Phil Stevos Electric Planes

Still here.

2008-12-15T19:17:00.004+10:00

It has been a long time, but for those following my sailing Blogs its clear I have been busy.

I have been flying. Many sundays with the Bedlam Bay Barnstormers, our local park fly group, and also most months at Strathfield indoor evenings, where we have been going for what must be close to 25 years. I missed a few of the HStore Sutherland Saturday nights over the winter because Dad was not well enoug for the cold and its a long way from home for me alone. And last Saturday clashed with a christmas function.

But I have now been building again. The model in the photos is not a Mustang but an Australian Commonwealth Aircraft CA 15 Kangaroo. Built at the end of WW2 to flying prototype stage before cancellation, it obviously draws a lot from the best the allies had produced to date, but it is bigger and longer than a Mustang by quite a bit. Long ago scrapped, a few photos exist and the graphics for this one come from Derek Buckmaster's web site. His was a profile catapult glider and I scaled it down to 160mm span.

It flys on the Tanaka IR Rx with rudder and throttle via a Mini Aviator Tx. Weight is 3.5g with a 20mil battery. Durabatics with Derek's design printed via paint jet.

2008-06-12T21:43:00.002+10:00

I just edited my earlier clutter post with some better model details.
No building lately but some repairs and maintenance of models and gear.
Had fun at Strathfield last week with my trimmed Plantraco Racer type now equipped with an EPilot Triad 4ch RX. A few years ago who would have believed 9in span 4 ch proportional RC would be possible with commercial equipment.
I have also added a rudder servo to the 13inch Ultimate Bipe. Should improve CoG position as well as add an added dimension to flight envelope.
I have a couple of boxes of models ready for next Saturday's HStore event at Sutherland.

Latest Park Flyer

2008-05-18T16:22:00.002+10:00

My new Mustang as promised. Its about 750 span, and under 300 g. Made from half iinch sheets of blue foam, carved to shape and covered with silver gift wrapping tissue. Decals are laser printed paper to match an active prototype flying out of Melbourne, and featured in a recent Flightpath magazine. Conopy and Cockpit were saved from a worn out foamy RTF from long ago. Motor is a small outrunner running off 2S900 cells for very long flights. Wide speed range.

Storage Clutter

2008-05-18T16:10:00.008+10:00

When you have been at this hobby for a while you collect a few models and storage gets cluttered: Models are
12 inch GeeBee R1 with M20 motor and JMP Rx on R and E
13 inch Howard Ike with geared 7mm and Plantraco on R and M
In box is a 10inch Pilatus PC9 in Aust RAAF Aeorbatic team Roulettes colours. Has 7mm DD and plantraco on M and R
In the left corner are containers with the 2.5g Mr Mulligan and a 2g stick model for IR, plus a ubiquitous IR micro copter.

Box of "one day", worn out or maybe flyers, all 12in or smaller:
G-A..SS is a DH Comet racer with two 4mm motors and IR on R and M , has flown enough to wear out a paoir of 4mm motors.
NR 278V Travellair Mystery, DD 6mm and bit RC, has flown a bit.
NR 10538 Laird Solution Thompson Trophy winner, took a while but has recently flow on Plantraco R &M with geared 7mm motor. A bit heavy but now at least stable.
R 14899 Folkerts Jupiter Thompson Trophy winner, originally a geared 6mm and bit RC but is warn out after 3 motors and frequent arrivals. EPs fude and depron surfaces, like most of these models.
R 614K Weddell Williams Thompson Trophy winner. A match for the Travelair.
VH USU Smithy's Southern Cross Fokker Tri Motor, first to fly US to AUST, Has flown with three 6mm pagers DD and bit RC, but a it hard to trim as motors wear unevenly.
Red and White flash is a profile Pitts, originally a Chris #d model with full fuselage, JMP and coils on ailerons and elevator. Variousmotors, M20, geared 7mm, twin 7mm geared together. The model is wornout many times.

I spent a periods modelling all of the Thompson Trophy winners for Bit Car RC. Most flew OK but the Mulligan was too big and the Solution a it heavy. I will try again with better RC and battery.

Hanging space: L-R

Profile DC3, Mustang park flyer, Whitman Bonzo P Nut, CAC Nomad inverted on box. EPP Delta in fore ground. In the boxes are a PNut Bleriot, 18in Mr Mulligan, balsa Laird Turner Meteor, Caudron , Gee Bee Z, Victor Airtourer, and others. On the left in blue towel is a RM model yacht, and in the wooden box is the 1.2m indoor RC Bleriot.

Hanging are mostly of my "active" park flyer size models, from left :
White foam Mosquito bomber, Red tip of a 280 size club Pylon racer, 20in Spitfire, indoor 3D type profile, Blue foam profile Sea Fury, depron indoor aerobat in CL stunt style, Yellow Bonzo in balsa and film, balsa and tissue Kityhawk, Yellow Miles Sparrow Hawk, Sopwith Pup, Rubber powered Waco Bipe on shelf awaiting electric RC conversion.

There is a wardrobe of bigger models and some storage boxes elsewhere.

2008-04-09T13:45:00.002+10:00

Its been a while since I posted but that does not mean I have not been flying or building. There have been regular sunday mornings with the local retirees etc as well as several indoor evenings at Strathfield and Sutherland. My newest model is below pictured with the Lil Gem from a while ago. The Ultimate Bipe is 300 span and has the same gear as the Gem, 4g servos, 5g motor and 100 or 200 size 2S cells. Again weight is 60g. It has now had a lot of flights and is pretty nimble at full power but can also slow down well with all that wing area. It will ROG from a gym floor or I hand launch it at half power.

I have another set of similar micro hardware and plan a new profile 4ch model about 450 span and minimum weight. Hopefully 3D capable.

Meanwhile my club at Macquare Uni, has negotiated a new field after our old one had a basketball court built on it. Our hours are restricted but it is the best of the three fields we have had over the 20 odd year historuy of the club. I will be sharing my sunday mornings now beween the club friends and the local retirees.

Under construction is a new Mustang, made from slabs of blue foam, all carved, shaped and tissue covered. Its about 800mm span and will be for outdoor flying. I think it will look bettter than that description, photos next post after it has flown.

2008-02-28T10:05:00.002+10:00

One of the HSTORE photos of the nearly 20 year old Bleriot,

1.2m span, about 400g, all balsa scale structure

Based on full size prototype hanging in the Power House Museum, Sydney.

Now with brushless motor inside dummy spinning Gnome radial, and 900 Lipo.

It flies better and longer than it ever has, more power and duration and no more weight.

It was built for one of the first indoor RC competitions in NSW and came second with a meager duration of about 2 minutes 30 seconds. How things have changed.

The model featured on the cover of my 1992 book on electric flying in Aust, now out of print and well out of date.

2008-02-24T17:10:00.002+10:00

We had another HStore indoor evening last week. Flew the nearly 20 YO Bleriot which now has a brushless motor complete with spinning Gnome radial dummy engine. At 1200mm its a big model for indoor but its a big Gym and it still flies slowly. Same weight as always but now with heaps of duration from Lipos.

Some photos of my models on HStore site: http://www.hstore.com.au/hstore.asp

Have also been flying with some retired locals in a nearby park early on Sundays, lots of fun with small models in the calm air.

New mini model with servos

2008-01-29T19:20:00.000+10:00

My new Lil Gem pylon model.

65g and 380mm span with 3.6g

BA servos on aileron and elevator,

5g Hobbycity motor and 6g ESC.

2S 150 pack (but has flown heavier with a 2S 350 pack - more poewer and longer flights)

BA 4ch RX (too small to fly out of range)

All Depron and styrene. Brown is tissue, red is acrylic paint, black is felt pen. Carbon sticks for UC and wing bracing.

Outlines and sections were blown up a little from an old PNut scale FF plan.

2007-12-13T10:32:00.000+10:00

Photos from H Store flying night are on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMnrnD-jMEw

2007-12-10T08:13:00.000+10:00

Had a great night on Saturday at the H Hobbies Indoor night at Sutherland. Well organised and very friendly. I even won the lucky door prize of a micro helicopter.

Flew the PC9 (Plantraco control) , DC3 and Pond racer (X Twin), and others. Mr Mulligan flew but not for long. Dads GWS tiger flew so smooth and scale like it attracted comments.

Saw some very good pilots doing 3D with Helis and Planes. Impressive.

Thanks guys see you next time.

2007-10-29T10:16:00.000+10:00

Had fun last week at Doonside fying some small outdoor models. Most fun with upgraded 15 year old Pitts and slightly newer Bonzo. Both flew originally with geared brushed motors and nicads, but now have been updated with some cheap outrunners, small rx, servos and controllers and good lipos. Performance boost is incredible with true Pitts type performance.
Pitts is 500mm and 280g, Bonzo is 550mm and 200g. All balsa and film covering.

On the indoor scene I have converted my Plantraco Tx from Mode 2 to mode 1 because like most Australians, I learnt to fly with elevator on the left stick. Did the mod for Don Costelloe too. (yes I checked with the factory first and made sure I did not mess anything up). Missed indoor night for October due to other committments, and November is always dubious because of exams in the school hall, so might be quiet on the indoor scene till december.

2007-09-25T16:00:00.000+10:00

Mr Mulligan has flown, well at least across the room.
It now weighs 2.5g with a new Full River 10mil cell and bahoma connections to a cut down Tanaka IR receiver. The new Sharp SMT IR sensor allows elimination of a lot of components, PCB and weight.
Unfortunately I was doing a similar lightenning job on another receiver and dropped it onto the polished floor, and two days of searching have failed to find it. I accused the dog of eating it but he admits nothing. Such is life in the micro electronic world.

2007-09-19T11:12:00.000+10:00

Not many posts but I have been spending some time with my indoor models.

I have resurected my Infra Red Tanaka gear and am trying to fly my 4 inch Mr Mulligan. Since giving up a few years ago I have removed the gearbox and balsa/plastic prop and installed a micro copter tail rotor. A new SMD sharp IR sensor also saved some weight and bulk. But it is still almost 4g with a 50 mil lipo and that is too heavy. It seems to be stable but does not hold height. Hoping a new 20 mil cell on order will improve potential.

I am inspired enough to have bought some new 4mm pager motors as I think my old ones are getting sick. Metal brushes just do not last. The deH Comet will get back to life with any luck.

2007-08-29T09:05:00.000+10:00

I have just added some Plantraco 900MHz RC to my old Bit PC9. Its nice to have proportional power and rudder, and now it is available I will add elevator control.

The Plantraco gear is tiny, and good range.

I initially had some problems wih the Rx and despite some time delays with distance and timezone stagger Plantraco have exchanged the RX for a new one without issues.

Lie most Australians I fly with elevator on the left stick, but the Plantraco is set up the americal way with throttle on the left and eleavtot on the right with rudder or aileron. So I need to practice their way on the simulator. (Plantraco comes with cable and software for computer simulator using the TX)

A bit of History

2007-08-08T09:00:00.000+10:00

My father was an aeromodeller and engine builder so I grew up with models and modeling.

When he could afford it he went flying full size cesnas and modelling activity declined. Then we both dicovered sailing and that took over our lives.

When dad retired from sailing we both went modle flying again. He took on mostly gliders and Old Timers and I addopted electric flight.

In the 1980s electric was experimental, either cheap and nasty, build it you self or expensive and not very much better.

My time is now plit between sailing and modelling with more modelling in winter.

And I am mostly interested insmall models up to anout 200g.

Some of my small models are on the Working Pager Motor Powered Model thread of RC groups: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225017&page=4&highlight=working+pager

Pager powered Bit RC foam racers:

I was trying to model all of the Thompson Trophy winners fromthe Golden Age of air racing. Not all of them are shown because there were a few which I never got to fly well.

I will add a few more pictures from time to time.

600mm Sopwith Pup with GWS geared motor