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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I sent a response to Troy but never saw it
posted. Did anyone see it or do I have a problem getting
through?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jim</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=geobet@gis.net href="mailto:geobet@gis.net">george kennie</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=discussion@nsrca.org
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, February 11, 2004 9:52
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Lancaster?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Great report Troy, <BR>I keep telling all my local buds that in
3 years time we'll all be doing E. <BR>G.
<P>Troy Newman wrote:
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<FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>Jim,</FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT
size=-1> we flew 2 rounds on Sat and 3 rounds on Sun. for a total of 5
rounds.</FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>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></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>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></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>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></FONT> <FONT
face=Arial><FONT size=-1>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></FONT> <FONT
face=Arial><FONT size=-1>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></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT
size=-1> 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></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>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></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>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></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>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></FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>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></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>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></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>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></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>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></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT size=-1>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. 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></FONT> <FONT face=Arial><FONT
size=-1>Troy</FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>