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08-31-2005, 11:35 AM | #1 |
Looking for some Herr AQUASTAR advice
!st post from a newbie and newbie to the hobby. I am half finished building a HERR AQUASTAR (last built a rubber powered C180 on skis in 1966...) and I would like to correspond with anyone who has built an electric version of this plane regarding battery installation. The box suggests the AQUASTAR is easy to convert to electic but there is little to no info on the plans.
Thanks in advance. |
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09-05-2005, 12:21 AM | #2 |
RCC Expert Contributor
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I have a Nitro Aquastar, Norvel .061 power. Its a good plane to consider for electric as the spot where the Fuel Tank goes would be perfect for placing the battery. The thing I found about this plane is that it need NO down thrust, despite what the plans say. Take a Datum line along the fuselage and make sure to set up 0 degrees down thrust. Mine would not take off from the water with the downthrust as indicated on the plans, nor would it climb worth a bean. After shimming the motor mount to have 0 degress downthrust everything worked much better. I've also hacked in Ailerons and Flaps but that was just because I got bored last winter, it added weight but did nothing for performance, it flys just fine as a rudder and elevator plane. The plane works great off of snow as well, especially if its got a little crust to it. I've though about putting landing gear on the side of the fuselage as well at some point, it could be made retractable, there's room inside the fuselage for the servo and a simple piano wire mechanism
It would be a taildragger though with a bit of wire along the back part of the keel to protect the lower part of the rudder. (the imagination is a dangerous thing to indulge isn't it?) Getting back to your original query though, it would also be very straight forward to mount a Brushless outrunner to the pod in place of the Norvel. The main problem is selecting one with a HIGH RPM per V since there is not room for more than a 7 inch prop. I'd suggest something like a H.E.T. Typhoon T6/13 from http://www.oilmanelectricrc.com/T620.html spinning a 6X5 or 7X4 APC electric prop on three 2000 MAH LiPo's This would give you plenty of ZIP and good duration. I've been trying to find the time all summer to put this exact setup on my Aquastar but between the HoneyDoo List and vacation travel in hasn't happened yet.
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Salutations from the Pacific North WET! S.P.A.D.s, Fibreglas & Balsa EDF's, Foamies, Brushless powered and nitro balsa planes, they're all in my hanger, just don't explain what it all means to the mrs, eh? |
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09-05-2005, 10:49 PM | #3 |
Aquastar
Thanks for the info,NorseHammer, especially regarding 0 thrust. The box says its is an easy kit to convert to electric but there is no info inside. I am wondering if the battery pack should be held in place with some kind of balsa strip w/velcro to facilitate placing the batteries on/near the CofG?.
I am also curious about the water handling, is the rudder effective or should I consider a floa type twater rudder on the rear of the hull? Thanks in advance. |
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09-06-2005, 12:48 AM | #4 |
RCC Expert Contributor
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Battery Hold DOwn
For the Battery hold down go for a double whammy, a strip of velcro between the battery and the side of the Pod and a second velcro strap around both the battery and pod. An expensive battery that pops off over water is unrecoverable. The pod should be at the C of G, the motor will sit just a ahead and the battery dead on the C of G . The receiver will sit in the front compartment at the nose of the aricraft. locate the servosas far forward as possible and you should not have to use any ballast. I sealed the front compartment with clear cellophane tape (Scotch tape actually) This allows you access if you need it to the Receiver. The leads for the servo's and speed control I tie wrapped together and routed along the fuselage sides just under the windows. I glued the the female end of the 12 inch aileron and ESC extentions to opposite sides of the fueslage and labeled them by writing the functions with a fine marker so I could make the connections easily when mounting the wing/pod assembly to the fuselage. The ESC will live in a hollow space gouged out of the left side of the pod, so air flows over it. This keeps all the things you want access to on the pod, so you don't have to take the wing on and off just to change batteries.
It'll fly great, but make sure you have some expereince help for the maiden. You get a lot of confidence from having an able mentor and assistant.
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Salutations from the Pacific North WET! S.P.A.D.s, Fibreglas & Balsa EDF's, Foamies, Brushless powered and nitro balsa planes, they're all in my hanger, just don't explain what it all means to the mrs, eh? |
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09-06-2005, 01:42 PM | #5 |
Electric AquaStar link
Thanks again NH
The following link describes building an electric AS but I didn't find it before I had finished the fuselage otherwise I would have left the front hatch open as well. I may even build my own battery pack (longer than wider) as there isn't much room if you follow the plans. And the water rudder idea?? http://www.pivot.net/~acarr/ron/aquastar.htm phlatlander phil |
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