PHOTO: CHAD NORTHEAST
PHOTO: CHRIS MOON
Arguably the class of direct drive Pattern motors, the Advance 30-10 (above left) is the latest from Plettenberg. The latest Hacker outrunner (above center) for Pattern utilizes a very large diameter for increased torque and “open” architecture
PHOTO: CHRIS MOON
PHOTO: DAVE LOCKHART
to promote cooling. Yuri’s powerplant, the NEU-F3A-1 (above right) is a gear inrunner with the advantages detailed in the text. Good softmounts like the Hyde (below left) can increase gear box life and diminish airframe resonance.
ner that is growing in popularity and offers performance nearly equal to the C50 series. Another noteworthy option is “none of the
ners with revised architecture have proven to be viable for use in direct drive applica- tions. The dimensions of a typical direct drive motor for pattern are approximately 2.5 inches in both diameter and length. Direct drive motors require little if any maintenance (no gearbox) and are poten- tially easier to mount as many can be mounted on a traditional firewall without a front support. Softmounts are not typi- cally used on direct drive motors as the sound reduction is minimal, and there is a risk of resonance occurring due to the in- creased rotational mass of the larger di- ameter motors. The downsides to direct drive motors (of
equal peak power to a geared inrunner) is that they are typically heavier (10–20%), have slower throttle response (still plenty fast for Pattern applications), and are less efficient (up to 10%). While generally qui- eter in operation, an additional downside is that the direct drive setups commonly gen- erate substantial noise during high “G” ma- neuvers when the prop disk is markedly an- gled to the flight path (snap rolls, knife edge loops, etc.). Among the many viable options, the Neu-
Motors NEU-F3A-1 is my motor of choice and the motor being used for Yuri. The NEU-F3A-1 designation is “plain English” for the combination of the 1513-2Y motor with the lightweight 6.7:1 planetary gear- box designed for Pattern use. I prefer the NEU as it produces the most peak power (highest rpm per input watt), has very lin- ear throttle response, and runs very cool. While not cheap at a street price of $550, it is a very good value for the performance offered. The Hacker C50-14XL Competition (also
geared inrunner) is perhaps the most recog- nized electric motor in pattern, and while not as powerful as the NEU, is very efficient and well proven. The street price for the Hacker is $800. Either motor benefits from the addition of a good softmount, available from either Merle Hyde ($125) or Budd En- gineering ($67).
FLYING MODELS For those that prefer the direct drive
route, many options are available including offerings from AXI, Hacker, Himax, and Plettenberg. Prior to switching to the NEU motor in my Pattern planes, I used the Hacker A60 outrunner series with great success, and several of my motors from 2006/7 were still being used in Pattern competitions in 2011. The Hacker A60-7S V2 (at only $215) is my first pick for limit- ed budgets. The large diameter inrunner Plettenberg
30-10 Advance (limited availability in 2011) appears to be the current class of the field for direct drive motors with performance nearly equaling the geared inrunners, but avail- ability remains limited even with a street price of $560. The Hacker Q80 series ($570) is a very large diameter (3.5 inches) outrun-
above”, per se. New to the Pattern scene in 2010 was a counter rotating propeller setup designed by Brenner Sharp and manufac- tured by Gaishin Manufacturing. The “Con- tra Drive” uses either a NEU-F3A-1 or Hacker C50 motor to drive a pair of counter rotating propellers via a differential gearbox neatly built into the spinner of the Contra Drive unit. The obvious benefits are the elimination of the nasty gyroscopic and P- Factor effects that occur when using a sin- gle propeller. For Pattern use, the Contra Drive has the additional benefit of being much easier to fly constant speed due to the added thrust pro- duced and the additional downline braking. At this time, the price for the Contra Drive unit is $1,100 to which must be added a mo- tor, softmount, and propellers ($45 per pair of APC or $200 per pair of carbon fiber props made by Gaishin Mfg). Having run one of the units extensively in 2011, it is an ex- tremely well designed and manufactured unit and the touted benefits are real. I’d nev- er put anyone on the spot, but a very busy someone with the initials of B.S. has promised to provide an in-depth look at the development and production of the Contra Drive in the near future (No pressure Bren- ner, really).
Pattern Equipment Sources
Aero-Model, Inc.,
http://www.aero-model.com/ Hacker motors, kits, ESCs, batteries, chargers
Castle Creations, Inc.,
http://www.castlecreations.com/ ESCs, programmable voltage regulators, NeuMotors (US distribution)
Central Hobbies,
http://www.centralhobbies.com/ YS Engines, Hyde Softmounts, JR and Futaba radios, propellers, hardware, linkages F3A Unlimited,
http://www.f3aunlimited.com/webstore/
Kits, motors, softmounts, spinners, propellers, ESCs, batteries, chargers, connec- tors, hardware, linkages, and JR and Spektrum radios. Electric only
Hobby People,
http://www.hobbypeople.net/ Airtronics radios, batteries, chargers
Horizon Hobby,
http://www.horizonhobby.com/ Source for JR, Castle Creations, Thunder Power RC
NeuMotors,
http://www.neumotors.com/Site/Welcome.html Batteries, chargers, ESCs, connectors
Tech Aero Designs, LLC,
http://www.tech-aero.net/Home Programmable voltage regulators and ignition battery elimination circuits
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