A-10 by GWS...no lift?

I think you have got the same performance as everyone else.

try the fora on

and search on GWS A10.

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There is a review in the current (Nov 03) issue of RCM by Nick Ziroli Sr.

He made the follow comment about the A-10:

"Frankly, I was disappointed with the performance and flight time. Up until now I had been using 7-cell and 8-cell 720 mAh NiMH battery packs. My Astro Flight Watt Meter reads an initial 7.7 amp draw with the NiMH battery fresh off the charger. At that rate the voltage drops off fast and you can't expect very long flights. I changed to a 7-cell

600 mAh NiCd battery and was amazed at the improved performance. In spite of the extra weight the A-10 will now loop and roll with ease. It's a totally different airplane. I do not recommend NiMH batteries in this model. The battery hatch will have to be modified to fit the 600 mAh cells but it is worth it."

You get more voltage out of a 7 cell Nicad than you get out of a 7 cell NimH, plus the lower internal resistance. If you can find a better Nimh battery than what comes in the GWS battery packs your performance will probably be better. I have 3 Nimh 8 cell packs. 2 are 720mah and 1 is an

800 mah pack. For some reason the 800mah flies my ornithopter much better, the wings flap with much more authority.

Exactly. When you see a difference like that, it means you're pushing the smaller batteries too hard, and you really needed the physically larger batteries in the first place. 720mAh NiMH packs are only good for up to about 7 Amps. The 800mAh packs have a lower internal resistance, and are good to 9 or 10 Amps. When you push beyond these limits, the voltage starts to drop off.

Contrary to what Mr. Ziroli said, just because the cell is NiMH does not mean that it's a poor choice. There is a relatively new cell, a

2/3 AA (DOUBLE-A) 650mAh NiMH cell that isn't much heavier than the 720mAh cell, yet performs a lot better under higher loads. It's the KAN650 or CBP650 cell, good to about 12 Amps.

He used 600mAh NiCd cells in his review. KAN1050 cells that are the same size and weight, actually perform much better, and almost double flight time.