I have an AEROSCOUT and really enjoy flying this plane, but it really struggles flying into the wind, my question is has anyone tried upgrading the Motor and ESC for a little extra power? Thanks for reading and any information that you can give!
-
-
I don't have this plane but I've "upgraded" others like it for more performance. The Aeroscout is a really cute little plane, but I think it's marketed as a "beginner" plane, something that a person just starting in the hobby can have success and great fun with. As such, it wasn't designed to be a very powerful plane and not meant to fly in brisk winds. Just how much wind are you talking about when you say it "struggles"? Even a plane like that should be able to do OK into a 5 - 8 mph wind. Beyond that, I can see it having a difficult time. Those wheels are nice and big for a solid stance during ground operations but they appear to offer a great deal of drag. Have you considered taking them off and throwing it? With the onboard stabilization, it should be able to hand launch (on full throttle) with little effort. Without those big wheels, it likely will be able to deal with the wind far better.
Your plane will be limited by prop size. It currently runs a 5" prop. You can only go so big without the risk of the prop hitting the tail boom. You should leave at least some clearance for safety (maybe 0.5"). The existing ESC (30A) should be good for most motors that run on 3s. The cheaper way to go, to start with, would be to try a bigger prop, like a 6X4 (or 6X4.5 or 6X5). This is a very common size of prop for planes in that size range. Many of HobbyKing's planes of that size run on 6X4 props and they have good wind penetration. The Bixler comes to mind and it flies on a similar powertrain (actually, a little smaller). I think your Aeroscout motor should be able to handle a 6X4 prop but for the first flight or two, fly for only a couple of minutes, land and check the temperature of the motor and ESC before you call it a success. You should by now, know how hot the motor and ESC get with the stock setup, so that will be a good comparison for a bigger prop, assuming it will fit without hitting the tail boom. Your local hobby shop should carry electric props in this size. Further, your plane's prop has a unique mounting system. You must determine if a generic 6X4 prop can be adapted to mount that way. It may not be easy although this route will likely produce the most significant increase in performance.
However, if you really want to make it more capable in the wind, you might look at the motor/ESC from another existing plane of similar design (ie, pusher style) but will spin at much higher rpm (yours is 2250kv), although you may need to modify the motor mount to make it fit. That will be the greatest challenge if you go this route, plus it may alter the balance of the plane due to the heavier and bigger motor. -
Thank you for the informationComment
Comment