A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter

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22 Apr 2026 10:39 #16 by THE BLACKBIRD
Replied by THE BLACKBIRD on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
If electric how about this by 2   5050  515kv 8500rpm motor, 120 A /150A ESC, 16X8 prop
Thanks: Eric, Klipkopwildlife

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22 Apr 2026 10:51 #17 by Eric
Replied by Eric on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
Choose the bigger speed controller - gives you more 'headroom'.
 

if you are calm and collected when all about you are going berserk - you've missed something important!
Thanks: Klipkopwildlife, THE BLACKBIRD

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22 Apr 2026 11:10 - 22 Apr 2026 11:11 #18 by THE BLACKBIRD
Replied by THE BLACKBIRD on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
Hi Eric the ESC is 120 up to 150 they are being sold as a set
Last edit: 22 Apr 2026 11:11 by THE BLACKBIRD.
Thanks: Eric, Klipkopwildlife

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22 Apr 2026 13:22 #19 by Klipkopwildlife
Replied by Klipkopwildlife on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
It's going to need a 4S battery, good choice, much cheaper than 6S

Do it now, you may never get another chance
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22 Apr 2026 13:45 - 22 Apr 2026 13:51 #20 by THE BLACKBIRD
Replied by THE BLACKBIRD on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
Will it be powerful enough though with 4S, the motor esc and the prop are being offered as a set for £160, which is not bad, Dual sky is the make
It can go up to 8S
Last edit: 22 Apr 2026 13:51 by THE BLACKBIRD.
Thanks: Klipkopwildlife

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23 Apr 2026 10:40 #21 by Klipkopwildlife
Replied by Klipkopwildlife on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
4S will give you 8,500rpm. If you have the right propellers to draw 135amps at WoT that's a total power drain of 2.16kW. a 4S 4,000mAh battery will give you about 30 minutes. Eric needs to check me here my minds just gone blank!

Do it now, you may never get another chance
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23 Apr 2026 15:33 #22 by THE BLACKBIRD
Replied by THE BLACKBIRD on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
I have just got the plan out for the outer panel of the wing and my mind has gone blank , i thought i was an experienced modeler but i cannot follow it at all,
And there is no mention of landing gear at all, so it will be a bit tricky getting it right,
Washout is jigged into the outer panels but it dose not say how much, now is washout the trailing edge going down towards the tip
Im at this moment in time thinking the plans leave a lot to be desired, they talk of hard balsa but have supplied spruce ??
Thanks: Klipkopwildlife

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23 Apr 2026 18:43 - 23 Apr 2026 18:50 #23 by Eric
Replied by Eric on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
It seems you are struggling with this model, Tony!
I can't help with the undercarriage details, but I think it worked a bit like a Lancaster one, where the two-sided legs fold in the middle, and the wheels go up into the engine nacelles.
Washout is where the wing is twisted along the span, so the tip has the trailing edge higher than the leading edge - usually by about 5 degrees or so. So that if the plane is flying too slowly, the middle of the wing stalls first, not the tip, which means that the nose comes down, and not one wingtip.
Spruce instead of hard balsa - spruce is about the same weight, but is more springy than balsa, and less likely to split along the grain. So it is better for wing-spars and main fuselage longerons.

Re Tony Klippy's comment on batteries a 4000mah battery is a 4 amp battery (the same way a metre doesn't have a million millimeters in it - only a thousand!). I very much doubt you'd get a 30 minute run from it, more like maybe ten minutes if you are just cruising the model round, and maybe five or six at high power.

if you are calm and collected when all about you are going berserk - you've missed something important!
Last edit: 23 Apr 2026 18:50 by Eric. Reason: added a comment
Thanks: Klipkopwildlife, Flytilbroke, THE BLACKBIRD

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23 Apr 2026 23:21 #24 by THE BLACKBIRD
Replied by THE BLACKBIRD on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
Most of the struggling im having Eric is my own making and maybe the grey matter is getting worn out like my body, 
I like a challenge so this is a good one, maybe in a year or so's time ill bring it for you to maiden
I think the original model was done in sanding sealer then light weight tissue and finished with oil based paints, i was going to glass it, but playing with the idea of doing the wings in Pro Skin like i did the Hawker Hunter years back, dont think it would come out heavier than glassing and all the priming, certainly stronger
Thanks: Klipkopwildlife, Flytilbroke

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24 Apr 2026 09:12 #25 by Quorneng
Replied by Quorneng on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
30 minutes? I don't think so!
A 4000mAh battery will (theoretically) give 4A for an hour.
At the suggested total of 135A that battery would give 4/135 of an hour or just 1.7 minutes! 
And that sort of rate of discharge would likely do the battery no good at all.
A theoretical 5 minute (4 minutes actual to be safe) full power discharge rate is considered adequate suggesting that for 135A you would 3 times the capacity, a 12000mAh 4s!

It is the total weight of your Beaufighter that really determines the power required to fly adequately. Any idea yet?
A battery/motor combination giving100W/lb is a good starting point for electric scale plane type of flying.
Thanks: Klipkopwildlife

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24 Apr 2026 09:27 - 24 Apr 2026 09:30 #26 by THE BLACKBIRD
Replied by THE BLACKBIRD on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
The original model came out at 16 lbs, iv found one built from these plans and it came out at 22 lbs, and i tend to build on the heavy side, ill be nearer the 22 rather than 16, so whats that  3300 W 
Last edit: 24 Apr 2026 09:30 by THE BLACKBIRD.
Thanks: Klipkopwildlife

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24 Apr 2026 10:32 #27 by Klipkopwildlife
Replied by Klipkopwildlife on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
You're right Simon, my mind went blank on that one.
Tony, 3300W will give you 150watts/lb I would say 100W/lb would be adequate. To be safe 75watts/lb per side times 22lbs is 1,650 watts per side. So prop for 100amps, so a 4S 5,000mAh battery will give you 5minutes at full wellie. Easily 10 minutes of scale flying and some in the tank for a go around.

Do it now, you may never get another chance
Thanks: Quorneng, THE BLACKBIRD, jon.in.swansea

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24 Apr 2026 18:50 - 24 Apr 2026 18:53 #28 by THE BLACKBIRD
Replied by THE BLACKBIRD on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
I thought 150 W per lb was what is required, so you recon that motor / ESC set up will be ok
I would have preferred IC power but not with the cylinder heads stuck out the cowls, even 20cc petrol engines seem to be big
Think iv found a place in China that seems to sell everything and is at a good price, iv ordered 2 retract units from them to see how long it takes, this is where the motor / ESC prop deal is
I recon the motors will need shaft extensions on them  as the motors will sit behind the dummy engines
Last edit: 24 Apr 2026 18:53 by THE BLACKBIRD.
Thanks: Klipkopwildlife, Flytilbroke

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25 Apr 2026 16:11 #29 by THE BLACKBIRD
Replied by THE BLACKBIRD on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
Iv ordered two 5" wheels and 12mm and 10mm stainless steel for the landing gear
Im looking for some multi pin connectors for the servo wires to connect where the wing joins the fuselage, ill have aileron, flap, retracts and on one wing landing lights
Im holding off ordering the two power set ups as my sons van has got some big expense coming up with new callipers wanted, he took it to the local garage to have the pads changed but they could not get them off so he took it to Ford, they had a go and could not get them of, they were on it half an hour, and charged £90 he went ballistic as is normal for him but i think he had good cause, i mean £160 per hour is a bit over the top
Anyway its going to cost him/me £700 to get it done
Thanks: Eric, Klipkopwildlife, Flytilbroke

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25 Apr 2026 16:34 #30 by Eric
Replied by Eric on topic A nice sized Bristol Beaufighter
Multi-pin connectors, look on RS supplies (used to be radiospares) for D plugs and sockets (like on the backs of computers!)

if you are calm and collected when all about you are going berserk - you've missed something important!
Thanks: Klipkopwildlife, Flytilbroke, THE BLACKBIRD, jon.in.swansea

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