Electrics

[John Pavlick]

Craig,
 Did you ever find out what was wrong with your OS? I too had some problems
with an OS 160 but it turned out to be bad fuel. Solved that problem and
it's been running like a small block Chevy ever since. First start of the
day: Prime the pump, hit it with the starter and it goes (takes about 5
minutes). After that, bump backwards and you're off. Plenty of power, good
on fuel. I'm satisfied. Good luck with your electric projects. If you want
to get rid of that P.O.S. oil dripping OS 160, let me know.
John Pavlick
http://www.idseng.com


 -----Original Message-----
From: discussion-request at nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]On
Behalf Of ccmlbuck
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2005 10:26 PM
To: NSRCA
Subject: Re: Electrics


  I never want to see another stinking glow engine.  I can count one one
hand the number of contest rounds I've completed with the engine still
running this year.  I had trouble with the Webra 145 last year.  This year I
battled the OS 160.  I bought one of the huge dollar Pinnacles before the
Nats with a YS 160 so I wouldn't have so much trouble there.  Unfortunately
the motor came in a month after the Nats.  So I take the Pinnacle to the D4
finals.  I only had about 6 flights on it but the plane flew pretty good so
I wanted to fly it there.  Takes 2 hours with the help of many to get it to
start Sat AM.  I get 2 flights with outstanding power and predictable
throttle response.  Even won a round.  Starts and revs up nice for round 3
but a few minutes into the flight power starts decreasing then the motor
dies. (Yes, the fuel tank was full)  With wind as it was and tall bushes
surrounding the runway I didn't make it back.  Hit a bush.  Plane is
repairable but no longer worth $3,000.  People say the batteries and all the
associated electric equipment are too expensive.  Tell me how expensive it
is to get 10 flights on a $3K plane and crash because the motor won't run.

  How expensive is it to take a week off work to go to the Nats.  This year
I was in 8th place in Masters after 4 rounds.  They were taking 8 places to
the finals.  I needed 2 more solid rounds.  In round 5 my OS 160 spit and
sputtered with low power, in round six it died on the first manuever.  I
finished in 12th place.  Not in the finals.  How expensive are those
batteries?

  After the Nats, Andrew Jesky let me fly his electric Brio.  At the D4
finals Bob Mairs let me fly his electric Eclipse.  In both cases I was
mesmerized by the power characteristics of the electric motor.  You have
totally linear throttle response over the entire range from idle to full
power.  I was amazed as I pulled the Brio into a perfect vertical (easy to
do as the plane flys so well at low speed with the huge slipstream) and
slowly added power until I was satisfied with the rate of ascent (a little
over 1/2 throttle on the stick).  The plane then ascended at a constant rate
of speed without any further intervention on my part until I told it to
stop.  While doing a slow roll I found that the plane was slowing down but
just a touch more throttle stick and amazing, I got just the little bit more
power that I asked for.  Not smoke and babbling and wondering if the the
motor will keep running.  The electric motor really reduces the workload of
the pilot.

  I've seen the argument that the sponsored guys are only using electric
because they get it for free.  I think what is far more important to these
guys is to win the contest, not a free motor or battery.  They are using
electric because it is for now the superior power source for pattern flying
and gives them the highest probability of winning.   Don't you suppose if
Chip Hyde wanted to use XWZ engines that XYZ company wouldn't send him a
dozen of them?  These guys can get for free anything they want and they
choose electric.

  With both my OS 160 and the YS 160 at full throttle and several mid
throttle points the ailerons are a blur from vibration.  I have held the
electric planes at full throttle and though you can certainly tell they are
running, the control surfaces are pretty darn still.  Guys are using 730mah
receiver packs and getting twice the time that I get on my 2000mah pack
because the servos aren't fighting the vibration.  Makes me wonder if the
servo couldn't do a better job holding the surface where you ask it to when
it doesn't also have to think about countering the vibrations coming at it
8,000 time per second.  How many times at mid season have you changed out a
servo and been suprised at how much better the plane flys.  Makes you think
how long have I been flying with this damaged servo in the plane.  Since the
servos last much longer in electric hopefully this problem will be mostly
eliminated.

  I'll be flying electric next year.  I know there is a large learning curve
and there may be some problems.  Hopefully I won't burn my house down or
electrocute myself.  I look forward to no deadstick landings (which I have
become rather good at),  creamy smooth throttle response with big greasy
gobs of torque, servos that last forever, no oil spots in my van, not wiping
goo off the plane and just flying.

  Thanks for listening,  Craig Buckles



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