I wanted a fast wing- a really fast wing.
So I went ahead and purchased the FT Versa, assembled it, and built it with the following:
-AR400 receiver
-Plush 80A ESC
-NTM 3536 1800KV 875W http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=26486
-Turnigy 9018 MG servos http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=36916
-Turnigy Nano-Tech 4S 2200 35-70C
-8x6 speed, 8.5x6P Master Airscrew, 7x5P, 7x6P
I set the Versa up in pusher mode. Basically, I followed the build video almost to the letter. I was going to add a spar, but the halves felt so strong I figured it would do fine without it...for awhile. One of my biggest mistakes was using hot glue for some of the crucial joints, instead of my normal choice of Gorilla epoxy.
First flight was at my local sportsmen's club, where we have a 1kx300 foot runway, plus large areas fore and aft of the field for recovery. My choice of prop for the day was an 8x6. While it maidened well and flew great, I learned why you're supposed to use "pusher" style props on pusher configs...as the torque of the motor threw the prop and cone off mid-flight.
The next day, I took it out with an 8.5x6 prop on it, looking to push the envelope. It flew awesome! The speed was insane, probably the fastest plane I've seen in person except for a few true turbine craft. I wish I had a radar gun that day. Anyway, the biggest problem on this flight was that I overloaded the motor and battery (but not the esc...these plush esc's are unbelievable!)...I am guessing it was pulling well over 90 amps at full throttle. The battery was super-puffed, but cooled down and charged correctly.
-Today, I swapped the prop out for a 7x6P. It seems to be the best choice for my setup...batts get warm, but not hot, and everything else stays nice and cool. I flew a couple nice and fast passes- everything seemed to be going well. After I brought it in and swapped batts, I put it back up, and on the next pass, I heard the prop speed up without adding throttle, which confused me. I didn't think anything of it, and punched the throttle. About a second later, the airframe split in two and the plane exploded into pieces
After getting everything back, I found the culprit: The prop I used had split in two, and the vibrations split the entire airframe down the middle...hahaha. All of the electronics and even the batt and motor (both of which had separated and landed about 100 yards from the airframe) were all in great condition.
Lessons learned: If you want to go over 100mph, choose a quality adhesive. If you run pusher setups, use pusher props so that the motor spins in the right direction. And, most importantly, don't ignore the sounds coming from your aircraft...lol.
Secondary to that...I have to say that the structural integrity of a properly assembled Versa is amazing, even without carbon reinforcement or spars!
Thanks Flite Test, I'm sure I'll be building another one soon, and repairing this airframe to take a smaller setup as well.
So I went ahead and purchased the FT Versa, assembled it, and built it with the following:
-AR400 receiver
-Plush 80A ESC
-NTM 3536 1800KV 875W http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=26486
-Turnigy 9018 MG servos http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=36916
-Turnigy Nano-Tech 4S 2200 35-70C
-8x6 speed, 8.5x6P Master Airscrew, 7x5P, 7x6P
I set the Versa up in pusher mode. Basically, I followed the build video almost to the letter. I was going to add a spar, but the halves felt so strong I figured it would do fine without it...for awhile. One of my biggest mistakes was using hot glue for some of the crucial joints, instead of my normal choice of Gorilla epoxy.
First flight was at my local sportsmen's club, where we have a 1kx300 foot runway, plus large areas fore and aft of the field for recovery. My choice of prop for the day was an 8x6. While it maidened well and flew great, I learned why you're supposed to use "pusher" style props on pusher configs...as the torque of the motor threw the prop and cone off mid-flight.
The next day, I took it out with an 8.5x6 prop on it, looking to push the envelope. It flew awesome! The speed was insane, probably the fastest plane I've seen in person except for a few true turbine craft. I wish I had a radar gun that day. Anyway, the biggest problem on this flight was that I overloaded the motor and battery (but not the esc...these plush esc's are unbelievable!)...I am guessing it was pulling well over 90 amps at full throttle. The battery was super-puffed, but cooled down and charged correctly.
-Today, I swapped the prop out for a 7x6P. It seems to be the best choice for my setup...batts get warm, but not hot, and everything else stays nice and cool. I flew a couple nice and fast passes- everything seemed to be going well. After I brought it in and swapped batts, I put it back up, and on the next pass, I heard the prop speed up without adding throttle, which confused me. I didn't think anything of it, and punched the throttle. About a second later, the airframe split in two and the plane exploded into pieces
After getting everything back, I found the culprit: The prop I used had split in two, and the vibrations split the entire airframe down the middle...hahaha. All of the electronics and even the batt and motor (both of which had separated and landed about 100 yards from the airframe) were all in great condition.
Lessons learned: If you want to go over 100mph, choose a quality adhesive. If you run pusher setups, use pusher props so that the motor spins in the right direction. And, most importantly, don't ignore the sounds coming from your aircraft...lol.
Secondary to that...I have to say that the structural integrity of a properly assembled Versa is amazing, even without carbon reinforcement or spars!
Thanks Flite Test, I'm sure I'll be building another one soon, and repairing this airframe to take a smaller setup as well.
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