Christchurch and District Model Flying Club
 

From the Diary of B Leonard Wise

I have made a momentous decision.   I am going to try an electric plane. I was going to buy one and try that, but one of the many not-so-good flyers at the club (and I count myself as one of the good, of course) crashed his Riot.

This is a foam trainer.   He really smashed it up but he said the power train was still good and offered to sell it to me. I  could transfer the motor and  speed controller to my old trainer plane.   I rather fancied something more speedy and attractive but I though that I would give it a try.

Ittook a bit of time to get it all fixed in and I had to buy a Battery. The Model shop owner who always ties me up in knots with his technical knowledge  told me I needed a three cell 2600  battery whatever that is. Anyway he did pass me when I took my A certificate so that is what I bought.

I managed to put it all together and tried it out in the workshop. A man of my intelligence is not likely to be beaten by such a job. Up to the flying field and I tried it out.  . My plane was the usual Balsa and covering. This meant that it was rather heavier than the Riot. However it did fly but slowly and clearly the power train, as we pilots call it, was not powerful enough to do much more than take it off go round and then land.  I did go downhill as fast as I could then pull back the stick and get a loop but only just. More power I thought.

It was powered by a three cell battery of 11 volts. More power means a larger battery thought I.  I can work these things out. So I sent away for a four cell battery and put that it. I did not get caught out by having a wrong centre of gravity and I adjusted that. Back to the field and another try.  It certainly worked. At full throttle there was more power. The motor was going quicker and a loop was easy.  I had been going on full power for about four minutes and had got to the top of a loop when I noticed what looked like brown exhaust smoke coming out of the fuselage.

I though I must get it back and see what had happened. This was not to be. As it dived out of the loop it caught fire. It was quite high up so it levelled out and became a funeral pyre. The fire was in the centre of the plane so the wing joint burned the wings clapped hands, as we say and the whole  flaming thing came down.

The court of enquiry found that the Battery was too powerful (see Note 1) for the rest of the power train, I had kept it on full throttle for too long and it had overheated . I can see that I have a lot to learn about electrickery.  I am not a man to shirk a challenge so I will start again.

Note. Reading the pages of RC Groups, you would be amazed how often this happens! - Ed

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