Avro Lancaster Bomber

This is the Priory Models Radio Controlled Lancaster with 4 x400 electric brushed motors and 72" wingspan.   Here’s the phone number 01642 483505, they’re not on the web.

Priory Models are not not the only option if you want to build a Lancaster.  Green Air Designs http://www.greenairdesigns.com/ make a depron kit or the Tony Nijhuis kit  http://www.tonynijhuisdesigns.co.uk/Lancaster72.htm kit.   There is also a Ripmax kit for a very large Lanc if you have the money £800+  http://www2.ripmax.net/item.asp?itemid=A-ASM011&Category=010  all good.

I’m also going to try and set up an cnc foam kit myself later this year (2011)

The Priory kit is about £80 and on the whole is not bad. However the fit of some parts could be better. For quality I'd give it 7 out of 10.

Covered in brown parcel paper and PVA glue and then painted with acrylic Tamyia and B&Q emulsion paints.

The motors were 400 brushed 6.0 Volt and batteries were 10 cell NiMnh pack of around 2000mAH capcity. Flight time was around 5-7 minutes, doesn't sound long but its not the sort of plane you chuck around. Its very easy to fly and launch. This is the latest video 

First flight was a complete success, third flight was as no so good. Here's the crash

A faulty receiver was the culprit, partly my own fault but that's a long story. I now fly it on 2.4GHz Spektrum

On the 20th Sept 2009 the Lanc crashed very heavily.  I was gutted but I think it was caused by an overheating speed controller.  I thinks this link explains what i believe happened. http://www.ezonemag.com/pages/faq/a506.shtml

Prior to this I'd always used a separate receiver battery and had no issues.  I decided to dispense with this as I was very confident on 2.4Ghz.

The speed controller heat shrink has partially melted so I fairly certain this was the cause of loss of signal.

The crash was very heavy and very little survived, but I have a second less damaged Lancaster form my good friend Shaun, so I shall rebuild her.  This time I going to install brushless motors and run a separate receiver battery.

Dec 2009 - Ordered a new fuselage from Priory and this has arrived.  Motors are going to be the 400 replacement that BRC Hobbies do as a combo deal.  Due to other commitments its going to be well into next year before she files again.

Here's some photo's of the build and the Lanc at my flying club. Rotherham & District Model Flying Club

Brushless conversion

Here's the start of the wing repair and conversion to brushless motors.  I've manged to get a 400 replacement combo deal from BRC hobbies which included speed controller motor and a 8x4 prop.  The motor is a Towerpro 2408-21T rated at 1750Kv and the speed controller is 15Amps.  I plan to use 4000mAH Lipo.  On the 8x4 props the BRC say it will give 145 Watts on 3S Lipo so I should have ample power with 4 of them.  On brushed motors I think it was pulling about 250 Watts for all four which worked out about 60-70 watts per pound. 

Some photos of the nacelle being converted to mount brushless motors.  I will also put a hole in the rear and one in the front part on the nacelle to allow air through for cooling