Great Planes Giant P6E Hawk--Electric Conversion

[willsonman]

I agree. THe look is much better with wood. Generally, Xoar props are much better performers than any other prop I have used. Aerobatics? We'll see. I'm halving the Kv but not doubling the voltage so the rotation of the prop will be lower but with 3 additional inches of diameter and 2 more of pitch. We shall see how she performs. The flexibility comes with battery configurations as well. I can run X3 2S or X2 3S batteries or a single 6S. The ESC can only handle 6S. With more celles you get into really expensive OPTO ESCs that perform well but are for crazy high current ratings. Something I never target. I prefer low-current setups to keep the prop at a more scale RPM. I find that this allows you to fly in a more scale way much easier.

 

[wilmracer]

Aerobatics? We'll see.

Well... I'm no 3D pilot. My idea of aerobatics are loops, rolls, and the occasional hammerhead

 

[willsonman]

Had our club meeting last night and pulled the Hawk out. All I can say is... I'm done modifying this. The authority is there, and there is reserve in my throttle to pull out when I need it. The Xoar prop is QUIET!! I used two 3S 5800 packs and they came down evenly discharged and luke-warm. I managed to grab them on sale for $23 each! Motor did not even sweat. I got two 5-min sorties and I figure I could go to 6 minutes with another minute or two in reserve for emergencies. I have sufficient power to do some basic aerobatics and did a very mild hammerhead just to see how she did. For being so portly, she is a very graceful flying machine. I have a feeling I will be flying this one quite a bit this summer.

 

[wilmracer]

Had our club meeting last night and pulled the Hawk out. All I can say is... I'm done modifying this. The authority is there, and there is reserve in my throttle to pull out when I need it. The Xoar prop is QUIET!! I used two 3S 5800 packs and they came down evenly discharged and luke-warm. I managed to grab them on sale for $23 each! Motor did not even sweat. I got two 5-min sorties and I figure I could go to 6 minutes with another minute or two in reserve for emergencies. I have sufficient power to do some basic aerobatics and did a very mild hammerhead just to see how she did. For being so portly, she is a very graceful flying machine. I have a feeling I will be flying this one quite a bit this summer.

Very cool. Can't wait to see in person how she flies after the mods! I assume you'll have her out at your club fly in, right? And the Sikorsky?

 

[willsonman]

Yes, that is the goal. Those two and the Gotha. My aim is to do a dry-run to see how things fit in the car for FTFF.

 

[willsonman]

With all the flying I've done on this airplane I need to give her a nice cleaning prior to her appearance at FTFF. She is big and hard to miss but will be there and I hope to keep her in the air as much as possible.

 

[willsonman]

Took time to clean her up yesterday. Lots of bug guts and grass. With it also being an electric conversion there was still a bit of oily residue. I used some heavy duty cleaner, with a de-greaser, to remove it. It looks much better now. There were also a few spots that had sticker residue. I have a 3M Adhesive remover that got those spots out really quickly. I FINALLY added the sticker with my AMA and FAA number. I placed it on the bottom side of the fuselage, just inside the radiator chin in the cowl. Bright white against a dark backdrop so its hard to miss when looking for it. This one is all set!

 

[ckd315]

Thanks for this thread Joshua. I'm picking one up for a good price and will also be converting it to electric. It's always good to see somebody have success with the switch to electric and it looks like you nailed this one. The battery placement is perfect, I've done it on a few other models that I didn't want to stick "pins and needles" through the fuse to cut out a battery hatch. I am also going to try your engine mount brackets, those are pretty slick and so simple too, which is what I do best. I hope you're still flying your P-6, you did a great job with it...

 

[willsonman]

Hey thanks! This is another one of my favorites. She has been such an excellent ship and never has a bad habit.

 

[Grover54]

Hi Josh (Willsonman)
I know this detail and posting is a couple years old but this is fantastic information and it's just what I was looking for. I found a P-6E Hawk, NEW in the box at my club's swap meet and grabbed it. These planes are so hard to find, I guess because most of us that remember them are dead.

You asked for questions and I have a couple.

1. It looks like there's room on top of your modified mount (which is brilliant) for the battery. Is there a specific reason you chose to put the battery on the bottom? Aesthetics? I was hoping to be able to create a hatch with a latch on top like a Carbon Z since my chubby little hands don't work well in small areas.
2. Do you think it would also accommodate a battery tray/cartridge like a Morganmills or similar?
3. I may have missed it but what ESC did you choose? 80? 100? It looks huge.
Thank you in advance for a quick reply.
Jim Groves
jgroves54@hotmail.com

 

[Grover54]

Josh,
One more question.
It shows you've installed a PROPDRIVE v2 Series 4248 650KV Brushless Outrunner Motor. Will the PROPDRIVE v2 5060 380KV Brushless Outrunner Motor work for this bird? It requires a 6S battery and all my batteries at 6S and I'd like to avoid buying a bunch of different batteries if possible. Also, I already have a 5060 and a 100A ESC. Your thoughts please.
Thanks - Jim

 

[willsonman]

Yeah, so I'm thinking you did not read the entire thread... Post #58 has the updated power system... on 6S. Hope that helps.

 

[Grover54]

Yeah, so I'm thinking you did not read the entire thread... Post #58 has the updated power system... on 6S. Hope that helps.

Yes, it's a bad habit to see something that sparks a question and ask before you read the next page. Sorry about that but this is great and I appreciate all the info and your patience. Jim

 

[Grover54]

Follow-up to my battery placement question. Is there a reason you chose to put the battery on the bottom instead of the top? Looks like there's just as much room. Not sure I want to flip it over every time to change batteries unless I have to. Ideas and comments?

 

[willsonman]

Well, To do that you would have to cut a hatch... There is SO MUCH ROOM on the bottom of that cowl that slipping in the two 3S 5800 packs is a breeze and flipping over for a simple move has never seemed inconvenient. This also sets the center of mass a bit lower which is a nice thing for a biplane. Usually there is so much weight up top that your rolls can be less axial and more like an oval. Absolutely love how this one behaves with the mass of the batts at the bottom.

 

[Grover54]

Well, To do that you would have to cut a hatch... There is SO MUCH ROOM on the bottom of that cowl that slipping in the two 3S 5800 packs is a breeze and flipping over for a simple move has never seemed inconvenient. This also sets the center of mass a bit lower which is a nice thing for a biplane. Usually there is so much weight up top that your rolls can be less axial and more like an oval. Absolutely love how this one behaves with the mass of the batts at the bottom.

Makes perfect sense, Josh. Thanks for the details and reasoning. There's always a trade off but with the right cradle, flipping it over will be no big deal. Thanks again for your help! - Jim

 

[willsonman]

Well, once the top wing is on and the outer cabane struts are on... Yeah... VERY solid structure. Just don't drop it on the tail when you flip it over. I set the prop level, and tip up the tail and over she goes until the tail is down. Load batts and then flip back over in reverse. You will LOVE this airplane. I've flown mine for two years straight now and it brings a smile to my face every time. Only broken a prop ONCE on a bad landing in a funky cross wind. I need another power setup like this as I robbed it for my new Dauntless. Already been wanting to fly the Hawk again... off to look at those motors again...

 

[Grover54]

Well, once the top wing is on and the outer cabane struts are on... Yeah... VERY solid structure. Just don't drop it on the tail when you flip it over. I set the prop level, and tip up the tail and over she goes until the tail is down. Load batts and then flip back over in reverse. You will LOVE this airplane. I've flown mine for two years straight now and it brings a smile to my face every time. Only broken a prop ONCE on a bad landing in a funky cross wind. I need another power setup like this as I robbed it for my new Dauntless. Already been wanting to fly the Hawk again... off to look at those motors again...

Yes, I can't wait to fly this baby. I'm in the planning stages now for the build / assembly and clearing the deck to make plenty of room to work in my garage. Unpacking it from the box was a little overwhelming at first with all the parts but once I got it all laid out it's not that bad and it's going to be fun! I'll post pics after the final screw and maybe a video of the Maiden. Thanks - Jim

 

[willsonman]

Looking forward to it! The ply handle is quite useful for storage of the cabane struts as well as moving/storing the fuselage around with the wings off. Feel free to post your progress of the build here as well as any additional questions you may have.

 

[Grover54]

I found it very helpful to watch those build / assembling videos on planes I'm putting together as a reference point. They really help with the tips and can show you how to avoid mistakes the manuals and instructions don't always make clear but I've been looking all over the net and various forums to find a "Build / Tips" video of this Hawk and can't find anything. I found one for a small 30" Hawk but it no way comes close to the detail or scale of the big P-6E I have. Anyone out there know where there is a "Build Video" on the 76" / 63" P-6E Hawk?

I welcome any direction. THX - Jim G