Dean,

Man, you can say that again.  Where is the warm weather?  We got 1.5" of ice last night in Muncie.

I can't wait to test some more when it gets warmer.  I have a new airframe in the works that will take up to a 28-26 motor size.  I want to play until I can prove out what the system needs to be for stunt.  One thing that Helli guys have over us though is the collective pitch.  There might be a need for us to further refine our systems to incorporate a hollow shaft and variable pitched prop to aid the governor in controlling airspeed.  (That's all we need is more complexity right??)    The idea of the multi-pitch prop to be to try to simplify the process of governing without a tremendous use of power and increase in airspeed.  I will be carving some props up and testing this.  The proof is in the pudding!!

Can't wait to share more.  By the end here we'll all be genius' right??

Alan,

Hope you had a great trip.  I agree with you not using the governor in a 1/2a stunter.  In that small an airframe, you need all the speed you can get.  That was the purpose of the cheaper alternatives to solving the 6" prop problem.

Hope to hear more soon!!

Archie Adamisin

Muncie, Indiana

At some point I was hoping that APC would come out with some 3 bladed props. I too have my E-Nobler setup to try the APC12-6---I just put on larger wheels to get the prop clearance (I was previously running an 11-5.5 prop), but I think I am at my aesthetic clearance point---anymore and the whole thing begins to look a little ridiculous! So that's why I'd like to see a 3 bladed prop. I have watts to burn (at least for short bursts!)
Also I might say, getting back to the 1/2 A stuff, Jim R. didn't say anything about 3 or 4 bladed props for his 1/2A contest!

Igor,
I like the looks of that prop. Are they available or is it home made?

     Arch

Just recharged the battery--only 0.21 AHr (out of 0.73 total), and that was static! Should be plenty more if I need to juice it up.

By the way, Jim R.'s contest is the beginner pattern for everyone. I just calculated (roughly) that that works out to about 22 laps. At 4s a lap (1/2A moves fast) that would be 88s for the pattern. That's why I think 2 minutes of actual flying time is ok. I plan to use 35 foot 0.008's to start.

You can program the Tower pro controller for (2) cells.  I use this controller in my WW2 combat foamies with (2) cells and the 2408-21T motor.  I have attached the word document to explain the programming sequence.  I thought the same when I got mine.  I have (4) that work great!!

Some guys are using that motor on (3) cells with an 8 x 4 with no problem.  10 amps with proper cooling is no problem.  Do you have the heat sink beam mount?  This helps out a bunch.

I have experimented with using (2) 5.5 x 4.5 APC props 90 degrees apart and it only draws 11 amps on (3) cells @ over 13,000.  The thrust from this combo is impressive.  I use it for our no mercy combat planes.  It goes vertical @ 12 ozs.

Measured Kv for the (4) I have average 1725 rpm/v.  On (2) cells, I have run up to a 10 x 4.7 GWS with no problem.  Current is a bit high, but I rarely run it @ full throttle.  The open bell concept for that motor cools very well.  After 5 minutes of combat, the motor is barely warm on the 9 x 7 @ (2) cells.  I have had much the same results with the APC (4) blade combo on (3) cells.

Archie,
I love the variable pitch idea! A lot

Hi Igor,
You've probably heard me say that I like to run two bladers in order to get more prop efficiency, but ...
Sometime more diameter hurts the turn, and in the quest for more blade area, a 3 - blader makes sense.
The prop you show us sure looks right: lots of blade area, and light I'll bet. I'll bet they work well. Have you flown them yet?

Dean

Not yet, today was sun, warm, calm ... I am 100% sure weekend is bad  

Hi Igor,
It looks beautiful! I'll bet it's light too. Bob and I have discussed making wood/foam core carbon props, but for now, the APC-E series do nicely.

The reasons to run a 3-blader are somewhat different with E-power as compared to wet.
In my not at all bashful opinion the only time to sacrifice the better efficiency of a two-blader is when too much diameter interferes with the airplane's turn. Lightness will help reduce that problem.

Of course, all talk is just hot air, and what works for you, right now, is better than anything you don't have!

later Friends,
Dean

Of course it does not allow the brake to work in governor mode ... some excuse about breaking heli main shafts if the brake ever engages. By the way, I don't buy that logic, because autorotations would still require an overrunning clutch. Maybe the small cheap helis don't have auto-clutches. I'll go check that.

In electric heli's the governor mode is used in "idle-up" mode in which would NEVER want or need a brake.  "V-Curve" pitch and throttle settings for 3-d stunt work, low stick for maximum negative pitch (inverted flight), center stick posistion for zero degrees pitch and high stick position for maximum positive pitch (upright flight).  No need for a brake in the "normal" flight mode either as low-stick position is "motor off" and the blades will spin down by themselves with no need to do an instant stop.  Anything above low-stick position and the heli is in the air.  Sure wouldn't want a brake then.