2017/2018 Balsa Build Along, SIG HOG BIPE ELECTRIC CONVERSION
- Thread starter nhk750
- Start date
Heck yeah, love the Hog!
nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
Got parts ready, clear table!
Got the rest of the power system in the mail today, ready to start building next week. Just need servos and will probably go with Hitech metal gear servos when the time comes. I haven't officially started the build yet, but pulled the plans out and are getting them flat.
Got the rest of the power system in the mail today, ready to start building next week. Just need servos and will probably go with Hitech metal gear servos when the time comes. I haven't officially started the build yet, but pulled the plans out and are getting them flat.
nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
Laying out some plans
I am going to start with the hard part, the fuselage. This will be the area of the build that will focus on the electric conversion. I have a question about battery placement and am thinking that the battery should be centered, located along the motor center thrust line. Or maybe slightly higher between the wings more? There is not much room to go higher though as you can see in the plan pictures. My plan is to omit the tank floor and use some tri stock and ply to make a battery tray in its place. Depending on wether I choose to go with a top access hatch or bottom access hatch will also determine the placement of the battery tray. It has been done both ways, but sometimes a top access hatch is more desirable. I think the bottom access hatch may be easier to make and give more room though. Any input is appreciated as I will be getting started next week.
I am going to start with the hard part, the fuselage. This will be the area of the build that will focus on the electric conversion. I have a question about battery placement and am thinking that the battery should be centered, located along the motor center thrust line. Or maybe slightly higher between the wings more? There is not much room to go higher though as you can see in the plan pictures. My plan is to omit the tank floor and use some tri stock and ply to make a battery tray in its place. Depending on wether I choose to go with a top access hatch or bottom access hatch will also determine the placement of the battery tray. It has been done both ways, but sometimes a top access hatch is more desirable. I think the bottom access hatch may be easier to make and give more room though. Any input is appreciated as I will be getting started next week.
Go top hatch if possible. Flipping the plane over for access isn’t difficult, but this is a big plane to keep flipping.
My Hog has a little down thrust, but don’t recall if it has any right thrust.
nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
It looks like from a replay from another website that the Hog Bipe has no right thrust. I guess I will proceed with no right thrust for now. I did send a question to Sig and it will be interesting if anyone answers it.
nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
Hog Bipe Plans
I was at work and needed to refer to the plans and could not find a decent copy of them on the internet. Problem solved, here is a copy for anyone in the future. Frustrating when you cant find something on the internet and need to figure things out. But, there are people like me out there that are the cure!
I was at work and needed to refer to the plans and could not find a decent copy of them on the internet. Problem solved, here is a copy for anyone in the future. Frustrating when you cant find something on the internet and need to figure things out. But, there are people like me out there that are the cure!
nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
Motor mount figured out, maybe...
I decided to do the hardest part and most brain work of the build first...the power mounting... and fuse. So, after some painstaking research I realized that my Scorpion motor has the same motor mount dimensions as the Eflight Power 32 I used in my T-Craft electric conversion, so I guess I will buy a Medium Great Plane motor mount and use it for this build too. I hope it wont rip apart with power of this motor though, but these motor mounts are pretty tough!
Getting some brain work done tonight...
I decided to do the hardest part and most brain work of the build first...the power mounting... and fuse. So, after some painstaking research I realized that my Scorpion motor has the same motor mount dimensions as the Eflight Power 32 I used in my T-Craft electric conversion, so I guess I will buy a Medium Great Plane motor mount and use it for this build too. I hope it wont rip apart with power of this motor though, but these motor mounts are pretty tough!
Getting some brain work done tonight...
nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
Dailey update
Today's build progress included a trip to the LHS, Covington Hobbies, and purchasing a large Electrifly motor mount. I chose the large after comparing the two and realized that I can cut down the large and make it shorter so it will be a good fit. My motor also fits like a glove on the mount, after drilling the holes a tiny bit, and it will also be stronger than the smaller medium mount. I was thinking about placing the ESC under the mount in the provided ESC mounting area, but my ESC is too long to fit after I shorten the mount. Luckily I purchase the 100 amp instead of the smaller 75 amp version and this will allow me to install it in the fuse with less cooling flow without any overheat worries. I may have to cut a small access hatch for future access service, but that should be a simple screw on hatch under the belly. I will cross that bridge when I get there.
Today's build progress included a trip to the LHS, Covington Hobbies, and purchasing a large Electrifly motor mount. I chose the large after comparing the two and realized that I can cut down the large and make it shorter so it will be a good fit. My motor also fits like a glove on the mount, after drilling the holes a tiny bit, and it will also be stronger than the smaller medium mount. I was thinking about placing the ESC under the mount in the provided ESC mounting area, but my ESC is too long to fit after I shorten the mount. Luckily I purchase the 100 amp instead of the smaller 75 amp version and this will allow me to install it in the fuse with less cooling flow without any overheat worries. I may have to cut a small access hatch for future access service, but that should be a simple screw on hatch under the belly. I will cross that bridge when I get there.
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nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
Burning the midnight oil
Getting into the fuse now, stayed up late with the wood stove burning and got some progress going, not much, but it's rolling along now. I cant go any further with my electric conversion, like motor mounting, until I get some of the fuse built.
Getting into the fuse now, stayed up late with the wood stove burning and got some progress going, not much, but it's rolling along now. I cant go any further with my electric conversion, like motor mounting, until I get some of the fuse built.
nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
RIGHT THRUST QUESTION ANSWERED!
I'm impressed with the customer service at Sig, they answered the question about right thrust and gained my loyalty towards their products. Here is the email.
"Hi David,
We did not use right thrust in the prototypes and they flew ok for us. However a little right thrust wouldn’t hurt anything and the amount if required would be determined during the trimming process.
Good luck,
Bob Nelson
Tech Support/Designer
Sig Mfg, Co."
I'm impressed with the customer service at Sig, they answered the question about right thrust and gained my loyalty towards their products. Here is the email.
"Hi David,
We did not use right thrust in the prototypes and they flew ok for us. However a little right thrust wouldn’t hurt anything and the amount if required would be determined during the trimming process.
Good luck,
Bob Nelson
Tech Support/Designer
Sig Mfg, Co."
It's certainly nice working with a US based company that is also the manufacturer! I've always had good response from Sig, Balsa USA, and a few other companies, part of the reason it's often worth spending a little extra cash for one of their kits. Sig was helpful to me when I was finishing an old Kadet Mk 1 recently, and confirmed that the new cowl for the Mk 2 also fits the older Mk 1 frames. They aren't getting rich on my cowl purchase, but hopefully enough of us sing their praises which turns into more orders for them.
nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
Dailey update
My progress has been reduced to research these past few days as I have been busy tiling a bathroom and it is my first tile job ever. Argg, learning process...Anyway I have done some gluing on the fuse and have decided to move the landing gear 1/2" forward like a lot of other builders have suggested to help prevent nose overs when taxing. I will put up pics when I get there. I am also working on gluing the cabane supports. While the directions don't specify to use epoxy on some of the glue points, I am thinking that I should use epoxy. I think the Sig directions assume that you know when to use epoxy and when to use CA (or Titebond in my case). Any advice on the use of Epoxy on the Sig build would be helpful.
Here is a pic of my bathroom build progress that is taking away from my valuable Hog build time...
My progress has been reduced to research these past few days as I have been busy tiling a bathroom and it is my first tile job ever. Argg, learning process...Anyway I have done some gluing on the fuse and have decided to move the landing gear 1/2" forward like a lot of other builders have suggested to help prevent nose overs when taxing. I will put up pics when I get there. I am also working on gluing the cabane supports. While the directions don't specify to use epoxy on some of the glue points, I am thinking that I should use epoxy. I think the Sig directions assume that you know when to use epoxy and when to use CA (or Titebond in my case). Any advice on the use of Epoxy on the Sig build would be helpful.
Here is a pic of my bathroom build progress that is taking away from my valuable Hog build time...
TexMechsRobot
Posted a thousand or more times
lol priorities!
A little epoxy isn't going to hurt, especially in this case as it's probably right around the CoG location so the weight penalty is minimized even more.
nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
Glued in the Cabane mounts today using Titebond II. I will epoxy in the blind nuts and fillet the mounts with epoxy for a little extra strength after I drill the holes for the blind nuts. I know, I am moving slow, but exhaustion is setting in with a full time mobile mechanic job, tiling a bathroom, and the Hog build...and a wife...
If anyone is interested, I get the brown paper from Home Depot for free (its next to the exit door for protecting your car and truck for lumber and stuff) to put over my steel building board and it works great to protect it. Just finding ways to save money here and there.
If anyone is interested, I get the brown paper from Home Depot for free (its next to the exit door for protecting your car and truck for lumber and stuff) to put over my steel building board and it works great to protect it. Just finding ways to save money here and there.
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