Free flight/Micro RC

Sep 23, 2003 4 Replies

My on again, off again free flight project is almost done, and I had this crazy idea to add 2 servos and see what a rubber band powered RC plane would be like. Since I have never dealt with any of the micro RC stuff before I am looking for suggestions. The kit I built is a Herr Engineering J-3 Cub with 35.5" wing span. I was thinking of using the Hitec HS-50 servos and the Hitec Feather 4-channel receiver with 2 3V Lithium coin cell batteries to power it. I was wondering since this will probably be just my first step into micro RC, if maybe I should invest in a better receiver, or will the Hitech's 1000' MAX range be fine for these small birds?


-- Chris W



"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."



-- Benjamin Franklin, 1759 Historical Review of Pennsylvania


Shpould be fine. However most people converting these go the whole wy and fot a GWS IPS power plant - all that rubber...and it still doesn't last long.

The problem being basically that by the time the RC gear is in the weight is above what is really satisfcatory.

have a look in

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for lots of rubber conversions in the scale and parkfly areas.

Best is to use GWS IPS power plant, and a couole of small lithium polymer cells

Servos and receiver that you have are fine

ISTM that the Hitec kit is a bit heavy for a 35" rubber powered model. I asw in a ercent issue of MAN that someone (cirrus ?) is advertising true micro servos with a compatible rx as well. Weight of the servos was around the 3 gramme mark. I saw the complete outfit (2 servos + rx

  • esc) advertised in the same issue for 0.

Might be worth looking into.

If you're looking for real light stuff, check out

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Bob

| I was thinking of using the Hitec HS-50 servos and the Hitec Feather | 4-channel receiver with 2 3V Lithium coin cell batteries to power it.

You can probably find a little bit smaller servos if you look. Don't have any specific models for you right now, however.

| invest in a better receiver, or will the Hitech's 1000' MAX range be | fine for these small birds?

1000'? You mean 500' max range.

The Hitec Feather is a crappy receiver. Don't buy it.

Instead, get the GWS 4P for about 1/2 the cost, and it has 1000' feet range and much better noise rejection.

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is a good place to get them.) It's even smaller than the Feather.

If you're looking to spend about $50 instead of $30, get the FMA Direct M5 receiver. It gives you the full 1 mile+ range and dual conversion noise rejection that you put in your larger planes, and only weighs a bit more than the GWS 4P. But for your plane, the 4P is probably just fine.

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