Alan put in his 1st complete pattern this year with this E-Nobler ARF.  I'm sure he'll post the power train specifics.

I posted a video in YouTube.  As soon as it's done processing, I'll post the URL.

Fred (the stooge)

Thanks Fred. Boy did that look a lot faster from your perspective than it felt out at the handle  .

Plane is flying pretty good--insides felt about the same as outsides which is better than last year. I adjusted the flap to elevator zero setting over the winter. One thing which is a little bizarre, is that I had to up the rpm to 9400 rpm to get the same lap speed (and good tension feeling) from the 9000 rpm level I was running fromlast fall. I went back and checked the data to verify that was really how it was running last year. Also measured the line length (just in case I put on a longer pair) and no the length was the same. So this extra need for power seems to be real. Could the readjustment of the flap zero to elevator zero really have caused the higher drag that I infer from needing more power to run the same speed??  Hmmm, but I can cut ~20s from the flying time.

I eventually plan to move from the current 11-5.5 prop (one I used last year) to a 12-6 once I more or less feel that I am back to "normal". Maybe that will allow me to slow the lap speed down a hair and still provide enough thrust to overcome the pull of gravity in the verticals.

Also I note that I had better start practicing

Scott,
Actually Fred was holding the plane. Since I am running in governor mode, the startup is very slow (governor mode was made for helicopters, so a slow spoolup prevents the gear in the transmission from getting stripped).

One time I was using my "real stooge" (not Fred "Larry" K.), and I failed to latch the plane adequately in it. There is a 20 s delay from when I push the "go" button until the plane starts to spool up. But anyway, when the motor started to come up, the stooge released it prematurely. So it does a little taxi until it gathered enough airspeed to take off. However on grass, a bad bump and you could be looking straight at the prop coming at you! So normally I signal Fred (or pull the line on the stooge) when the rpm sounds "right". We obviously need a little more practice this year to get my signal to Fred correct, because I waved my hand about something, and Fred interpreted I wanted him the release the plane! It was a little on the low rpm side when he released it.

With my 1/2A electric, the motor comes right up, so I can simply push the button and get out to the handle and make a nice takeoff. You still want a stooge, because it is easy to get distracted and forget that you have a "live" one back in the pits.

Hi Rudy,
Put the 12-6 on yesterday and got a quick 2 minute flight between rain clouds at 8400 rpm. Today I got back and flew a full pattern  at 8230, then one at 8100. Probably will leave it at 8100 for now.

I thought I had a couple of pictures of the installation in last year's thread, but I have changed a few things --mainly the single battery.

RIght now my main puzzle is understanding why I seem to need more power for the pattern than last year.

Nyuk nyuk nyuk!

Actually this is really strange to me. Electric really lets you figure out what is going on, so when something like this happens, it is pretty strange (to me at least). Can't blame stale fuel--err electrons!

And my problem is actually that I probably over-hammer my squares. My tutor/stooge Fred "Curly" K. keeps telling me that. But why does he keep calling me "Moe"?

Alan,

I got a few prop tests in this weekend and one was a full 12x6 APC-E. It pulled the test ship all 58 oz (had to add some nose wt to get it flyable) at a 4.6 lap time on the 63.5ft lines. This was at an rpm setting of 8800. At the end of the flight, which was the end of the battery it must have it the low voltage cut off cause it gave sorta three motor bursts then about 5 sec later cut. I did a ground test and the rpm was down to 8300. I'm not sure if I drop the rpm to get the lap time around 5.1 (likely need to go down to 8300) if it would give enough battery to do the full pattern. I also flew the 11 3/4 x 4 3/4 APC-E (cut down 12x6 repitched). That prop hit the 5.1 sec on the head and did the full 5 min 50 sec run time I'm looking for. Had lots of line tension over the top so I think this is a real good comb for the A123 and the AXI 2820/8 at 8800 rpm.

I also tested an 11 1/2 x 5 Rev Up that worked well on IC engines but it was very slow on the electric. I think some of the difference is that on a IC engine it unloads in the air and that extra rpm is the difference, with the electric it just holds the ground rpm no matter what. I want to test a wood 12x6 to see how that does.

BTY, what is the new battery you spoke of?

Best,         Dennis

Alan,

Interesting information on the 12x6. What motor are you using, line Length and lap(I know you have posted this on another thread but my luck with searching isn't to good) and I assume you are using a poly pack? Being able to do the pattern on the 4s1p 2100mah pack suggests that with a similar setup with A123 cells at 2300mah's should work. I think Igor was running this but had a low Kv motor that worked with the larger poly pack but at the end of the flight was a little low on voltage around 2.8 per cell. This may be off set with a different motor and prop and yours sounds like it could fit. If this works it would cut 6 oz off the weight - big number. I may try the full 12x6 and reduce the governor rpm set point to 8100 and see what it pulls out of the pack, would like to get to 5m, 45s flight time to feel confortable.

Rudy,

What motor and battery comb are you using? Also flight time and rpm and mah's of battery used.

Best,         Dennis

Just yesteraday I did first flights with 6s1p pack of A123 with AXI 2826/12 (kv=760). The efficiency was higher, so I was able to use new 3blade carbon prop 11x5.5 instead of 2 blade. The capacity is on edge of 5:10 min of flight time just necessary for whole pattern of 60oz ship, but with zero reserve.