andrewp28
Senior Heliman
Location: Toronto, Ontario - Canada
| Advantages of an electric observer:
- reduced vibration
- predictably; turn it on and it goes
- noise reduced to gear whine and blades
- no smell or exhaust
I anticipate the disadvantages to be decreased payload capacity
and reduced runtimes, and of course the huge startup cost of many
large lipos.
The Observer is for business for shooting video, and I primarily need a predictable, stable mount above all. I've read post after post dealing with engine tuning and vibration. There WILL be vibration in a heli, the point is to minimize it, and by removing the variability of a relatively unbalanced single-cylinder engine that MAY need to be adjusted frequently due to weather changes, fuel quality etc. then I will spend more time flying and shooting than tuning.
The turbine is also an option, but also comes with a hefty price tag, smell of fuel, possibility of flameouts etc., but may be the ultimate vibration-free high power to weight ratio solution.
In terms of duration, I've found the key to enjoying electrics is to buy a lot of batteries. I do not charge at the field - I take a bunch of batteries that are charged at home. With the smaller electric helis I've been putting in on average 6 10-minute flights per session - that's one constant hour of flight time with a minute between flights to swap batteries. I can focus only on the flying.
I've also found that 10 minutes per flight is about all I can handle without getting tired or bored, and should be enough for getting multiple takes of most shots.
Lipos are reliable once you buy the proper charging equipment and get used to their characteristics.
What I will be doing with this Observer is continue setting it up as designed with the G-260, and if the engine proves to be a source of trouble then I will replace it with an alternate power plant. I just need to know if electric is viable for this airframe - I believe it is - however accurate weights are necessary for the calculations. My bathroom scale is not too accurate. I may also have under-estimated the mAh required, in which case the electric power weight will go up significantly.
I have nothing against gassers, I've been flying models of various kinds for over 30 years - I love engines and have a huge collection of all types. However I've been flying electric for the past 5 years and I've been rather spoiled by the convenience. I was not initially too keen to electric as runtimes were low with nicads but I could fly at the local park without anyone complaining. Lipos changed everything, twice the runtime at half the weight. |
