stunthanger.com
Electric Stunt => Gettin all AMP'ed up! => Topic started by: Mike Scholtes on September 08, 2010, 10:06:53 PM
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This is a continuation of the discussion under "E-Legacy." The model is Claus Maikis' China Clipper, built as E-power from the outset. The battery is set an angle to get it as far rearward as possible, under the wing LE a bit. I used Rudy's weight and balance chart to calculate where all the components had to go to achieve the same CG as the IC design w/o needing ballast anywhere. Even with the heavy (large) Turnigy 4250 it charts out the same as the IC verison with no penalty for the weight of components. Using a lighter motor like an Axi 2826 or similar the advantage on W&B goes to the electric system. This model has functional cheek cowls that pull air into the engine compartment. I hit on the idea of putting the ESC outside, under the right-side cowl. The motor slides in on rails and is held by 4-40 screws into tabs on the motor mount. Motor swaps will be easy with this system (thanks Rick Sawicki from whom I am pretty sure I stole it, also Bob Branch).
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looks very cool !!! great pics of your motor install - now off to the bench to copy it!!! y1
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Looks great Mike! I love cheek cowls. Bob Hunt and I were just talking the other day about using them in future ECL planes. You and Claus are already ahead of us. Our E power systems lend themselves to cheek cowls and round cowls like Will Moore uses in his beautiful new plane and in his awesome twin bomber. I hope we see more variations on CL designs, something that will break with the same old 50+ year old Nobler's unrealistic looking thin fuse that is still used by almost all CLPA planes in the USA.
Where did you get those neat cheek cowls? Are they cut down canopies? I was going to carve mine out of balsa, but I like your ARI ones better.
Please keep us posted with your future progress. I really look forward to seeing your completed plane. I have always admired this Claus design. I'm glad you are building one. :-)
FWIW: If you don't enjoy building wings, or don't have the time, you may want to consider ordering just a wing from Brodak. We sure have several great choices now. This is what I am doing with my Extra 300L. I don't think I can build a wing as good as one of the new ARCs. I'm not even sure that I could build one for less money, balsa, BC, etc. And I don't have the time, patience, table, jigs, talent, etc. etc. to do one. HB~>
Clever battery and ESC mount. It looks like it will be a "cool" plane. 8)
Regards, H^^
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Thanks for the effusive praise Rudy, but I can't take credit for any of the cool features of the design. Claus' original has the cheek cowls (balsa) and this beautiful laser cut kit from Steve Hand and Kyle Tankersley supplied the formed plastic cowl pieces. They had to be trimmed to fit but the basic shape was already there. I swiped the motor installation from others and you supplied the W&B formula. It will be a very pretty plane. Actually I like building wings (and everything else) and the wing will go together pretty fast on a rod jig with molded leading edges (the kit comes with the foam buck and the builder does the molding). Interesting idea about buying wings from Brodak, like maybe an SV11 or the Legacy. The China Clipper (which will carry the name California Zephyr on my version) is a very current design from 1994, which is post-modern in Stunt. Haven't started it yet but will soon.
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Looks great Mike! I look forward to seeing this model completed.
Rob
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Here's a real easy way to keep things cool,
And it looks cool.
My electric Thunder Cloud
Will Moore
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How about this?
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Here's what Claus' original looks like. In my dreams mine will look as good.
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Mike,
Yours will look better --- it won't have that asymmetrical muffler hanging out on the nose!!! LOL
John