Flying High With Electric Power! The Ampeer ON-LINE! August 2004 The Club Newsletter of the Electric Flyers Only, Inc AMA Charter 2354 Walled Lake, MI, USA Editor: Ken Myers Fly the Future - Fly Electric!

President:	Vice-President:	Secretary/Treasurer:
Ken Myers	Richard Utkan	Rick Sawicki
7018 Colonial Oaks	240 Cabinet	5089 Ledgewood Ct. W.
Waterford, MI 48327	Milford, MI 48381	Commerce Twp., MI 48382
(248) 360-1689	(248) 685-1705	248.685.7056
Board of Directors:	Board of Directors:	Ampeer Editor
David Stacer	Jack Lemon	Ken Myers
16575 Brookland Blvd.	8908 Sandy Ridge Dr.	7018 Colonial Oaks Dr.
Northville, MI 48167	White Lake, MI 48386	Waterford, MI 48327
248.924.2324	248.698.4683	248.360.1689
Mailed Ampeer subscriptions are $10 a year US & Canada and $17 a year world wide. FREE on-line!
The Next Meeting: Date: Saturday, August 7 Time: 10:00 a.m. Place Midwest R/C Society 5 Mi. Rd. Flying Field

What's In This Issue?
Upcoming E-vent in NY State	Push-E-Cat 4 Sale	Upcoming SHARKS E-vent	Specifications for Chris Balser's GP Gee Bee	NEAT Fair 2004 Reminder
Prop Stoppers E-Fly Reminder	From the Cape	EasyStar Follow-up	Spitfire Drawings	Sig Rascal 40 ARF - Li-Po?
Mid-Am Report	Upcoming Events	Send Ken email

The The Electric Powered Aeromodelers Present the All Electric Fun-Fly, Saturday, August 7, 2004 Join the Fun ... of quiet, clean flight -- or just watch as the newest in R/C aircraft and favorite standards take to the sky. What: Fly your electrics from slow flyers to gliders & EDF's Any Size or Scale When: Sat, Aug 7, 2004 - 8:30 - 4 pm Where: Maalwyck Park, Off Rt 5, Glenville, NY Why: JUST PLANE FUN! Contact us: Daytime: John Maggs (518) 237-9452 Evenings: John Hackert (518) 355-4450 E-mail: epaclub@localnet.com SPECTATORS WELCOME! Free Parking Free Admission PILOTS: Current AMA Membership required Electrics only - Grass Landing strip Pilot Registration Information: Go to website: members.localnet.com/~jhackert Or call Dan Whiteman, CD: (518) 377 4081 Directions: From Village of Scotia, Rt. 5 Proceed West on Rt. 5 - look for signs to Maalwyck Park & Soccer field opposite the Industrial Park. From Thruway: Exit 26. Follow signs to Rt. 5, Village of Scotia. Cross river. Turn Rt at traffic light. Proceed to next traffic light & turn Rt at Maalwyck Park opposite the Industrial Park. Return to "What's In This Issue?" Plane Kit For Sale Push-E-Cat, New-in-Box - $70.00 Matthew Gladd, (313)-565-7938 or gustaviseng@aol.com      This is a great trainer and fun sport plane. Easy to assemble. Almost indestructible. Lots of fun. Return to "What's In This Issue?" Upcoming SHARKS E-vent From Graham McCallister gm@mcallisterdesigns.com Hello Ken,      I would like you to add our Electric Fun Fly to your calendar please... details are: Date: 8/14/2004 Time: From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.      The SHARKS present our first All Electric fun fly. The emphasis will be on giving pilots as much airtime as possible. There will be no competitions. We are the Sheboygan Area Radio Kontrol Society and our club field is close to Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin.      We have two 500 x 35 foot blacktop runways with parallel grass areas if you prefer.      Food and refreshments will be available. AMA membership is required and must be presented to fly.      Pilots fee $5, spectators free. For further information and map please contact Graham McAllister at flyin@mcallisterdesigns.com or call (920) 208 6863 Return to "What's In This Issue?" Specifications for Chris Balser's GP Gee Bee From Chris Balser cambriatool@dmci.net Hello Ken,      Sure was a nice day, Saturday, at Dave Grife's meet for Keith Shaw! It is always fun to see that group of guys having fun.      I said I would "E" mail you the specifications for my Gee Bee that Keith flew that day! Motor Hacker C 50-14XL 6.7:1 Speed Controller Hacker Master 77-3p opto Batteries Thunder Power 3p9s Propeller APC 20x13E Amps 48 Flying weight 12.5 lbs. Wing area 743 sq. in. Wing loading 39 oz. / sq. ft.      There were other photos of this plane in last month's issue of the Ampeer. Remember that the plane is the Great Planes ARF version that Chris has powered using the Hacker brushless and Li-Poly cells. Tower Hobbies gives the weight for the glow fuel version between 11.25 and 12.25 pounds. Weight penalty for electric power Ð GONE! KM Return to "What's In This Issue?" NEAT Fair 2004 Reminder From Tom Hunt neatfair@optonline.net Hello Friends,      The 2004 NEAT Fair, Sept. 17, 18, 19, pre-registration of pilots and reservations for the Friday night Kick-off dinner are on the NEAT Fair website at: www.neatfair.org      The Vendor attendee list has been updated. Return to "What's In This Issue?" Prop Stoppers E-Fly Reminder From Dave Harding davejean1@comcast.net Ken,      Saturday, August 7 is the Prop Stoppers "Walt Bryan Memorial Electric Fun Fly" for this year. The rain date is set for Sunday. We are located just South of the Philadelphia International Airport.      Details are on our club web site; www.propstoppers.org      Dave Harding, phone: 610-872-1457 Return to "What's In This Issue?" From the Cape From Richard Flinchbaugh, South Dennis, MA      Rich sent along the following info on his 80% Dreamboat. The young man in the photo is his grandson, Branden Flichbaugh of Willard, MO. KM      This Ken Willard design was reduced to 80% of the original. He has had many excellent flights with this model. It has a 42" wing span, weighs 45 ounces and is powered by a Mega 16/15/5 using a 7x4 prop and an 8-cell 1200mAh Sanyo pack. It is fast and takes off in about 30 feet. It will take off of wet grass. Flight times are in the 8 to 10 minute range. It flies great, but is faster than he expected.      In his letter he also asked about the EasyStar. KM      "I take issue with Mike Forrester's comments on your handling of the EasyStar. Your report in the Ampeer seemed appropriate and professional. Since I currently have one on order, do you have any additional thoughts that you believe would be helpful? I plan to substitute a new small Mega brushless in place of the 400. Is that a sound idea? Would you recommend using the new Lithium cells instead of NiMH? I am aware of the dangers!?"      Personally, I'd use the supplied 400. I've found the 6-cell packs of Sanyo 1100AAU cells to provide close to 20 minutes of flying time and they balance the model properly. Using Li-Po cells will either require several packs in parallel or the addition of ballast to balance the model. If you decide to go brushless and Li-Po, I'd love a report. KM      On July 19, Rich sent this follow-up info.      Just yesterday I was able to get the new EasyStar in the air for the first flights. Got three in. The longest was 14 minutes with some energy left. Had to increase the rudder throw two holes, in. Other than that it was in good trim.      I did use a MEGA, only because I had it - brand new! It is a 16/15/6. It weighed exactly the same as the Speed 400. I also used the Castles Creations Phoenix - 25 that I had. Used a pack of 8 - 1050 Sanyo cells. With this combination and a 6 x 5 prop, it's A GOING MACHINE! Really moves out. Am going to try it again on Wednesday, if the weather cooperates. Return to "What's In This Issue?" EasyStar Follow-up From Dave Roberts Drv49@aol.com Hi Ken,      A while back, after reading your review of the Multiplex EasyStar, I "took the plunge" and ordered one from Tower, complete with radio, for use as a trainer.      It's proved to be all you indicated--durable, forgiving, and fun. Still experimenting with various battery flight pack combinations, and enjoying the learning process.      Checking the Multiplex website, I noticed their transmitters and was wondering what you thought of the Pico-line series. (I downloaded the user's manual and liked the very basic instructional approach, though I still have many questions. Also, the "expandability" features caught my attention.)      I've found in this hobby if you ask 5 people for an opinion, you need to be prepared for 5 very "enthusiastic" responses :-), and it is difficult for the beginner to sort through the emotion.      So, rather than precipitate a great debate in the local club, I thought I'd ask you since everyone (even the IC guys) agrees the EasyStar was a good choice. Thanks again. Dave Roberts      I found the info on the Multiplex Pico. I see why you are interested. I did not find that Multiplex USA have them, but they are available from www.hoellein.com/websites_neu/angebot/fernsteuerungen/sets/mpxset_ex.htm      They are available for export on 72Mhz from Hoellein in Germany. Sounds like a good deal to me.      I got my hands on Multiplex Evo a couple of months ago at the Keith Shaw Birthday E-fly. It was Jim Ryan's. That just makes me want to have my own even more. I love the design. It is a much better feel in the hands than the brick of a Tx that I fly.      I say go for it! KM Return to "What's In This Issue?" Spitfire Drawings From Louis Dionne dionnel666@hotmail.com      I received the following and thought it worth passing on to all of you. KM      See below for high quality info on excellent Spit plans. Work done with Rhino as I recall. He can provide plans at scale requested. Louis Dionne dionnel666@hotmail.com Manotick, ON, Canada      The following was forward through Frank Reaume:      While at the Rideau event last weekend, I saw impressive scale drawings of the Spitfire, in Mk lX and Mk XVl versions.      The drawings are available in 1/5, 1/6, 1/7 or 1/8 scale or can be printed to a custom size. They are amazingly detailed. Even down to showing wing incidence at measured stations on the wing. Rivet for rivet, screw for screw! Prices range from $42.00 upwards.      These are not plans of a model. They are drawings of the aircraft.      Thought I would get the word out. Several years went into the preparation of these drawings.      They are produced by: (Paul Monforton) Monforton Press, 1281 Cornfield Crescent, Greely, Ontario K4P 1B5 Phone: 613-821-6081 Email: monfortonpress@rogers.com Web site: www.monfortonpress.com Originator or email: Richard Lyle Barlow 5744L 1365 County Road #2 RR1 A8 Lemon Point Prescott, Ontario MAAC Vice-President & Ottawa Valley Zone Director Return to "What's In This Issue?" Sig Rascal 40 ARF - Li-Po? From John Stellato JeanJohn34@aol.com Dear Ken:      I am in the process of converting a Sig Rascal 40 ARF to E-power following an article in Quiet Flyer, December 2002. That article determined that a Jeti Phasor 45-3 brushless motor with a Jeti Jes 40-3P sensorless ESC turning an APC 11 x 7 prop turning at 9200 rpm and drawing 30 amps would be ideal for this project. The recommended power would be from two 7 cell packs of RC 2000 or CP 2400 SCR cells drawing + or - 30 amps.      I am okay with the Jeti Phasor and the recommended ESC but need some input on the power source.      I would like to use "LI Poly" cells for power and would like to buy them "off the shelf" at a reasonable cost. The mAh current of various "off the shelf" packs varies greatly. MFA direct offers 7.4-volt cells at 1500 mAh. Two packs in series would give me about 14.8 volts, which at the lighter weight would probably be adequate.      I would like to get 15 to 20 minutes of flight time, more if possible. The current draw seems to be my problem. Will two 7.4 volt 1500 mAh packs in series give me close to the recommended 30-amp draw? What if I added another such pack in parallel?      I am confused as to how another 7.4-volt pack in parallel would impact the total current and/or amp draw. Would it double either one or both? Or will the properties of that third pack merely be divided into the original two?      No. While 4 cells in series may or may not be enough volts, I'd go with 5 in series, youÕd have to parallel at least three, possibly four, of the packs youÕve mentioned. The capacity would be 4.5Ah or 6Ah. YouÕd need a 4S3P, 4S4P pack for what you suggested or a 5S3P or 5S4P as I'd suggest. KM      I am sure this question has been raised and answered before but I don't know where. You might even have a suggestion for a better and/or cheaper power system, which will do the trick.      I'd use what has been suggested for the motor and ESC. If I were to use Li-Po batteries, I'd use a 5S2P of Kokam 2.1Ah cells. They are rated with a 20C discharge rate and a 5S1P would do the job, but only provide about 8 to 10 minutes of flying time, depending on throttle management. Putting a second pack in parallel increases the capacity to 4.2 Ah and puts it into the 16 to 20 minute range you are seeking. The 2p5s pack would weigh about 30 oz. (about 15 oz. for a 1p5s). Remember, because of the 20C rating, a single 5S1P could be used, but the capacity would only be 2.1Ah. A 14 cell NiCad/NiMH pack of adequate size would be a little less than 30 oz., but if GP 3300 were used, only yield 3.3Ah of capacity. If I was going to do this conversion, I'd use the 14 GP 3300 mAh NiMH cells. KM      The Sig Rascal's wingspan is 72.5 inches - area 728 square inches - weight 109 ounces with a loading of 21.6 ounce per square foot with the recommended Ni-cads.      I would appreciate any advice you can provide. I am in the middle of this project.      I learn much from your Ampeer but when you get into your computations I get totally lost. Never was very good with math. Thank you for your time and consideration. John Return to "What's In This Issue?" Mid-Am Report By Ken Myers      What a glorious weekend. Friday, setup day, was perfect for flying, with many "out-of-towners" arriving early and getting in a lot of flying. Saturday and Sunday were also perfect weather days. We were blessed with the best three weather days in a row that Michigan has seen this year. There was lots of sun, low winds and lots of fun.      88 pilots registered for Saturday, with 57 carrying over to Sunday. Six more folks registered on Sunday bringing the total registration to 94. That is just the right amount friends for a great weekend of flying.      Dave Hares orchestrated another great potluck on Saturday evening, and flying continued well after dark.      There are tons of folks to thank for this great event. Midwest RC Society deserves a HUGE thanks for allowing the use of their field. They also provided the concessions stand and workers for the concession stand. The Ann Arbor Falcons, headed by Warren Phlor, manned the impound all weekend. Debbie and Jim McNeely handled the busy registration area on Saturday. Dave Stacer did double duty as a parker on both days and along with Rick Sawicki helped with the judging. A special thanks also goes to Marty Jasin of the Midwest club. He was there to do everything and anything asked. I also want to thank Jim Reid and Ron Daniels for their special help in getting the event set up on Friday. Of course there are a lot of folks I missed in this thanks, I really do appreciate everyone who pitched in to make this event such a success! Vendors' Row      Thanks also go to the vendors. It is really great that you folks come to make the Mid-Am extra special for the pilots. This is a pilots' event!      A thanks also goes to our many sponsors who provided a lot of "swag" for our pilots to take home. Our Sponsors: Dremel SR Batteries, Inc. Ryan Aircraft Radio Controlled Models, Inc. Model Electronics Corp., Inc. JMGlascraft Vinyl Graphics by Greg Tower Hobbies AirAge Publishing (Model Airplane News) Windsor Propeller Company Boca Bearing Company RWDRC Flying Models Radical RC Z-Planes Cambria Tool/Chris Balser Classic Aero/Al Mrock Dynamo Electrics      Thanks to the Oak Leaf Region of the Model A Restorers Club for once again sharing their vintage cars with us. The Winners      Actually, everyone who showed up and flew was a winner! What a great weekend. Saturday's Awards All up/Last down: Walt Voyt - Zagi (yes Ð Zagi!) AULD winner - Bob Blau photo Best Scale: Dave Grife - Mosquito Grife's Mosquito - Bob Blau photo Most Beautiful: Mark Rittinger - B-26 Best Ducted Fan: Chris True - A-10 Best Sport Plane: Kevin Murray - E Sport CD's Choice: Jim Young - B-29 Most Innovative (special award provided by Radical RC): Tom Hunt - P-38      A special note about the most innovative. The plane was a very nice flying Flying Styro kit with an excellent power system, but it was awarded the most innovative because of the props. One prop was of standard pitch and the other reverse pitch. That's not the innovative part! They were "grown" by Tom Hunt using stereo-lithography. Using a computer, these props were grown in a powder. They are beautiful and unique. Excellent job Tom Hunt! Sunday's Winners Pilot's Choice: Marc Thompson - CL-215 tumbling water bomber Best Scale: Laddie Mikulasko - Savio-Machetti trimotor Laddie's Airforce Most Beautiful: Jim Young - B-29 Best Mini-E: Joe Price - The whole gaggle Best Multimotor: Joe Rubenstein - Bloch 210 Geg Cardillo (pilot) CD's Choice: Dan Schwartz - Stratos      One of many, many highlights of this meet was watching Jim Zare of Ohio fly his twin Speed 280 powered Jr. Skylark. It was finished much like on the original Goldberg kit box. To contact Jim about this plane and other plans and components he sells; Jim Zare, 5123 Summer Drive, Sylvania, Ohio 43650 or email jimzare@cs.com. More Flying Photos by Bob Blau Dave Grife's Fokker Jim Young's Mr. Mulligan Dave's Mystery Ship Keith Shaw placing his King Crimson - still flying great after all these years! Al Mrock's HUGE flying boat Ron Daniels' Buzz Bomb - kit available from Ron      You'll notice many of Dave Grife's planes in this issue. His planes are superior in all ways. That is why Dave was awarded the 2004 Charlie Spear award for his contributions to electric flight. Congratulations Dave!      Large and large-scale airplanes are the rule rather than the exception at the Mid-Am. Chris Balser's is shown above. A Senior Kadet is typical of the large, non-scale planes flown.      Keith and I thank everyone who participated and helped this year. See you all again next year! We love ya! Return to "What's In This Issue?"

To Reach Ken Myers, you can land mail to the address at the top of the page. My E-mail address is: KMyersEFO@aol.com
EFO WEBsite: http://members.aol.com/KMyersEFO/