Post by Ed Anderson on Mar 22, 2009 14:50:32 GMT -5
Best regards,
Ed Anderson
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To: <aeajr@optonline.net>
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 11:44 AM
Subject: EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ELECTRIC POWERED FLIGHT - preface
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ELECTRIC POWERED FLIGHT
by Ed Anderson
PREFACE
Whether you are a new flyer or a glow pilot trying to understand electric power,
there are a million questions. If you are a glider pilot who wants to add an
electric motor to your glider, you should find value here.
Over the years I have written and posted many articles on pieces and parts of
this topic. A number of people have suggested I write a book on the topic.
However I find the electric field is changing too fast. Any paper based book
goes out of date too fast. So rather than write a book I am going to create a
thread that is my attempt at providing EVERYTHING you want to know about
electric powered planes.
Of course, I will fail, because you can't know everything, and I can't gather it
all. But I am going to start it off with a series of posts that cover some core
subjects. And, because this is electronic, I can add and maintain it with new
and updated information as I find it. I am also going to try and create and
maintain an index so if you have a specific question you will have a starting
point in the discussion. But you will find that you will have a better chance of
grasping it all if you read the first few posts completely.
Note that I do not see that the planes fly any differently based on what kind of
power they have. The principals of thrust, lift, drag, power to weight, stall
and all the other things we know about flying apply the same regardless of what
motor or engine the plane may have. The power systems may differ, and have
unique benefits and quirks, but the principles of flight remain the same.
For new pilots who have no background, everything is new. Just relax, breath
deeply and read. I have tried to put it all in one place for you. Don't expect
to know it all in one reading. It will take time. And after you take your
early flights, come back and read again as you will now have some real life
experience to compare to what is contained here.
For glow pilots coming into electric, much of the learning curve related to
electric power has to do with terms and their meanings. Just as many questions
have to do with practical application of knowledge. And some confusion is based
on our trying to equate electric systems to wet fuel systems. I suggest that
rather than ask, "what is the electric equivalent of a .40 glow engine", I want
you to think in terms of , what electric power system would be right for a 40
size glow plane. I am going to ask you to discard the old info and look at
electric power with a fresh mind. Electric is both simpler and more complex
than wet fuel. It is just a matter of looking at it in terms that make sense
for electric power and not trying to make it fit the wet fuel framework.
For example, understanding the function of the ESC, electronic speed control, is
simple on the surface. However there are other things in most ESCs that you may
not know about. The BEC and LVC are important. What are they, what do they do
and why should you care? And how do their functions change and their value
change as we evolve our electric power systems. We will cover that.
What about batteries? How do I choose between NiCd, NiMh, Lipo, and others? We
will cover that. But note that new breakthroughs are happening every day.
Battery chargers are a mystery too, yet they are an integral part of electric
flight. We will cover those. But note that new ones come out every day.
What about tools to tell what is going on in my electric power system. Yes, we
will cover that also.
I have posted the e-book at these two sites. Extensive discussions are included so
you can benefit from the questions and answers provided by others.
www.wattflyer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31071
www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_7100376/tm.htm
I hope you find this helpful. I hope you will contribute your knowledge as
well.
Ed Anderson
