I decided to build my China Clipper for E-power, rather than the Score or Legacy discussed in prior post. The Clipper is a beautiful Claus Maikis design equally beautifully laser cut by Kyle Tankersley. It has two big, functional air scoops on the side of the nose and  a ready-made top hatch, so is a great choice. 700" area, or about 670" if I delete the swoopy tips to fit it in the car. Would be around 55 - 60 oz as an IC model.

Anyway, I have on loan a new AXI 2826-10 920kv motor, plus an ICE 50 ESC and a new Hubin timer. The top motor choices in the other post are the TGY SK42-50 650kv and the Scorpion 3026 II 710kv. I now understand that the number of cells and ma needs to match the kv of the motor to get rpm in the right range and provide enough endurance. I will be using the new APC 13" pusher when it is available.

Between the AXI 2826, the Scorpion 3026, and TGY 42-50, is there any meaningful difference in ability to pull a model this size, assuming appropriate battery? Alan I believe mentioned the AXI and Scorpion are very similar. By the way the AXI has a 35mm outer diameter.

Mike,
If the stator diameter and length are nominally comparable, there won't be a lot of difference in the power handling capability of the motors.

Most manufacturers are using pretty strong permanent magnets, so there won't be big differences there--there are some small things, like whether they use curved magnets that cut down the gap between the stator head and the magnet inner surface.

With some of the manufacturers, they give the outer dimensions, and say nothing about the inner ones. That makes it difficult to tell, except by comparing the "good" guy's outer dimensions. Sometimes I have measured the flat area of the iron can of the motor--that is where the magnets are located to get an idea about the "real" length of the guts.

The other thing I do is compare weights. If they are about the same, then they are going to be about the same too.. All the power/torque producing elements of a motor are heavy--iron and copper. You can't fool mother nature by making long fancy CNC machined aluminum pieces---which account for a lot of the motor length. They don't add anything to the torque!

Once you have the stator and magnets, the capability of the motor is set. The kV, which is determined from that point by the number of copper wire winds will just determine the battery voltage you will need to spin the prop of your choice.

Hi All,
Yes, a 4s - 4000 mAh battery / AXI 2826 with a Kv of 900 and a 12-6 APC-E prop will easily fly something that weighs up to 60 oz, and will probably be an excellent combo for keeping in the mid 50 ounce range with a ship the size of a USA-1.
Dean

Mike,

The turnigy and RimFire motors are sized by the outer dims.  The Turnigy SK 35-48-900Kv is the equalent to the AXI 28-26-10.  It has 26mm long magnets.

Archie Adamisin
Muncie, Indiana

Well, I settled the "what motor/battery" debate by ordering a TGY 42-50-650 and three TGY 5S1P 3300 lipos from Hobby King in Hong Kong. I got the email alert that the items were back in stock so I jumped on it. $27 air freight, should have the parts in a few days. The order shipped almost immediately. I already have an ICE 50 ESC and Hubin timer, so I will be in business pretty soon. I ordered the free computer link software from CC that comes with the ICE 50 (normally $25 plus shipping) which is an unbeatable deal. I like free stuff.

Construction has started on the China Clipper though with these laser kits it is more "fitting parts together and applying the CA." Of course I need to engineer the motor mount bulkhead and hatches but this in not a big deal. I will try to remember to take pictures as I go along and post them.

I think "China Clipper" has an all new meaning these days!

This is definitely the Golden Age of Stunt, and most every other flying thing as well. We have probably 200 laser cut kits from top notch suppliers (compare nearly any modern kit to the junk we got in kits 40 years ago), loads of purpose built stunt engines with and without tuned pipes, modern materials like carbon fiber readily available, all manner of cottage suppliers building great things for ridiculously low prices (Wil Hubin for example). Over on the RC side where about 99% of the action is, it is even more astounding. We are years away from having CL ready-builts to equal the incredible stuff the RC flyers have. Of course there is the valid point that fewer people build their own, but so what? The ones that want to (like you and me) will still do so, and the ones that want the convenience of a ready-built will go that direction, or some of each. I am glad I lived to see this hobby mature into what it is today. And it is evolving like mad, as this topic shows.