1/10th Scale Westcraft B-17G Electric Conversion

[Hardway]

Stopping now... Really, I seemed to not make a lot of progress on my list of things to do, but when it got too stressful, I switched to cosmetic stuff on the fuselage. I don't need holes for battery switches or retract air lines or charge jacks. I realized they will all be internal now that I have a huge hatch! Go figure... So, glass cloth, styrene strips, Bondo putty and thin CA, and we are on the way to being invisible when I sand and prime them in the AM. (After coffee at 0600!!) Anyway, thanks again and good night. I tried to upload pics, but keep getting an error. So one pic for now and more when the sun comes up...

[Elbee]

HW, Just saw your 9/17 post. Thinking of you. Much like you, I took care of my Mom for several years until her passing in January of 2013. It was a promise I made to her everytime I borrowed 20 bucks for gas or some such thing. LOL. Tolstoy wrote, "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time." You, too, are a warrior, my friend. Enjoy the 30th Anniversary and be a bit proud of what you've accomplished in such a short time. Best to you and yours, LB

[Hardway]

HW, Just saw your 9/17 post. Thinking of you. Much like you, I took care of my Mom for several years until her passing in January of 2013. It was a promise I made to her everytime I borrowed 20 bucks for gas or some such thing. LOL. Tolstoy wrote, "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time." You, too, are a warrior, my friend. Enjoy the 30th Anniversary and be a bit proud of what you've accomplished in such a short time. Best to you and yours, LB

Good morning! My internet is finally cooperating... Thank you so much. Again, I am so humbled by everyone's support and kind words!! I love my Mom, even though it is a challenge at times. She is really a sweetheart! :Heart:

[Hardway]

Here are the pics from last night. B-17 body work to fix the holes from the switches and unneeded hatch... Just a bunch of steps to filling these holes up. I will post some pics after sanding this morning and I am about to spray the first coat of primer and see how well these are filled in... No sanding done in these pics...

[Hardway]

Well, for the first pass on sanding and primer, it is looking pretty good! The switch holes are almost there, and the hatch hole needs some pinhole work and some leveling, but I will take it for the first try!! :Cool: The hatch outline has the green and red markings... FYI

[Hardway]

OK... Stacking the ESC's in pairs in the inboard nacelles is not going to work...

:(

I have to take a break and reset, but having both port ESC's experience an overheating situation, (or starboard) and losing both motors on one side due to the overheating is a non-starter.... Spin, spin, snap, and in she goes... I have four (4) batteries, four (4) motors and four (4) ESC's. Each its own system in theory. The length of the leads from the battery to the ESC was an issue. I shortened them as much as possible and added the CC cap packs to remedy any inductive "snap" that may damage the ESC itself. Now I have to locate one ESC in each nacelle and hope for the best. If I lose one outboard ESC due to a little longer lead, that is much better than losing both motors on one side due to the ESC's hitting the over-temp cut off.... The inboard ESC stack is just too tight and not enough airflow, even with the ducting... So.... Time for a beer... I should have caught this earlier, but the computer doesn't tell tales... The CC software says just a little more and we are way too hot!!! Running more bench tests to be sure. I also want to add some additional air flow from the air compressor to simulate the ram air for forward flight....

:Confused::Straight-Face::Straight-Face:

[Hardway]

This means back to soldering new leads.... AGAIN!!!! :Angry::Not-Talking: Third time is a charm, right???

[rifleman_btx]

I just had a thought, would it be possible to run your inboard motor escs on the motor block then have the outboard inside the nacelle? That could keep the heat of the escs from building on eachother, plus keep the leads how you intended them. Have the firewall work as a heat break.

[Hardway]

I just had a thought, would it be possible to run your inboard motor escs on the motor block then have the outboard inside the nacelle? That could keep the heat of the escs from building on eachother, plus keep the leads how you intended them. Have the firewall work as a heat break.

That is a great idea, and I tried that arrangement first before all the fancy engineering stuff!!! But, there is just not enough room for the ESC to fit on the motor block!!! I will post a pic or two. Stand by! Thanks for the input. Any & all ideas are always welcome here!!

[Hardway]

Can't mount it sideways. Too narrow and the CC cap pack won't bend... Can't mount it inline with the fuselage because the 4.5 inch wheel/tire lives there when retracted and also the front ESC would block the air duct to the rear ESC :Straight-Face:...

[Hardway]

Some sanding with 320 W/D after the first coat of primer, and then a little filler and some more sanding. It is getting there! Just need to float it out one more time with spot putty and an old credit card as a squeegee, and then a few more coats of primer... :Whew:

[rifleman_btx]

Dang, i thought for sure there would be enough room. Since this was a glow fuel plane, could the packs live in the nacelles? Or maybe just in the outer ones? Only thing with that is the pain in the ass pulling and replacing packs for flights. Man just not many easy answers. :(

[Hardway]

The packs are too big for the nacelles. (Admiral 5000mAh 6s 50C). Even though this is a big bird (120" WS), it could only hold 10 oz Sullivan oval fuel tanks, siliconed into each nacelle.... LOL No easy answers. But I will get it worked out!!! Thanks for thinking it thru with me Bro!!

[Hardway]

Not stressing on the time... I am doing it right and making sure everything is sound for the test flight(s), then rivets and paint!! Also am going to contact the guy in the UK for some 3D printed cockpit and bombardier compartment pieces... Couldn't do it to start with due to time frames and budget concerns... Better to have 4 motors than a cool cockpit!! Ha!!

[rifleman_btx]

I hear ya, just wish there was an easy way to get this. The only other thing i could think of was making a divider between the escs, so each one would be in their own air cavity. About the only other idea i could think of.

[Hardway]

That is the way I had them. Stacked vertically with air below and above each one. Screwed the platforms together so I could access the lower ESC if needed... Just not enough airflow out of the nacelle. Both of the ESC's along with the motor generated a lot of hot, dead air. And not enough space between the ESC's. The retract and both CC cap packs being in their too, made it crowded, fast!!! I could just Velcro them to the wing!!! LOL Maybe not.....:Silly:

[rifleman_btx]

Hahaha they could be considered that new fangled top secret device. (That never existed):Silly:LOL

[Boots Whirlygig]

This is how HobbyKing has them, don’t know how feasible it would be for yours. :Confused:

[Hardway]

This is how HobbyKing has them, don’t know how feasible it would be for yours. :Confused:

Thanks Boots....I have the Hobby King 17. It just won't work with this wing. It is foam core and one of the main spars is only a few inches from the LE and it would structurally compromise the wing... I think one ESC per nacelle with the CC cap packs will work out. After running the "Outer" ESC and checking it with Castle software, there is little to no Ripple (Snap) shown at all throttle settings. I may take the motor/esc combo with the same extension and same battery and prop and fly it in the CZ Cub and then see what the log tells me!! That keeps the B-17 safe in case the worst happens!!! :Cool:

[OV10]

Thanks Boots....I have the Hobby King 17. It just won't work with this wing. It is foam core and one of the main spars is only a few inches from the LE and it would structurally compromise the wing... I think one ESC per nacelle with the CC cap packs will work out. After running the "Outer" ESC and checking it with Castle software, there is little to no Ripple (Snap) shown at all throttle settings. I may take the motor/esc combo with the same extension and same battery and prop and fly it in the CZ Cub and then see what the log tells me!! That keeps the B-17 safe in case the worst happens!!! :Cool:

Probably the best plan ;)