What You Need

To do this project, you’re going to need a few materials:

• An RC helicopter, or RC airplane with 3 channel control or better – You’re going to need a stable platform to take pictures from. Helicopters are useful because you can hover in one position, but airplanes are cheaper. You might already have an airplane or helicopter around, but if you don’t, the Multiplex Easystar works well for this project. Note that to make a remote shutter function, more than 3 channels are needed.
• A lightweight camera, with remote shutter operation – You need to be able to remotely trigger the camera. This can be done a number of ways, but the simplest and most economical is to attach a servo to the top of your camera with rubber bands. Make it so that when you throw a spare channel switch on your transmitter, the servo arm will move and press down the shutter switch. As with any mod, feel free to create your own solution.
• A large protractor
• Some string and a weight – Clay works well as a weight, I’ll explain why you need it shortly.
• A drinking straw – You’re going to need this to build a sight for the protractor.
• Measuring Tape – You need to know the altitude of your aircraft, and to do this, you need to measure it’s distance from you. Landmarks with a known distance can also be used – consult any street map with a scale for these.
• A notebook / paper / pencil
• A friend to help – You can’t fly your aircraft and make measurements at the same time. Take a friend along to help you, and ask them to record the measurements.

The Math Involved

Now we come to the hard part – a little bit of math. You don’t really need to understand all these derivations, feel free to simply use the formula that I’ll give you. The problem is this: given an aerial picture, how can we figure out the scale?

We need the altitude of the airplane to figure out the image scale. This can’t be done directly, so we measure the angle (a), the distance (d), and use them to compute the height (h). This is a right triangle, and there are some handy trig functions that apply. In this case, we use the tangent function, which gives the ratio of the opposite and adjacent sides.  This is expressed as follows:

By taking the tangent of the angle a, and multiplying by the distance (d), we get the height (h). Here’s the formula that you would use:

So how do you get the angle? It’s simple: take the protractor and tape a piece of drinking straw to the flat bottom. Then attach a piece of sting to the bottom center of the protractor, so that it dangles straight down the 90 degree mark. Use the ball of clay to make a weight at the bottom of the string. Now, when you tilt the  protractor, the string will measure the angle. Be careful though: the angle with respect to the ground is not what’s read directly off the protractor scale. Reading the difference between the indicated angle and 90 degrees will give you the angle you need.

So why do we care about the altitude? Well, it turns out that the ratio of the altitude and the focal length of the camera is the image scale! You can find out the focal length of your camera by reading it’s manual. This is usually expressed in millimetres, so convert it to whatever  unit you have used to measured the distance, and thus the altitude in. Let’s put that all in a convenient formula:

And that’s the only formula you need. Just measure the distance, and the angle, know the focal length, and you’re done.

How to Do the Measurements

All that math was fun, but how do you actually measure distances using this method? I’ll illustrate with an example:

Suppose that you’ve just gone out to a field, and want to measure the distance between a tree and a building. The first step is to find a landmark you can fly over with a known distance. Using a measuring tape or map, you find that a nearby hill is 50 feet from where you’re standing. With a friend ready to measure and write down the angle, you launch your airplane and fly over the nearby hill, taking several pictures. Your friend sights the model aircraft through the protractor – straw device built earlier, and finds the angle to be 75 degrees.

Using a calculator, you find the altitude to be:

After landing, you download the pictures and print them full size, with no scaling. Your camera’s user manual reports that the focal length is 152 mm (millimeters). Converting this to feet is easy, just type it in Google or multiply by the number of feet per millimetre. 152 mm is 0.48 feet, so you plug that into the formula we derived earlier and obtain the following:

This means that distance measured on the picture is 0.000257 times as big as the real distance. You’re almost done: using a ruler, you measure the distance between the tree and building on the image to be 1 inch. Converting this to feet (because we want the distance between the building and tree in feet), gives a distance of 0.0833 feet. Now, multiplying this by 1 divided by the picture scale gives a final answer of 324 feet.

And that’s it – you’ve just measured the distance between two objects using nothing more than a RC aircraft, camera, and a little trigonometry. Just keep in mind that you have to know the distance between the airplane and you accurately for this to work – always take pictures right on top of the marker with a known distance.

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Brushless Motor Benefits

Before going into how brushless motors work, here’s why they’re useful:

• More Efficient – Brushless motors are much more efficient than conventional brushed motors. This efficiency has been measured to be between 85% to 95% better than brushed motors.
• Less electrical energy is wasted as heat,and more is used to do useful work.
• Reduced Noise – Brushless motors have fewer mechanical parts than brushed motors, so they emit less sound.
• Longer Lifetime – Fewer moving parts are in mechanical contact than in brushed motors, reducing wear.
• Reduced EM Interference – Brushless motors emit less energy as electromagnetic (EM) waves than brushed motors do. This contributes to their efficiency, and helps reduce radio interference.
• Torque, Voltage, And RPM Linearly Related – This means that the amount of torque or RPM produced by the motor divided by the voltage put in is a constant, making it easy to predict how much power you’re going to get.

How Brushless Motors Work

On a fundamental level, an electric motor’s only job is to convert electrical energy (like that provided by a battery) into mechanical energy, like the turning of a propeller or rotor blade. There are two basic facts that allow electric motors to work:

1. Electric and Magnetic Fields are Related - That is, every moving charge produces a magnetic field, and magnetic fields can produce electric charge.
2. Magnets Interact – Magnets will align when placed near to each other. All electric motors basically consist of two magnets. One of them is permanent, the other is a coil of wire that, when charged, becomes a magnet.

The motor is designed such that the magnetic fields produced by each of the magnets are always out of alignment, causing the motor axil to rotate. This is similar to what happens when you hold a permanent magnet to a compass – the compass swings position so that it lines up with the magnets field.

With the brushed motor design, the magnetic fields are kept out of alignment by turning on the different coils of wire that surround the motor axil in succession. Metal brushes make mechanical contact with the rotating axil and the contacts with each metal coil. As the axil rotates, the brushes contact different coils. The end result is that current flows through different coils at different times, constantly changing the magnetic field and rotating the motor shaft.

It’s here that we see the main problem with the brushed design: the contact between the motor coils and the brushes causes friction, which increases with speed. The metal coils wear out over time, and are prone to sparking. They can also ionize surrounding air, creating ozone. So how can we get around these issues? The answer lies in the brushless motor design. Instead of using mechanical brushes to turn on the various wire coils, an ESC (electronic speed controller) is used instead. The ESC switches the motor coils on or off rapidly, and is synchronized to the motor axil position.

Always look for an ESC with a capacity (measured in amps) greater than that of the motor you’re pairing it with.

Some Common Terms Explained

There are a number of special terms associated with brushless motors. Here are explanations for some of the most common:

• RPM – This is a measure of angular speed, or how fast something is rotating. A motor’s RPM is simply how fast it can rotate.
• KV Rating - Remember how we said that the relationship between voltage, torque, and RPM was linear for a brushless motor? It turns out that the number of RPM provided by each volt is the same, called  the KV number. The KV number’s useful because it let’s you figure  out how many volts you need to achieve a certain RPM, or vice versa.  For an example, a 980 KV motor powered by an 11.1 volt battery would  spin at 980 x 11.1 = 10878 RPM with no load. The KV rating always  assumes no load on the motor, so the actual RPM that your achieve  will be less than the one you calculate.
• Continuous / Burst Current – Continuous current measures how much current a motor can handle continuously, for an extended period of  time. Burst current measures how much current a motor can handle for a short amount of time, about a few seconds.
• Current Rating – This is the maximum current that a given motor can handle, measured in amps.
• Inrunner / Outrunner – These are the two major brushless motor  designs. An inrunner brushless motor has stationary coils, and a   rotating permanent magnet inside the coils on the motor shaft. An outrunner  brushless motor is the opposite, it has a rotating permanent   magnet, placed outside the stationary coils on the motor shaft . Outrunner motors have lower KV ratings, so they run at a lower speed with more torque. This could allow you to direct drive larger props without a gearbox. RC cars and boats tend to require inrunner brushless motors, rather than outrunners.
• Torque - Torque is a measure of angular force, or how much “push” a rotating shaft has.  Watt – This is a measure of power, or how fast energy is used.
• Volt – This measures electric potential, or how much “push” the electrons from a battery have. A greater voltage means that more   energy is being applied to a given amount of charge.

Choosing a Brushless Motor

Most airplane manufacturers will recommend certain brushless motors for different models. However, if this is not specified, a good starting point would be to check what other people are using locally,or search the web. We frequently visit RCGroups, RC Universe, and WattFlyer to see what the RC communities are using. If you have a brushed motor that you are replacing, choose a brushless motor that is the same physical size, and uses about the same wattage. To determine the wattage, multiply the current your old motor draws by the voltage it’s run at.

© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
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• Revised Can Design – Hacker has revised the motor’s external case to allow for better airflow and cooling towards the back of the motor.
• New Stater and Magnet Material – Hacker has re formulated the material used for the stater and magnets in their brushless motors. The new material has a lower internal resistance, which gives the motors more power and efficiency.
• Collet Style Adapter – The new evo motors use a new style of prop adapter, which is more secure and easier to use than the previous versions. The new adapter also allows the motos to be more easily mounted either in front or behind an RC model airplane firewall.
• New Mount – All of the A20 series motors now feature a new type of mount which allows the new can design to work.

All of the Hacker A20 brushless motors except the A20XL incorporate this new design, including the A20, A20S, A20M, and A20L.

All of the A20 brushless motors we sell will be revised to this new design, so why not get one for your electric RC model airplane today?

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
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The RC Components You Will Need

We have put together a list of the best RC components to use for modifying the Minimag RC model airplane. You will need:

1. A Brushless Motor – A Himax 2815-2000 works well for this application.
2. A Speed Controller – Use a Castle Creations Thunderbird 36 amp ESC. It will provide plenty of power for the recommended motor, and will run off a variety of lithium polymer batteries.
3. A Lithium Polymer Battery – A Thunderpower 3 cell 2100 is a great battery to use. You can get up to a half an hour of flight time (depending on throttle management), and it fits neatly underneath the Minimag’s wing.
4. A Propeller – The brushless motor will need a different propeller. We recommend a 7 x 5 APC propeller.
5. A Charger – You can use either a Thunderpower 535C or a 610C charger. Each will allow you to quickly charge your battery at the flying field using a 12 volt power source.

Eventually we will sell all of these components in a kit. Until then, you can order them by clicking on the above links and pictures.

RC Components Installation Procedure

Many of these components will seamlessly drop in to the Minimag RC airplane where the original parts were. Follow this procedure when installing your improved power systems.

1. Remove the brushed motor, and install the brushless version. Be very careful not to damage the motor wires. All of the bolt holes from the old motor should match the new one perfectly, so just push in the brushless motor and bolt it on.
2. The 3 cell 2100 lithium polymer battery can be placed under the wing. Make sure that it doesn’t move in flight, and route its wires to where the electronic speed controller will be installed.
3. Connect the speed controller to the motor, battery, and receiver.

We hope that you enjoy the increase in power and flight time that this upgraded power system will give you. Feel free to post comments describing your own ideas, and let us know how this modification works for you.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
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One of the coolest modifications involves replacing the included brushed motor with a brushless motor, and replacing the NiMh battery with a lithium polymer pack. Using a brushless motor will increase the speed of the Easystar, and let you carry payloads (such as cameras for aerial photography.) The lithium polymer battery will let you fly for up to a half an hour, or even longer if you can catch some thermals (warm, upward currents of air.)

Parts You Will Need to Modify the Easystar

There are several different combinations of brushless motors, ESCs, and lithium batteries that will work for this modification. Here is a list of the parts that we recommend. They have been chosen to minimize cost, and maximize performance. You will need:

1. A Himax 2815 2000 brushless inrunner electric motor
2. A 35 amp Castle Creations Thunderbird ESC
3. A 6 x 4 APC composite propeller
4. A Thunder Power 3 cell 2100 lithium polymer battery
5. A Lithium polymer battery charger. We recommend either a Thunderpower 535C or a 610C. Both of these chargers can use a 12 volt battery, or a 12 volt AC adapter. Suitable AC adapters are available on our website.

We will eventually offer these components in a set, but for now you can order them individually by clicking the links or pictures above.

Procedure for Modifying the Easystar

One of the great features of the Easystar is that it is easy to modify. Every component that we mentioned should fit perfectly, and the foam the Easystar is made of is superglue safe.

Follow these guidelines when installing your new hardware in the Easystar.

Motor – Remove the brushed motor by unbolting it. The bolt holes will match the new brushless motor, so simply insert it and bolt it in. Be extremely careful to not damage the motor wires when doing this. Feed them through the fuselage to where they will connect to the ESC.

ESC – Place the ESC in the fuselage, and then connect it to the brushless motor using the wires. It’s always a good idea to tape over the connection, so that it won’t accidentally disconnect in flight. Also connect the ESC to the Easy star’s receiver.

Battery – Use Velcro to secure the battery in the fuselage. Then connect the battery leads to the ESC.

Rudder – Because of the huge increase in power that the brushless motor provides, you might want to increase the effectiveness of the rudder. You can do this by simply gluing a business card to the rudder, and then trimming it to shape. Here is a picture of one such modification:

Benefits of Using a Brushless Motor and Lipo Battery for the Easystar

• Using a lithium polymer battery will allow you to fly the Easy star for very long periods of time.
• Lithium polymer batteries can be charged quickly and easily at the flying field.
• The brushless motor will provide much more power than the regular speed 400, and will last longer too.
• The increase in power from the brushless motor will allow you to carry payloads, such as a digital camera for RC aerial photography.
• The aircraft will perform better in all aspects of flight, giving you a more enjoyable flying experience.

This article has barely scratched the surface of the possible modifications to the Easystar. If you would like to learn more about these modifications, or learn how to do others, we suggest you read the rcgroups.com forums.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
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Hacker A20 Series Brushless Motors Feature

• Outrunner motor design uses no gearbox for lower weight
• Five to Seven times more torque than direct drive inrunners
• High torque means large propellers for greater thrust
• Rotating can/endbell provides excellent cooling
• Great cooling means very long flight times with Lithium Polymer cells
• Versatile mounting options for front or back mounting

Hacker A20-S Brushless Motors for RC Airplanes – Use With 2 Cell LiPo

Hacker A20-S brushless motors are developed for 4-8 oz. indoor slowflyers and indoor aerobatic r/c airplane models with 2 cell LiPoly batteries. The 12 pole “outrunner” type design creates a massive amount of torque, allowing larger direct drive propellers to be used without the need for a gearbox. Hacker A20-S motors feature oversize bearings, curved neo-magnets, and High efficiency stator design. These Hacker A-20-S motors produce the most power at lower current consumption than other popular outrunner designs! The Hacker A20-S brushless motors use a standard 3mm (0.118 in) output shaft.

Hacker A20-M Brushless Motors for RC Airplanes – Use With 3 Cell LiPo

Hacker A20-M series brushless motors are developed for 7-12 oz. slowflyers and aerobatic parkflyer model rc aircraft with 3 cell LiPoly batteries. The 12 pole “outrunner” type design creates a huge amount of torque, therefore larger direct drive props can be used without the need for a gearbox. These Hacker A20-M brushless motors features oversize bearings, curved neo-magnets, and high efficiency stator design. Hacker A20-M brushless motors produce the most power at lower current consumption than other popular outrunner designs. The Hacker A20-M brushless motors use a standard 3mm (0.118 in) output shaft.

Hacker A20-L Brushless Motors for RC Airplanes – Use With 3 Cell LiPo

Hacker A20-L brushless motors are developed for 12-18 oz. parkflyer rc aircraft models with 3 cell Lithium polymer batteries. The 12 pole “outrunner” type design creates a huge amount of torque, therefore larger direct drive props can be used without the need for a gearbox. This Hacker A20-L brushless motor features oversize bearings, curved Neo-magnets, and high efficiency stator design. Hacker A20-L brushless motors produce the most power at lower current consumption than other popular outrunner design. The Hacker A20-L brushless motors use a standard 3mm (0.118 in) output shaft.

Hacker A20-XL Brushless Motors for RC Helicopters – Use With 2 or 3 Cell LiPo

Hacker A20-XL brushless motors are developed for mini and micro sized electric rc helicopters. The 10 pole “outrunner” type design creates a massive amount of torque. This Hacker A20-XL brushless motor features a cooling fan, oversize bearings, curved neo-magnets, and high efficiency stator design. Hacker A20-XL brushless motors produce the most power at lower current consumption than other popular outrunner designs. The Hacker A20-L brushless motors use a standard 3mm (0.118 in) output shaft.

Hacker A20 Brushless Motor Applications

See our related article: Hacker A20 and A30 Electric Brushless Motor Applications

Where To Purchase Hacker A20 Brushless Motors

Draganfly Innovations Inc. sells a huge selection of Hacker brushless motors and Hacker brushles motor parts & accessories. They also sell Hacker brushless speed controllers, APC electric rc airplane propellers, Thunder Power RC Lithium Polymer Batteries, Voltage Regulators, Castle Creations Berg receivers, and RC Servos. Get all you need to power your electric RC airplane online or order by phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
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The Opto Pro series of brushless speed controllers by Hacker Brushless are a little different because they not have a Battery Eliminator Circuit (BEC) built in. The two Hacker Opto Pro ESCs we sell are the Hacker X-40 Opto Pro and the Hacker X-70 Opto Pro. This means the Hacker Opto Pro ESCs will only provide power to the brushless motor and will also not provide power to your radio receiver and servos. To power your receiver and servos you will need a dedicated receiver & servo battery pack. We recommend a Thunder Power Receiver Pack LiPoly Battery coupled with a 5.1V Voltage Regulator. When you do not have a second battery for the receiver the Hacker Opto Pro speed control will not function, will not beep and you will not notice any lights.

Properly Connecting a Hacker Opto Pro ESC

To properly install and connect a Hacker Opto Pro brushless speed control first connect it to the brushless motor and then connect it to the main flight battery. We recommend Thunder Power LiPoly batteries. The receiver lead coming from the Hacker Opto Pro ESC will connect to the throttle channel on the receiver. The servos will also connect to the receiver as usual. To power the receiver and servos connect a receiver pack battery to either the battery terminal or any open terminal on your radio receiver (RX). Once the entire system is connected properly with one battery for the receiver & servos and the other battery for the ESC and brushless motor the Hacker Opto Pro speed control will function normally.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
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We feel this chart will be useful to you so you can easily find a new Hacker motor and ESC for your favorite plane.

This chart rendered from Hacker Brushless by Draganfly Innovations.

Draganfly Innovations Inc. carries a huge selection of Hacker A20 & A30 brushless motors and Hacker Brushless Motor Accessories & Replacement Parts. We ship world-wide and you can track your order online, via email or by phone. Order a new Hacker brushless motor or esc online at www.rctoys.com or call 1-800-979-9794. We’re waiting to take your order.

——
© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
RSS: www.rctoys.com/pr/feed

——
© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
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Thunderbird VS Phoenix

The Thunderbird and Phoenix ESCs both share many features. These include:

• Battery Eliminator Circuit (BEC) – all except HV Opto-coupled models
• Safe “Power On”
• Microprocessor Controlled
• Tough surface mount construction
• Audible Arming Signal
• Auto Motor cut-off with reset
• Low torque “Soft Start” – protects gear boxes and belt drives from shock
• Smooth reverse exponential throttle
• Self-calibrating endpoints – maximizes usable stick travel
• Auto shut-down when signal is lost
• Simple setup: no complicated switches or wiring
• Universal RX connector

The difference between the Thunderbird and Phoenix lines is their cost and their degree of programmability. The Thunderbird series is lower priced, simple to use, and gives you control over three programmable features. The Phoenix series is priced slightly higher, but gives you eight programmable features, and the ability to use more cells if you do not require the Battery Eliminator Circuit (BEC). The Phoenix line of Electronic Speed Controls also include the HV models (PHXHV-45, PHXHV-85, PHXHV-110) which are able to handle more cells (Up to 12 LiPo cells or 36 NiMH or NiCd cells).

Thunderbird series Electronic Speed Controls (Motor Controllers) come set with Auto-LiPo and no brake for 3D action right from the package. They use simplified programming steps to allow you to easily program these three settings:

• Brake ON/OFF
• LiPo or NiCd/NiMH cutoff
• Motor reversing

Phoenix series motor controllers increase the number of programmable features to eight, giving you more control over the way your ESC behaves:

• Cutoff Voltage
• Current Limiting
• Brake Type
• Throttle Type
• Electronic Timing
• Low Voltage Cutoff Type
• Soft Start
• PWM Switching Rate

Thunderbird Models:

Thunderbird 9

The Castle Creations Thunderbird 9 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) is great for lightweight applications where top of the line features are needed, and good value is desired.
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: TB-9
• Max Current: 9 Amps
• Max Voltage: 15 Volts, 3s Lipo or 10 NiMH/NiCad
• BEC: Linear 1.5 Amp Max
• Cut-off: Auto lipo or NiMH/NiCad
• Size: 1.02 x .67 x .32″ (26 x 17 x 8mm)
• Weight: 0.3 oz (8g)

Thunderbird 18

The Thunderbird 18 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) from Castle Creations has twice the current rating of the Thunderbird 9, and a BEC rated at 3 amps (compared to the TB9’s 1.5 amp Battery Eliminator Circuit)
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: TB-18
• Max Current: 18 Amps
• Max Voltage: 15 Volts, 3s Lipo or 10 NiMH/NiCad
• BEC: Linear 3.0 Amp Max
• Cut-off: Auto lipo or NiMH/NiCad
• Size: 1.32″ x 0.90″ x 0.33″ (34 x 23 x 8mm)
• Weight: 0.6 oz (17g)

Thunderbird 36

The Castle Creations Thunderbird 36 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) doubles the current rating again, with only a 3 gram (0.1 ounce) increase in weight.
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: TB-36
• Max Current: 36 Amps
• Max Voltage: 15 Volts, 3s Lipo or 10 NiMH/NiCad
• BEC: Linear 3.0 Amp Max
• Cut-off: Auto lipo or NiMH/NiCad
• Size: 1.50″ x 1.00″ x 0.35″ (38 x 25 x 9mm)
• Weight: 0.7 oz (20g)

Thunderbird 54

The Thunderbird 54 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) by Castle Creations completes the Thunderbird line with an impressive 54 amp current handling ability.
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: TB-54
• Max Current: 54 Amps
• Max Voltage: 15 Volts, 3s Lipo or 10 NiMH/NiCad
• BEC: Linear 3.0 Amp Max
• Cut-off: Auto lipo or NiMH/NiCad
• Size: 2.00″ x 1.15″ x 0.40″ (51 x 29 x 10mm)
• Weight: 1.2 oz (34g)

Phoenix Models:

Phoenix 10

The Castle Creations Phoenix 10 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) is great for lightweight applications and superbly suited for micro flyers.
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: PHX-10
• Continuous Current: 10 Amps
• Max Voltage with BEC: 12.6 Volts, 3s Lipo or 10 NiMH/NiCad
• Max Voltage without BEC: 19.2 Volts, 4s Lipo or 16 NiMH/NiCad
• BEC: Linear 1.5 Amp Max
• Cut-off: Programmable
• Size: 0.73 x 0.80 x 0.16″ (19 x 20 x 4mm)
• Weight: 0.21 oz (6g)

Phoenix 25

The Castle Creations Phoenix 25 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) is a favorite choice of 3D foamy pilots. Will work with Speed 400 size brushless motors, including the Mega 16/15 series, Feigao and Himaxx 28mm motors, small and medium sized AXI motors, and Hacker B40 motors.
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: PHX-25
• Continuous Current: 25 Amps
• Max Voltage with BEC: 12.6 Volts, 3s Lipo or 10 NiMH/NiCad
• Max Voltage without BEC: 19.2 Volts, 4s Lipo or 16 NiMH/NiCad
• BEC: Linear 1.5 Amp Max
• Cut-off: Programmable
• Size: 1.08 x 0.91 x 0.16″ (27 x 23 x 4mm)
• Weight: 0.6 oz (17g)

Phoenix 35

The Castle Creations Phoenix 35 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) is great for 3-4 pound sport flyers, and also helicopters. Works with the Corona, ECO 8, or Voyager heli.
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: PHX-35
• Continuous Current: 35 Amps
• Max Voltage with BEC: 12.6 Volts, 3s Lipo or 10 NiMH/NiCad
• Max Voltage without BEC: 19.2 Volts, 4s Lipo or 16 NiMH/NiCad
• BEC: Linear 3.0 Amp Max
• Cut-off: Programmable
• Size: 1.72 x 0.95 x 0.40″ (44 x 24 x 10mm)
• Weight: 0.9 oz (24.5g)

Phoenix 45

The Castle Creations Phoenix 45 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) is suitable for warmliners, small hotliners, and even some 40 size glow conversion projects. Works with Hacker B50 and C50 motors, medium and large AXI motors, and 36mm Feigao motors.
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: PHX-45
• Continuous Current: 45 Amps
• Max Voltage with BEC: 12.6 Volts, 3s Lipo or 10 NiMH/NiCad
• Max Voltage without BEC: 19.2 Volts, 4s Lipo or 16 NiMH/NiCad
• BEC: Linear 3.0 Amp Max
• Cut-off: Programmable
• Size: 1.72 x 0.95 x 0.40″ (44 x 24 x 10mm)
• Weight: 1.0 oz (30.0g)

Phoenix 60

The Castle Creations Phoenix 60 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) is the best choice for high performance sailplanes, large helicopters, and large glowplane conversions. Great for Logo 10, and ECO 16 pilots.
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: PHX-60
• Continuous Current: 60 Amps
• Max Voltage with BEC: 12.6 Volts, 3s Lipo or 10 NiMH/NiCad
• Max Voltage without BEC: 25.2 Volts, 6s Lipo or 20 NiMH/NiCad
• BEC: Linear 3.0 Amp Max
• Cut-off: Programmable
• Size: 2.35 x 1.05 x 0.45″ (60 x 27 x 11mm)
• Weight: 2.0 oz (58.0g)

Phoenix 80

The Castle Creations Phoenix 80 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) is the top choice for LMR competition flying, F5D pylon racing, and large helicopters.
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: PHX-80
• Continuous Current: 80 Amps
• Max Voltage with BEC: 12.6 Volts, 3s Lipo or 10 NiMH/NiCad
• Max Voltage without BEC: 25.2 Volts, 6s Lipo or 20 NiMH/NiCad
• BEC: Linear 3.0 Amp Max
• Cut-off: Programmable
• Size: 2.65 x 1.05 x 0.45″ (67 x 27 x 11mm)
• Weight: 2.1 oz (60.0g)

Phoenix 125

The Castle Creations Phoenix 125 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) is the paramount controller for either competition F5B and F5D flying, or high energy hotliner sport flying.
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: PHX-125
• Continuous Current: 125 Amps
• Max Voltage with BEC: 12.6 Volts, 3s Lipo or 10 NiMH/NiCad
• Max Voltage without BEC: 25.2 Volts, 6s Lipo or 20 NiMH/NiCad
• BEC: Linear 3.0 Amp Max
• Cut-off: Programmable
• Size: 2.35 x 1.05 x 1.00″ (60 x 27 x 25mm)
• Weight: 3.2 oz (91.0g)

Phoenix HV 45

The Castle Creations Phoenix HV 45 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) works with .40 size electric conversions and has been successfully tested in an 11lb Funtana 90s aircraft.
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: PHXHV-45
• Continuous Current: 45 Amps
• Max Voltage (no BEC): 50 Volts, 4-12s Lipo or 12-36 NiMH/NiCad
• Cut-off: Programmable
• Size: 2.60 x 1.05 x 0.50″ (66 x 24 x 13mm)
• Weight: 1.9 oz (59.0g)

Phoenix HV 85

The Castle Creations Phoenix HV 85 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) works in all quarter and giant scale fixed wing aircraft,competition F3A, giant scale aerobatics, and large helicopters.
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: PHXHV-85
• Continuous Current: 85 Amps
• Max Voltage (no BEC): 50 Volts, 4-12s Lipo or 12-36 NiMH/NiCad
• Cut-off: Programmable
• Size: 2.80 x 1.55 x 1.00″ (71 x 39 x 25mm)
• Weight: 4.2 oz (119g)

Phoenix HV 110

The Castle Creations Phoenix HV 110 Brushless ESC (Electronic Speed Control) is the most powerful speed control made by Castle Creations.
Specifications:

• Manufacturers Part Number: PHXHV-110
• Continuous Current: 110 Amps
• Max Voltage (no BEC): 50 Volts, 4-12s Lipo or 12-36 NiMH/NiCad
• Cut-off: Programmable
• Size: 2.80 x 1.55 x 1.25″ (71 x 39 x 32mm)
• Weight: 5.3 oz (150g)

Castle Link ESC Programmer

The Castle Link USB programming kit for Castle Creations Thunderbird and Phoenix speed controllers is in every rc hobbyist’s toolbox. Easily program the software on your Castle Creations ESC and tweak its performance for your exact RC application. The Castle Link connects your PC to your ESC and includes all the necessary software. Upgrades for the included software are provided on the Castle Creations Web site. Not only does the Castle Link program your Thunderbird or Phoenix ESC but it also supports Castle Creations Mamba, Barracuda, and Berg 7 receivers.

Where To Buy Castle Creations ESCs

The best place to buy Castle Creations ESCs is Draganfly Innovations www.rctoys.com because they offer free shipping within North America on all Castle Creations products! Draganfly Innovations also has a comprehensive Castle Creations Download page where you can find all the Castle Creations Manuals and User Guides. Order online or call 1-800-979-9794 today.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
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The general procedure is to narrow the list down to ESCs that will get the job done, and then make your final selection based on price and preference. First, select ESCs based on their most fundamental features.

Brushed or Brushless?
R/C speed controllers are separated by the type of motor they work with, either brushed or brushless. If your motor has two wires, it is brushed, and you need a brushed speed control. If it has three wires, it is brushless motor, and you require a brushless speed control. An exception to these rules are ESCs that can work with both types of motor, however this feature is not commonly available. Castle Creations and Hacker Brushless are two manufacturers of brushless motors and ESCs.

Current Rating
An ESC will have a power limit. To handle more power, the ESC needs to be larger, heavier, and is more expensive. It’s important to know the peak current your motor is going to pull at full throttle. This determines the current rating you should look for in an ESC. Always choose an ESC with a current rating that is higher than what you need. If the motor is going to pull 12A, a 25A-rated ESC is a much better choice than a 10A-rated one. The 10A ESC will probably overheat and cook, even if you only fly at half throttle. ESCs are relatively light and maintain great resale value, so this is one item in your power system where skimping isn’t worth while.

Choosing the correct type and identifying the minimum current rating are the two big steps. The next choices depend on your preferences. Here are some of the features and limits that can affect your selection.

Voltage Rating
All ESCs have voltage limits. Some even have more than one! What is your battery voltage? Choose an ESC that is designed to work with an equal or higher voltage. Some ESCs are designed for low voltages (below 13V), some for medium voltages (below 25V), and some for high voltages (above 25V). You shouldn’t connect a high voltage battery to a low voltage ESC, but it is also wasteful to use a high voltage ESC with a low voltage battery. The second voltage rating that some ESCs have is based on their Battery Eliminator Circuit (BEC). For an ESC to provide power to your receiver and servos, it has to drop battery voltage down to 5V. This becomes difficult once battery voltage is above 13V, so usually a separate receiver battery or voltage regulator is required. Consider what is going to be powering your receiver and servos.

Low Voltage Cutoff (LVC)
To protect your lithium polymer battery pack from being discharged too much, most ESCs can shut down when they sense battery voltage has become too low. This is almost always a useful feature, as it can save your li poly battery from being permanently damaged.

Price
ESCs with the same current and voltage rating can vary in price. Investigate this large market, and put prices on the features that you want.

Programmability
Some ESCs simply work out of the bag, like a servo. Others can be fine-tuned and set up with exotic throttle profiles. The most advanced can be configured via a computer program and cable.

——
© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
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Ultimately, you want to swing a certain size prop at a certain RPM. In fact, the freedom you have in choosing propeller size and operating RPM can lead to huge performance gains over comparable glow motors used in many remote control airplanes. Prop and RPM selection determines how much power you need, it is important to choose a motor that is almost at its limits when running at that power level. A motor that is too small will overheat and ruin itself, a motor that is too large will be a detriment to performance, due to the added weight.

Translating propellor size and RPM into power requires some help. This help can come from a computer-based prop simulator, such as the Slough RC Model Club Prop Power, Thrust and Efficiency Calculations web site by Rod Badcock. You can also find data posted by someone who has done what you are trying to do; find out what prop they used, what RPM it spun, and how much power was used.

Your list of potential motors should now only contain motors that can comfortably (but not ‘in their sleep’) put out the power you need. Now you’ll have to make decisions on the other things: battery voltage and capacity, direct drive or geared, outrunner or inrunner, and kV.

The easiest choice is whether to use direct drive or a gear box, so make that one first. If you want to turn high RPM (greater than 10,000 RPM) you’ll probably want a direct drive inrunner. For lower RPM, you can run an outrunner in direct drive or an inrunner through a gearbox. The outrunner is simpler and quieter, but the inrunner in a gearbox can be more adjustable and slightly more efficient. In some cases, the outrunner can be quite a bit cheaper. Each has its advantages, so consider them both.

At this point you know what RPM your motor needs to turn. It is either the same as you want the prop to turn(direct drive), or at a ratio faster than the prop when using a gearbox. Motor RPM is going to determine your specific motor and battery choice, by the following approximate formula (assuming lithium polymer batteries).

Motor RPM = 0.8 x 3.5V x Series Cell Count x Motor kV Rating

You need to select the right motor and battery combination that will satisfy the motor RPM formula. You can do it with a low kV motor and a high series cell count battery, or vice versa.

Lithium polymer battery packs, such as the ones made by Thunder Power, are ideal for use with brushless motors in radio controlled airplanes and helicopters due to their low weight and high capacity compared to NiMH and NiCd packs. Along with a brushless motor and battery, you will also need a brushless speed control (ESC) with an amp rating equal to or greater than the peak current drawn by your motor.

Make your choice, order the parts, put them together, and test it with an Eagle Tree watt meter. You want to make sure that you are near the RPM and power levels you were aiming for. Remember, though, the most important test is how it performs in the air. Fly it, and fine tune with prop selection. Hopefully this article has brought you close enough that a motor or battery change isn’t required.

In the event you require an upgrade, Draganfly Innovations Inc. is your best choice for Hacker Brushless Controllers and Motors, Castle Creations Brushless Controllers, APC Landing Products electric RC airplane propellers, Eagle Tree flight data e-loggers and Thunder Power RC Lipo Battery Packs.

——
© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
RSS: www.rctoys.com/pr/feed