Battery Vehicle Society

Just wondering if there are any forum members who fly radio-controlled battery powered aeroplanes?

I used to be a regular visitor to our loal model aeroplane club field to watch the chaps flying all their lovely aeroplanes. I don't fly myself, but some of the electric models out there are rather impressive.

Mary.

Funny you should mention that...
it seems that Electric flight is becoming the way to go for many aeromodellers - primarily for noise reasons (certainly many clubs have issues with the neighbours over noise) but also for user friendliness and versatility - you can fly tiny models less than 3.6g in weight or honking great multi engined monsters and ducted fan jet types that can exceed 150 MPH. It's with Multi engined and Ducted fan models that my own interest in electric grew - it's easier to start 4 electric motors simultaneously than 4 IC engines, and starting a ducted fan engine in a model requires all sorts of contortions and torture equipment with an IC model. You just turn on the leccy one.
What has put many off for a long time has been the cost of batteries and ancilliary equipment (sound familiar?)
That said, costs of good Li Poly / Li Ion batteries /speed controllers and brushless motors is falling. There's a very well attended Elctric fly in over in Chester every May/june - ish. Always worth a look.

I try and fly (badly I'll add) one of those little hellicopters, not the REALLY small toy ones that everyone had for christmas but one thats got a rotor blade of about 18"
I did get one of those really tiny palm choppers for xmas and was quite surprised how good they are, especially if you tweak them with bits of blue tak and get them weighted correctly they will actually fly really well

ChrisB

I've been flying R/C on and mainly off for the last 25 years. I prefer sailplanes and electric assist means I can now spend a good hour flying on one charge. Much more relaxed when you don't have to worry about charging in a field etc.

I too have one of the mid size electric heli's. Great fun in the early evening during the summer when the air is still, but after about 4 hours of use I still can't hover and my longest flight, take off to landing/crash, has been 30 seconds. After flying fixed wing for so long, my fingers and my head just can't seem to work together to keep the thing in the air!

You should give it a try Mary, I guarantee you'll get lot's of offers of help at your local club, the BMFA (British Model Flying Association) http://www.bmfa.org training schemes, run by most clubs, are usually very good.

Cheers,

Ian

Ian buy one of those really little palm nano copters and practice with it in the lounge, I can now manage to fly one until flat round my lounge without crashing has taught me a fair amount of co-ordination, now looking forward to the summer evenings, as you say, to get some more practice in with my humming bird

ChrisB

Well I happen to be a training instructor and Club Coach for hang gliding and paragliding and I do use a radio now and then so it could be argued that I do I've flown things from controll line planes through all kinds of gliders to full blown light aircraft and my neighbours just qualified to fly private jets so now I'm thinking of that too!



I'm interested in maybe building myself a FLPHG set up possibly using a Lynch motor but that's a long term project due to lack of funds sadly





I'm a bit of an aviation addict and have been known to take the the air everyday though strangely enough since actually deliberately moving house to be within a stone's throw of a good hill. I've as good as kicked the habbit and barely fly much at all nowadays. Which is one reason I fancy the electric power pack so I can pop up in the evenings from the field at the back of my house without having to trundle off to the hill. Not sure if it's old age or laziness that 's setting in here !

And since you've set me off on the subject here's a video I made of a day on my local hill My video

Hi Chris,

My son and I have a couple of these little copters, great fun but I found of little help training my mind/fingers.

Qdos,

LiFeBATT US are working with Sky Gypsies to develop an electric powered Micro Light. Test flights are due shortly I believe.

Cheers,

Ian

i do, i do...

I have a 4 ch Ripmax Spitfire, which my wife bought for me to tinker on when I had my appendix out. That was three years ago, and I still haven't flown it cos I'm too scared. I've not flown a 4 ch plane yet, only a 3ch piper which was great for learning on.

I also have a Picoo Z 2 ch 'chopper, which, for the size and money is soooo much fun, and if its balanced properly (lump of blutac on the nose) its really easy to get it to do exactly what you want, land on DVD cases etc...

The Silerlit X-twin planes (£12 in Tescos now) are brilliant hassle free flying and are very controllable when its dead calm. If you catch a thermal you can really get some altitude with it.

This Christmas my wife bought me a buzzfly 4ch electric helicopter (I have the best wife, ever). Its tiny. I am rubbish at it, it takes all my concentration and I can only just hover in a semi-controlled manner. I broke the fly-bar last week, waiting for titanim one to arrive.

Don't s'pose r/c 'chopper flying is a life-skill that is comletely necesary, but, for me its so difficult that I just have to master it!

I confess,

that I have a fueled RC-plane. For my defence i will state that i also have two planes and three helis (that wifey knows about) that are electric.

Latest addition is an ornithopter. Wonderwife bought me one of these for my birthday.

Our magpies are going to freak out

All the best,
Henrik