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Electric Stunt => Gettin all AMP'ed up! => Topic started by: Dennis Adamisin on March 26, 2013, 07:22:27 PM
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Awhile back, I got a note from John Brodak asking if I could help him with electric conversions for his kits. About the same time I also started teaching myself 2D CAD. One thing led to another and - the first Brodak Electric conversion, designed for the Vector, is ready to go.
This conversion kit (#BH-1948) is designed to fit the Vector 40 full build kit. It includes a double layer firewall designed for a through-the-firewall installation of a Brodak EPS-40 power system. It also includes the battery tray, new "F-2" and provisions for a top battery hatch. A 4 page photo illustrated instruction manual completes the package. The price of the kit is $9.99.
The installation can be modified a for other similar size motors and can be adapted to other airplanes that meassure 2" wide between the fuselage sides - like most 35-45 size designs.
If you have any trouble with the link, just go to the Brodak site and search for "BH-1948".
http://brodak.com/vector-40-electric-conversion.html
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Dennis,
Way to go ! John and yourself just made another quantum leap for modelers wanting to build an electric ship without the struggles of coming up with a mounting platform.
Bob
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Very nice Dennis!
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Well done Dennis, the more electric powered control line models the better.
Andy
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Thanks for your work. Will try to remember this when and I ever build an electric plane.
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Dennis:
Nice, very clean and simple. Is it fabricated from aircraft ply or lite ply? Also, are you using the Arrowind 2820 motor?
Jim
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Dennis,Will a 3542 or 3548 fit on that mount?I have 2 Vector 40 kits and a pile of motors.Thanx,Trax
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Thanks for the kind words everyone. I wish I had something like this available when I started working on all the experimental models I did for Brodak over the past few years!
My CAD skills are improving. I am pretty good at drawing things that are squareish and flatish. Some day I hope to be able to do something airplanish.
Jim V & Trax:
The conversion kit parts are birch ply, not light ply. I was surprised that the conversion parts weigh 14g LESS than the IC engine mount parts they replace.
The conversion kit parts CAN be moved around to accommodate different length motors.
The manual shows the installation of a Arrowind 2820, which is a good choice for the Vector. Dimensionally the Arrowinds are somewhat larger externally, this motor measures roughly 39x44 externally, the hole in the firewall is just big enough for the Arrowind, so other motors should rattle through the hole. The 3542 should be awful close to the same, the 3548 a little longer. The prop adapter you use also makes a difference for where you locate the firewall.
If you build it for a 3542, you can install the 3548 if you use shims between the firewall and the X-mount to push the motor AFT. However, if you build it for the long motor then the short motor will be a pain - you have to put the shim between the X-mount and the short motor to get it all to line up.
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Dennis,
Thank you for putting in the work on this item. I have one more Vector that is ready for the electric installation. You efforts will save me a bunch of time.
John Tate
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Could you retro fit this into an ARF Vector?
MM
I think so. The kit Vector has some differences in the front end, but the conversion parts should work on just about any airplane that is 2" wide inside the fuselage doublers.
For the Vector ARF fuse yo have to gut it, removing the first bulkhead and the motor mounts - not as hard as it sounds. You will also have to chop off the nose ring. You will probably have to reshape the top of the firewall and the hatch plates to fit the bulkheads to fit the shape of the top blocks too. Battery tray will probably be OK but might need a little bit of fitting to work right.
Assembly should be pretty straight forward. You will have to build up the nose blocks to carry the nose ring, then install a new forward top block and hatch block. I think the ARF cowl can be fit over the new bulkheads and glued in place to stiffen the fuse.
It all sounds like a lot of work but the Vector ARF conversion I did before - without any kit of parts - was a lot of work too.
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Is there any conversions out there that have a front mount motor? I thought rear mounting is hard on the bearings?
Warren
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I converted an ARC using Bob Hunts Hard Mount. Worked out really well.
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Dennis, do you know if John is planning on putting together a complete package of the recommended hardware and parts necessary to set up the Vector for electric power? It seems to me that would be the next step.
I have considered making the jump to E-power but would like to be able to buy a package ready to assemble and eat, that is a result of E-pioneers like you, Bob Hunt and countless others having done the legwork. Lazy? Yeah, a little, but I'm not 25 anymore. HB~>
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Dennis, do you know if John is planning on putting together a complete package of the recommended hardware and parts necessary to set up the Vector for electric power? It seems to me that would be the next step.
I have considered making the jump to E-power but would like to be able to buy a package ready to assemble and eat, that is a result of E-pioneers like you, Bob Hunt and countless others having done the legwork. Lazy? Yeah, a little, but I'm not 25 anymore. HB~>
Hi Dick
If you go to the Brodak site, click on "Electric", a page titled "Electric Information" comes up. The first item on that page is "Arrowind Power Systems" Click on that and it will how you a list of systems avalable from 02 equivalent through 65 equivalent. Obviously this chart is set-up around the Brodak Arrowind components, but you can also use it as a guideline if you want to use Brand X motors or Brand Y lipos, etc.
The real key to the chart is the "Prop Size" column, which is the closest way to link the IC engine sizes to the electric sizes. For example the EPS-35 system does a really nice job turning a 10" prop - but I have also used it with an 11" & a 9" prop. BTW, this power system would be absolutely PERFECT for a Spirit of Saginaw-E!
For a Vector I'd go with the "EPS-40 PRO" items. Brodak does NOT have this set up as a single click to order, you have to order ala carte, but the stock numbers are shown on the sheet. I would also recommend the "upgrade" charger, the GT-A6 (#BH-1858)
Since this sheet was created the KR Timer was introduced. It has a lot of nice features and if you were to use it then order the EPS-40 Sport package - sans the timer - and then get the Timer from RSM...