Category:Radio Controlled Planes


 * Always assume an electric drive system connected to a battery may start at any time.
 * Glow motors won't start when you want them to.
 * Electric motors will start when you don't expect them to.
 * Tx on then Rx on - Rx off then Tx off (the Rx is never left on alone)
 * Disconnect battery BEFORE turning off transmitter.
 * When you land, throttle down to 0%, then lock it if it has throttle lock, then unplug the airplanes battery, turn off the transmitter.

Motor Power Choice
(base on reccomended AUW, or Flying Weight of model choice)
 * Vintage - types and many non-aerobatic indoor flyers - 50w~70w per 1lb
 * Trainers, Gliders and High wing scale - 70w~100w per 1lb
 * Sport flyer (with general aerobatic performance) - 100w per 1lb
 * Warbirds - 120w~150w per 1lb
 * Multi engined models - 100w per 1lb (thrust from Multiple props gives in effect, more than 100w per 1lb performance)
 * EDF Jets - 150w~200w per 1lb
 * 3D, F3A and high performance Models - 150w~200w per 1lb

Lipoly Voltage Choice
LIPOLY VOLTAGE CHOICE Based on the above, we now need to work out what voltage we are going to need to use, generally, to keep Lipo's in good order, try and keep max amps to around 50~60% of the capacity/C rating of the Lipoly Pack, for example, if you purchase a 2200mAh 20c pack, then it is rated for 44A constant discharge, so keep the max amps at around 20A~25A IF possible, it isn't always! Choose the capacity of pack based on reccomendation for the model by model manufacturer and in conjunction with the size/weight data published with all our advertised Lipoly packs, for low powered models, choose 20c packs, for general flying choose 20c~25c packs, for high performance models 30c + packs;
 * Up to 50w: 1s~2s
 * up to 100w: 2s~3s
 * 100w Up to 500w: 3s (This is the practical upper limit for 3s Lipo's, so basically, models of 5lb AUW)
 * 500w up to 800w: 4s (This is the 0.40~0.46 glow equivalent range favoured by many club flyers)
 * 800w up to 1000w: 5s
 * 900w up to 1500w: 6s (this is the 0.60~0.90 ic equivalent range)
 * 8s~10s packs are for very large and generally specialised models.

Terms

 * BEC - allows a model to carry only one battery (the motive power battery) instead of two (motive power, and a separate battery to operate the R/C equipment).
 * Dead-stick landing - A forced landing when an aircraft loses all of its propulsive power and is forced to land.
 * ESC - interprets control information not as mechanical motion as would be the case of a servo, but rather in a way that varies the switching rate of a network of field effect transistors, or FETs.

Papers

 * How Airplanes Fly by David Anderson -

Links

 * http://adamone.rchomepage.com/index5.htm
 * http://adamone.rchomepage.com/cg_calc.htm
 * http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/ebasic.asp
 * http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/lipo_basics.asp