Electric rubber band

[svaughn]

I would like to find a package or individual component that would allow me to replace the rubber band in a 500 series airplane. I'm hoping the electric components weigh not much more that the rubber band does.

Has anyone heard of products like this?

[SteveM]

I don't think you'll find a battery and motor for the same weight as a rubber motor. The higher weight of the battery and motor means higher wing loading which in turn dictates more speed which means more power to make it fly as compared to a rubber motor. However, there have been some conversions, check out this list of electric RC conversions, there two 500 series kits listed that should give you some ideas.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=827861

[svaughn]

Thanks SteveM.

The info at http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=900048 is very interesting. Shows the 501 P-40 ready to fly electric at 19.5 gm. Hard to build it for rubber that light.

However, the author RNAF, built this as an RC plane. I don't really want to get into RC right now.

I'd like a product or package that had the propeller, motor, ESC and battery in a single unit. I'd like the ESC to run the motor for 20-30 seconds and then stop. No RC.

Most of the ESCs I see are for radio control. I'd love to find a light on that uses a timer instead of looking for a radio signal to control the motor.

[SteveM]

I don't know that you'll find a package that is a perfect match for your application. One place you might find FF electric gear (including a timer) is at BSD Micro. Most of their gear is for very light indoor planes and they provide very little data on what they sell. In order to make sure a motor is the right size you may need to search for the info on that motor or contact BSD Micro and ask for details.

Some of the motors are also available from other vendors or from third part websites. Some of the links below may be useful for you.
http://www.bphobbies.com/view.asp?id=V252263
http://www.skyhooks.ca/WMotors.htm
http://home.comcast.net/~gordon-johnson/home.htm (Lots of motor test data)

Some timers:
http://www.bsdmicrorc.com/index.php?cat ... &offset=16

[svaughn]

Thank you very much SteveM.

This is very helpful.

[SteveM]

Also, I don't think you will need an ESC for brushed setups. In a brushed FF plane you should just need the battery, timer, motor, and prop. With a brushless motor you need an ESC and something to provide a signal to the ESC.

In these parts we have a lot of trees and I tend to get my FF planes stuck in the trees. For this reason I no longer do any serious FF and prefer to have RC for throttle and either rudder or dethermalizer of some kind. A timer will save your battery from over discharge, but it won't bring you down out of a thermal.

[svaughn]

I hear you on the trees. We have plenty here too.

Mike Stuart http://www.ffscale.co.uk made a DVD of several free flight competitions last year.

Most of them are indoors and the plane takes off, circles for 10 - 30 seconds and then lands. That is what I am hoping to emulate.

There is a large basketball court near where I live. It is outdoors, but it is very smooth, painted with something. I'm hoping to use it in the early morning when the wind hasn't come up yet.

Thanks again. This is very useful information for me.