Problems with overpowering a plane?

jojoa92

New member
Hi All,

TL;DR: Is putting a "Power Pack C" motor on a "Power Pack B" plane a bad idea?

I am just getting into this hobby, and I lost my simple cub to a tree after a few flights :( I am really looking forward to taking it to the next level with aerobatic flying, since I was starting to get comfortable doing maneuvers with the cub, but I'm not yet ready for the edge or bushwacker. I also look forward to flying other "Power Pack C" planes, but I think the right choice for me at the moment is the simple scout, since it's beginner friendly and more suited for aerobatic flying than the cub. I'm poor, however, so I'd like to buy the Power Pack C motor (EMax GT2215/10 (1100kV) ) instead of the B motor (EMAX 2213-935 ), which is intended for that plane, so I don't have to buy any new stuff when I feel comfortable moving on to the bushwacker, etc. Are there any performance issues I should be concerned about that might make this a bad idea? I can only think of torque roll being larger, but I don't think that'll be a big problem.

Thanks for any input!
 

kilroy07

Legendary member
I've had some experience with (and really liked) the simple scout, I think it will do just fine with the "C" pack motor.
(But keep us abreast of your progress, just in case I'm wrong... LOL)
 

Paracodespoder

Elite member
Used a c-pack on mine, flew great. I can’t think of any problems I had with it being overpowered. Just make sure you don’t bend the motor to esc wires as they break easily.
 

d8veh

Elite member
Build the Sportster rather than the Scout. It's easier to fly, flies better and it has 3D capability if you later go up to a 4S battery. I've been flying both the Scout and the Sportster the last two times I went to the flying field, so I'm in a good position to do a back to back comparison. I love the Sportster. It can fly slower, it's nearly impossible to stall and is much more controlable than the Scout, so nice and newb-friendly, but for an experienced flyer, it can do just about everything you want. It's a lot of fun, while as the Scout flies around the sky well enough, but it soon becomes boring. Anyone would be happy with a Scout if they hadn't flown the Sportster.

To answer your question, it's no problem to put the C-pack motor in the Scout. Mine has one of those $4 gold A2215 motors that are all over Ebay and the cheap Chinese websites. The only thing a bigger motor does is make the plane fly a bit faster, though it can rip off your wings if you didn't build then strong enough, though that would only happen if you pulled a high-G manoeuvre like pulling a tight loop at full speed.
 
Last edited:

jaredstrees

Well-known member
Motor is no problem. I had one even bigger on my scout. Weight is no problem for that bird. I have to say, though, the scout didn't really impress me. It is fairly easy to fly with those huge wings. Just floats along, but that was the reason I didn't really enjoy it. I've yet to build the sportster so can't compare. If what you want to do is non acrobatic, then it is a good flying plane.
 

jojoa92

New member
Build the Sportster rather than the Scout. It's easier to fly, flies better and it has 3D capability if you later go up to a 4S battery. I've been flying both the Scout and the Sportster the last two times I went to the flying field, so I'm in a good position to do a back to back comparison. I love the Sportster. It can fly slower, it's nearly impossible to stall and is much more controlable than the Scout, so nice and newb-friendly, but for an experienced flyer, it can do just about everything you want. It's a lot of fun, while as the Scout flies around the sky well enough, but it soon becomes boring. Anyone would be happy with a Scout if they hadn't flown the Sportster.

To answer your question, it's no problem to put the C-pack motor in the Scout. Mine has one of those $4 gold A2215 motors that are all over Ebay and the cheap Chinese websites. The only thing a bigger motor does is make the plane fly a bit faster, though it can rip off your wings if you didn't build then strong enough, though that would only happen if you pulled a high-G manoeuvre like pulling a tight loop at full speed.

Thanks for the input! I was also considering the sportster, but everyone seemed more excited about the scout than the sportster in the release videos. I think you may have convinced me to build the sportster instead.
 

Arcfyre

Elite member
Short answer: yes you can overpower an airplane.

Longer answer: Overpowering a tractor style airplane is most often felt at high power settings and low airspeeds. Example situations would be during a hand launch, or during a "go around" or aborted landing. If the aircraft is dramatically overpowered you will notice a tendency to roll and yaw to the left as you increase power. This is due to the torque of the motor and the p-factor of the propeller. The rolling tendency can be very dramatic, as in the plane is in the dirt before you even get your fingers on the sticks. In extreme cases it can render an airplane unflyable.

As an example, I built an FT racer, and for giggles I outfitted it with a Propdrive 35-36 1800 kV motor. This is a monster of a motor that pulls almost 70 Amps. The plane was basically unflyable. I had to maintain a constant right bank even at high airspeed to keep the thing in the air. "Knife edge" became "straight and level".

This is an extreme example. I don't think you will see that much of a difference between a B and C pack motor. In your case I'd say go for the C pack. If it feels like too much power, just throttle back. There is no rule that says you have to fly at full throttle.