Man that's a lot of battery in that thing. Mind you I have never set up anything this big but my 55cc Sukhoi flys on two 2500mah 2S LiFe packs for everything. I generally get in four flights that are 9 minutes long on it each time I take it out and when I recharge my packs I'm only putting in the 600-700mah range back into each pack. Now yes I realize you have quite a few more servos. Care to run down the numbers for me so I better understand?
Ok, so those numbers you were asking for and I promised. Funny thing is this, when I first started flying I was dead set on getting the biggest and most mah battery I could find for those glow (shudder) planes. Now mind you, standard servos that were not digital, one per surface and I was looking for the most? I certainly didn't need it as I found out. Fast forward, I started out with the 5200 Fromeco's because I had seen good reports on them. But as we all know, battery chemistry and technology changes as rapidly as computer technology. That being said, I have started moving away from such large batteries. Such as the 3600 2s Lipos in the Pitts. The only thing I don't like about Lipos is the horror stories you hear. But I have had no problems, so why not use them right? The same holds true for the packs that I have now. I figured in the 260 when I built her 5 years ago, that one 2600 for the ignition was enough and two 5200 for the radio and servos would be the ticket. That is what most people were doing then. It has proven to be a solid set up. Have not change it and do not plan to. Why change something that works right? So the Sukhoi got the same setup. And it too works well. I keep a meticulous record of all my planes flights and charge cycles. From day one on the 260, I can "EASILY" get (6) ten minute flights. Which I sometimes do. The same with the Sukhoi. Mah usage is typically 325 to 350 mah per pack. (per flight) And after a full day of flying I still have 50%. That extra margin of safety. The ignition packs usually use upwards of 300 mah total. Now for the 35% Pilot Edges, I have been running the ignition off the system board. Which means (2) 5200's still give me an easy (6 to 7) ten minute flights. I throw these planes around much more than the 260 and the Sukhoi. Still, recharge records remain the same as the bigger birds. Averaging about 325 to 350 mah per pack. And this is with running the ignition off them. Now for the Yak? Because it has two ignitions, (one 2600 pack per ignition) and 12 HV high grunt servos plus the throttle servo, I would not dare trust those planes to anything less than the twin 5200's. The mah usage is about the same as the 260 and the Sukhoi. Maybe a little more. I can easily get a solid (5) ten minutes flight and still have that comfortable margin of safety. The most I have ever seen put back in is around 360 mah per pack on the Yak. And usually around 335 or so. Just depends on how much I move those surfaces. I have been thinking for quite sometime to move up to the 7800 mah packs in the Behemoth Yaks and run the ignitions from the system board. But, my batteries are still in top notch condition, so why worry about it right now? In fact, the batteries in the 260 were installed December of 2012. We are now in the middle of the 5th season on those packs. Five years and they have not shown not one ounce of degradation. Kurt and Mike from Fromeco told me that if I maintain the batteries well, take care of them...don't charge them too quickly or too hard...if I put them "to sleep" during the off flying season, there is no reason I could not get six to seven years out of them. I have been told many guys are seeing that kind of return on their batteries. I for one will not go that far. No matter the condition of the batteries in the 260 at the end of this year, the are getting changed regardless.
So that is pretty much the "Nip and Tuck" of my battery setups and usage. Not much more I can really add. Except one thing. In a 30 percent plane, a few ounces makes a big difference. On a 40 to 50 pound plane, a few ounces is quite negligible. I do know a 6.6 life would weigh a few ounces less than a Fromeco 2s 5200 mah pack. But, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in this case. I run HV systems and servos. For me, the LiIon Relions will always be my first choice when it comes to batteries for a plane larger than 35% like the Edge. I may not "NEED" such large capacity batteries, but then again...I don't ever worry if I have enough battery power. I have never lost a plane due to being short on battery power.
. Seriously, I will be happy to give you my opinion, my setup and the numbers. Second order of business was to screw down the rudder servos and add the double output arms. Epoxy in a lateral support for the J and J tailwheel in the rear of the big Yak. Temporarily locate the Smart Fly and Optima 9. And a few other things. For now however, last order of business is my queen is beckoning me. (Queen size bed that is)
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