Midwest Performance Flyer's promote R/C Helicopters, Electric powered R/C Aircraft and R/C Instruction.

IFO Power System

By Keith Paskewitz 2/25/2006

I am using a brushless Outrunner motor called a Nippy Black "Uberall" from Hobby Lobby and I have now switched to a 20C three cell 340ma Kokam Lithium battery pack. The Nippy Black is a little heavier than some of the cheaper Outrunner motors but I think it puts out more power for less electricity than the other motors. It also never over heats. It's heavier main shaft is indestructible and you can repeatedly fly it at full throttle into a hard surface without bending the shaft. This motor will literally last you a lifetime.

With the plane hanging from it's prop most of the time it will give you an 8 to 10 minute run.

I use an 11x4.7 Graupner prop on it.

I use a magnet motor mount that I perfected over a period of a year or two. I use three super magnets in a tri-angle arrangement. The magnets are mounted on popsicle sticks which are crossed in the shape of a "T". I fasten the motor to the sticks with a small wire tie and CA glue. I also use some carbon fiber rods to reinforce the sticks. I then make a matching "T" with 3 more magnets on it and fasten it to the airplane. The motor pops off very easily and it is better at protecting the prop than any other system. You can usually smack the prop on a hard floor 8 to 10 times before it will damage the prop tips.

I use a Castle Creation 10 amp speed control. I like these speed controls as they can be programmed on your computer quickly and easily and you can adjust them for almost an combinations of batteries and motors. They are also very light weight.

This power system will give unlimited vertical performance and the IFO flys like a feather because it's so light. It's about 8oz all up weight with the battery.

Your IFO will probably be lighter with this system as I have added a rudder with a third servo and also a strip foam about 1/8 inch thick 3 inches wide and the length of the IFO. I put the foam strip both under and over the IFO so that it has side area. It can't knife edge but it can hover in the same position that you are in when doing a torque roll. The IFO doesn't rotate in a torque roll because it has too much wing area.

I leaned how to do the torque roll with this plane. It's great to practice with because it doesn't break when you hit the ground. That is if you don't hit it too hard, other wise you might have to spend a few minutes to CA it.

If you decide to order a Nippy Black motor you can get it from www.hobbylobby.com it is 0808/98 Nippy Black and I paid $62.98 for mine. I own three of them plus a larger one for my bigger plane.

The Midwest Performance Flyers is a radio control model aircraft club that promotes flying, training and building R/C model planes, helicopters, gliders, scale, and indoor electric. We have a lot of activity in both indoor and outdoor helicopters. There has been a tremendous increase in the technology in gas and electric helicopters. There has also been an equally big jump in the technology of indoor and outdoor electric airplanes. This makes both of these activities very interesting to participate in as there is something new every day. The two most important improvements in electric have been the brushless motors and the new Lithium Polymer batteries. With these two improvements you can increase the power to weight ratio to a point that will give unlimited vertical performance. I have personally been very involved with indoor flying. I have found some types of airplanes that can be used for indoor flying which can do both acrobatic and 3-D flying and most important are almost indestructible. The two planes that I have found to be best for this are the IFO and the Revolution 2. The IFO can be flown in a very small area and can do loops rolls and inverted flight but is not as good at maneuvers like the torque roll. Although it does not revolve in a torque roll if you add a rudder to the plane it can hover. The Revolution 2 can do the torque roll very well but is harder to fly in a small Gym. The IFO gets it’s strength form a carbon fiber frame covered with ripstop polyester and the Revolution 2 gets it’s durability from the use of EPP foam. The EPP foam lets the airplane bend when it hits something but it bends back without breaking or deforming. While on the subject of durability I might mention the motor/gear train for the airplanes. When we used to fly with motors that had brushes in them the motors had to turn at a higher RPM to make their power. This meant that you had to have a gear reduction because they couldn’t turn a larger prop that was necessary for good vertical performance. Unfortunately every time you hit something it would either break or knock the gear train out of line. After repairing the gear train it was usually necessary to run it for about a ½ hour before the gears would wear in and reach maximum RPM. By that time you would hit something else and have to start all over. Now however you can purchase an Outrunner brushless motor, such as the Nippy Black, that can turn the bigger props without a gear box. This eliminates all the hassle of keeping up the gear box and the plane will run at maximum RPM without any wear-in or break-in time. When you use an Outrunner motor with the EPP foam or carbon fiber/ ripstop polyester planes you will have eliminated almost all of the upkeep and repairing. Home Building Projects Electric Gliders Events Flight Instruction Float Planes Flying Field For Sale Helicopters Indoor Flying Links Mall Show Membership Metro Area RC Flying Photo Gallery September Fest Shirts "N" Caps Show and Tell Work Shop Tips