lucky 13’s setup. A 9lb 10oz model flying low voltage. So low you won’t believe it. Yes, we really do get some of the most interesting things through the door at our shop! If you can be at the Wingmasters Meeting and Hotdog Social this Thursday June 2, 2011. You can see it fly. They are serving at 6:00 PM 😉
Check out “The Crash Cast”, a fun and informative RC podcast from the big ol’ state of Texas. I met Micheal “Crash” Hancock at 2011 SEFF. He’s a real RC junkie. His show shares a lot of good information. He is a scratch builder, home CNC expert and has a fondness for Multi Rotor aircraft. His complete support site for show topics can be found at: All Things Crash.
[display_podcast] Cast Topics: 2011 Dayton Hamvention, Basic Proportions of Aircraft Design and a discussion with Connecticut’s Ned Bassic of West Mountain Radio, an expert with Anderson Power Poles, power distribution and high current testing.
Show Notes:
Dayton Hamvention
Radical RC Stick 400
Batteries America
West Mountain Radio
Rig Runners
Ned Bassic’s Favorite Anderson Crimper
Although this is quite an interesting video there are a number of people in
the aviation industry that think it may not be a registered aircraft.
Indicators are that there are no N numbers, no navigation lights showing; the cross wind
appears to change significantly between the two aircraft featured, and also,
a ground-based guidance system is clearly not in use. Most experts are also
mystified as to how the flaps work on the second jumbo design.