Returning after a couple decades out of the hobby

[kkelly]

Hi all! Greetings from Denver, CO. I used to fly models in the late 1980s and early 1990s. My fascination with aviation in general was rekindled a couple years ago, then recently YouTube recommended a FliteTest video. Now I want back in. I'm back in college right now at 40 years old. I'm hoping to build my first plane after the semester ends and do lots of flying over the summer. I've been watching a lot of build videos (when I probably should be studying...). I'm thinking the FT Simple Cub would be a good place to start. Thoughts?

The hobby certainly has changed since I last flew. There weren't a lot of people flying electric back then that I knew of. I vaguely remember looking at the plans for an electric powered plane then deciding against it when I saw how much the motors would cost. I like the idea of building with foam board. I was always terrified of damaging a carefully built balsa plane because the repairs could be so involved. If I total a foam board plane I won't have much time or money invested in it.

 

[Forster]

Simple Cub is easy to build and with a little less servo throw it's pretty easy to fly. I like the ease of finishing and repairing and the performance is really good, especially at the price point. I'm on my second Simple Cub and find it very relaxing to fly after work.

 

[jtrops]

Welcome. I'm in Longmont, so not too far from you. We have a simple cub about 90% finished, the last 10% is getting the electronics on board. We are building it as a trainer for our club's new pilots, so it seems like a good fit for what you want.

At the moment we have a Tiny Trainer that has been rebuilt so many times it's hard to say if there's much of the original in it. Still it has been a great plane for new fliers since it floats so well. You can run it at almost no throttle and still climb. When we push the throttle all the way it does aerobatics without any trouble.

 

[jaredstrees]

Yes, if you're looking to build I'd stay with a high wing plane to start. The simple cub looks good, the old fogey would also be a good choice. She can fly pretty slow. That will help get your orientation skills back. Most of all have fun! You're right, these things cost a few dollars to make. Your electronics will most likely survive any crash so you get to build a new one. Welcome back to the hobby!

 

[kkelly]

Thank you for all the feedback. What kind of flight times can I expect from an 1100mah battery in a plane the size of the Simple Cub with casual flying (i.e. beginner stuff only)?

jtrops... do you know of any flying clubs on the south or west sides of Denver? I'm about to move to Littleton (SSW suburbs). So far the closest club I've found is in Aurora, which is a bit of a haul from there.

 

[jaredstrees]

For the simple cub I would expect about 5 minutes. I would set a timer for 4 minutes, though and check the voltage after. Increase from there. I fly my simple scout on a 1300mah and can usually get 5 to 6 minutes depending on how I fly.

 

[basslord1124]

Welcome back, you sound like me in that FT has helped ya get back into the hobby. Simple Cub would be a great intro plane. I am going to try it out too (I have flown both the Storch and FT Seaduck) and see what it's like. Generally with FT specs, flight times range from 5-7 minutes...in fact, 5-7 minutes is pretty common flight times for any electric nowadays.

 

[jtrops]

Sorry I don't know the clubs in Denver. I only started flying because students at my school needed a sponsor. Here's a link to the AMA club finder page you just put in your zip, and it should give you a good list.

 

[kkelly]

FT is probably the entire reason I'm getting back in. If I hadn't stumbled on that first video of theirs I never would have realized how much the hobby has changed and how much more accessible it is now.

What's the heaviest battery I should consider for a plane this size? I see some 3S packs that are 2200mah and would give great flight times, but they weigh 200g or more, which is half as much as the plane.

jtrops... why didn't I think of that? There's a club south of where I'm moving that looks promising in terms of location.

 

[Hai-Lee]

A larger Battery? Not generally a good idea!
Most FT designs use the battery weight in a set position to obtain correct balance. This battery position is generally forward of the CG point so a larger battery may require a change in the battery positioning to get proper balance.

A second thing to consider is that a heavier plane will need to fly faster. Also the heavier plane will be a slight bit slower due to drag induced by the lift generated for the extra weight. In short the plane will need to land faster and will actually fly a little slower. For the uninitiated it is a good recipe for stalls and crashes on approach.

Heavier planes dig deeper holes and suffer from more damage in a crash!

Better to have 2 batteries and swap them out for the second flight.

Welcome back!

Have fun!

 

[kkelly]

I figured there would be a trade-off, but not that big of one. Smaller batteries it is! Not that it matters much now. Batteries have gotten so inexpensive that I can have more on hand than I'll use in a single trip without breaking the bank. I used to race RC cars in the late-1990s that required $50 batteries to get 4 minutes of run time. Now I can get 4 batteries for the same cost.

 

[jtrops]

If time in the air is important the Tiny Trainer is amazing. We have flown for more than 15 minutes on a single 800mah 3s without coming close to tapping out the battery. I have the radio with two throttle rates set up on a switch, and we generally fly it on the low rates which hit 50% throttle with the stick all the way. When it's windy, or if we want to do aerobatics well put it on high throttle rates when needed. But even on high rates we rarely push the stick past half.

I suspect we could fly for half an hour on a battery with that one. FWIW we leave it set up with the "Sport" wing so it is a 4 channel version. The "glider" wing would get you much longer flight times, but not nearly as fun.

 

[kkelly]

It's more a desire to get the maximum flight time out of each aircraft. I'm fine with flying for 7 minutes per charge when batteries are so affordable.

I'm new to radio systems with telemetry. If a receiver "has telemetry" does that mean it's built-in, or just that it supports an external telemetry unit? How reliable are those readings for determining when a battery needs to be swapped out?

 

[Hai-Lee]

In order for the telemetry to work the Rx must be capable of transmitting the data and the transmitter must be capable of receiving the transmissions.

Accuracy is very high but the elephant in the room is the discharge curve of the current Lipos and their susceptibility to damage from heat and excessive discharge.
Most use a voltage monitor and alarm and avoid discharging the flight batteries below 3.2 volts per cell.

Batteries have a "C" rating which it is best to NOT ignore or battery damage will ensue.

When talking about the maximum flight endurance most prefer to consider the maximum life of the battery. With care and respect it is possible to have a battery last for hundreds of flights but if abused a battery can fail totally in as little as a couple of flights.

I know it is a steep learning curve but once the basics are learned the real fun begins.

Have fun!

 

[kkelly]

Where I'm getting confused is on whether I need some kind of telemetry hardware that plugs into the receiver to give it the data, or is that already part of the receiver? I'm planning to get the DX6E transmitter, which does support telemetry reception. It comes with an AR610 receiver. The description for the receiver just says "telemetry compatible".

By "voltage monitor and alarm" do you mean this: https://store.flitetest.com/battery-voltage-alarm-1-8s/ ? That was on my radar as a simple way to keep from hurting a battery. I've heard them beeping in videos but always assumed the sound was coming from the transmitter and not the plane itself.

 

[Hai-Lee]

Most telemetry HARDWARE that is used external to telemetry Receivers are just interfaces that collect the data and format it into something that the Rx can send to the transmitter.

Some transmitters have audible alarms which inform you that you have exceeded a set flight time and that is useful but a on-board voltage monitor and alarm is best in protecting your plane and flight battery from damage due to accidentally flattening a battery in flight. Their proper usage will give you that ability to do a single aborted landing and go-around without requiring you to either land immediately or risk a loss of power and control.

To me the alarm voltage monitors are so important that I carry half a dozen to the flying field and even loan them to those who are yet to purchase their own.

Have fun and fly safe!

 

[nhk750]

It is confusing, but your setup will need a telemetry rx like a 6600T or a telemetry unit like the TM1000, BUT IT'S, cheaper to get a telemetry receiver. I use the 6600t and like it a lot.

 

[kkelly]

Okay, so some receivers have telemetry built-in and some require external hardware. It sounds like the best option for me right now is to use a voltage alarm configured to give me some wiggle room with landing before the battery gets too low. I can upgrade to full telemetry down the road if it's something I decide I need.

I'm excited to get flying again, even if I'm confused by all the stuff that's changed in the last 28 years. I appreciate everyone's help in getting my head around it all.

 

[nhk750]

Ya voltage alarm is probably a good inexpensive option. Most of my electric planes can fly around 7-9 min and I have my timer set for 8 and commence landing at 7 min. I fly super aggressive sport aerobatics and play around with learning 3d. Most of the time my batteries are 3.5 - 3.7volts per cell after flights. Thats accross all the batteries and planes 3-6s. So 8 min is a safe time to ser the timer at.

 

[Hai-Lee]

If you are starting out normally you buy something which is either disposable down the track when you finally realise which way you want to go or you buy a full house system that can do everything and try to learn and use all that it is capable later on!

It is good to buy telemetry enabled or capable equipment it that is the way you plan to continue on. Some users will never need telemetry and others will actually its features fully.

Buy and use a battery alarm as a final line of defense against plane or battery loss. Buying telemetry is a matter of personal choice but if you can afford the additional expense by all means get it! It is always better to be able to ignore something rather to need something and not have it!

Have fun!