General What To Build Next

grumpy1

Active Member
All right guys...time to weigh in. Lookin for new project to build..I'm leaning toward 2 I have on a short list..1 balsa usa smoothie xl with 35cc gas power...2 dehavillan dch6 twin otter...electric power...both in the 80ish inch ws...any thoughts or suggestions..
 

Tony

Staff member
My personal choice would be #1. I'm not a big fan of sea planes. I know, the otter is also a land plane... lol. I have just always gravitated towards speed or performance over scale.
 

grumpy1

Active Member
I agree on #1...speed an performance...you sound like how MOST of the guys fly around here..two throttle settings...take off .....or land..lol..what ya think about an electric conversion? I think flight weight is around 15# so at 150 watts per pound think it would have good flight envelope as well as performance. With those numbers it comes out to be 2250 watts...on paper. To be on safe side have safety margin of 15 percent, with that it comes out to be 127.5 watts per pound. Will it fly? Tomcat 90 motor,2 5c in series,100amp esc. Now there's #2...no one flys or even has a multi motor aircraft around here..fixed tricycle gear, use robart nose gear, many questions tho. Like if motor calls for 40amp esc, instead of 2 esc's, can 1 80 amp esc be used with 2 batterys in parallel.Most of all would have retrain on how to fly scale. .lol
 

Tony

Staff member
Watt per pound I have never used. I have always used power to weight or thrust to weight. As long as you have .5:1 thrust to weight, it should fly without a problem. Will take a little bit to get off the ground. 1:1 is better of course. And one ESC can run two motors, but it is best with two. You can also run two batteries in parallel, but a single larger battery is way more simple. Just make sure to calibrate the ESC's together.

As for nitro vs electric, that is going to be personal preference. If you like clean, go electric. If you like the sound and smell, go nitro. I battle that question myself lol.
 

murankar

Staff member
Just make sure your fuselage can handle the nitro oil mess. I know Nitro will spew oil all over the place.
 

RandyDSok

Well-Known Member
I believe that brushless motors require one ESC per motor
Just make sure your fuselage can handle the nitro oil mess. I know Nitro will spew oil all over the place.

The first one he mentioned, if built up as it was intended and not switched to electric as was asked about, is a 35cc gasoline model... the second was listed as electric. The gas planes I've seen are much cleaner than a nitro methane motor one....

While I prefer electric... I have to admire how long a gas motor can last on a tank of fuel.
 

grumpy1

Active Member
Let me a correction...the motor I said I was goin to use on that smoothie is wrong that motor is for my astro hog taildrager edition...waitin on esc for that one now should be here this week the motor for that smoothie is a Tomcat 160...will post pic of astro hog in pics.All the planes I have are electric now. Here's the specs on that 160 motor...think it will fly that smoothie? I like them electrics tho...just had doughts on a going electric on a plane that size...
 

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RandyDSok

Well-Known Member
Let me a correction...the motor I said I was goin to use on that smoothie is wrong that motor is for my astro hog taildrager edition...waitin on esc for that one now should be here this week the motor for that smoothie is a Tomcat 160...will post pic of astro hog in pics.All the planes I have are electric now. Here's the specs on that 160 motor...think it will fly that smoothie? I like them electrics tho...just had doughts on a going electric on a plane that size...

That's about the size I'd think would work but I'm uncertain about that brand of motor and if it's any good or not. I've always stayed away from the cheapy motor brands. Tony may have heard more about that brand.
 

Tony

Staff member
Um, my smiliey doesn't work... going to have to investigate in a couple years from now.....
 

grumpy1

Active Member
Well fellows looks it's gonna be the.....smoothie on the bench next, I'm seriously thinking about making it electric but I don't know how that will be on a plane that size..any suggestions on power keep this in mind I had rather have it over powered than under powered....rather have it an not need it....than not have it An need it...all them I/c engines seem to require constant cleaning an from some I've seen vibration is always ever present any thoughts:slomo:
 

Tony

Staff member
It really depends on what you want. Yes nitro is messy, but the sound is fantastic. Electric is more responsive and much cleaner. Just depends on what you want.
 

RandyDSok

Well-Known Member
It really depends on what you want. Yes nitro is messy, but the sound is fantastic.

I wouldn't even consider a nitro engine... maybe a gas one though. The gas one's I've seen are much cleaner than nitro ... but I'd also be leaning towards going electric myself given the chance and the funds
 
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