Thermal Charger-Leisure 05 Stock motor??
I have been away from the hobby for many years and never flew electrics. I need some help in deciding what setup to use for a kit I just started. The kit is a Thermal Charger electric glider. It comes with a Leisure "05" stock motor, which is a brushed motor. The performance stated was probably ok back when it was made, but is probably one of the reasons I never messed with electrics before. The literature states you can get 8 minute flights: power up for two minutes then glide for two minutes; turn the motor back on for another two minutes and glide back down. The stated weight of the plane is 38-40 oz. The setup in the plans has a servo operated on/off switch. The motor is either full bore or off. The plans also call for seperate radio and motor flight packs. The specified motor pack is an 800mAH 8.4 volt 7-cell NiCD. I have a lot of questions. 1. Will this motor work with and ESC? 2. Are there different types of ESCs? Which type would I need? 3. Is it advisable to keep the two battery pack setup or can I go to one? 4. If one pack, how much flight time do you generally have after the motor shuts off? 5. Obviously, there have been a lot of improvements in battery technology. Can NiMH of Li-Po battery packs be used with this type of motor? 6. Do NiMH and Li-Po battery packs have the overheating problems that the NiCD packs had? The plans put a lot of emphasis on having a lot of airflow thru the battery pack. They make it very clear that the pack must be open (no wrapper) so that air can be pulled between the cells. 7. What type of connector does the Leisure motor have? I know what it looks like, but not what it is called. I'm hoping to cut some weight out so the glide times will be better. 38-40 oz seems quite heavy for a 60" wingspan glider. I'll probably have more questions, but this is a good start. Thanks for your help!
Posted on: 12/31/2011 5:01 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "Electric Training"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10885152

RE: Need Help on Old Airtronics Servos
Well, this is testing my memory. MDK, are the 94554s standard size servos (about the same size as the 394s)? I'm pretty sure these were the high performance pattern servo that Airtronics made about 20 years ago. They were ball bearing, coreless motor servos. The torque was quite high for a regular sized servo. I think around 80 oz.-in. If I'm thinking of the correct servos, I sold several just half a year or so ago on ebay and I had the specs for them. I'll see if I can dig up something. Ken
Posted on: 6/25/2005 6:57 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3108941

RE: Good Place to buy Ball Bearings in Dallas?
Thanks for the replies. I was really hopeing someone knew of a good bearing house in Dallas. I'm new to the area. I will definately check out RC Bearings though.
Posted on: 2/2/2005 2:55 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2613433

Good Place to buy Ball Bearings in Dallas?
I need to buy ball bearings for an old Royal .25 engine. Does anyone know of a good bearing house in Dallas, TX? I need good bearings without the hobby shop price (more than the engine would be worth). Thanks, Ken
Posted on: 2/1/2005 4:19 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2609482

RE: Homemade Alternator
Years ago, Maynard Hill used the generator for bicycle lights for keeping the batteries on endurance planes charged. I don't remember exactly when, but Model Aviation published an article on the plane that told what setup he used. It was probably in the early 80s. Might be useful information. Ken
Posted on: 11/30/2004 1:56 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2389457

RE: FOX motors any good?
Boy what characters we have! The real answer on whether Fox engines are good or not is: It depends on the engine. The current lineup of Fox engines are good, but there were some rough times along the way. Since your engines have the EZ carbs, they are pretty new. They should all run fine with one possible problem. If the 40 size engines are ball bearing models, you may have trouble getting them to idle. Fox added a slot between the bottom of the carb and the front bearing around the same time they went to the EZ carb. The idea here was the low pressure area at the base of the carb would pull any fuel that got to the front bearing back in instead of it blowing out the front bearing (some people really don't like fuel coming out the front of their engines - pretty silly to me). What Fox actually did was machine in an air leak into the base of the carb. The engine will pull enough air through this slot that it will not draw fuel at idle. The one engine like this I have experiance with was so bad you had to hold the fuel tank 6" above the engine to keep it running at idle (with the idle screw all the way in). It just didn't have any fuel draw at low speed. I believe the Flite Line Solutions site has a fix for this problem. There are several other things that should be pointed out. 1. Fox engines are LOUD! 2. Fox engines need castor oil. Do not run a fuel that has all synthetic oil. Even with regular Powermaster fuel (18% oil, 1/3 castor - 2/3 synthetic) you need to add a couple of ounces of castor oil per gallon. These engines seem to really like Sig fuels. They also run well on the Powermaster GMA signiture blend fuels with 22% oil content (1/2 castor, 1/2 synthetic). 3. Fox engine require a lot longer breakin period than most modern engines. Those 40s in particular will require at least 2 gallons of fuel run through before they really settle in. It is a good idea to put these engines on a plane that flies well, tune them real rich, and fly, fly, fly. Flying should be done at full throttle and the engine should absolutely gurgle (very rich). Of course, this flying should be done after several short, rich runs on the ground. The real plus side on the 40s are that they just don't wear out. I've never seen one that was run properly with the correct fuel wear out. They last forever. OH YEAH! The above breakin is assuming these are Fox 40BB standards, not Deluxe. The Deluxe is an ABC engine and none of the above breakin would apply. As far as I know, the only ways to tell the standard and Deluxe apart is by the color of the sleeve. If you look through the exhaust port and the outside of the cylinder looks gray, it should be a standard. If the outside of the cylinder looks gold colored, it is a Deluxe. Another way would be to remove the glow plug. If it is a standard, the engine should turn over easily. If it is the Deluxe, it should get very tight as the piston approaches the top of the cylinder. Hope all this helps. Ken They really are junk and you should send them to me, not mikefuture or racecity! :-)
Posted on: 11/30/2004 1:51 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2389443

RE: Saito 90 FA 90T ?
w8ye, The link you posted is to a FA 90TS. This is a completely different engine than the long out of production FA 90T. However, the basic engine is still produced. The displacement of the FA 90T was increased and the engine is now the FA 100T. It seems all old twins have problems with flameouts. You have to use an onboard glow system that will keep the plugs lit. This used to be a real problem because of weight. A small battery pack would run down after just a flight or two. However, with todays NiMH batteries, this isn't as much of a problem. You get about 3X the capacity out of the same size battery. I expect you can still get parts for your FA 90T. However, the price may be very high. I believe a new FA 100T sells for $499.99. You can often pick up a used FA 90T for under $300. If yours needs much work, it might be better to pick up one in good shape and keep yours for parts. Ken
Posted on: 11/30/2004 1:09 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2389322

RE: Saito FA-270T
I'll put in my two cents worth on this one. You definately still need to run glow fuel after converting to ignition. If you can find a synthetic oil that will mix with gas, it might work, but you still need 16-18% oil content. As far as advantages, the main one is a smoother and MUCH slower idle. I haven't seen a 270 on ignition, but I have seen a 300. The idle could not have been over 800-900 rpm. You would almost have sworn you could have focused on a prop blade and kept up with it. Loved that plane. 1/3rd scale Taylorcraft with on board starter. Push it out on the taxiway. Turn on the starter. 4-5 turns of the prop and tic....tic....tic.... A few moments to warm up. Add a little throttle to taxi out. You get the idea! Ken
Posted on: 11/30/2004 12:57 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=2389288

Where to Buy Ball Bearings
I have an HP .21 4-stroke that needs ball bearings. What brand is best and where is the best place to buy them?
Posted on: 5/27/2002 12:28 AM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=144701

Thred size on a glow plug?
Jack, glow plugs have 1/4-32 threads . Can be a bit hard to find. Ken
Posted on: 4/8/2002 2:04 AM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=99326

Airtronics 94554 Servo Info?
Thanks for the info Harley Condra. Sounds like I've got some pretty good servos. I took one apart partially to see what I could find out. These are the first servos I've seen that have o-rings between the parts of the case. Definately is a metal gear train. I thought most servos had 60 degrees of travel? These have a little over 90 degrees (probably 100 degrees). Thanks again. Ken
Posted on: 4/7/2002 12:02 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=97984

Airtronics 94554 Servo Info?
I picked up some Airtronics servos recently, but I can't find any info on them. They are 94554 servos. Does anyone know any specs on these servos? Torque? Are they ball-bearing? Etc. Thanks, Ken
Posted on: 4/6/2002 5:12 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "RC Radios, Transmitters, Receivers, Servos, gyros"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=97982

When do i need to replace bearings
Bark, I think you have your engine hooked up wrong. How much experience do you have with four-stroke engines? Four stroke engines have to have the crankcase vented to the atmosphere or they will not lubricate properly. Where exactly is this fitting on the engine that you are connecting to the tank? I do not have a FS-70, but have had several OS 4-strokes, and I've never seen one that has a line on the actual engine that you connect to the tank. Do not run the engine with the crankcase vent fitting connected to anything. This will prevent the bottom end of the engine from lubricating properly and will ruin the engine very quickly.
Posted on: 4/6/2002 2:45 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=97062

Need Recommendation for Small Bipe
The ACE 4-40 Bipe is one I hadn't thought of. Actually, I didn't remember there being a 40 size bipe. I remember the 4-60 and the 4-120. Not very pretty planes, but they were very easy to bash and they flew great. Does anyone know the size of the plane (wingspan, length, wing area)? What type of airfoil did they have? MrMulligan, thanks for the reply, but I don't do ARFs (at least I think those are ARFs, but I'm a bit out of touch with the current offerings).
Posted on: 3/24/2002 11:58 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=85967

Need Recommendation for Small Bipe
I'm trying to find a small biplane to build and am looking for recommendations. Needs to be for a smaller engine; no bigger than a .40 and I would prefer something for a .20 to .40 size 4-stroke. I am looking for a mellow plane that flies like a Big John or a Lazy Ace. Does anyone know of a plane that might fit the bill. It does not have to be a kit. I usually build from plans. Thanks, Ken
Posted on: 3/24/2002 4:08 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=85964

Magnum 160 twin 4-stroke
WoW! Can't believe everyone doesn't know this. Some model twins have a double throw crank and some have a single. The OS twins and their clones (like the Magnum) have double throw cranks and fire alternately. That is, the pistons travel in opposite directions; each going in and out together. One cylinder fires on one revolution and the other on the next. The new Saito twins (the FA-60T and the FA-90TS) also work this way. The older Saitos have a single throw crank (both rods are connected to a single crank pin). The pistons travel in the same direction; that is, when one is moving out, the other is moving in. There engines include the FA-80T, FA-90T, FA-100T, FA-130T, FA-182T, FA-270T, FA-300T. On these engines, one cylinder fires, the engine rotates 180 degrees, the second cylinder fires, then the engine rotates 540 degrees without firing, repeat. This setup does not run as smooth as the double throw crank, alternate firing twin. Hope this clears things up a little. Ken
Posted on: 3/24/2002 2:03 PM by Author "kadamstex" in the forum "Glow Engines"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=48621