<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1276" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jim,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> we flew 2 rounds on Sat and 3 rounds on Sun.
for a total of 5 rounds.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Tony flew the Electric and it seemed to work well
even in the wind. We already knew Jason proved the wind issue at the
Worlds....I wanted to see it in the wind!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I played with it on Friday for about 10-15mins and
then on the last round Sunday I flew it for the P-05 sequence.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The electric system is really different. I
would not say its better or worse yet...just different. As for performance its
got it. Top end power is excellent and competitive with any of the glow
setups.....Now you have to remember that Tony's model is 11lbs Dry, which means
its 11LBS all the time. Takeoff and thru the entire flight its lighter than the
glow setups...carrying 20ozs of fuel. Only when the glow model is nearly dry is
the glow model lighter...this adds to consistency....the model is not changing
with every revolution of the prop.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It was 21deg Sunday Morning....dead calm and
blue sunny sky. The power was down a little on take off...flying downwind
I opened it up and started to draw some power out of the packs. Once the packs
warmed up in a normal 1/2 rev Cuban I entered the box and it was up to speed and
plenty of go juice. Jason's comments from the worlds seemed to show a better
power output after a little current drawn out of the packs. From my knowledge of
batteries this makes sense.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Model seems to lock on really well. Is it
Tony's building? The Partner? or that motor swinging a 22" prop sending a huge
column of air past the tail of the model? I don't know. I suspect its a combo of
everything.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In my opinion this is one of the first F3A
models converted to electric that was an actual glow model that is a great
flying plane and the power plant was just replaced with Electric stuff. The
Partner and the other PL kits will lend themselves to E-conversion because the
way the fuse is build...Its a complete molded shell. The pipe tunnel floor
separates the exhaust system from the inside of the model. In the E-Power models
the entire inside of the fuse is the exhaust system to carry the heat away from
the motor-controller-battery system. So you never install the tunnel floor and
you have a complete open model....the open pipe tunnels that the US pilots like
are not very good both Aerodynamically or for the Electric
conversions....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The firewall is a big open hole....and the air
flows through the inside of the fuse and out some belly exhaust vents in a
normal stinger location. Since the PL kits are this hollow shell it converts
easily. Models with Belly pans, or the open pipe tunnel models will not be so
easy to convert...In a belly pan install like a ZN Synergy the batts could go in
the Belly pan...but this would require a belly pan removal every flight to
change the packs out. Although possible not the best of situations. The Partner
is easy the batts are on the landing gear plate...and easy to access from the
canopy hatch.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>For the flying part.....The power is good as I have
said before. I've always understood that the sound of our model plays a key role
in the pilots ability to perform the maneuvers properly. We listen to the sound
of the motor....Stall turns, spins, and even top of the box horizontal lines the
sound of the model plays a role to both the pilot and the judges. The sound
gives us cues....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Electric sounds different and this difference
makes it a little weird for the first part of the first flight. The pilot is
trying to get used to the sound....My opinion as a judge and spectator this same
sound difference will throw some judges for a loop at first. On take off the
model will just limp along at 1/4 power but it sounds like the motor is a park
flyer....After a downwind pass and a big vertical turnaround you realize this
thing has some horses under the hood.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But just like the judges commented at the Team
Selection last summer and the NATS the Bipe was tough to see properly with the
second wing...the electric will have a get used to it factor...At first you will
not be super impressed until the model gets about 2-3-4 maneuvers into the
sequence.....It has power no doubt about it!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The horizontal speed is slower at full power than
the YS 140DZ at full power...But the model has the tractor effect on the
verticals that keeps it pulling hard all the way up the line. This does a couple
things...in the wind I feel at times I would like more speed. Perhaps a prop
change will help this...there is no shortage of power.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The E model has a smaller speed envelope....don't
know if its good or bad....In calm air it could be better than glow. The pilot
has more latitude as to where to stick the throttle position as even if he's
really into too much power the model doesn't zooooom and go into
afterburner mode. So this could translate into a easier to control speed range
where the model flies much more constant speed in the sequence. Down line brakes
were a concern without seeing it...Well it brakes very well. I think it has
it all over the 2 strokes and is equal with the DZ's on the downline
brakes.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The model has very little vibration and as a result
the servos should last much longer. Now Tony is very critical of his equipment.
I have started to become more and more critical of mine...Changing servo pots is
not as much fun as flying...and even with a Hyde mount setup the servo pots will
wear. Can a mortal person see the difference in his servos? Well that is answer
I always get back when I tell somebody to change their servos they are worn
out...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Downsides I see....Today the cost as the biggest
detractor. Its new stuff...and its not cheap. You need to buy the motor and
controller around the same prices were are talking for the glow setups....Next
is the chargers and batts...this is a full years' worth of fuel for a guy like
me that flies 1000 flights (100 gallons) a year. Next is the unknown of the
batts and the system as a whole...Will the batts last 300-400 cycles and then
you are going to get 3 flight packs to go that 1000 flights. If they go
longer Bonus...gear reduction unit life, motor and controller life......should
be good but nobody has put this kind of time on these systems yet. So they are
all questions right now today. </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>I look forward to
playing more with it and seeing what it has to offer. Today I'm not ready to
drop the glow setups. But I think the next generations of batteries and motor
combos will bring a huge leap forward.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Troy</FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>