jbeech
rrAdvertiser
Location: Sanford, FL (Orlando area)
| Folks,
I'm taking the opportunity to show guys on RunRyder something before the rest of the world knows about it. We've been working on our "450 sized electric" for the nearly two years. To be frank, Align got the jump on us (and the rest of the market) and while we were eager to dive in, we didn't want to just offer you a "me too" mini electric model. Consequently, we've been making haste slowly in this arena in order to develop something to really be proud of. Frankly, I feel our engineering team has done a superb job with this project and after a lot of sweat, hustle, and midnight oil (people wonder why I'm up at 1 AM? Here's part of the reason!), we're finally at the point where I'm willing to show what we've got in order to solicit feedback before proceeding further. Largely because of the expense of the batteries in the 500 and 600 class models (and yes, a 500 is upcoming before summer) we continued to develop the 450-size before releasing a larger model (we're not convinced a 500-class is really a good idea yet so we'll watch and learn - but we "know" 450-size models are very popular because they're convenient. Anyway, we've been devoting a lot of our resources on this 450-size model . . . eyeball it and tell me if I'm on the right track please!
Packaged completely RTF in a nifty aluminum travel case for the introductory price of $400. No, I'm not certain this is the canopy I'll use, it's just that this one was already available very inexpensively and thus, it may still change
For what it's worth, after studying the market I pretty much decided on aluminum side frames after all because they're very light (carbon side frames are an option). In addition to this, we offer top notch aluminum components as the way we're going. So this model is the whole enchilada, i.e. a very nice aluminum high performance model, which is offered for a more than decent price. By the way, I'm still debating on using the Wildcat 325 moniker even though some are arguing in favor of using the Wildcat 450 name because that's what the market expects (because of the T-Rex 450). Are they right? The 325 will probably come with inepxensive wooden main rotor blades, of course. Looks pretty decent, eh? Here are the details.
The Wildcat's head assembly is very tight and precise. We're not really breaking any new ground here, we're even going to an up top flybar to reduce rolling moment. We're also using miniature o-rings for damping because it works. Frankly, at these reduced scales it's really hard to achieve a good flying model at the usual manufacturing tolerance. Furthermore, I've pretty much decided on blue for the anodizing because so many folks objected to black (my personal preference). In addition, while there was no real consensus on color, blue was acceptable to everybody.
First up is a close up image the Wildcat's head assembly. It looks familiar because it's very similar to other proven 450-class models.
The Wildcat's swashplate and servo mount scheme has detail worth noting as we're breaking some new ground for us. To be frank, we could have achieved far lower costs using direct frame mounts but this is better for us because it reduces tool time with carbon fiber frames (an option). At these miniature sizes, it really take very high levels of manufacturing precision to get the flight characteristics up to an acceptable level of performance. Furthermore, there is lots of very tough competiton in this market, so we though long and hard about even entering. Hence, in my view, we had to step it up a notch to succeed. Despite the name, our little Wildcat is really a sweetheart, and she flies great. She's built right too largely because we've been really trying hard with the details.
Eyeball the way we mounted the servos for the CCPM.
Speaking of dealing with small parts and the greater precison required, the tiny tail drive belt is used because it's tough, reliable, and works.
Tiny CNC aluminum counter pulley drives the tail.
In fact, we had to go to an idler pulley to maintain the correct tension - not for pilots like me, but for the 3D mavens who treat these miniatures like they were 90s. Note there's a bearing on the pitch fork as well. Despite being much smaller than our Pantera, in some ways the Wildcats becomes our flagship model becasue of the details. Furthermore, believe it or not, achieving fine control in these small models requires greater precision in manufacturing to achieve good flight characteristic. That's because any slight drift in tolerances exacerbates any imperfection in your control - it magnifies it in fact - with predictably poor flight as a result. Frankly, this is the case far more so than in a larger model. Anyway, please note we've sacrificed absolutely nothing whatsoever in performance in the model itself at the expense of cost.
Examine closely the Wildcat's tail rotor assembly because the more you look, the more you'll see!
We mounted the tail rotor servo on the tail boom to keep things simple.
Make gross adjustments of pitch control by sliding the servo itself to locate the linkage.
In electric models the mass of the battery is a serious consideration. We considered inverting the motor and then decided to mount it on the bottom instead. Furthermore, we're planing to include an inexpensive 3S-1600MaH 15C LiPo because we're aiming at a price point and a modest batetry really helps with costs. Nonetheless, while I fully expect experienced folks will upgrade some of the components to their preference, I think many will be perfectly happy with the model as supplied. Anyway, the modest battery works just fine for learning to hover and sport aerobatics and will subsequently work great in a foamy. What you'll really want for aggressive 3D flight is a 3S-2200mAh 25C unit, but the cost of these is not realistic in light of what we're trying to achieve as our delivered price. By the way, the included motor is a 3700KV outrunner with a 3.2mm shaft and a 13T pinion. The speed controll is 35A BEC equipped unit. I.e. it's the right stuff!
The motor, controller, and battery are included.
The CCPM servo mount design is now set in stone because we're done messing with things. Furthermore, you can see the split gear driven tail - it's been expressly designed for the insane amongst you so you can shoot aerobatic autos, though to be frank, at this size . . . shooting even an ordinary auto requires immense skill and timing because you only get one shot at it because there simply is no float to speak of at the bottom.
The servo layout is a departure from our norm. At this size and price point, innovation is key.
What do you get for $400? How about an all metal helicopter (carbon side frames are an option), which is really ready to fly. Yup, RTF, from Audacity means just charge it and fly! Included are 3700KV motor with 3.2mm shaft and 13T pinion, 35A BEC speed controller, 1600mAH 3S-1600mAH 15C LiPo (gotta cut corners somewhere) and even a handy 12V field charger! Add to that an el cheapo 2.4GHz 6-channel radio system equipped with micro servos (sorry, it's not compatible with anybody else's 2.4GHz system - we tried and were told to pound sand), as well as a piezo gyro (no, it's not heading hold, but at this price point, it's more than decent). All this and it's packaged in a really nice aluminum travel case, which is just a little bit shorter than the Align full size case and thus, packs aboard airline overhead bins more conveniently as a result.
So there you have it, a sneek peek at what we've been burning midnight oil on around here for the last year and a half. By the way, it offers excellent performance without expensive needing upgrades, i.e. caviar dreams . . . hamburger budget!
Regards,
John Beech - GM (and janitor)
Audacity Models |
