New Microflyer

[Joe]

I am just starting Microflight. I have an Elipstik 460. I plan on
installing an old Futaba Attack radio that has speed control built in.
The wiring on the receiver currently weighs as much as the rest of it.

I have some questions that perhaps some of you experianced pilots will
answer.

1. Assuming that I use 4.8 Nimh for power, (Maybe more later.) can I
change the wiring to something lighter without paying a power penality?

2. Would regular connectors work?

3. How to attach the battery box to the bottom of the ES 460 so that it
can be easily changed?

Thanks,

Joe

:eek:

[t-turley]

Originally posted by Joe:
<STRONG>I am just starting Microflight. I have an Elipstik 460. I plan on
installing an old Futaba Attack radio that has speed control built in.
The wiring on the receiver currently weighs as much as the rest of it.

I have some questions that perhaps some of you experianced pilots will
answer.

1. Assuming that I use 4.8 Nimh for power, (Maybe more later.) can I
change the wiring to something lighter without paying a power penality?

2. Would regular connectors work?

3. How to attach the battery box to the bottom of the ES 460 so that it
can be easily changed?

Thanks,

Joe

:eek:</STRONG>

I can't answer #3, but as for #1, I'm pretty sure the MCR4A, of which I've had several, requires 5-7 cells, although I know of some who've used 8. As for #2, I've used Sermos connectors on mine, which are really overkill. If you're good at soldering, I guess you could change the wires, but I thought they were fairly small as it is, so I never touched them.

Tony Turley
Scott Depot, WV

[flyingbuddy]

Joe, I wouldn't use the MCR-4A anymore.
1. It has a 50Hz frame rate ESC that is not nearly as efficient as today's high rate ESC's.
2. It's A.M., not F.M., which is the standard.
3. I doubt that you have electronic mixing for the elevons with that radio setup.
4. The receiver/ESC package weighs 49g (1.7oz) with case and 43g without (if I remember correctly.) You can have a GWS receiver and a Castle Creations Pixie 14 ESC for 15g (0.5oz) total.

I recommend that you at least get a radio that has elevon mixing. The Hitec Focus 3SS with Feather receiver (10g) and two HS-55 servos (9g each) would be fine, and is only $95 from Major Hobby. http://www.majorhobby.com/catalog%20folder/page15.html#anchor380719

For connectors, I use Deans 4 pin connectors for Speed 400 applications. They are the lightest connectors that will easily handle 10 amps at 4g per pair. Sermos connectors are overkill and heavy. Solder two pins to the negative and two pins to the positive side. Tip: make the battery side connector the female plug, which will reduce the chance of shorting out the battery. You only need one connector on the plane, the one from the ESC to the battery. Solder the motor to the wires of the other side of the ESC.

To answer question #3, use Velcro with a self-adhesive back, or email Tom Hunt and ask his advice. He designed the Elipstik. Good Luck!

Hey, we should have 500 members on the bulletin board by now!

[Joe]

Thanks t-turley and John Skakel.

In doing a lot of looking around on the net, mostly the RC Microflight website, I have just about reached the point where I
would rather buy some new equipment.

John - I know how to rig a control system where you don't have to have a mixer to control elevons. Requires two servos, one
pushing the other. I've seen it flown and if done right, it works pretty good.

I got a couple of hundred hours flying the MCR-4A. I have two of them. Of course, I got shot down a lot too. I doubt that I
would use it when others were flying.

Thanks for the suggestion to contact Tom Hunt. I'll need to go back and study the info sent with the model to be sure to cover
all the right areas.

Joe ;)

[flyingbuddy]

Mechanical mixing is fine, it just adds weight. The DuBro mixer may be the lightest and simplest solution for mechanical mixing, the only problem is that the Elipstik has the servos mounted about 12" apart which makes mechanical mixing a challenge.
There's nothing really wrong with the MCR-4A, I had two of them myself. I just think it's too heavy in this application.
You didn't say which motor you were installing. If you use the geared Speed 280 setup, I would recommend the Pixie-7P which is $15 less and 7g lighter than the Pixie-14. You could also use an 8 cell 700mAh NiMH pack which would give you at least 10 minutes of flight time.
I presume that you read this article on the Elipstik on E Zone: http://www.ezonemag.com/articles/1999/oct/elipstik/elipstik.htm

[Joe]

Thanks again John.

I have read the article, or at least parts of it printed elsewhere.

You talked me into getting a couple of motor/flight systems. In fact I think I've spent $3 or 4 hundred over the weekend.

I've read a good bit of your info located elsewhere. In fact, I bought one of the MyWeigh ProScale 250 based on your recomendation.

Joe :rolleyes: