Hummingbird Elite
07-11-2004, 05:36 PM
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Hummingbird Elite
I'm expecting my new Hummingbird Elite CP to arive tomorrow. Is it true I can fly it outside when it is a little windy? What upgrade parts should I get first? I was thinking the Direct Drive Tail Ducted Fan System
form Helihobby.com, this would make it a lot harder to break the tail blade. I would also like to get Lipo's, do they charge faster than the 2 hr.+ that the stock batteries take? This is unbearably long and I'm looking for a faster charge time like the 15-20 min. of R/C cars. Also, what mAH size should I get? Is 2000mAh too much or too heavy how about 3000mAH? And what is a good brand? Thanks for all the help.
form Helihobby.com, this would make it a lot harder to break the tail blade. I would also like to get Lipo's, do they charge faster than the 2 hr.+ that the stock batteries take? This is unbearably long and I'm looking for a faster charge time like the 15-20 min. of R/C cars. Also, what mAH size should I get? Is 2000mAh too much or too heavy how about 3000mAH? And what is a good brand? Thanks for all the help.
07-11-2004, 07:17 PM
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RE: Hummingbird Elite
LiPo's are about half the weight of a NiMH.
In grams - which we use over here in Oz - my 8.4V 1100mah NiMH's were 160grams, while my 7.4V 1800mah LiPo is 85grams.
That weight saving ALONE makes a huge difference to the little heli's. Just imagine that, for the same weight as an 1100mah NiMH, you can carry 2 x 2000mah LiPo's wired in parallel - giving you 4000mah of power for 160-170 grams. You will be flying your heli till you get tired and wanna go home before THAT runs out of power..... almost
As for charge times - dont be getting your hopes up even with a good digital charger (which you will need anyway) you can't charge a LiPo at higher than 1C, meaning that AT BEST your charge will take an hour. The newer LiPo's are saying that they can be charged at 2C (30 mins charge) but I haven't tried them yet.
You're gonna love the Dragonfly - I've got an FP one - and even THAT is an awesome little machine.
Good luck
Nathan.
*EDITED to say that, in case you didn't know, the Dragonfly is the same heli as the Hummingbird. Just a different name.....
In grams - which we use over here in Oz - my 8.4V 1100mah NiMH's were 160grams, while my 7.4V 1800mah LiPo is 85grams.
That weight saving ALONE makes a huge difference to the little heli's. Just imagine that, for the same weight as an 1100mah NiMH, you can carry 2 x 2000mah LiPo's wired in parallel - giving you 4000mah of power for 160-170 grams. You will be flying your heli till you get tired and wanna go home before THAT runs out of power..... almost
As for charge times - dont be getting your hopes up
even with a good digital charger (which you will need anyway) you can't charge a LiPo at higher than 1C, meaning that AT BEST your charge will take an hour. The newer LiPo's are saying that they can be charged at 2C (30 mins charge) but I haven't tried them yet.You're gonna love the Dragonfly - I've got an FP one - and even THAT is an awesome little machine.
Good luck
Nathan.
*EDITED to say that, in case you didn't know, the Dragonfly is the same heli as the Hummingbird. Just a different name.....
07-11-2004, 10:32 PM
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RE: Hummingbird Elite
I use 3-cell 1320mAh lipos on my HB CP. The 2-cell lipo barely got off the ground. This was with the stock motor.
I suspect that a brushless motor might work fine with the 2-cell. Hmm... I better go try that.
I tried using the GWS ducted fan prop on my DD motor without the duct. It was a disappointment. It's not really powerfull enough for the HB CP. Your mileage may vary.
-Mark
I suspect that a brushless motor might work fine with the 2-cell. Hmm... I better go try that.
I tried using the GWS ducted fan prop on my DD motor without the duct. It was a disappointment. It's not really powerfull enough for the HB CP. Your mileage may vary.
-Mark
