Short Conversion Article
* Movies are at bottom of page.
This is a short conversion article on how to convert the Kyosho Agwagon to Electric using the MAXCIM http://www.maxcim.com N32-13D brushless motor.
I have always wanted to have an electric Piper Pawnee but unfortunately I could not find an ARF for it.. Eventually Kyosho came up with the Agwagon and I decided to make an attempt for the conversion.
After looking around, I noted that the Germans had already done
an electric conversion of this model using a
Graupner Speed 700 and a belt drive, I decided to ask the Eflightlist if anyone has already done
it.. I got a reply
from Terry McGill of Portland Oregon who will publish the details on sailplane and
electric modeller magazine.. They mentioned that the wings had to be carefully glued
otherwise, the risk of wing clapping may occur
in flight. Many thanks to Terry for saving the model from a disaster.
As you can see, I have decided to glass
the wing joints, I did the following
1) 30 Min Epoxy with Multiplex Chopped cotten and glass dust mixture.
This mixture will properly fill any gaps in the wing
joint area and
make it very strong. (Also Available from boat marinas as a ready made mixture)
2) Thin glass cloth with 24 hour
laminating epoxy over the top of the joints after
the goo in (1) has set.
A nose block had to be made for the Maxcim mount because the nose was not long enough and the motor
needs to extend past the cowling. Holes were drilled out in the heavy firewall to lighten the structure.
A easier way would be to use 1/64 ply and 2 round ply and then drill some cooling holes in the wood cylinder.
The speed controllers had to be tied to the nose to
allow for maximum cooling and also
to act as ballast as this is a short nose model. The Maxcim and Kontronik
Sensorless
controllers were tried. The 5 cell x 500Mah Receiver battery is tied to
the other side (not shown)
14xRC2000 batteries in series power the agwagon giving a total
of
20 volts fully charged.. Don't get your fingers in the way.
A lot of lightening was done by drilling holes. Nylon netting
was placed on the underside to prevent
sand and dirt from going inside. This netting can be obtained from an Arts
and Crafts
store.
Agwagon looking pretty ready to fly.
Other building comments:
--Use GOOP or Zap A dap A goo to glue preformed plastic parts
onto body
-- Use Chopped Cotton and 30 min epoxy to touch up weak areas in battery bay
and other poorly adhered places that was joined by white glue
at the factory.
- Balance the model upside down, Expect to add weight to the
nose, otherwise
use a larger receiver battery pack. Measure CG point from
Protruding Leading edge nearest
to the fuse, not the rest of the straight wing
(BEWARE!!)
- Build an adaptor using small pieces of wood and add Velcro to
them
Epoxy Velcro to the inside of the cowling. Now you can push
in the Cowling
See the white tabs around the side of the ply, these have MALE
velcro
CAed to it. The inside of the Cowl had FEMALE velcro CAed.
I added 2 more to the bottom as I noted that the cowl will shift.
Flying:
Takeoff: Advance throttle slowly but swiftly..
Taildragging problems go away as
models pick up speed. Model will jump into the air once flying airspeed
is
attained, about 20 human paces on Sand, on hard ground, expect even
less.
Flying : Is VERY EASY , very stable like an
overweight glider and a high wing
trainer.
Click to See Videos, Takeoff and Flyby
Stall : Stalls forward , no tip stall
During flight testing, I got shot down 3 feet above the ground.
Model Nosed in and heavy damage
to the plastic cowl and a little to the wing.. But the Wing Joints HELD FIRM!
Specs:
weight:
100 ounces with 14xRC2000 Cells
Wing Loading 22 oz /Sq foot
Gearbox:
Superbox 4:1 ratio, use TAMIYA TITANIUM GREASE for Maximum
cooling and lubrication. Order #15175-150
Prop :
13x8 MAS electric or 14x8 Zinger Wood. Folding prop
recommended
to prevent prop breaks while landing in SAND.
flight : 7 mins with aerobatic capability
CG :
As published, measure from Protruding Leading edge nearest
to the fuse, not
the rest of the straight wing (BEWARE!!)
Motor: Maxcim
N32-13D Delta wind for 6-18 cells
Sound:
In a low flyby, the model sounds like a real aircraft as
you hear the doppler shift of the prop wash.
Amps
on takeoff: 65 A, , more than 70 watts / pound
Model Jumps into the air if you wish it to do.
Kyosho Specs
-------------------
SPECIFICATIONS
Stock Number: KYOA1025
Wingspan: 68.9 in (1750 mm)
Wing Area: 636 sq in (41 sq dm)
Weight (approx.): 5.7 lb (2600 g)
Wing Loading (approx.): 20.8 oz/sq ft (63.4 g/sq dm)
Fuselage Length: 43.3 in (1135 mm)
Includes: Pre-painted cowl and wheel covers
Requires: 2-stroke .40-.46 cu in (6.5-7.5 cc) or 4-stroke .45-.60 cu
(7.5-10cc) engine, 4-channel radio w/5 servos
Model performs as predicted in ECALC 2.0 - http://www.slkelectronics.com
