Fly Electric!

Electric flight has become mainstream. Brushless motors, lipo batteries, ready-made models designed for electric power and perhaps 2.4GHz radios made this possible. This web site covers electric flight for a period leading up to these innovations.

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On this site I showcase big electric planes, have loads of free plans, cover many interesting contruction topics and provide circuit diagrams and advice for lithium batteries. Electrics used to be difficult; today with brushless motors and lithiums we are spoilt for choice. Please take a look at how I Fly Electric...


FREE PLANS - all in Adobe Acrobat 'PDF' format:

SMALL PLANES

Demoiselle
Demoiselle 18g slow flying model for cheap radio gear. Mainly indoors but will flying in a very light breeze. 15" wingspan.
Fox
FOX Probably my most flown model. Convert a cheap chuck glider to electric and fly in any weather. Link takes you to the conversion article on my club's web site.
Puff, the Magic Dragon
PUFF The Magic Dragon. 36" wing for CDRom power and small lipos. Flies well and can handle a some wind.
Chitti
CHITTY Here's more fun. I'm sure you will all recognise Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Great plane but has been extremely difficult to design. Now flies fairly well although better in calm weather.
Bounce (43kb)
BOUNCE Great 3D model with 24" (605mm) wing. Almost indestructable using EPP. EPP is more resilient and lighter than Depron so try it. Designed for CD-Rom motors it weighs under 6oz. I don't think you will be disappointed with this model!
Ultimate (33kb)
ULTIMATE Stunning 3D model. Two sizes; 280 sq in version for Axi outrunner (2208/34) size weighs 8oz. Smaller 200 sq in version suits CDRom motors and weighs 6.5oz. Both excellent for learning 3D and knife-edge flight.
Mumbo Minor (19kb)
MUMBO MINOR Lively 3D model. 30" wing, Depron construction, 6-7oz weight, >12oz thrust with CD-Rom motor. Accelerate vetically, knife-edge loops, prop-hang, anything goes. All this and you still get 8-10minute flights from 3x340 LiPol batteries.
Nutta (19kb)
NUTTA Start with the And_Now but do try Nutta when you are ready for an even quicker roll rate and better performance. 24" (600mm) wing and 5.5oz (156g) AUW. Windy weather? No problem (within limits, naturally!).
Whoosh (23kb)
WHOOSH Truly impressive performance for a 7.5oz (214g) model and I think this plane has great potential. Designed for two GWS ducted fan units, Depron construction and 27.5in (700mm) wing.
And_Now depron model (22kb)
ANDNOW is probably an indoor 'classic' and is still one of the best models to start indoor flying. Reasonably aerobatic with just a GWS 'IPS' motor and eight NiMHs or two LiPoly's. Only 6oz (170g) in weight but flies well if a bit heavier. Slowfly, Park and Indoor are common terms for this type of model, but this one handles 10 knot winds and is very resilient. Two hours to build, and costs almost nothing if you have the hardware from a PicoStick/LiteStick already.
Extra 300 depron model (32kb)
EXTRA This semi-scale depron model can almost do 'twinkle' rolls on take-off and handles wind better than the And_Now below. Fully aerobatic 6.5oz (186g) model (lighter with 2 servos). Similar characteristics to And_Now.
Butterfly depron model (25kb)
BUTTERFLY the emitome of light-weight models. Designed for indoors but also handles a light breeze outside. Plenty of opportunities for fancy colour-schemes. Uses similar equipment to AndNow.


A BIT BIGGER/FASTER
RAFALE Very enjoyable, cheap fun plane. Simple depron/balsa construction. Available in three sizes from 43g with 5g brushless motor up to CDRom or more power.
SPITFIRE Simple 36" blue foam version of this classic. Wing and fuz is hot-wire cut. Flies very well with small brushless motor and Lipos.
Bubbles in flight (16kb)
BUBBLES the electric equivalent of a 'glow 40' sport plane. 54" (1.4m) wing, 2.5-4lb (1.1-1.8kg), long flight times with excellent aerobatics. Low wing loading but handles wind very well. Ugly Stick replacement. I think you will be pleased with its performance and flying characteristics.
Sizzle (51kb)
SIZZLER Looking for some excitement in your life? Why not try SIZZLER? With a Speed 400 and 8 Nicads you can enjoy exciting performance even in the strongest of winds. 36.5" (927mm) wing and under 19oz (535g). Very fast and great fun!


VERY LARGE PLANES
Bleriot XI (21kb)
MONSTER MODELS Over 300 of the world's largest electric powered models; the only list of this type on the web. My list starts at 6' (1.8m) and goes up to 34' (10m) wingspans and 44lb (20kg) in weight! The picture alongside shows Franz Schmid's 17 ft Bleriot; his Horten is twice this size!


CONSTRUCTION & OTHER STUFF

My Spektrum DSM2 compatible receivers are available on an external site here. I make bigger receivers too!
2.4 Spread Spectrum radios; what's it all about? General overview of 2.4GHz, an RF scanner to show how they work, range and diversity tests with Spektrum and Assan, and more technical perspectives on Spektrum receivers.
PIC and C for Beginners Designing PIC microcontroller-based devices to monitor lithium voltages. Individual cell low voltage cutoff, lithium tester and servo controller circuits. Simple data logging. Tutorials to help beginners to get started.
PIC projects for working designs.
Lipo
Lithium batteries; what makes them tick, huff and puff. How to look after and charge them. Free DIY charger and balancer circuits.
DIY motors (22kb)
DIY brushless motors If you are keen to experience greater than 2:1 power to weight ratio on simple conversions or demanding machining challenges on more complex motors.
Take a look at the high efficiency 'Crocodile' motors
DIY mill
DIY Mill Want a milling machine but don't want to fork out loads of cash? If you needs are simple you can do very well converting a cheap pillar drill to a mill.
Fibreglass moulding (38kb)
ABSENCE OF MATTER and other CONSTRUCTION tips. Electric aircraft are often lighter than their glow/IC counterparts, despite the weight of the batteries. Read how to do this and things like fibreglass moulding, vacuum forming, scale rib tapes, etc.
Plans for floats of various sizes (30 kb)
FLOATS simple and light, quick to build. Designed for Bubbles but easy to change the sizes. Another set is available for the AndNow. Don't be put off by the row-boat; you get the hang of it eventually!
Beale Park from the eyes of Bubbles (28kb)
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY Only electrics can cut and restart the motor to reduce vibration during shots. Read what cameras I use and my experiences with this activity.

The 'Site Map' can be a useful way to navigate the site. Some other pages are also available...

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This site is brought to you by David Theunissen, a converted glow pilot who has a passion for radio controlled electric powered aircraft. Electric power is a practical replacement for IC and has become so for me. I converted to electrics by choice, despite still having some excellent glow models at the time. I hope you find the site useful.

*** Thanks for visiting. Now go Fly Electric! ***

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