2016 Holiday Hangar additions - what did Santa bring ya?

[Westsider]

Sorry y'all, but I need a recap. I've seen photos of Tigercats, big as Christmas trees. I've seen A-10s that look even bigger, running over boulders on runways. I've seen the headlines on new member great fortunes and some misfortune - hang in there is all I can say. It will get better. Tell us if you made out like a bandit this year, I know I did ;) Show and/or tell. How did you make out?

[Westsider]

Santa said I could pick up a FW Mosquito, and a FW F16. Have to try my hand at thrust vectoring.

[F106DeltaDart]

I got a set of struts for my P-38 and a bare-foam kit of the Hobbyking C-47 with the parkflyer plastics cockpit set. Also got myself a 500 size Huey Fuselage from the RC Aerodyne clearance.

[Kloverzero]

I got the FW Mosquito as an early Christmas present(Black Friday Sale), and what a sweet bird it is. You can fly it at half throttle and it flies like a scale bomber, or kick the coals to her, and she performs like an aerobatic warbird. If you have seen the video that Pilot Ryan made, it flies just like that!! I will be ordering the V2 FW F-16 for myself come February, but i just ordered one of them and a Bearcat as Christmas presents for a couple of guys who have really helped me out over the past year. Lucky Dogs...LOL...

[RRHandy]

I got a freewing B-17 63in. :shy:

[Dewey H Lee]

I bought myself the new 1500 FMS P47 Razor Back. Seems like Flightline has made the other guys sit up and take notice. This bird is really nice and the bullet plugs for the wings is sweet.

[T-CAT]

Amazingly, no plane additions, but I did get six Turnigy Graphene 6S 5000mah 65C LiPo's to use with all my 90mm jets, and I may see if it'll fit the new Avanti, but we'll see. That's going to get a new power system I have sitting around (still on 6S though). If I can fit them in the new A-10 when it comes out, even better, but the batteries are heavy and I prefer to only use them on jets that need them due to amp draw, otherwise I use my 4000's and keep the jet lighter. I also purchased some pilot figures, 1/12 and 1/10 scale for some new planes being released.

[Westsider]

I am shocked, must say, T-CAT, however that's a serious investment in batteries! Not having a New Year's Lasagna party after that coin drop;). I just couldn't follow all the threads and what was going on, but I could feel a lot of busy hands and minds working out there. Going back to look at them now. Enjoy the new year Squawkers:cool: Out

[T-CAT]

Ha-ha, I'm shocked too. It took everything in me to order those batteries and drop the cash at once. There isn't much in this hobby I don't like spending cash on, but batteries are one of those things for the most part. Electronics are fun, but batteries don't provide me with that "oh yay, a new toy!" type feeling when I purchase them. However, I know they're needed, and I'm at least excited with the fact that they are the meat and potatoes behind making my electric planes move, ha-ha. I'm selective too, especially since batteries of this size aren't inexpensive by any means. I'm looking for them to provide ample power, and provide good cycle life, so on with the testing. LOL

I laughed so hard st the Lasagna comment :D. Thankfully, I had Lasagna over the holidays and loved every darn second of it. Sooooooo scrumptious.....and free!

[xviper]

If you can count a "self appointed" Santa and one who always brings stuff early .................................. I got the following:

https://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/horizonhobby/EFL11050_b0?wid=1400&hei=778

https://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/horizonhobby/EFL11150_b0?wid=1400&hei=778

https://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/horizonhobby/EFLU3750_b0?wid=1400&hei=778

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1052/4162/products/master_b1b21965-c43d-4bac-835a-fdb874bcfcee_1024x1024.jpg?v=1475208649

[RCjetdude]

Self appointed Santa's are the best....

[Twowingtj]

T-Cat - I'll be interested to hear your opinion of the Turnigy Graphines. I've got to get some new packs too. They are heavier, but supposedly we can get 600+ cycles on them. Trying to decide if the the extra weight and cost will pay off in terms of replacement time.

Xviper2 - That's a nice list for a self-Santa. You must have been good this year.

Looking at some of the other posts here, it looks like the year for multi-engined birds.

I got a new replacement e-flite Rare Bear, a Convergence, a FlightLine P-38(silver) with LG upgrade and custom graphics from Callie, And thanks to Motion RC, a 70mm V2 F-16 also with a custom graphics package from Callie. Now I've got to order some new batteries and I'll be all set.

[jackcutrone]

So, my wife said, you know, we got a new car for me, why don't you get yourself a plane for Christmas. Don't get that kind of offer often. Immediately went to my laptop and ordered a Precision Aerobatics Addiction X with their power package. No pics cause it is still in the box and I have to get servo's. Thanks Mrs. Santa

[xviper]

Xviper2 - That's a nice list for a self-Santa. You must have been good this year.

Hehe, it's always easy to be good when you're in charge of the naughty list. :angel:

[T-CAT]

T-Cat - I'll be interested to hear your opinion of the Turnigy Graphines. I've got to get some new packs too. They are heavier, but supposedly we can get 600+ cycles on them. Trying to decide if the the extra weight and cost will pay off in terms of replacement time.

They are most definitely heavier on average than a majority of packs of the same capacity and voltage. What I've tending to see is that heavier packs in higher current set-ups are more durable, as they hold voltage better under those loads, don't tend to heat up beyond a reasonable amount, and provide better power and longevity because of that. It can be a compromise between pack weight and pack performance. The Turnigy Graphenes have been tested quite a bit by individuals on the RCgroups forum to compare them to many LiPo companies that are considered as top tier choices currently. They did extremely well, so much so that they came out on top at the moment as a LiPo that leads the performance at the 4.2V per cell end charge game. Even when compared against LiPo's that were charged at their designated higher voltage state than the Turnigy Graphenes 4.2V, they still did amazing. That says a lot.

The Turnigy Graphene performance (so far) in an application with high current draw is where is particularly shines, so it would do well in applications with much lower current draw as well. However, that's where the tradeoff will come in. If the plane/quad/boat, etc. doesn't experience such high Amp. draw, so the drop in voltage experienced under high power settings isn't as much of an issue if a proper pack with enough capacity is used, then the potential added thrust had by using a battery that holds voltage better under load may not be worth the added weight of the heavier LiPo pack. Then again, it depends on how much thrust would be added for the weight added to the application from the difference in pack choice. Everything comes with a trade-off. I tend to use the Turnigy Graphene for higher current applications where the pack weight isn't as much of a concern. Many well know LiPo brands have been shown to provide a true C rating of 20, and some can provide upwards of 30 (but this is considered amazing for quite a few packs if obtained). Between that 20-30C range seems to be the realistic continuous rating of a LiPo pack without pack damage for a good chunk of the LiPo brands on the market. So, when I purchase batteries, I tend to purchase them with a true 20-25C continuous rating in mind, and not what the label says (as we all know that's just ridiculous what manufacturers state currently), as that allows me to be realistic about what applications I'll be using them in. If I purchase a 3000mah pack, I expect it to withstand 60-75A (3A x 20C = 60A; 3A x 25C = 75A) realistically. A pack of better quality lithium, as well as a pack with heavier overall weight may perform a bit better than the opposition. With these Graphene's, it looks like when testing was done against other packs, the 65C labeled packs may be able to be considered a true 40C pack, and in some cases looked to be tested to 50C max. A true 40C rated pack is quite amazing, and really steps up the ball game in the industry for a 4.2V LiPo. If I can now hope that with these Turnigy Graphene 65C labeled packs can obtain a true 40C output, I can chose wisely on applications where that'll be needed. If the can withstand that higher output, it may potentially have a longer cycle life when compared to other batteries. Another battery that has done awesome in 4.2V per cell category is the Turnigy HD batteries. They are heavy, no doubt, but perform well for a good price. Now, we'll see how Hobbyking sustains the quality control with these new Graphene batteries, or whether that change LiPo manufacturers, etc., then that can all change for the worse, but that goes with any company since a batch of LiPo's you may have purchased 6 months ago may be completely different performing packs if purchased now.

I know other LiPo companies are releasing Graphene packs (or already did) that are looking to provide great performance, but they haven't been tested much by many, such as Dinogy, Revolectrix, etc. It'll be interesting to see the difference in performance among brands as time goes on. The trouble there is that there is potential for brands to jump on the "Graphene" band wagon, but just slap some Graphene labels on their battery line without actually providing legitimate changes to their new batteries. Hopefully some companies won't just give us a sticker, but you never know. So, far at least the Graphenes have tested well, and I hope they continue to do so over time, as well as other brands that enter the market with new product lines of batteries.

Here are a few links below to some RCgroups threads where testing has been done:

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?1767093-Battery-Load-Test-Comparisons

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...rnigy-Graphene

[Twowingtj]

T-Cat, Thanks for all the great info! That is an amazing amount of research in those threads. Looks like I've got some reading to do before I drop my next wad of cash on battery packs.

[redtwilight]

This self appointed Santa brought an FMS 1700mm "Ferocious Frankie" P-51D back around black Friday. More recently and Eflite Rare Bear and just delivered today a ParkZone Sport Cub.
I maidened the P-51 last Friday and hope to have the sport cub in the air this weekend. The Rare Bear will have to wait until I can get another receiver.

[dkalwishky]

I treated my self to several planes, none have flown because of the crappy Iowa winter.

Freewing AT-6
Freewing Mosquito
FLRC Tigercat

I'm looking forward to flying these when we get a break in the weather.

[Westsider]

So, my wife said, you know, we got a new car for me, why don't you get yourself a plane for Christmas. Don't get that kind of offer often. Immediately went to my laptop and ordered a Precision Aerobatics Addiction X with their power package. No pics cause it is still in the box and I have to get servo's. Thanks Mrs. Santa

It's funny you say that -I told Mrs. Claus "I bought so many planes this year, why don't we get you a new car?" Between our three daily drive vehicles we have close to 700,000 miles (not a typo, welcome to living in NorCal). Bang! That makes 2 GT ponies, 52 years apart. This thing is a Wicked Beastie :cool:

[70sflyer]

Sorry y'all, but I need a recap. I've seen photos of Tigercats, big as Christmas trees. I've seen A-10s that look even bigger, running over boulders on runways. I've seen the headlines on new member great fortunes and some misfortune - hang in there is all I can say. It will get better. Tell us if you made out like a bandit this year, I know I did ;) Show and/or tell. How did you make out?

Santa brought me a flightline f7f Tigercat 63 inch. Im not a RC foam fan but this one looks good.It has been a great Christmas.