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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I also got the electric bug, but the battery cost
always seems to overcome my excitement. I used 8 gallons last year and havent'
got through my first gallon yet this year. Though I typically end up using 10-12
gallons of 15% on my OS1.40's. Which means buying a couple of $700 battery packs
totally out of the question. Hopefully this emerging technology won't drive away
even more of the guys like me who are lucky to get out once a
week during the summer. </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=richard.s@allied-callaway.com
href="mailto:richard.s@allied-callaway.com">Richard Strickland</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=discussion@nsrca.org
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">NSRCA</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, June 01, 2005 11:25
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Fw: Glow Engine Vs. Electric
Engine for 2 m' pattern plane</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=richard.s@allied-callaway.com
href="mailto:richard.s@allied-callaway.com">Richard Strickland</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=discussion@nsrca.org
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, June 01, 2005 11:22 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: Glow Engine Vs. Electric Engine for 2 m' pattern
plane</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Guys,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'll jump back in here; Jim, your perceptions are
correct. My decision to go to Electric was based on some fairly bad luck
with engines last year--It was time to up-date power-plants as I was driving
my old stuff to pieces trying to get all the power I could out of
them. I purchased what I thought was going to be the hot ticket engine
and had a series of unfortunate events with it. By the end of the
season, I hadn't done a lot of flying--but had had a load of problems.
It was time to re-evaluate what I was doing. My business doesn't allow
for scads of practice time, so when I get the chance--I like for it to count.
Since I try to do things as right as I can, I generally end up with three sets
of everything eventually--you know; the Primary, the Back-up, and the One
you're building--never seems to quite work out that way--but at least
it's the plan. I was flying Temptations, but had crashed one and hurried
to get the second done and while pretty good airplanes, I was beginning to
think there might be a change to a wider body style in my
future. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So basically I was looking at a clean
slate. AND I had 15 years of accumulated stuff to sell since
the last time I sold off my stuff to start over. I heard and
read about some of the guys having success with electric and was intrigued,
fooled around with the smaller park and indoor stuff and got to know a little
about it--decided with proper care, all parts of the systems are pretty
reliable and reasonably safe. I talked to a couple of the old hands and
a couple of fairly young guys and they were all enthusiastic about the larger
stuff and so I thought--"Hey, I've got to get to know some new power-plants
anyway--why not get up to speed with electric?! " I got hooked-up
with FMA through the small stuff because they treated me fairly on some of the
issues I was having and were designing some battery protection features, cell
balancing chargers and some new batteries for the larger stuff.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Initially, I thought about--actually, I had made
up my mind--to do a Plettenberg outrunner so I wouldn't be dealing with
gear-sets. Eventually, It became clear that between what was available a
few months ago and the Hacker--that the Hacker set-up was going to give better
performance. One person likened the Plettenberg to a good 110 system and
the Hacker to a good 160 system. That may have changed by now--but you
still have to look at weight vs. performance. I ordered an Impact--but
had the brand new IC powered, reasonably light Temptation that wasn't selling
and decided to convert it. That turned out to be fairly easy.
First I started with a conversion mm kit from Esprit out of Florida--but we
saved 5 oz. by going to a solid CF nose plate and end grain reinforced balsa
in the rear opened up and then the whole front of the airplane is open
for cooling. The batteries mounted exactly where the tank was--I beefed
the mounting up a bit. I put on a set of Matt's gear. I'm
making weight by all of .5 oz. I may be a smidge tail heavy and may run
the rec. batt to the front.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Flying. I'm fooling with the throttle curve
a little--experimenting with the feel. I'm guilty of probably not
experimenting enough sometimes when something already works pretty well.
It's probably not a whole lot different than the difference between two and
four cycle--but my experience is limited there also.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>There may be some interaction between what the
FMA discharge protection modules(DPMs) and the controller is doing in regard
to throttle response and how the motor surges to signal you're running low on
electrons--but so far, everything is working reliably. We also know
we're driving the hell out of the 3200s--but I can't stand any more weight--so
I'm sorta stuck for now. They've got some experimental 4000 10s2ps that
Orland is going to try--but they weigh a few oz. more--but he's got lighter
airplanes and can stand it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I mentioned time--45 CONSECUTIVE flights with a
complete pattern in each. 12 or so trips to the field and power-plant
related problems have not ruined a flight. I haven't had to 'tune' for
the first couple in a session--first is identical to the last. I'm
working on throttle management--it's different. I'm looking at this as a
transitional year--to learn, to see what works best for me, to figure out the
logistics of charging at home and the field--or on the way, to make it
safe--all that good stuff. So far I'm satisfied with the
results.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Got windy again, I see..........</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Richard</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original <FONT face=sans-serif
size=2> </FONT><BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Having flown Tony's
Partner only once (but watched it fly quite a bit), and having seen just a
few other electric pattern planes (Jason's, and Billy Meadows'), the flying
advantage of the electric was enough to make me want to get one going,
regardless of the learning curve. From my perception, the pilot does
feel the difference between the glow and electric setups regarding less
vibration. The plane is going to be easier to setup for a constant
speed envelope, where there is less of a "gap" between slow and
full-throttle horizontal velocity. With the narrowed speed envelope,
it MUST be a tad easier to setup the plane as the "one" setup has a smaller
velocity range to work and be consistent in.</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT
face=sans-serif size=2>I'm just trying to stir up another side of the
discussion. I hope that some of the folks who have more of the
"flying" experience with the electric 2M setup will relay their experience,
and describe to us the piloting differences, trim differences, etc.</FONT>
<BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Thanks All,</FONT> <BR><FONT
face=sans-serif size=2>Jim W.</FONT> <BR><FONT face=sans-serif
size=2><BR></FONT><BR><BR><BR><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>