Ok, got a Banshee as a Christmas present. Liked it so much I bought a 2nd one. I hand launch/belly land the first one but put the landing gear on the second for when I fly off of a runway. I have to say that this is far and away the best flying 64mm jet I've owned and actually, it's really my best flying EDF period. It's smooth and it's QUIET! And the stock version has very adequate power, even for jet aerobatics.
I have a comment though on it's use as a hand launcher. There is no good hand grip. I absolutely have to launch with 2 hands and that means I have my hands off the TX during launch and immediately after, while frantically searching with the hands while keeping my eye on the plane! So what have I done? I put a Flex Aura Lite stabilizer in it. The Aura has a launch assist mode where it keeps the wings level and keeps a 30 degree up angle until you move the sticks. Then you regain control. So I heartily recommend it for hand launchers like myself. It works well, very well.
I'm experimenting with Spektrum telemetry so I pulled the stock ESC out and put in an Avian 45 Amp ESC. I also put in an AR6610T telemetry receiver and I'm mostly flying with a 4S, 2700 30C SMART battery. The battery is virtually identical to the Roaring Top 2700's which I also use. (For those counting the $$, RX: $80, Aura: $60, Avian ESC: $60, SMART Battery: $55. More than the price of the plane and I now have 2 extra 45 Amp reversing ESC's that I took out. Anyone want one?) I had to cut some foam from the barrier which is aft of the nose gear servo in order to fit the battery in, but the snug fit helps to hold the battery in place. I move it as far forward as I can as you can see in the pics and this seems to give a good CG. I'm getting 5 minute flights and usually landing with more than 20% left on the battery.
Here are the calculated telemetry numbers from one of my flights:
Max power 949 Watts
Max current 62.9 Amps
Average power 446 Watts
Average current 30.3 Amps
I only use full throttle on takeoff and otherwise only in brief bursts depending on the maneuver. So even though I go way over the 45 Amp rating of the ESC I get away with it because I keep those high amp times short. I get temperature readings from the ESC telemetry but they don't mean much to me because I don't know where the danger points are. I think the main thing is those averages and they're well below the rated limits.
I practice jet aerobatic routines and I have no trouble with double loops, full cubans, half reverse cubans, shark fins, square loops on edge (so you're doing 45 degree angles each leg), humpty bumps, knife edge and a few others. It does lack the power to do a pretty "Z" maneuver. This is where you come into it straight and level and then pull back 135 degrees so you're going upwards, on your back at a 45 degree angle. Then you push over 135 degrees so you're level again. You lose too much airspeed to push over at the end. I set my elevators to 125% throw and keep the upslope very short so I don't lose too much airspeed and I can just barely do it with the Banshee. I suppose if I went EvanD's route and upgraded to the 6S system it would help but for the moment I'm happy with the way things are.
Anyway that's what I'm doing with my Banshee. I did notice that the one with the landing gear doesn't quite have the oooomph that the hand launched one does but that isn't surprising I guess. I have the same setup in both so the extra weight and drag of the landing gear does have an effect.
I have a comment though on it's use as a hand launcher. There is no good hand grip. I absolutely have to launch with 2 hands and that means I have my hands off the TX during launch and immediately after, while frantically searching with the hands while keeping my eye on the plane! So what have I done? I put a Flex Aura Lite stabilizer in it. The Aura has a launch assist mode where it keeps the wings level and keeps a 30 degree up angle until you move the sticks. Then you regain control. So I heartily recommend it for hand launchers like myself. It works well, very well.
I'm experimenting with Spektrum telemetry so I pulled the stock ESC out and put in an Avian 45 Amp ESC. I also put in an AR6610T telemetry receiver and I'm mostly flying with a 4S, 2700 30C SMART battery. The battery is virtually identical to the Roaring Top 2700's which I also use. (For those counting the $$, RX: $80, Aura: $60, Avian ESC: $60, SMART Battery: $55. More than the price of the plane and I now have 2 extra 45 Amp reversing ESC's that I took out. Anyone want one?) I had to cut some foam from the barrier which is aft of the nose gear servo in order to fit the battery in, but the snug fit helps to hold the battery in place. I move it as far forward as I can as you can see in the pics and this seems to give a good CG. I'm getting 5 minute flights and usually landing with more than 20% left on the battery.
Here are the calculated telemetry numbers from one of my flights:
Max power 949 Watts
Max current 62.9 Amps
Average power 446 Watts
Average current 30.3 Amps
I only use full throttle on takeoff and otherwise only in brief bursts depending on the maneuver. So even though I go way over the 45 Amp rating of the ESC I get away with it because I keep those high amp times short. I get temperature readings from the ESC telemetry but they don't mean much to me because I don't know where the danger points are. I think the main thing is those averages and they're well below the rated limits.
I practice jet aerobatic routines and I have no trouble with double loops, full cubans, half reverse cubans, shark fins, square loops on edge (so you're doing 45 degree angles each leg), humpty bumps, knife edge and a few others. It does lack the power to do a pretty "Z" maneuver. This is where you come into it straight and level and then pull back 135 degrees so you're going upwards, on your back at a 45 degree angle. Then you push over 135 degrees so you're level again. You lose too much airspeed to push over at the end. I set my elevators to 125% throw and keep the upslope very short so I don't lose too much airspeed and I can just barely do it with the Banshee. I suppose if I went EvanD's route and upgraded to the 6S system it would help but for the moment I'm happy with the way things are.
Anyway that's what I'm doing with my Banshee. I did notice that the one with the landing gear doesn't quite have the oooomph that the hand launched one does but that isn't surprising I guess. I have the same setup in both so the extra weight and drag of the landing gear does have an effect.
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