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Post by sassydave on Mar 1, 2007 1:17:54 GMT 1
The Super Cub is my first plane, and I bought it in October last year. So far it's been great, but I want to go bigger and better, so I set my sites on a radio upgrade. This weekend I gutted the HobbyZone electronics from my Super Cub, and replaced them with Spektrum DX6 gear. I maidened the new setup today, and it was delightful. The control surfaces move faster and have more travel, making loops and turns tighter and the plane more snappy all around. It's also nice to have finer control over the throttle input. I wrote up the upgrade experience with pictures here: thesmithfam.org/blog/2007/02/27/super-cub-upgrade-to-spektrum-dx6/Next step: ailerons! |
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Post by swampfox201 on Mar 1, 2007 3:41:53 GMT 1
Looks pretty cool Dave. Any chance of getting a picture of the transmitter. Good luck with the ailerons!
Todd
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Post by SCC on Mar 1, 2007 17:33:39 GMT 1
Hi Dave. Welcome to the forum. It was your write up on your maiden flight with the SC that makes me check my trims everytime.  |
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Post by sassydave on Mar 1, 2007 19:59:12 GMT 1
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Post by lawndart63 on Mar 3, 2007 7:40:26 GMT 1
Did you upgrade the motor also? I have been drooling over the the DX-6 ad's and wanting to
upgrade the motor at the same time. I would appreciate any input. Thanks, Andy
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Post by dlabrie on Mar 16, 2007 12:03:02 GMT 1
The Super Cub is my first plane, and I bought it in October last year. So far it's been great, but I want to go bigger and better, so I set my sites on a radio upgrade. This weekend I gutted the HobbyZone electronics from my Super Cub, and replaced them with Spektrum DX6 gear. I maidened the new setup today, and it was delightful. The control surfaces move faster and have more travel, making loops and turns tighter and the plane more snappy all around. It's also nice to have finer control over the throttle input. I wrote up the upgrade experience with pictures here: thesmithfam.org/blog/2007/02/27/super-cub-upgrade-to-spektrum-dx6/Next step: ailerons! I see you used the Electrifly C-7 speed control . Is that a 7amp control? I plan to do the same DX6 and aileron mod. I ordered a Sun 1000 Brushed ESC 6-12 Cell 18A 5V/2A BEC . Will that be sufficient to run the motor and 4 servos? |
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Post by rotordemon on May 24, 2007 14:23:44 GMT 1
Will this setup work with the stock battery or do you have to upgrade to the Lithium battery?
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Post by gnascher on May 24, 2007 15:51:43 GMT 1
Will this setup work with the stock battery or do you have to upgrade to the Lithium battery? This setup will work with the stock batteries, but you'll need to change your connectors, or build adapters. Also, I used an electrifly C-12 in my setup, the C-7 seems a bit marginal, especially if you're thinking of going LiPo down the line. I switched all my connectors to polarized mini-deans connectors. |
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Post by rotordemon on May 24, 2007 16:00:13 GMT 1
Thanks Gnascher I really appreciate the help (on the other post too) I'd really like to get a set of flaps on my SC for some slower flights. So far it looks like a new TX/RX, servos, and a speed controller? to convert it over. Heh, thats a fair amount of change to throw in a styrofoam toy if you ask me. =D
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Post by gnascher on May 24, 2007 17:14:15 GMT 1
Thanks Gnascher I really appreciate the help (on the other post too) I'd really like to get a set of flaps on my SC for some slower flights. So far it looks like a new TX/RX, servos, and a speed controller? to convert it over. Heh, thats a fair amount of change to throw in a styrofoam toy if you ask me. =D If you go with the DX-6, it's $200 and that includes a receiver and 4 servos. Then you need the ESC ($22.99 from Tower Hobbies www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXKBF3&P=ML) .. you might find a better deal elswhere or at your local hobby store or with a different brand ... didn't research much. Then a couple of bucks on new connectors and you're all set for in the neighborhood of $230.00. You can do it cheaper if you opt for a cheaper radio-set or buy used. Adding ailerons will probably set you back another $15-$20. (You'll need control horns, hinges or hinge tape, and control rods and connectors). Don't think of it as "a fair amount of change to throw in a styrofoam toy" ... that's not really how it works. Almost all planes out there have more money in the electronics of the plane than in the fuselage ... those materials are relatively cheap. There's a ton of ARF models out there for well under $100 ... but then add in the cost of the running gear and your well over $300 in a hurry. The electronic gear your buying is an investment in the hobby, since you will be able to use it in any plane you purchase down the line. Also, the aileron mod for the SuperCub so dramatically changes how the plane flies, it's almost like getting a new plane for $20.00 + sweat-equity. |
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Post by lawndart63 on May 28, 2007 3:52:42 GMT 1
Hey gnascher, You are absolutely correct. It's just that alot of us bought and fly our SC's due
to the low cost involved and the durability of the product. I have considered the DX-6, thanks for the report on improved throttle control. Mine seems to have 3 positions OFF, 1/2 or FULL.
Heh heh, I'm robbing my Firebird freedom of its innards to run a new "Wild Wing". Have you had any drop outs with the new radio? Andy
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Post by Crash and Burn on May 28, 2007 14:39:53 GMT 1
I just bought the DX6 yesterday and am dying to fly. I forgot the speed controller, though and am wondering what the difference in the C-7 and C-12 is. Is it a lot tougher with the rudder controller and the thottle on the same stick? I thought of the DX6 as an investment because I plan on getting my kids into the hobby with their own planes. Ailerons are a must for the cub, that's next. If I could just figure out how to climb into it and fly.......
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Post by gnascher on May 29, 2007 12:46:45 GMT 1
I just bought the DX6 yesterday and am dying to fly. I forgot the speed controller, though and am wondering what the difference in the C-7 and C-12 is. Is it a lot tougher with the rudder controller and the thottle on the same stick? I thought of the DX6 as an investment because I plan on getting my kids into the hobby with their own planes. Ailerons are a must for the cub, that's next. If I could just figure out how to climb into it and fly....... The difference between the C-7 and the C-12 is the peak amperage they can handle. I recommend the C-12 (capable of 12A sustained) for the few extra bucks it'll cost you. Especially adding the load of two extra servos required for the ailerons. A fried ESC means you have zero control of your plane ... better safe than sorry As for your question regarding the rudder on the left stick. From my personal experience, it's a bit of an adjustment for ground-handling, but not a problem in the air, since the rudder is't required for most flying situations. Once in the air, your primary directional control still comes from the right stick. You'll be using aileron and elevator primarily. The ailerons to initiate the bank, and the rudder to maintain altitude and tighten the turn radius. Mixing the rudder into your turns for "coordinated turns" can come later as you become comfortable with it. You can also use the DX6 mixing capabilities to automatically mix in some rudder with the ailerons ... this is especially useful if you encounter any adverse yaw from the ailerons. (The links below discuss adverse yaw a bit) There are a couple of situations where learning the left-stick in-flight will be of immediate advantage (but not a requirement), and both of these are on landing approach. 1. It's nice if you can use the rudder to help fight any cross-wind on final approach and keep your landing on-line. You then use the ailerons primarily to keep the wings level. 2. You can shorten your approach glide by using a technique called 'crabbing'. This is where you give (for example) left rudder, and right aileron, and side-slip the plane to bleed airspeed. It takes a careful balance between the rudder and ailerons to keep the wings level and your glide-path online, but looks pretty cool if you can master it. Kinda like a bush pilot coming into a short field. When you do add the ailerons (or even before), I do recommend you check out these excellent links on trimming your plane, since adding ailerons is now another variable to getting your plane trimmed out right for easy flight. (A trouble-shooting table) www.willingtons.com/mymac/model_trimming.htm(A comprehensive 3-part series) www.modelaircraft.org/Mag/FTGU/Part%2029/29main.htmlwww.modelaircraft.org/Mag/FTGU/PT.30/30main.htmlwww.modelaircraft.org/Mag/FTGU/Part%2031/31main.html |
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Post by gnascher on May 29, 2007 13:04:47 GMT 1
It's just that alot of us bought and fly our SC's due to the low cost involved and the durability of the product. I definitely don't recommend you skip any meals to get a DX-6. RC Flying can be done on the cheap ... however at some point you'll need to get away from proprietary radio gear to do it. There's a lot of guys out there building foamies out of meat-tray foam and using little brushless motors, small lipos and low-amp ESC's. There's a bit of an up-front cost, but you can then transplant all that gear to your next meat-tray experiment on a whim and for pennies. However, you're gonna need a non-proprietary radio to control it. It doesn't have to be a $200 DX-6, but that price isn't really all that high when you realize what comes in the box. You get a 6-channel computerized radio, 4 servos and a receiver. All stuff you'd have to buy anyway. It that light, it puts the 'real' cost of the radio alone somewhere around 100 bucks, since the AR6000 receiver goes for about $50, and 4 micro servos can easily run you another $50. Also, add the benefit that because of the new spread-spectrum technology, you'll never get shot down because someone turns on their TX on your frequency and in range of your plane. Nor will you ever have to suffer the embarrasment of doing it to someone else. There is likely to come a point where all the epoxy and packing tape in your shop isn't going to put your Cub back together again ... or it's going to be repaired so many times it just doesn't fly right anymore. Or ... you just get plain bored of what the cub has to offer and you want to move to the next plane. If you've already got your radio, the world of possible next planes expands exponentially. Never. The only way I could feel more solidly connected to the plane is if I was in the thingypit with the yoke in my hands. EDIT: Hee ... we've got a prudish swear filter on this board. I said c-o-c-kpit, and it changed it to thingypit ... how cute. |
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Post by Crash and Burn on May 30, 2007 19:05:20 GMT 1
Gnasher, watch your language. Thanks for the help. I am going to look at the links you posted and read a lot before I take it up. Right now I don't have the ailerons so I actually have the rudder servo plugged into the aileron spot. This puts the turns onto my right stick. 2 more of my friends bought the cub (I should be a sponser) and I don't have the ability to dog fight without the xport. Do you know of a fix for the dx6 or am I going to have to keep throwing rocks at their planes?
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