Blackridge & District Model Flying Club
Electric flight projects
Electric Lancaster from
the Penicuik & District Model Flying Association
The electric Lancaster belonging to Davie Gray was built by Davie and Charlie from the Penicuik & District Model Flying Association near Edinburgh and made it's first flight on 7th June 2005.
The model started life as a Priory Models kit, purchased during an annual trip to the Woodvale Rally for a very reasonable price of £75 for the kit plus £12 for the four electric motors. Not bad for a fair sized model that looks and flies like the real thing.
The model wingspan is 72" and it's constructed from veneered foam fuselage half shells with 3 veneered foam wing panels. Some additional ply and balsa sheet is used for the fuselage wing seats and tail surfaces and the kit comes with balsa nose block and clear canopy/gun turrets. Some modifications were made to the fuselage hatch arrangement to suit the equipment used.
Model weighs 4lbs 12oz and is painted in black/dark earth/dark green camouflage colour scheme. Covering is tissue applied with thinned Ronseal floor laquer (Ronseal Quickcure 1 pack silk, thinned with water) followed by a further unthinned coat of laquer then rubbed down. Around 10 small cans of Humbrol Modellers Spray paint were required to give a very realistic finish.
The model is powered by four 6v speed 400 motors running off a Li-Poly 11.1v 5000mAh flight pack!! Davie doesn't believe in small capacity flight packs it seems! Motor life might not reach pensionable age with all that voltage but at £3 each and easy installation that's not too much of a problem. Props are small 5" 'Gunther' type and work extremely well.
A magazine review of this model appears in the March edition of RC Model Flyer where the flight pack used is an 8 cell 3300mAh one. Priory Models recommend an 8 cell 2400 mAh flight pack for 8 - 12 minutes flight time.
3 channels are used for aileron. elevator and ESC. Ailerons have a micro servo each, installed in the motor nacelles (clever idea) with a further micro servo for elevator. Motor control is via a 50A ESC with the motors drawing around 32 Amps.
First flight was excellent and went very smoothly. With all four motors singing and a firm hand launch the Lanc climbed upwards at a nice scale speed. Cruising at 1/2 throttle (or the electric equivalent!) the model flew numerous circuits and low passes for around 10 minutes before being landed to applause with motors still running. With no undercarriage, the depth of the engine nacelles gives enough clearance for the small props to keep running while the model is on the ground.
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Charlie checks out the Lanc |
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Climbing
away from
a hand launch with ample power |
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A few of the Lanc's
many low passes
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A brilliant first flight with several pilots trying the sticks and commenting on how well the Lanc flew.
Well done Dave and Charlie.
Thanks to Davie for the model details and Lord Mackie of Mackie Photographic Enterprises for the pictures.
Useful related web site links...
http://priory2.tripod.com/id2.html - Priory Models
http://www.pdmfa.fsnet.co.uk - Penicuik & District Model Flying Association
http://www.modelflyermagazine.com/ - Radio Control Model Flyer magazine
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