Inexpensive Park Jet transmitter video series Part 1 - FlySky FS-i6

Hi Everyone -

I recently received a FlySky FS-i6 transmitter and receiver package from Banggood to evaluate as a starter radio for a person wanting to get into park jets and other RC planes.

In this video which is part of my park jet workshop series, I discuss some of my philosophies and lessons learned about getting started with a transmitter suitable for park jets.  I know that many folks have had good luck with the FlySky FS-i6, so I wanted to see how it would work out😀

I paid about $42 USD for mine on sale, you can also buy them for cheaper without a receiver at Banggood, on Ebay and I assume many other vendors.  If you shop around, you can get them for pretty cheap and the receivers are also very inexpensive.

The receiver that came with mine can be used for telemetry which is a bit of overkill for my use, but it was the best price and I wanted to evaluate a FlySky receiver.

If you are thinking of buying one, I would strongly encourage you to watch Andrew Newton's video below, it was where I learned about the basic capabilities of this inexpensive transmitter.

In the series of videos I have made on this transmitter, I refer often to this video and a couple of other videos Andrew Newton has made, so I don't try to "reinvent the wheel" on the basices since Andrew does such a great job already😀.

Here is the playlist of videos I made about how I learned the basics and fine tuning of setting up a six servo park jet without needing on board mixers, servo reversers, it can all be done quite simply in the transmitter.

One lesson that I learned is that in my excitement I forgot to confirm the transmitter has a countdown timer.😟  It doesn't in the stock configuration unfortunately, but there is a firmware update available that looks like it can be done quite simply.  However, in order to do so, I will need this cable setup to make that happen.  I have ordered the cable, but don't expect it here for about a month from now😞

Oh well.  I am very impressed with the capabilities of mixing and fine tuning with this inexpensive transmitter.  With three two position switches and one three position switch plus two variometers, it has lots of functionality that way.

Here it is compared to my current Turnigy 9x.

It is quite light, with four AA batteries, it weighs about 460 gr/16.2 oz.  Compared to my Turnigy 9x which weighs 832 gr/29.3 oz with an 1800 3S LiFe transmitter battery.

I certainly didn't buy this FS-i6 to replace my Turnigy transmitter, primarily to evaluate it as a good starter park jet transmitter.  I know lots of folks have used it with great success, but I wanted to have one in my hands and see it things work out😀  The nice thing is I can change the protocol in the transmitter and use my current receivers that are compatible with my 9x transmitter.😊

I have three videos done in the playlist linked above, one my basic intro to this video series, the second one showing the basics of setting up a six servo park jet to have elevons, independent ailerons (that only work in the roll and not the pitch) and rudders.  The third video shows how I found ways to fine tune the throws in the pitch and roll axes primarily.  The techniques demonstrated in my videos are ones I found through trial and error, there may be smarter and faster ways to do it, and perhaps your setup might be different than mine.  However, I found it very straight forward and could start from scratch and have a new plane setup and fine tuned in less than a half hour.

After getting some evaluation done at the field, I will be writing another post on my impressions of this inexpensive transmitter.

In the second phase of this inexpensive Park Jet transmitter series, I am going to set up a back up Turnigy 9x transmitter to be flashed with Open TX.  I currently run er9x in the 9x transmitter show above, but Open TX seems incredibly powerful and for a $4 tiny USB setup, hopefully I will be able to have a very capable transmitter for very little outlay of cash.  I'm hoping this might help people have a second option for a transmitter if they are new to the hobby, either way will require an outlay of less than $100😊

Park Jet noise...the "other" sound of freedom😎

Cheers,

Scott

Beginner Park Jet series - my finished Mig-29 V1

Hi Everyone -

One RC Powers Mig-29 V1 ready to "slip the surly bonds of earth"😀

Here is the link to the intro blog post and the link to the video playlist where I went through the step by step build of the RC Powers Mig-29 V1 shown above.

As for my own build, with a 2200 3S battery, I came in at a weight of 480 gr/16.9 oz.  My build skills have come a long way in five years, this first Mig-29 V1 I built weighed 595 gr/21 oz with the same battery!😲  I used a very similar paint scheme on the new one I suppose as kind of a tribute to that first Mig-29 V1 that had such a positive impact on my park jet journey👍👏

I did make a couple of changes after shooting the video, the more I inspected the plane and checked that everything is working, the Turnigy motor I showed in the video just didn't seem to be running smoothly😒  So I swapped it out for a "no name" 2212/6 2200 kv motor from Banggood.  I know from experience these motors perform the same with the same prop on 3S.

Also, as I was changing the motors, I just wasn't happy with how much flex there was in the wing plate area around the motor mount meaning a certain amount of my motor's power would get lost as the foam flexed.  I used a tongue depressor and some expanding Gorilla glue and although it looks like my plane was attacked by the "Blob"💣, it is very strong now and since this is on the bottom of the plane, I won't see it much😉.

As I start doing some videos from field, I will discuss more about my maiden flights and "dialing in" my Mig-29 V1, here is a detailed video on how I normally go through this process with my park jets.

I hope that you have found this video to be helpful, if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below, on either of the videos in this series, the first one above or the intro video or feel free to e-mail me at scott.parkjet@gmail.com.  Your e-mail address will be kept in strictest confidence.

Enjoy your Mig-29 V1 build and I hope it brings you many hours of enjoyment as it has done for me over the years😀

Park Jet noise...the "other" sound of freedom😎

Cheers,

Scott

Beginner Park Jet series - Step by step build of the RC Powers Mig-29 V1 video series

Hi Everyone -

This blog post is supporting the video I shot below which includes many of the links I discuss and is the intro to my step by step build series of the RC Powers Mig-29 V1😊

As I mentioned in an edit I did at the beginning of this video, I ended up splitting the video series into several videos as I was having a terrible time trying to upload an almost three hour video to YouTube😒  Here is the link to the playlist I created with all the videos in one place.

As a caveat, please remember that I am aiming this at folks who are very brand new to the hobby, new to building with foam and building park jets.  I perhaps get a bit detailed in areas, but that is what fast forward is for😉  Many of the techniques I use have carried me through dozens of park jet builds, so they aren't just about this simple to build profile park jet, so hopefully you will be able to carry them into other builds later on.😊

The RC Powers Mig-29 V1 has been an integral part of my park jet journey after smashing up many more complex score and fold builds.  I was "trying to run before I could walk".😳  After building my first Mig-29 V1, I really turned a corner and never looked back.  This is my first Mig-29 V1 built over five years ago.

I wrote this blog post article awhile ago as part of my "Which Park Jet for me" series explaining why I think the Mig-29 V1 is such a great choice for your first park jet, regardless really of your skill level.

As mentioned in the video above, if you are interested in building this great little plane, you will need to go to the RC Powers website and become a member.  Here is the link to "MASTER LIST:  Getting Started" page.  On the very right side of the banner at the top, you will see a button called "Sign In" which should take you through the steps to sign up for an account.

If you have any difficulties, you can always e-mail them at info@rcpowers.com.  Once you become a member, the free plans for the Mig-29 V1 should be under your downloads, which is a button on the right hand side of the banner at the top of the page.  You will need to be signed in to your account to see this button. Again, if they don't show up rather quickly after you join, contact RC Powers at info@rcpowers.com

Next, go to the page marked Parts on the left side of the banner.  This will give a great list of components and other things that RC Powers recommends and is very worthwhile reading through.

I have also done a complete video series on what I use in my park jet workshop with lots of info on components, materials, tools, etc.  If you are new to building with foam, it might be worth while checking out, you can find the whole series in this playlist on my YouTube channel.

Once you have found your plans, you have two options.  You can print them off on your home computer using the "tiled" plans (named as such because you "tile" the sheets of paper together to make one big sheet) as I show in the video, or take them to a print shop and have them printed on one big sheet of paper.  This file is the "untiled" plans.  As mentioned in the video, the planview.pdf file is no longer part of the plans, but I have permission from RC Powers to share it with you at this link.  This is what the file looks like, you should be able to print it from the link, if not, please send me an e-mail at scott.parkjet@gmail.com and I can send you the pdf file.  This file also has templates for the motor mount and control horns which can be made of wood or stiff plastic like an old gift card, etc.

If you decide to print the plans at home, depending on your printer, I always find the best luck selecting "shrink oversized pages" to get the plans the right size.

A good idea is to print page #8 first as it has a scale on it so you can check how close your printer is.  A couple mm off either way is not important, but if it is way off, you may need to adjust your printer settings to find the setting that works best.

This same scale is on the "untiled" plans, so if you get it printed at a print shop, might be a good idea to take a ruler and check that the scale is close before leaving the shop with the plans.😊

Occasionally throughout the video series, I refer to a couple of other videos I have already done on how I install reinforcement in the foam and hinge my control surfaces.  These videos are in the same playlist where you will find the video above and the step by step build video.  However, I also demonstrate those processes again in the Mig-29 V1 series of videos.

As mentioned in the video above, if you are wanting to build this plane from Dollar Tree Foam (Adams readi-board), I have written a series of articles on my blog with my lessons learned.

• Part 1 - Background;
• Part 2 - Minwax lessons learned; 
• Part 3 - the build; 
• Part 4 - Paper removal and sealing lessons learned; 
• Part 5 - first thoughts on flight performance and durability;
• Part 6 - 26 Nov 2017 update and the way ahead.

The components that I am going to use in my Mig-29 V1 that are a bit different from the RC Powers parts list.

• Motor - Banggood 2212/6 2200 Kv motor.  I was originally going to use the Turnigy 2826/6 motor from Hobby King (these motors are essentially the same, just different labelling), but that motor seemed to be running a bit rough😒  I did this video which discusses this size motor nicknamed "the park jet workhorse" you might find helpful if you are very new to park jets and electrics;
• ESC (electronic speed controller) - Turnigy Plush 40A.  This ESC is certainly more than what this motor and prop combo need, but I find it easier to start with this size and if I decide I want to give my Mig a little power upgrade later, I don't have to chance the ESC.  If you are interested, I shot this video about the Turnigy Plush ESC. 😀;
• Servos - RC Timer 9 gr nylon gear servos.  I know that RC Powers recommends metal gear servos, but years of experience flying park jets has taught me that these servos perform well, are very durable and the least expensive 9 gr nylon gear servos I have used.  If you are interested, you can watch this video on my philosophy on servos that I use in my park jets; and
• Battery - I use a few different brands of batteries, but the primary one I use is the Zippy Flightmax 2200 3S 40C battery from Hobby King.  Again, this battery is probably overkill for this power setup, you can watch this video that explains my logic for using the batteries that I use.

If you have any questions, please leave them on this blog post, on any of my YouTube videos or as mentioned above, you can e-mail me at scott.parkjet@gmail.com.😀

Good luck with your build!😃

Park Jet noise...the "other" sound of freedom😎

Cheers, 

Scott

Field test of the Racerstar BR2406 2600 kv motor with Gemfan 6045 carbon nylon prop on 3S

Hi Everyone -

I had this little beauty out today field testing the Gemfan 6045 carbon nylon prop as recommended to me by rcplanepirate😀

Today I was running it on the Racerstar BR2406 2600 kv motor which showed incredibly good numbers during bench testing with this prop. 

You can read more details on the bench testing of this motor and a couple others including the park jet workhorse 2212/6 2200 kv motor at this blog post.

Here is the flight video of today's test session.

I am a very happy park jet pilot after seeing that the field test performance lived up to the bench testing or vice versa😉

This prop really wakes this motor up compared to the previous best setup with the 6x4 APC gas prop which I suppose you would expect with a bit of extra pitch, a stiffer prop and slightly different blade design.

This motor with this prop and ESC setup on 3S is now up in the same category of some of the 2700+ kv motors I have been running.  I am very pleased with how it runs and is actually quite efficient when I look at the amp draw compared to some of the 2700+ kv motors.  To get 1070 gr/37.7 oz of thrust at the cost of only 35.3A is a great setup and even though it was quite cool today, I think this motor and prop combo could be run pretty hard even in the hot summer months without issue.

Thanks again to rcplanepirate for the recommendation, please check out his YouTube channel for lots of great testing, educational and flying videos of some seriously fast planes😀

Park Jet noise...the "other" sound of freedom😎

Cheers,

Scott

Gemfan 6045 carbon nylon props initial impressions and testing

Hi Everyone -

I received a couple of packs of Gemfan 6045 carbon nylon props in the mail in the last couple days😀  I tested them today on the 2212/6 2200 kv, Racerstar BR2406 2600 kv and RC Timer FR2306 2650 kv motors.  If you want to skip straight to the test numbers, you can go to my motor test spreadsheet.

As these props were designed for quads, they come four to a pack, two of each rotation.  Lots of prop rings including ones that fit on most park jet motor shafts.  Not a bad deal for $3.79 USD.

The props are quite light, it was hard for my less than accurate kitchen scale to get a good result, but I'm sure they weigh about 4 gr each, the same as a 6x4 APC gas prop, so pretty light.  rcplanepirate has already tested some of these on the bench with very good results.  After watching his tests and having a couple discussions with him, I thought I would pick some up to help boost some more power out of the lower Kv (less than 2700) motors I am currently using.  I figured the little bit of extra pitch with a stiff prop should hopefully give more power at lower RPM and hopefully not drive the amp draw up too high.

Please check out RCPP's YouTube channel, tons of great test and educational info.😀

These props are very stiff, even stiffer than the 6x4 APC gas props, but I am a bit concerned they might be a bit brittle, or perhaps this was just one prop.  As I was trying to get a grip on one of the quad racing motors I tested today to tighten the prop nut, I must have pushed against the prop blade a bit too firmly and it broke cleanly almost right at the hub as you can see below.😒

I compared it's length to the 6x4 APC gas prop and it is 3/16" longer as you can see in this picture below.

There is also a bit more prop blade surface area as you can probably see in the picture above and below.

I know it might be hard to see in these following pictures, the blade thickness seems to be a bit thinner on the Gemfan prop and the pitch is not as aggressive at the hub compared to the 6x4 APC.

The prop blade also seems to have a bit more of a curve or "under camber"(?) compared to the 6x4 APC.  Due to the blade shape and it's stiffness, it is certainly as quiet as the 6x4 APC and again while difficult perhaps to see in this pictures, I can definitely see the increase in pitch down the length of the blade.

Test results discussion

The biggest improvement in power with this prop showed up in the 2212/6 2200 kv motor which is the most popular park jet motor around currently and the Racerstar BR2406 2600 kv.  There was a noticeable increase of mid range power with the RC Timer FR2306 2650 kv motor, but not a big increase in top end, although it did break 1000 gr of thrust on the bench with all three motors which always gets my attention😉  I will focus mostly on the 2212 2200  and Racerstar motors for the rest of the discussion.  I have found in field testing that the RC Timer motor doesn't quite have the torque to continue pushing good power to the top of the throttle range compared to the other two.

I tested all the motors with both the Turnigy Plush 40A and Turnigy AE-45A ESCs (links for these are on the spreadsheet linked in the first paragraph).  For the Plush, everything was left at factory default.  For the AE-45 I used different settings depending on the motor based on experience from my previous testing.  Below I am listing what I think would be the best setup for each motor.  Gens Ace 2200 3S 45C batteries were used for all the testing.

2212/6 2200 Kv motor

I found the mid range power to be best with the Plush ESC, not much difference (5 gr) at top end thrust, so I would probably choose the Plush unless I find another custom setting that would work best with the AE-45 and this motor/prop combo.

50% throttle - 11.9A/145.7W producing 540 gr/19 oz of thrust;

100% throttle - 32.3A/391.8W producing 1020 gr/36 oz of thrust.

Wow😲  The mid range thrust is about 60 gr more than the best I have seen with any other prop/ESC for about the same amp draw.  At full throttle, it is about 70 gr more than the previous best I have seen, with about 4 more amps drawn, but still under the 34A limit that these motors seem to have.  This is the first time I have seen more than 1000 gr of thrust out of this motor on a 2 blade prop!

Racerstar BR2406 2600 kv motor

I found that the Turnigy AE-45A ESC with custom settings of 22.5 degrees timing and 24 KHz on the PWM (pulse width modulation) frequency works best with this motor, so that is what I used.

50% throttle - 12.6A/154.2W producing 560 gr/19.8 oz of thrust;

100% throttle - 35.3A/426.1W producing 1070 gr/37.7 oz of thrust.

Again...WOW😲  Compared to the previous best results I have seen with this motor which is with this ESC with the settings listed above and the 6x4 APC gas prop, it is a 30 gr increase in mid range power for the same amp draw basically (.1A difference) and a 110 gr increase at full throttle for only 1.1 more amps drawn!  If this performance translates to the field with this inexpensive motor, it puts it right up there with the "big boy" quad racing motors I have tested thus far😀

I am very excited to test the GF 6045 prop on the Multistar Viking 2208 2600 kv motor which is the strongest of the sub 2700 kv motors I have tested thus far😉

Of course not to get too excited, but I have run the Racerstar BR2406 2600 kv motor and the Viking motor a lot, so I feel pretty sure they have the torque in the air to keep swinging this prop with authority throughout the throttle range.  But only one way to find out, strap it in a plane and get to the field.😀  I hope to get some initial field test results in the next week weather permitting.

Stay tuned for more bench and field testing with this prop😊

Park Jet noise...the "other" sound of freedom😎

Cheers,

Scott

Field test - 2212/5T 2700 Kv motor with 6x3 EMP and 6x4 APC electric props on 3S

Hi Everyone -

I had this beauty out yesterday doing some field testing to validate some bench testing I did a few days ago😊

You can read more details about that testing and my previous experiences with this motor at this blog post.  

Here is the flight video of yesterday's testing.

One of the reasons I did this testing with the Turnigy AE-45A ESC is to evaluate this as an inexpensive power upgrade to the 2212/6 2200 kv motor which is a good starter setup.  Of all the ESCs I have tested in a while, the Turnigy AE-45 is one of the most reasonably priced, versatile and top performing ESCs I have used.  Regularly priced at $21.39 USD, it is a couple of dollars cheaper than the Turnigy Plush 40A ESC and almost half the price of the HobbyWing Platinum PRO 40A ESC that I have also been testing.  To get the best performance with the Turnigy AE-45A ESC, I found setting the timing to 22.5 degrees and the PWM frequency to 24 KHz is optimum for this motor.

As I mentioned in the video, I have also flown this motor with the 6x4 APC gas prop with very good results using the Plush ESC, however the results on the bench were not so good with the Turnigy AE-45.  In keeping with trying to come up with a "budget" setup, I won't discuss that setup as the 6x4 APC gas prop is quite a bit more expensive than the two props I tested in the video and I know some folks can't get it in their part of the world.

The 6x3E sport prop I used in the video is from RC Timer and although you have to buy them in packs of 5 props, it works out to about $0.90 USD per prop.  At Hobby King, the 6x3 TGS prop is $1.61 and at Banggood, the 6x3 KMP prop is $1.64.  The 6x4 APC style electric props from Hobby King used in the video sell for $1.22 a pair or $0.61 each.

So affirmed in the video is yes, you can run a 6x4 prop on this motor, but the quality of the motor will determine how long you can run it with that prop.  As mentioned in the bench test post linked above and the flight video, from my experience, I would say that about 300 flights might be the maximum unless you get lucky and get a really good motor😀  Bearings will most likely be the first thing that goes on these motors as the manufacturers tend to "cheap out" on these to save production cost.

Even with the 6x3E prop, there is a power increase noticeable over the 2212 2200 kv motor with it's best setup.  Especially noticeable is the mid range power and "hole shot" acceleration, so I think it is still a noticeable power upgrade over the 2212 2200 kv motor and the price can be pretty reasonable.

I didn't mention in the bench test video, but you will need to provide your own connectors to be able to connect it to the ESC as it does not come with them.  Also, the prop adapters can be of very cheap quality and can bend easily, so I would suggest picking up some extras.  I get mine from RC Timer, they have worked well for me for a few years now.  I would suggest having a few of these spare for any motors you run with a 3.17 mm shaft as once they bend, they are very hard to get straight again and can sometimes shear off if you try to tighten the prop too hard.😒

If you are interested in more testing on this motor, please check out rcplanepirate's YouTube channel.  He did three videos experimenting with this motor on the bench.  If you do buy the 6x3E sport prop or it's equivalents from TGS or KMP, be aware they are normally not balanced, RCPP also has a great video on how to balance these props for best performance.  As mentioned in my video, here is RCPP's prop discussion video which I find quite informative.

So in conclusion, yes this motor is a budget power upgrade over the 2212 2200 kv motor and can be run on a 6x4 APC prop, however I would suggest not setting your expectations for quality control and longevity too high if you do decide to run the 6x4 prop😊  The 6x3E would probably be the best choice for motor longevity in this case.  You get what you pay for in this situation, and your experiences may differ from mine, fingers crossed you get some good ones😉

Park Jet noise...the "other" sound of freedom😎

Cheers,

Scott

A2212/5T 2700 Kv motor budget power upgrade or buyer beware?

Hi Everyone -

I had the thrust stand busy yesterday doing some more testing with the inexpensive A2212/5T 2700 Kv motor with the 6x3E sport prop from RC Timer and the Turnigy AE-45A ESC.

I am doing some more testing with this motor and setup as a possible inexpensive power upgrade from the 2212/6 2200 Kv motor for those folks who don't perhaps want to play around with quad racing motors that can get a bit more pricey and amp hungry.

I will get to the specifics of the testing towards the end, or if you don't want to wait, you can check out my motor test spreadsheet here.  Please scroll along the bottom to find the tab for this motor, it is over to the right of the spreadsheet.😀  Also, if you watch rcplanepirate's YouTube channel, he has done all kinds of testing and has shot three videos on testing one of these motors he bought from EBay.

I have run these motors in several different planes for a couple of years now and certainly you get what you pay for, but I have had some pretty good performance from most of the ones I bought and have run them pretty hard on 6x4 APC electric props (knock offs from Hobby King) and the 6x4 APC gas prop.  If you pick a couple up, my advice would be to be prepared that your motors might not last terribly long depending on how you run them, quality control is not a big strength of motors that you can get for $5-7 USD😏

The link above for this motor is from GearBest, I have also purchased them from a couple of different vendors from EBay.  GearBest just raised the price to $7.01 USD which is the price at the time of writing this post.  There are several vendors on EBay that sell this motor, I just found this one that sells the motor for $5.16 USD.

The worst experience I have had with this motor were two that I bought from Banggood over a year ago.  The two motors I got from Banggood were not usable, even with a 6x3 prop, they both pulled over 40A and ran exceptionally hot.   Here is the link to the Banggood motor, they want $7.59 USD for their version😕

In all honesty, it is very difficult to know the amp limits on this motor.  Reading specs from this vendor on EBay, they give it a very low amp rating.  Here are their specs copied and pasted in.

Model No.: A2212/5T 2700KV
Weight: 50g
Motor Dimensions: 27.7 * 26.3mm
Shaft Size: 3.17 * 37mm
Battery Operating: 2-3 LiPo
Idle Current: 1.8A
Load Current: 18.5A
Power (Watt): 240
ESC (A): 30A. 20A
Ri (MΩ): 0.14
Peak Amps: 14-22 A

I have a bit of a hard time believing this motor is rated that low, unless it was run on 2S or with a very small, low pitch prop on 3S where you would get very limited thrust.  I think I have also read somewhere it is a 25A motor, again I think a bit low.  However, all of the motors I have run do run warmer/hotter than other higher quality motors.  One of the areas that most manufacturers will "cheap out" on is the bearings which can cause the motor to work harder and rather than producing more power, the motor produces heat.

Here are some comparison pictures.  The motor on the left was run for almost 300 flights using the 6x4 APC electric prop.  This motor was consistently pulling 35A on a static test.  It has now pretty much reached the end of it's productive life as the bearings are starting to go😢  Hopefully you can see that the top has become discolored, much lighter than the new one on the right.

In the next two pictures, I tried to get shots of the wires, the wires on the used motor are darker indicating they have had some pretty high temps running through them.  The new one of course has very nice, shiny wires.

Another thing to look for when a motor is starting to run rough or the bearings are going is to pull gently on the bell of the motor, looking for a gap where my thumb is pointing below.  In the old motor, I can pull the bell so that this gap is about 1mm, on the new motor, the bell barely moves.

So to answer the question, can you run this motor on a 6x4 prop?  Yes, you can, but you need to be aware that you are probably pushing the motor pretty hard and depending on whether you got a good motor or a bad motor will determine it's longevity.  I suppose 300 flights from a $5 motor is not a bad result (about $.02 per flight😉), I have certainly had more expensive motors last less time than that😒

I did run this motor with the 6x3E sport prop in the past, also available from HobbyKing as 6x3 TGS and Banggood as 6x3 KMP and it ran very well, I just preferred at the time the feel and performance of the 6x4 APCE prop.  So now that I have an actual thrust stand that is far more accurate than my previous crude setup, I decided to do some more bench test comparison.  The results were actually quite good.  I first tested with the Turnigy Plush 40A ESC with timing at low as this is the ESC I have been using all along when flying with this motor.  Here are the results with the 6x3E sport prop.

50% throttle - 13.1A/158.8W producing 540 gr/19 oz of thrust;

100% throttle - 28.2A/328.1W producing 995 gr/35.1 oz of thrust.

So these results are quite good and very efficient for that much power.  Compared to the best setup I have found with the 2212/6 2200 kv motor, it is about 80 gr more thrust at mid throttle and 45 gr more at full throttle, so certainly a boost in power, especially at mid range.

So since I have been seeing such great results with the Turnigy AE-45A ESC with custom settings of 22.5 degrees timing and 24 KHz PWM frequency, I gave that a try as well with three different props.  Here are the results.

6x3E sport prop

50% throttle - 14.8A/182.2W producing 586 gr/20.7 oz of thrust;

100% throttle - 30.2A/348.3W producing 1045 gr/36.9 oz of thrust.

6x4 APCE (Hobby King knockoff)

50% throttle - 14.3A/173.0W producing 530 gr/18.7 oz of thrust;

100% throttle - 34A/395.5 producing 1010 gr/35.6 oz of thrust.

6x4 APC gas

50% throttle - 14.6A/176.2W producing 555 gr/19.6 oz of thrust;

100% throttle - 36.5A/402.3W producing 920 gr/32.5 oz of thrust.

So I was quite surprised at how low the top end thrust was with the 6x4 APC gas prop considering it is better than that with the Turnigy Plush on factory default although the AE-45 does give slightly better results at mid throttle.

I was quite impressed with the thrust and efficiency with the 6x3E sport prop with the AE-45 ESC, so I will have to give that a try at the field and compare it to the 6x4 APCE since if I am trying to find a "budget" power upgrade, these props are much less expensive and available than the 6x4 APC gas prop.

So next up some field testing with this motor, the AE-45A ESC and the 6x3E sport and 6x4 APCE props😀

Park Jet noise...the "other" sound of freedom😎

Cheers,

Scott

"Stealth" Park Jet showdown - RC Powers F-22 and T-50 V5s

Hi Everyone -

Had these two beauties at the field today having a bit of a "stealth" park jet fly off😎

Here is today's flight video.

The RC Powers F-22 V5 and the T-50 V5 (on the left) were released at the same time and I have been enjoying the F-22 for a long time as it is my favorite of all the RC Powers V5 park jets.  I am a newcomer to the T-50 V5, but have been enjoying it immensely.  Both planes are modified quite a bit, you can read more about my F-22 V5 build at this blog post, and the T-50 build by watching this table talk video.  Also, through this blog starting in December 2017, you will find a multi part build log documenting everything I did with my T-50 build.

For today's flight, the power setups were exactly the same.

• Motor - EMAX RS2306 2750 Kv;
• ESC - HobbyWing Platinum PRO 40A with custom settings of 26.25 degrees for timing and 8 Khz for PWM (pulse width modulation) frequency;
• Prop - 6x4 APC gas; and 
• Battery - Gens Ace 2200 3S 45C.

I guess one of the biggest parts of today's flyoff was to see which one is faster😊  In the promo for the T-50 V5, Dave Powers says "This one is even faster".  I suppose I assumed that was meaning it was faster than the F-22 since they were released at the same time.  Now perhaps it means it is faster than maybe the last version of the T-50, the V2 which was huge with a 39.5" wingspan? 

Both these planes have the same wingspan, the T50 is actually almost 1 oz/28 gr lighter than the F22, but I don't know, after watching the video a couple times, it is a very close call which is faster😑  In my previous videos with the T50, I had said it was the fastest plane in my hangar at the time and it is certainly one of the quickest planes I have ever flow, but that was before I gave the F22 a 160 gr/5.6 oz thrust increase, so who knows?!  Guess I'll be happy having two really fast stealth park jets in my hangar😀

They are both a lot of fun to fly and certainly fast.  The F22 with more weight below the wing plate than the T50 is certainly more stable and a bit smoother to fly.  Also, looking at the picture above, the F22 seems to have more wing area and coupled with the lift of the flat bottom shown below makes it feel like it has a much lower wing loading.

The T50 is noticeably more agile and responsive than the F22 even with smaller elevons and less control surface travel in the pitch and the roll.  In fact it is almost borderline "twitchy" which isn't always a bad thing as it certainly allows me to fly it aggressively, however it is not as forgiving as the F22, so it really forces me to fly smoothly and stay ahead of the plane😳  While it will respond more quickly that the F22, the T50 is like flying very close to the razor's edge, push just a bit too far and it can become a bit of a handful.  Whereas with the F22, I can push hard but because it is a bit more stable and forgiving, I have a second or two more to recover if I do something a bit beyond my skill level😵

These are both excellent planes, RC Powers did a great job on the designs.  If I was to recommend a stealth park jet to try first, it would be the F-22 V5 hands down.  RC Powers has been the leader in getting an F-22 park jet that flies will without being a complete handful to fly.  The T50 would be good for a second stealth park jet once you feel you are ready to handle it's incredible responsiveness and want to really push the envelope😀

Park Jet noise...the "other" sound of freedom😎

Cheers,

Scott

"Table Talk" - BeeRotor Z2207 2780 Kv motor review for use in park jets

Hi Everyone -

I just shot this video giving my thoughts and a review on the BeeRotor Z2207 2780 Kv motor from RC Timer😊

This motor when paired with the Turnigy AE-45A ESC with custom settings (22.5 degrees timing and 24 KHz PWM frequency) is one of the top performing quad racing motors using the 6x4 APC gas prop on 3S that I have tested thus far.  It is very close to the performance of the EMAX RS2306 2750 Kv motor that currently leads the pack of quad racing motors I have tested thus far.

You can read all the details of my bench testing with this BeeRotor and many other motors on my motor test spreadsheet.  Simply scroll along the bottom to find the motor that interests you.😊

Links to the props and ESCs discussed in this video.

• 6x3 KMP prop (Banggood); 
• 6x3 TGS prop (Hobby King);
• 6x4 APC gas prop; 
• 6x4 APC electric (knock off from Hobby King); 
• Turnigy Plush 40A ESC; and
• Turnigy AE-45A ESC.

I now have put 100 flights through the motor I am showing in the video and it is performing as well now as the first time I flew it.  Very smooth, strong and durable with very good torque and acceleration and top end speed almost equal to the EMAX motor.

As mentioned in the video, it is not as expensive as many of the other top end motors and paired with the fairly inexpensive Turnigy AE-45A ESC is the best value for top end motors I have tested thus far.

You can read Ryan Harrell's evaluation of this motor at his website following this link.

I would also encourage you to check out rcplanepirate's YouTube channel, he has been instrumental in helping me squeeze as much power as possible from these quad racing motor setups in my park jets.

Very pleased with how this motor performs, especially considering it's price😀

Park Jet noise...the "other" sound of freedom😎

Cheers,

Scott

DYS Samguk Shu 2306 2800 Kv motor field test...some times you win, sometimes you don't... :)

Hi Everyone -

I had this beauty out at the field today doing some field testing on the DYS Samguk Shu 2306 2800 Kv motor😊(note, this may be the last smile you see in this blog post😉)

Here is the flight video.  

Shortly after this video, on the 6th flight in total, things started to go bad for this motor😕  It started to run rough, get louder and lose power.  I landed, unplugged the battery and went to touch the motor to see if it was hot and almost burned my finger!😳  The heat had built up so intensely that even the X motor mount and screws where the screw driver is pointing in the picture below were too hot to touch!

So I let the plane sit for awhile to let things cool off and make sure it wasn't going to catch on fire😱  After it was cool enough to touch, I spun the motor by hand and it was clicking, normally indicating that one of the bottom bearings is broken or is not turning freely which also explains the intense heat at the base of the motor😒

I had actually purchased two of these motors as they were so inexpensive and on sale, so after returning home from the field, I started bench testing the second one and the bench results were even worse than the first motor by about 10%😲

So, I will put this down to a lesson learned.  I will be steering clear of DYS products in future, this is the fourth different DYS motor I have purchased where at some point in time I have had quality control issues.  Hopefully I have learned my lesson this time, took me long enough😞  

Park Jet noise...the "other" sound of freedom😎

Cheers,

Scott