New to big gassers

[cmala3]

Hello,

I am thinking of getting my first large plane. Well, actually I have been thinking about it for several years now but I'm getting closer to doing it. I have been looking at the 35% Hangar 9 Extra 260 with either a 3W or DA engine and including a smoke system but that could change.

I'm confused on all that electronic equipment inside the planes that I see. Can someone either explain what all you need or point me to somewhere that describes it all?

Thanks
Craig

[mflander]

Check out some of the build threads right here on FG. There are several on the H9 Extra already with lots of good info! It is a great flying airplane and is popular in the IMAC world. If you have questions on specific pieces of equipment, do a search for them. Chances are somebody already asked the same question. If you don't find an answer, start a new thread and you'll usually have some good opinions within a day or two.

If you have any questions don't be afraid to PM people either. This site is a wealth of information for rookie's and vetaran's alike...

[mflander]

Oh one last thing though, PLEASE do not start another thread on whether to choose a 3W or DA engine lol. Read the already existing threads and decide on your own!

[mmcconville]

Take a look at the manual for the Extra. All of the equipment recommendations are current and it covers everything you need.

http://www.horizonhobby.com/ProdInfo...Resolution.pdf

[BobPhx]

Craig-
First - WELCOME - you are at the right place to get your questions answered.

What type of electronics you use will depend on what type of flying you do and your budget. IMHO, for Sportsman / Intermediate and basic 3D use, some of the power expander stuff is overkill if you are using a PCM/PPM system. (Can't comment on 2.4 and some of the low voltage or heat issues, I have no experience there.)

My old H9 Cap has over 500 flights with 8411's, NiMh batteries, and a single PCM receiver. I have never had any radio issues of any kind: No glitches, no voltage issues, no crashes. I have had 1 servo failure which was caught in pre-flight.
I have also never experienced a radio hit, but that is just a combination of luck and of low interference at my home fields.

Point is, often you can go simple and still be fine. You can spend more money on "insurance" like dual receivers, fail-over battery sensors, etc. How much "insurance" you want is purely a personal decision. I have seen guys with $800 worth of "extra" electronics in 50cc aircraft. If that is what it takes to make them happy, then good on them, personal choice is one of the best aspects of this hobby. If they are telling you that you "need" that stuff to safely fly the plane.. then I have to disagree.

If you have a home field, see what the guys there run, engine-wise. Also see how well whatever they are running works. There is something to be said for running what the locals do, they are more apt to be able to help you out.

Here is a wiring diagram that might help you visualize things a bit:
http://www.goflyrc.com/projects/33Ca...p%20Wiring.jpg

This is the MINIMUM I would put in any 30% or bigger plane.

All MHO, I am sure you will get many more!

Regards
Bob

[cmala3]

Thanks for the responses. I have a DX7 so I was hoping to stay with it with a single receiver. I didn't know if the AR7000 would be fine or not.

What I get from that link is:

I need a battery for the engine. The battery connects to some switch, and then to some ignition module that is part of the motor. Ignition module would come with the motor so I wouldn't have to worry about selecting that.

I need two receiver batteries that are connected to some "heavy-duty switches" and then somehow to the receiver.

I need "matchboxes" anywhere I plan to use more than one servo to move the same control surface unless I want to mix with the radio. Also, I assume that with a 100cc plane that I would need two servos for each aileron, one servo for each elevator half, and two servos for the rudder but I guess this also would depend on the servos I used. The manual says 180 oz in torque or greater. Except the rudder, then I would need something equivalent of 300 oz in torque (single or multiple servos)

I will plan for 3D type of flying. I have seen guys fly 100cc planes with analog servos and 3D better than I can with my small planes so for me the question of analog or digital is still unanswered.....

Mike, thanks for the manual link. That was actually one of the first things I looked through when I was considering this plane. I guess all the extra stuff I see inside peoples planes are the insurance items that Bob was referring to.

I have seen people talk about a voltage regulator but I don't know what would be used for.

Thanks
Craig

[BobPhx]

Craig-
Most gassers used in airplanes require a battery for the ignition (spark).
For safety reasons, most of us use a manual switch (just like the one that goes to your receiver pak) externally on the fuse. IMAC safety rules require this. You should also have a method of killing your engine from the transmitter which is separate from the usual "close the throttle all the way" approach. You can either use a choke servo, or you can use an electronic switch to interrupt the battery. This way you have 3 ways to kill the engine: Manually on side of fuse, close throttle all the way, and close choke or interrupt ignition. This is good redundancy and safety.

Two batteries and two charge jacks are basic redundancy. IMHO most failures are in the switch, having two gives redundancy. IMHO the 2nd most common failure is a dead battery pack or dead cell within the pack (not shorted). Having a 2nd provides some added capacity (more flights between charges) and helps protect against a pack going dead (I test batteries before every flight to be sure.) Two switches and two packs will not protect against shorted packs. IMHO those are rare and not common enough to warrant added components.

Cermark, MPI, JR and Futaba all make HD switches. Also Fromeco makes some nice fail-safe switches.

Matchboxes are helpful when multiple servos are ganged to a single surface. You can do without them but I prefer them. Servos never have the same end and center points. Matchboxes allow you to match them. HiTec servos are programmable and using their programmer you can do the same thing.

Whatever the manual says for servos is a good choice. I would buy the best digital metal gear servos you can afford. Figure $80-$120 per servo. Digital offers better centering and usually better holding power. HiTec, JR and Futaba all make contenders. I used JR 8411 and now 8611 / 8711, just personal preferance, others are just as good. No polls please, same thing applies to DA vs. BME vs. 3W, there are already a bunch of polls for all of that here on FG.

Voltage regulators are typically used with Lithium batteries to reduce the voltage from 7+ volts down to the 5 volt range that the receivers and servos and ignition modules prefer.

You can search around on FG and find out if you want to spend the extra money for Lithiums, most people seem to prefer either Lithiums or A123 cells these days. My plane is old and I have never made the switch. If I was setting up a plane for 3D I would go Fromeco or Duralite Lithium and look at a SmartFly power expander of some sort. Some of the Smartfly stuff has "matchbox" capability built in. 3D usually requires more battery capacity / current than straight IMAC stuff.

Here are some wiring and assembly pics for you:
http://www.goflyrc.com/projects/33Cap/33cap.htm

Regards
Bob

[cmala3]

Wow, that's a lot of info there Bob and that's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.