Buzzard Droppings March 2005

(Continued from page 6)

endurance, then consider the LiPo route.  Also, in some cases using a Lithium battery doesn’t make a lot of sense.  The Zagi flies really, really well with Nicad or NiMH packs.  They are less expensive at this point than Lithium and don’t require that you update the power system to use them properly.  On the other hand, for the slow flyer planes, Lithium packs can make a lot of sense, especially to increase duration.

I would like to mention one more charger  and I’ve used this one for years before the advent of Lithium Polymer batteries.  I still use it to charge all my Nicad and NiMH packs at the field.  It is the FMA SuperNova 250S charger.  I no longer see it listed on the FMA site.  I know they are coming out with a newer version sometime, but if you can find this charger and only want to do Nicad/NiMH packs, it is highly recommended.

The one thing that you will probably find you want after flying electrics for a very short time, is more battery packs!  I usually have at least 3 of the same type, so I always have one charged and ready to go.  Other nice things to have are a wattmeter, soldering iron, regulated power supply (to power your charger at home), possibly a dedicated battery discharger and lots of sets of connectors. 

There are any number of other routes that you can go to get your toes wet in the electric revolution.  The ones I’ve given you should give you satisfaction without unduly emptying your wallet.  All are proven aircraft that come with components that match the airframes and eliminate the guesswork.

Unlike glow/gas powered aircraft, there are a lot of other factors to consider with electric aircraft.  Things are not as set in concrete as they are with glow/gas.  At this point in the revolution there is still considerable experimentation that can be done by the modeler to maximize the efficiency and duration of an electric powered aircraft.  If you chose to dive into the electric revolution the best thing you can do is read, read, and read some more.  There is LOTS of available information out there, all of which can make future decisions about aircraft and components, easier for you.  It is only a matter of looking for it.

Well, not too much going on with this freezing weather, but here's a few safety hints for this month.

You all might want to gather together a few items and have them handy for when you start going out to the flying field.

· fire extinguisher (also good for keeping pop cold in summer)

· first aid kit (can use tape for wing tears when missing the runway)

· sewing kit (sew buttons back on after the prop sucks your open shirt in)

· small shovel (digging engine out of the ground when making vertical landings)

· small towel (wiping hands off or wiping away tears)

· pencil and paper (making list of parts needed to fix airplane)

· folding chair (to be able to sit and get nerves to relax before another flight)

· hard hat (to save skull when somebody flies over the pits)

I'm sure there are more, but enough for now.

Randy Turner

Safety Officer