E-3D BANCHEE

Model Airplane News, Jan 2005 by Kemper, Dave

IN THE ARF WORLD, ASSEMBLY does not get much simpler than it is with the E-3D Banchee. Its construction is very similar to the G-3D Banchee's; the main difference is in the fuselage. The E-3D Banchee has a different firewall and a motor-mount setup with a bottom section of the fuselage open to allow easy access to the batteries.

There is a variety of power options for the Banchee E-3D and quite a bit of published data to consider. I used a Hacker B5013S with a 6.7:1 planetary gearbox. I matched the Hacker B50 to a Hacker 77A Opto controller; this allows plenty of room to grow just in case I want a larger motor/prop combination in the future. I decided on an 18×8 APC prop for my initial flights; this should provide huge amounts of thrust white limiting the speed.

Last, I needed a power supply, and this was supplied by a 4S4P 800OmAh Thunder Power Li-poly pack. My bench tests with the 18×8 APC yielded 49 amps and 675 watts at full throttle.

At the field, I noticed that the two Velcro hold-down straps used to secure the pack allowed some battery movement. Operating on the cautious side, I added a few more Velcro' squares to the battery pack; this provided a very firm attachment.

This is an outstanding plane to fly and one that I will continue to fly week after Week. The lightweight construction and abundance of power give this plane an outstanding performance combination.

-Dave Kemper

TEST GEAR

MOTOR: Hacker B50 13S w/6.7:1 planetary gearbox and 77A Opto ESC

PROP; 18×8 APC

BATTERY: 4S4P SOOOmAh Thunder Power Li-poly

POWER: 49 amps and 675 watts at full throttle

FLIGHT DURATION: 30 min.