Next question.

Are there any tables that correlate operating top end power requirements in watts to wing area and/or weight ranges?

Given that we have the opportunity with these handy-dan timer/ESCs to run at less than full, wide-open throttle, it now seems to me that when I review the "List your set-ups..." series of posts, I can't do my traditional "Amps x Voltage" calculation to figure what kind of power is being used for different configurations if I want to use a different motor.  In some series of posts on this forum about 1/2A flying, someone stated a power figure for Baby Bees that could be used for a comparison measure to select a motor/prop/battery configuration.  What would be really useful to me would be to have folks provide an estimate of power levels that allowed them to satisfactorily fly the modern pattern (or OTS pattern) or some portion of it.  As an example, there have been a couple of recent posts about the advisability of duplicating a power pack configuration that worked in an Nobler into a smaller model.  IIRC, Dennis responded that, in his opinion, the original configuration the motor was oversized and could have been downsized, and the new model would work with an even smaller motor.  But it seems to me that this still leaves open the opportunity to modify power output by turning down the timer settings.  How does a newbie select a configuration if it doesn't match exactly?  And, if I am over motored to begin with, having this type of"rule of thumb" would let me know an approximate initial setting for the timer/ESC.  My guess is that power output is not a linear function of the "Set RPM" or percentage values.

Are folks oversizing the motor to begin with, and then experientially reducing power control settings?  My practice has been to use the tech specs to select an appropriate combination of prop, current discharge capability of the battery at full throttle settings, and ESC current capability so I can stay away from fried components in a worst case flight situation.  But I rarely, if ever, actually run at full throttle.  These simpler ECL models, unless they are in "governor mode" are going to run potentially full flight at the power level established by the timer setting.  (In all honesty, I don't have a clue as to what actual "power level" I'm running at on my R/C stuff.  Obviously, I need to run some of the data logger ESC's to find out.)  My process for motor selection for any given Old Timer model is purely experiential and based on historical comparisons between what worked for a 48" span, 300 +/- squares, 18 to 20 ounces, or what worked for a 64" span, 600 squares, 38 to 45 ounces.  And I stay with only a couple of families of motors.  I have a feeling that I am definitely "over motored", but having a radio to manipulate throttle settings in flight is a whole different regime from ECL.

Off and running again, inquiring minds....and all that,

Jim Howell