AXN Clouds Fly

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Airplane floaterjet overview.jpg
Airplane floaterjet package.jpg
Airplane floaterjet motor.jpg
Airplane floaterjet wings.jpg
Axn clouds fly accessories.jpg
Axn clouds fly inside canopy.jpg

This is a powered remote controlled glider plane. It is balanced, forgiving in flight, has curved wingtips for stability, a powerful motor for steep climbs and ultra fast pass-bys, and characteristics to glide around forever on thermals.

Specifications

  • Also called Floater Jet by Hobby King
  • Released: 2008
  • Type: Powered glider, high mount pusher
  • Airframe: Dense glossy EPO (Expanded polypropylene) foam [1] [2] [3]
  • Length: 840 mm (measured)
  • Wingspan 1280 mm (measured)
  • Wing area: 0.23 m^2 / 240 mm^2 / 357 in^2
  • Center of gravity: 51.5 mm, range 49-55 mm from LE
  • Stock weight: 600-650 grams (Servo, ESC, Rx, Bat)
  • Payload capacity: 200-350 grams (at least) [4]
  • Reinforcement: Black 750x8 mm glass fiber spar tube in the wings and embedded tube along in the tail section
  • Recommended flying area: 300x300 meters
  • Product page: http://www.rc-model.cn/802.htm

Kits

Available kits

  • AXN-clouds AXN Floater-Jet with Servo, Motor, ESC, EPO (PNF) - Hobby King 53USD [5]
  • AXN-C-MOT Floater-Jet EPO with Motor (ARF) - Hobby King March 2011 40USD
  • AXN-C-KIT Floater-Jet EPO (ARF) - Hobby King March 2011 35USD
  • AXN-802SET AXN Floater-Jet Set EPO with servo, motor, esc, battery (PNF) - Low Price RC 60USD
  • AXN-802 AXN Floater-Jet EPO with motor (ARF) - Low Price RC 40USD
  • Similar airplanes:
    • BMI Arrow [6] [7]
    • Blitz RC Works Sky Surfer
    • Xen Skywalker
    • Dynam Hawk Sky
    • Wild Hawk

Recommended configuration

Below is a suggestion for a complete airplane setup.

Kit:

  • AXN-clouds AXN Floater-Jet with Servo, Motor, ESC, EPO (PNF) kit

Accessories:

  • APC 6x4E propeller - more suitable, better climb rate
  • Collet propeller 3.0mm adapter - use instead of prop-saver, less vibrations
  • Small parkflyer receiver like Spektrum AR6110e - light and small 6 channel receiver
  • Hextronik HXT900 9grams servos - replacements when the stock break, 4x
  • Turnigy Plush 30A Speed Controller - (optional) replacement for stock ESC
  • Turnigy nano-tech 2200mah 3S Lipo battery - high discharge rate, perfect center of gravity balance
  • T-type Deans connector - for battery pack, esc comes with this type
  • Servo JR extension wires - swap out Y-cable for true ailerons and flaps
  • Nylon Snap-Click 1.0mm style clevis - (optional) easier way to detach rudder and elevator
  • Polyurethane (PU) glue - for fixing EPO foam after crashes
  • Fiber glass tape - cover servos, leading wing edge, nose, general repairs
  • Strong double-sided foam tape - attaching servos to epo
  • Rubber bands - to hold canopy on and wings together

Manual

Setup

Stock

  • Motor: AX-2208N (AXN-2208-2150) 2150 KV 180W Outrunner 27.7x31.4mm (DxW), 3mm shaft, 40 gram, 18A with 5x5 prop 3s, 9 mm tube motor mount, 16x16 mm bolt pattern [8]
  • Propeller: EMP 5x5 Electric propeller, comes in pairs
  • ESC:
    • Revision 1: AOXAN AE-20A Brushless Programmable ESC Linear 2A BEC 2-4S 26x50x11.5mm, soldered directly to motor 18 awg wire, battery wire 16 awg [9] [10] [11]
    • Revision 2: AOXAN AE-25A Brushless Programmable ESC Linear 2A BEC 2-4S 26x50x11.5mm, Deans T-type battery connector
  • Servos: Blue Micro Digital Servo 9 grams JR-connector

My Setup

  • Motor: (Stock) AX-2208N (AXN-2208-2150) 2150 KV 180W Outrunner
  • Propeller: EMP 5x5 and APC 6x4E propeller w/collet 3.0 mm adaptor
  • ESC: (Stock) AOXAN AE-25A Brushless Programmable ESC w/ T-type Deans and bullet connectors
  • Servos: HexTronik HXT900 Blue digital servos
  • Receiver: AR6110e DSM2 compatible receiver
  • Transmitter: Spektrum DX7 DSM 7 Channel radio w/ 1500 mAh NiMH battery
  • Battery: Moxie 2200 mAh / 1800 mAh 3SP1 11.1V Lithium-ion Polymer batteries

Configuration:

FPV Setup

This is a preferable FPV setup, as of April 2011, not setup or tested yet. More FPV details at the FPV Planes page.

Plane:

  • BEV OSC 480 12V or Fatshark RCV922 camera 3.3-5V - Lower third brighter for better view of ground
    • 2.8mm Camera Lens - Wider field-of-view
  • Step-up/boost converter - 5V-to-12V to get clean stable 12V supply for camera (<200mA)
  • Lawmate 500mW 2.4GHz transmitter 5-5.5V - Small and stable transmitter, channel 5 or 8 outside busy 2.4GHz band
    • Heatsink with adhesive backing - Proper cooling of VTx, do thermal paste mod [12]
    • SMA connector, copper wire, tube - Make lightweight tuned antenna [13] [14] [15]
  • 2x 4-wire Mini 1.25mm connector cable - Connect camera, mic, power to transmitter and camera to transmitter, power
  • LC-filter, toroid and capacitor - Remove most voltage ripple and current fluctuation
  • (optional) Turnigy 5V 3A UBEC w/noise reduction - ESC might not deliver enough current to servos, camera and VTx

Ground station:

  • Lawmate 2.4GHz receiver 10.5V-13V - Use channel 5 or 8
    • (optional, later) Oracle diversity controller - for 2x VRx setup, automatically picks the best signal
  • 2x 2.1 mm Barrel-connector cable - 5V UBEC to video receiver and 3S 12V to goggles
  • Turnigy 5000mAh 3S 20C Lipo pack - Stable voltage, enough power for multiple runs and later expansion
  • Turnigy 5V 3A UBEC w/noise reduction - 5V from 3S battery to receiver
    • LC-filter, toroid and capacitor - Remove most voltage ripple and current fluctuation on BEC output and electromagnetic interference from cabling
  • Fatshark RCV922 V2 Base goggles 6-12V - Wide immersive viewing angle
  • Patch antenna 2.4GHz 14dBi - Narrower angle, better sensitivity in one general direction
  • Camera tripod - Mount for patch antenna and accessories

Tips

  • Center of gravity 49-55 mm from leading wing edge, on wing spar rods, 56 mm minimum drag [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21]
  • CG perfect with 3S 2200 mAh battery, a 1300 mAh too light, tail heavy, need to expand the room for the battery under canopy
  • First flights, best to set up CG as far forward as possible and a little noise heavy then tail heavy [22]
  • Change prop to 6x4E for more efficient flight, avoid going over 18A on stock motor and ESC combination [23]
  • Replace stock 20A/25A ESC for a safer more capable 25A or 30A, using a higher rated ESC than necessary will run inefficient, less flight time although cool ESC, now comes with 25A ESC stock
  • Get an ESC with +10A over the maximum amperage for the motor [24]
  • Fasten the battery and canopy properly to allow rolls and loops without loosing parts
  • Add fiber reinforced tape to the bottom of the plane to ease landing on rough surfaces
  • On stock motor, re-glue magnets with epoxy or CA glue after a few flights
  • Use a rubber-band and mounts, magnets, or velcro, to keep the wings tighter together [25] [26]
  • Mount the propeller the right way, the concaved or inward bent curve of the propeller should face the tail, text the front
  • The text must face toward the front, or on pusher propellers to the back [27]
  • If propeller is mounted the correct way but rotates the wrong way, swap any two of the three motor wires between the motor and ESC
  • Cut off excess length of the push-rods to avoid poking holes in battery or ESC
  • During launch, use 45-50% throttle, trim elevator down a few clicks or program flap-switch to 15-20% elev up to avoid diving, hard throw 20% up into the air, clear elevator up trim [28] [29] [30] [31] [32]
  • Use blue threadlock on push-rod connectors and any metal to metal screws or nuts
  • Use threadlock on all screws on the motor and motor mount [33]
  • Loosen up the foam on rudder, elevator, aileron hinges, or cut them off and re-attach with packing tape
  • Use 3M double-sided tape to fasten and packing tape to cover the aileron servos, easy to remove for later repairs
  • FPV: video transmitter on the tail, OSD in bottom of fuselage, camera on canopy, 1800 mAh battery forward
  • Pick a small enough propeller to allow the motor to run efficiently, avoid overloading and burning the motor, use WebOCalc [34]
  • Change the prop-saver for a collet-adapter, less vibration, prop-saver not needed on pusher plane [35]
  • Straighten crooked foam by dipping it in hot 80-90 degrees C water for 1-5 minutes, reform it by hand and use a spoon for any pimples [36] [37]
  • Mix 30-50% rudder into aileron on the transmitter for tighter corner turns [38]
  • Set-up throttle-to-elevator mixing on Tx, -15% to stay flat on all throttle positions [39]
  • Mark the wingtips with red decals/tape to easier identify the orientation of the airplane against the sky
  • Always take-off against the wind and the same for landing, against the wind as lower landing-speed requires more lift to avoid stall
  • Use the inner-most hole on the wing-horn and the outer-most hole on the servo-arm for maximum throw [40] [41]
  • To make the plane less reactive/twitchy for beginners, use push-rod on inner hole of servo and outer hole on the control horn, can also be range/exponential limited on transmitter [42]
  • Flaperons can help to make landing and launching easier, more angle of attack for resistance and decrease airspeed, replace Y-cable by two seperate aileron channels, programmed by the transmitter, spoilerons are flaperons inverted up [43]
  • Thrust line should pass through both the center of mass and the center of drag [44] [45]
  • Motor pod should have a slight 3 degree angle, thrust line, pointing down toward the center-of-gravity point, to minimize elevator pitch down effect caused by the plane pivoting forward when throttling up the motor and also through the center-of-pressure at high speeds, use elevator to compensate [46] [47]
  • For prop-saver, attach the o-ring around the prop and to the 2 grub screws straight no crossing, more centered this way [48] [49]
  • Change the motor if the motor begins to vibrate during testing and propeller is balanced, motor is unbalanced [50]
  • To keep the same ESC current draw; when going up in prop size go down in motor Kv [51]
  • Throws: aileron 10 mm up or down, use outside hole of horn, elevator 5mm up or down, middle hole, rudder 20 mm both ways, middle hole [52] [53]
  • For maximum aileron throw, adjust travel on transmitter to 140% and cut a dent in the EPO at the edge for the servo arm and push-rods [54]
  • Turn the servos around with the head pointing to the rear, frees up servo arm movement and avoids binding on max down, easiest accomplished by swapping right with left servo
  • Add a gyro to aileron for more stable flight in windy conditions, will give minimum roll effect on rudder input, use fast servos [55] [56]
  • Use a gyro on elevator (pitch) to make landing easier in gusty wind conditions [57]
  • On a 45 degree dive and 1/4 throttle, release elevator stick, plane should level back, tail heavy if continuous dive and nose heavy if alternating climb/diving bumping [58] [59]
  • The thrust-to-weight ratio is 1:1 when a motor generates the same thrust as the weight of the plane [60]
  • Minimum 1:2 static thrust to weight for leisurely flight, 1:1 for aerobatics, and atleast 1.4:1 for 3D and hovering [61]
  • Wrap ferrite ring on BEC power lead to receiver to eliminate high frequency current noise from the ESC, 5-7 times round, helps wobbly lines on FPV cameras [62]
  • Propeller dimensions, e.g. 6x4, means that the diameter (length) is 6-inches and the total distance traveled for one rotation is 4-inches [63]
  • Increased prop-pitch gives increased speed but poorer acceleration, increased diameter increases thrust and current draw but lowers RPM and speed [64] [65]
  • Flatten wing tips or shorten them for better rolls, speed and agility, it decreases the dihedral-effect [66] [67]
  • Desolder cable between ESC and motor to add 3.5 mm bullet connectors with heat shrink, easier for repairs and to replace ESC
  • Enable air-brake on ESC to stop propeller free-turning on no throttle and gliding, will draw small amount of current [68]
  • Put the two Y-cable connectors in the square space between the wing halves [69]
  • For a more stable elevator, make a groove on the underside and put a 3-4mm carbon fiber rod from tip to tip, use any type of CA glue, perhaps white tape on top [70] [71]
  • Balance propeller using a magnetic bearing propeller balancer, add thin tape to the back of the lighter blade of the propeller or sand the back of the heavy side, not the tips [72]
  • ESC setup: motor brake ON, battery type Lipo, battery low cut-off, cut-off voltage high (3.2V), start mode normal, timing mode high, govenor mode off [73]
  • For the first flights, throw it at the horizon, glide it without using the motor, a little elevator up to counter the low airspeed, easier to trim and less damage if it hits the ground [74]
  • Put the motor and collet adapter in the freezer, take out and attach, let the expanding metal help it tighten even more [75]

ESC Setup

  • Air break: On (Hold propeller still)
  • Battery type: Lithium-ion Polymer (LiPo)
  • Cut-off type: Soft-cut (Gracefully lower motor power)
  • Cut-off voltage: High (3.1V)
  • Start mode: Normal (Instant acceleration)
  • Timing mode: High (12+ pole motors)
  • Lipo cells: Auto detect
  • Governor mode: Off (Heli only)

Swap 2 of the 3 motor wires to reverse the motor rotation to go clockwise seen from the tail. Check the AXN Clouds Fly Setup page for more setup details.

Glues and tapes

Glues

  • Polyurethane (PU) - Light, humidity activated, transparent turns white, foams, some filler, slow curing, pieces must be pressed during curing - Best for fixing any type of foam, deep cracks [76] [77]
    • Gorilla Glue Quick Cure, Loctite SUMO (less foam)
  • Cyanoacrylate (CA) - Flows into cracks, brittle - Fasten plastic parts together, e.g. servo horns, sizing ring propeller, carbon fiber rod to foam
    • Super Glue, Krazy Glue
  • Epoxy - Structural, filler - Any structure, undercarriage, FPV camera-mount
    • Various curing time and brands available
  • Contact adhesive - Flexible, sticky, adheres to foam
    • Shoe Goo, Zap-A-Dap-A-Goo, UHU Por, Bison Contact Glue [78] [79] [80]
  • Silicone adhesive - Flexible - Mount plastic to foam, e.g. motor mount to foam, winglets to epp [81]
    • Loctite, Liquid Nails, Goop, Bison Polymax [82]
  • Hot glue - Heavy, could melt foam - Fasten plastic to foam, e.g. position servos or plastic motor mount
    • Try thin, medium warm glue

Tapes

  • Packing tape - Thin, strong, transparent, great for aileron, rudder, and elevator
    • 3M Scotch Mailing and Storage Tape, 3M Scotch Moving and Storage Tape, 3M Scotch commercial-grade packing tape
  • Glass-fiber tape - Reinforced weave tape, quick fixes, protect bottom fuselage and leading wing edge
    • Astral Super Tapes [83]
  • Double-sided foam pads - Strong, attaches to uneven surfaces, fasten servos to epo/epp
    • HK Double Sided Tape Pack [84]

Upgrades

This is a list of possible upgrades. Most of the parts should in theory fit and work with the Clouds Fly. To find the product, search for the listed name.

  • Battery:
    • Turnigy nano-tech 2200mah 3S 25-50C
    • Hyperion G3 VX 3S 2100 mAh 35C
    • Moxie 3S 2200mAh 30C
    • ZIPPY Flightmax 2200mAh 3S1P 20C
    • Turnigy 1800mAh 3S 20C Lipo Pack [85]
    • Misc:
      • Turnigy Accucel-6 50W 6A Balancer/Charger [86]
      • 12V 5A 110/240V 50/60Hz Power Supply [87]
  • ESC:
    • Turnigy Plush 30amp Speed Controller [88]
    • Turnigy Plush 40amp Speed Controller [89]
    • Turnigy Plush 25amp Speed Controller - gets hot
    • Castle Creations Thunderbird 36 ESC
    • TowerPro H40A Brushless Speed Controller [90]
    • HobbyKing 40A BlueSeries Brushless Speed Controller [91]
    • HobbyWing Pentium 25A Programmable Brushless ESC [92]
    • Misc:
      • Turnigy BESC Programming Card [93] [94] [95]
      • Turnigy 5V/6V 3A UBEC with Noise Reduction [96] [97]
      • 3.5mm 3 wire Bullet-connector - Between motor and ESC
      • Gold Plated Spring Connector 3.5mm [98]
      • Nylon T-Connectors Deans - For ESC to battery
      • Turnigy 4mm Heat Shrink Tube Red
      • Turnigy 4mm Heat Shrink Tube Black
  • Motor:
    • Grayson GH Micro Jet V3 2200 KV Brushless Outrunner Motor - Light 34 grams, powerful [99] [100]
    • Hoffman Magnetics Super Sport Series Outrunner 2470kv - Powerful, try 4.75x4.75 or 5x5 prop [101] [102]
    • MicroDAN 2505 Speed 2800 Kv Bright Finish - Pricey, mounting tube 8 mm, new mounting plate needed, 6x4E Sport prop S3 [103] [104]
    • Suppo 2212-06 2200KV motor [105] [106] [107]
    • BP A2212-6 - Same as Suppo 2212-06
    • Grayson GH Super Mega Jet V2 2550 KV Brushless Outrunner - Try apc 6x4e prop [108] [109]
    • TowerPro 2409-12T Brushless Outrunner 1600Kv - Powerful, try, 6x4e, 7x6e prop, silent, mounting tube 9mm, direct drop-in, soft steel, use collet-adapter [110] [111] [112] [113] [114] [115] [116] [117]
    • RCTimer BC2826-6 2200kv - Powerful, try TGS 6x4E/6x5E prop [118] [119] [120] [121] [122]
    • RCTimer 2212-6 2200kv - Same as RCTimer BC2826-6 [123] [124]
    • Emax CF2822 1200 KV Outrunner Brushless Motor - Mounting tube 10-11mm [125]
    • Emax CF2812 1600 KV Outrunner Brushless Motor - Mounting tube 10-11mm [126]
    • FC 28-12 Brushless Outrunner 1534kv - Clone of Emax CF2812, try 7x6, mounting tube 11mm [127] [128]
    • A2208/9 17A 2200KV Outrunner Brushless motor V2 - Try 5x5 prop [129] [130]
    • Moxie MOX-X2208N-2100 Brushless Outrunner Motor 2100KV - Try 5x5 prop, mounting tube 8mm, direct drop-in, very similar to stock motor [131] [132] [133]
    • Scorpion SII-2212-1850KV V2 - Try 5x5E [134] [135] [136]
    • Black Mantis B2836 2200kv Inrunner Brushless Motor - Silent [137]
    • hexTronik HXM2730-3000 Brushless Outrunner 3000kv - Light 24 grams, try 4.1X4.1 prop, mounting tube drop-in, HK comment [138]
    • Turnigy TR 28-26 16A 1900Kv Brushless Outrunner, HK comment [139] [140]
    • Turnigy TR 35-30A 1700kv Brushless Outrunner - Try APC 7x5e prop [141]
    • Misc:
      • MicroDan GBx Motor Mount - For converting backplate motors to 8mm tube style motor mounts
      • HXT 8mm Alloy Motor Mount 2.5g [142]
  • Propeller:
    • APC 6x4E [143] [144]
    • TGS Sport 6x4E Precision propeller - Less noise, climbs steeper, flies easier [145] [146] [147] [148]
    • APC 6x3E [149]
    • Master Airscrew 6x3.5 prop [150] [151]
    • TGS 6x5E - For 2S battery [152]
    • APC 6x4 Sport [153]
    • APC 7x5E prop - Adjust motor pod angle
    • APC 7x6E style
    • Master Airscrew 6x6 3-prop [154] [155]
    • Misc:
      • Shaft adapter to suit 3.0mm motor shaft (collet) [156] [157]
      • Ultralight Collet Prop Adapter for 3mm Shaft, M5 [158] [159]
      • Spare Rubber Ring for Prop Saver [160]
      • KD Colet adapter for 3mm shafts [161] [162]
      • Extreme accuracy Prop/Rotor balancer [163] [164]
      • Top Flite Power Point Balancer [165]
  • Servo:
    • hexTronik HXT900 - Great value, same as Towerpro SG90 [166] [167]
    • Towerpro SG90 micro servo 9 gram [168]
    • Hitec HS-65HB Micro Karbo Gear Servo
    • Hitec Micro Servo HS-82MG metal gear - Bit heavy
  • Receiver:
    • AR6110E DSM2 Compatible Parkflyer 2.4Ghz Receiver [169]
  • Transmitter:
    • Spektrum DX7 DSM 7CH
    • Turnigy 9X 9Ch Transmitter
    • Hobby King 2.4Ghz 6Ch Tx & Rx V2
    • Futaba 7C 72MHz or 2.4GHz [170]
    • Futaba 9C
  • Gyro:
    • Turnigy TG-380 - Light, channel switch for on/off, gain by travel adjustment [171] [172]
    • E-Sky EK2-0704 - In rate mode [173] [174]
  • Camera:
    • Mini DV MD80-AEE [175]
    • 808 Car Keys Micro Camera #3 - 720x480 resolution [176]
    • 808 Car Keys Micro Camera #11 - 1280x720 resolution [177] [178]
  • Misc:
    • Spektrum trainer cable 1/8-inch mono jack - For PPM out, EzUHF later on
    • Light weight horn set - Same horn as stock horns
    • Ultra Thin Foam Glue 40ml
    • Evotite CA460 Foam Safe Super Glue (Medium)
    • Turnigy High Density R/C LED Flexible Strip-White - Mount inside the fuselage
    • XT Lipo Monitor 3S
    • Turnigy Pure-Silicone Wire 16AWG Red/Black - To extend battery-esc wire
    • Turnigy Pure-Silicone Wire 18AWG Red/Black - To extend esc-motor wire
    • JR Y Servo Lead 30CM Length
    • 15CM Servo Lead Extention (JR) 26AWG
    • High stength fiber tape 20mm x 50mtr - Excellent for repairs
    • Nylon Snap-Click style clevis - For rudder and elevator pushrod
    • Pushrod Snap Connectors 1.5mm - To fasten pushrod to servo arm
    • Dubro Servo Arms Micro XL
    • Gorilla glue amber - To fix foam, for perfect repairs [179] [180]
    • HXT900-G HXT900 Replacement Gear Set
    • Aileron horn low-profile 18x16x1mm - For holding wings together with rubber band
    • Carbon Fiber Tube (hollow) 3x2x750mm - For elevator strength
    • 5 Spoke Wheel Shock Absorbing D60xH18mm [181] [182]
    • Turnigy Watt Meter and power Analyzer [183]
    • Quality Epoxy Glue 30 minutes
    • Double Sided Tape Pack 110BS - For servo mount, excellent 3M stuff, get plenty

Shops

Guides

Threads

Terms

  • LE - Leading-Edge of the wing
  • WOT - Wide-open Throttle
  • CG - Center of Gravity
  • COG - Same as CG
  • CL - Center of Lift
  • AUW - All Up Weight
  • TOW - Take-Off Weight
  • LG - Landing-Gear
  • EPO - Expanded PolyOlefin
  • EPP - Expanded PolyPropylene

Builds

Gallery

Stock

The photos below show how the default configuration of the Clouds Fly package, as of February 2011.

Final Setup

The preliminary setup. See the AXN Clouds Fly Setup for details.