3DHS 48" vyper

[SnowDog]

Just registered on this forum today..
anyone flying 48" super vypers this winter?

Hey Jamie! Glad to have you here! I'll be flying mine again since I just got two new batteries for it under the Christmas tree! My old batteries were so bad they wouldn't last two minutes so this airframe has been grounded until I could get new batteries.
Didn't fly today since it was -4 with the wind chill. I guess I'm a wimp
But this is one of my favorite planes...the 65" Vyper is one step ahead of it on my favorite plane list...I have both

How long have you had your Vyper? And what else are you flying? Do you like precision, 3D, mixed, or ??

 

[jamief1777]

Nice to meet you. I live in Austin and am part of the HCAM (Hill Country Aereomodelers) flying club here. I started my instruction with an Avistar, 46AX, saw someone fly an SHP and had to have one. It is still flying with a Jack-in-the-box head on a servo for my step-grandkids. I trashed out an aspera that Ben sold me several years ago. I was not ready for the speed yet.. I went back to a couple low-wing planes (LA-racer/Kaos40), until I could fly better. Got an old 60 58" Extra and had fun electrifying it with 5Ah 6S. I still have not mastered 3D yet, but liked the idea of something that can do patterns and 3D later. I have pretty much a standard setup Omega 180, 4S, MG65's except for the push-pull MG-85 on the rudder. I had to add some weight to the nose so the 4S 2200's would be accessible. It is still half-way up the nose, but at least I can get to it now. My low-rates are half what 3DHS suggested but with expo's. I like some basic pattern stuff like humpty dumpty's, hammerheads, axial rolls and just tried KE for the first time a couple days ago.. OK thats where I am..

 

[gyro]

The 3dhs Vypers are such an awesome plane to learn and build confidence on. I've owned 3 of the 48" over the years, and attribute by knife edge confidence to lots of practice on the Vyper.

Welcome to our forum!

 

[jamief1777]

Hey Gyro, have you ever been to our HCAM flying field (off of Slaughter, not far from I35)? I did not get your name, you may be a member of HCAM for all I know..

 

[gyro]

Hey Gyro, have you ever been to our HCAM flying field (off of Slaughter, not far from I35)? I did not get your name, you may be a member of HCAM for all I know..

No, I can't say I've been there yet. My name is Gary, and I fly at a field down here in San Antonio. I'm hoping to do a little traveling to some of the other clubs here in Texas in 2014, so maybe I'll get a chance to make a day trip up there! I'm also working on a Big 3D event here in mid-Texas around October.

 

[jamief1777]

I haven't been, but sometimes there are swap-meets in San Marcos (half way?. I think the old Extra 260 that someone sold me was from that swap-meet.. It may have been from someone getting rid of it in your club!
Nice to meet you.

 

[jamief1777]

Hey SnowDog,

How do you get any Amps out of your LiPo's with those low temperatures?
Do you pre-warm them before flying? Also, what 6S batteries do you use for the big Vyper? I had one of my two 6S Nanotech's get a bad cell in it and I think it is ruined.. Only flew probably 20 flights on it, but some were in the dead of summer with 95-100F temperatures.. Probably got too hot..
(on the 26- Extra).

Back to Viper 48", What 4S batteries have you used? Do they puff-up in the colder climates or just here in Texas? I have 4 new NanoTech 2.2ah
s and am trying to take them back to storage (3.85V) when I don't burn through all the packs.. I heard that may make them last longer and not puff up as much..

 

[gyro]

Hey SnowDog,

How do you get any Amps out of your LiPo's with those low temperatures?
Do you pre-warm them before flying? Also, what 6S batteries do you use for the big Vyper? I had one of my two 6S Nanotech's get a bad cell in it and I think it is ruined.. Only flew probably 20 flights on it, but some were in the dead of summer with 95-100F temperatures.. Probably got too hot..
(on the 26- Extra).

Back to Viper 48", What 4S batteries have you used? Do they puff-up in the colder climates or just here in Texas? I have 4 new NanoTech 2.2ah
s and am trying to take them back to storage (3.85V) when I don't burn through all the packs.. I heard that may make them last longer and not puff up as much..

The first thing to do to keep nanotechs from puffing, is not to get nanotechs
The HobbyKing batteries have a history of puffing and/or dropping a cell.

I personally use the Glacier packs (buddyrc) here in Texas (and when previously in Vegas) and they do fine even on the hot days.

A lot of guys have been raving about the [MENTION=2393]YellowJacketsRC[/MENTION] packs too, and many of the guys using them are down in he hot south.

Finally, Gens Ace & Sky LiPo are pretty reliable, but seldom in stock.

 

[SnowDog]

Hey SnowDog,

How do you get any Amps out of your LiPo's with those low temperatures?
Do you pre-warm them before flying? Also, what 6S batteries do you use for the big Vyper? I had one of my two 6S Nanotech's get a bad cell in it and I think it is ruined.. Only flew probably 20 flights on it, but some were in the dead of summer with 95-100F temperatures.. Probably got too hot..
(on the 26- Extra).

Back to Vyper 48", What 4S batteries have you used? Do they puff-up in the colder climates or just here in Texas? I have 4 new NanoTech 2.2ah
s and am trying to take them back to storage (3.85V) when I don't burn through all the packs.. I heard that may make them last longer and not puff up as much..

Yeah, what Gary said stay away from NanoTech batteries...they just don't last and they don't deliver the promised amps (at least in all the field tests that I've read).
Keeping them warm? Well, it's only 5 degrees here today...there's some jokes about how/where to keep them warm, but I'll just say I leave them in my pocket and leave the rest to your imagination. :\
My current packs are from ValueHobby, but they are three years old and are not holding a charge. The new ones I got are Glacier packs from buddyrc.

The 6s5000mah 30C batteries in my 65" Vyper are Zippy batteries and I feel fortunate that they've held up so far. If/when I replace them it will be with one of the brands Gary and I have mentioned.

None of my batteries have ever puffed, even some that have been in crashes. I fly them in very cold temperatures at times.

 

[jamief1777]

Hi Gyro & SnowDog,

Thanks for the advice on LiPo brands! I may have to try the Glacier batteries when I need new 4S (Vyper) or 3S (SHP) ones. The Nano-tech 4S 35C's are 4 for $88 from the US warehouse. The Glaciers are 3 for $100.
They have to be good if you are paying 50% more for them than nano-tech's. Go measure the m-ohms of one of them after charging and let me know what you get on each cell. Also tell me the temperature you measured them at and I will try to compare them with the new nano-tech 4S 35C set I just started using.


We have a fellow in our club that races I think 3 or 3.3.Ah nanotech 4S cells and he says that if you always bring them back to storage voltage (3.85V) after flying them that they will not puff, assuming that they are adequately cooled during flying. I will see if that is true or not.. I'm a bit skeptical, but I will try to not leave the new nanotech's at 4.2v for a week or two like I used to do.. I need to research 6S cells more.. They are so expensive..

What advice can you give on learning KE flight? I tried a couple days ago but I think I was on low rates and I neeed to be on full rates to get more rudder deflection. I just got my realflight 7 upgrade in the mail and found some good planes on it that KE pretty easily compared to my old realflight 5.5.