GWS Slow Stick Upgrade

May 10, 2005 11 Replies

OK, I am new to electrics. I have been flying glow for several years. I have a slow stick that I bought to teach my 8 year old to fly with. I like this plane myself so I bought another one. I can fly in my back yard rather than driving 45 minutes. I would like to upgrade it to brushless to at least get unlimited vertical. I have seen videos online of this plane hovering and such. I have four 7 cell NiMhd battery packs that vary in capacity (800 mah to 1300 mah) and one 6 cell 600 mah nicad pack that I would like to use. All are generic packs. I am not completly against buying new packs just would like to continue using these.



So that said, what would be ya'lls recommendation on electric motor (brushless I assume), speed controller, gearbox, prop, batteries, and anything else I am leaving out to go on the GWS Slow Stick.



Thanks, Michael


While w're talking about the SS, why cut the fuse? What am I missing? Just to make it easier to carry?

Thanks Mark

(also watching this thread with great interest)

i don't understand about cutting the fuse, but i am trying to hot rod a slo flyer also. appears that brushless needs another controller (of course) but servos too, correct? also, i'm trying to find a gearing that works. so far, haven't found anything that will work with the stock prop gear, since the shaft gear is larger than brushless shafts. i'm thinking direct drive....

Cutting the fuse is supposed to make it more portable. There is a sleeve included in the kit for easy re-assembly. On the brushless part, there are a grip of brushless GWS setups on Ebay such as:

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purchased something similar a while back and got a Phoenix 20 brushless controller. Add a 3 cell LiPo 1500mAh pack and you get true unlimited vertical. In addition, I added an aftermarket blue foam wing. I plan on getting a second one which I will set up with no dihedral and add ailerons.

I stumbled across a forum that detailed the mods for building this but can't find it now, still looking.

If that's the only reason to cut the fuse, no thanks.

Mark KF9TL

| i don't understand about cutting the fuse, but i am trying to hot rod a slo | flyer also. appears that brushless needs another controller (of course) but | servos too, correct?

You need a brushless controller for a brushless motor, yes.

But different servos? No. Perhaps your stock servos won't be strong enough to handle the wild maneuvers you're talking about, but that has nothing to do with the brushless motor.

| also, i'm trying to find a gearing that works. so far, haven't found | anything that will work with the stock prop gear, since the shaft gear is | larger than brushless shafts. | i'm thinking direct drive....

Direct drive = mistake. The Slow Stick goes ... slow. Gearing with a large prop will give you more thrust which is what you're after.

I have a GWS Slow Stick that is pretty much stock with the exception of a Himaxx 2015-4100 brushless motor using the 6.6:1 ratio and an 11 X 7 prop. It also has the Castle Creations 10 amp brushless controller and a 1600 3 cell Lipo battery pack. Everything else is built as it comes out of the box. The climb rate is much much higher than the stock motor. I haven't tried climbing straight up yet but I wouldn't be surprised that it could do it.

Cheap trick: next time you're ready to launch, hold it vertical and you'll be able to feel whether it would be able to lift itself out of your hand (but don't actually do a vertical launch unless you know you can handle it).

Its actually a GWS mod and is covered in the assembly instructions. The plastic sleeve is included in the stock parts package. I agree tho. If you cant haul it with the fuse in one piece its time to give up the hobby.

Wow! Great article - thinks for the tip. I wonder if the same mods would work on a Slo-V, or would the v-tail screw it up?

Hmmm...

| Mark wrote: | > I found this helpful | > | >

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| | Wow! Great article - thinks for the tip. I wonder if the same mods would | work on a Slo-V, or would the v-tail screw it up?

Well, I've never seen a Slo-V, but I can google with the best of them

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