Habu - Rejuvinated as a Pusher

Discuss & share your electric-powered airplane projects here!
Post Reply
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

Habu - Rejuvinated as a Pusher

Post by Neons »

This Habu was given to me by a member owner, The running gear removed. It was in great shape. He got tired of it and I took the offer. I put in a inrunner as a pusher. I have had a couple great flights with it so far. It is launched with a peddle launcher. This was a good option as I did not have a fan for it but had the rest of the equipment. Hand launching a pusher plane this size could be dangerous.

I just flew it on 2 test flights and maybe just over 3 minutes. Most flights I do are just 3-4 minutes on a timer. I will start adjusting to it and monitor the battery voltages left until I figure a maximum flight time. I am still adjusting the plane. I want to try an APC prop also to get the right setup and efficiency on it. I could also go 5 or 6s later for more speed. It worked out very well for what I had on hand.

I have had many ducted fans and pushers. I always did much better with pushers. I found them very efficient, responsive, and plenty fast. My ducted fans had to spool up a fraction of a second to equal a pusher especially in the turns. I hit a good combo that was reasonably cost acceptable. The HK Esc was a helicopter Esc. I could not set the motor timing in it as it was not in this type of Esc. But luckily it worked fine. I notched the foam out on the fuselage outlet for a 6" stick and glued it in with Gorrila glue ( I frown on epoxy in E-planes). I had those aluminum stick mounts that have the holes preset drilled for brushless motors. The mount has 4 screws to clamp it to the wood stick.

The inrunner after bolted to the aluminum mount is positioned with the collet and prop to have some clearance. The the excess stick if any was trimmed. The motor had about a 1/4" clearance between the stick and the metal motor OD. I put a shim glued in so the motor does not flex forward at all. I liked this small aluminum mount as it did not obstruct air flow around the motor coming through the fuselage.

I also put a Diamond Bobcat together last spring. It is in the YouTube videos. What a nice flyer. I think it is slightly faster than my Habu. The twin booms make it track straight. Even in the hand launches. It is almost hands free. Good plane made of laser balsa and plywood. Impressive to watch it fly. I do get a better flight by far with pushers. But my findings are all on 4s and not with 5 or 6s batteries. Also the cost goes up with bigger and higher voltage batteries too.

The original paint was beat from previous owner flights. It was time for new paint. I just reworked the old lines and now I should be able to visually see the plane when it is in the back stretch. Having a different bright contrast on the bottom will help also. The paint is flat Walmart -Crafts Apple Barrel . After painting I added two spray coats of clear MiniWax oil Polyurethane gloss coats.


I added a fin under the tail also. It should help from from making an air skip under the plane and flipping over when belly landing. If you look at the side view you will see a small wire about 5/16 inch sticking down. This tail hook may catch the grass and slow by keeping the tail dragging in the grass landings. I added an air scoop in the nose from a plastic spoon. Later I will assess the stall speed and may go to hand launching. For now I will bungee launch.
Attachments
Habu-New Paint (13).jpg
Habu-New Paint (8).jpg
Habu-New Paint (12).jpg
Habu-New Paint.jpg
Note tail skid hook under the new tail fin. Nose air scoop also.
Note tail skid hook under the new tail fin. Nose air scoop also.
Habu-New Paint (2).jpg
Last edited by Neons on Sat Nov 22, 2014 4:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bob Pacheco
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

Habu - Videos

Post by Neons »

Attachments
11-11-2014 Habu Launch.jpg
Bob Pacheco
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

Re: 11-21-2015 Habu -Pusher- Flight Two

Post by Neons »

Today I had a great uneventful flight with the repainted Habu. It is a great setup. Had to be done while the corn is down. May be another time more like Spring before I fly her again. Other planes to do yet.

Vimeo here is better quality. Clearer picture.
https://vimeo.com/146656490

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF0TEVTHRFg
Attachments
11-21-2015 Habu Pusher.jpg
Bob Pacheco
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests