Hempel 50% KA6 setups

[LRFitch]

Folks, I believe there are several people that frequent this forum that have the subject glider. Can you folks share what you used for servos and flight control equipment for the big glider? I'm thinking about buying one, and would like to get an understanding of what is needed complete the glider and get it in the air safely.

Thanks,
Larry

[JimD]

First thing is to settle on the weight of your scale pilot.

[kjkavaney]

Hey Larry...I have Dan Troxel's old 43% Ka6cr which weighs a ton more than a Hemple...my Ka6cr comes in a 54 pounds.....that said, I used hitec HS5645mg servos on the flaps and the ailerons and all seems good.
I left in some old analog standard servos on the spoilers and that seems okay too...I used a analog HS 945 on the tow release and I think the same on the rudder pull pull...
We don't do knife edge style of flying on these planes and don't need crazy high torque servos...no problem if you want to use them, but I don't think they are necessary.
I personally think the Hemples are a bit too light in weight and struggle to penetrate in higher winds...so additional weight is NOT an issue in my mind...My old Pumpkin loves big winds...load up your bird to next to the legal limit...
kevin

[LRFitch]

Jim and Kevin,
Thanks for the responses. Kevin, I agree with everything you are saying, and welcome back to America. Hope you enjoyed Africa. Jim, my puppy weighs 65.2#, and would never sit still in the front seat, nor the back(if it had one). Bad MoJo for a dog!
I am also hoping to hear from Tom, Charlie, and Steve. I recall they have had experience with the big Hempel. Please share what you guys used outfitting yours.

Thanks again,
Larry

[JimD]

Larry, There are two others as well, Xroadie and ErichS.

Maybe one or both of them will chime in. I have gotten to tow Tom, Charlie, Erich, and Pete's Ka-6's many times. Once you get over the size of them, they actually seem to be very docile birds.

Back about 2012 on a 95 degree day at my summer event on the mountain (1470' ASL), Erich decided that I should tow up his Hemple Ka-6, At the time, I had a pair of DA-85 powered TopModel Porters...didn't seem like a good idea to me. Well he was insistent and we ended up towing him several times and used both of the Porters just to show it wasn't a fluke.

[lenb]

​​​Hi Larry.

The Hemple KA6 actually seems to fly very well. I watch Erich and Tom Fly theirs all the time and I had the opportunity to maiden one a couple years ago for Bob and other than being about 5 pounds too light in the nose, it flew very nice. Once we added the weight to the nose and put it back into the air, the ship just lumbers around the sky with solid control and good glide range. The interesting thing I found was when you get close to the ground, the plane always seems to settle in before I expect it to. Having to do the walk and get it.

Servos should be strong and high quality. Its really not smart to spend a large amount of money on an airplane and put low torque cheap servos in it. Its the item you should spend a lot of money on, since its the ONE thing that brings the plane back to you.

Hitec had a decent line with the 7955's or support Horizon with the Spectrum line of high torque.

Standard servos ( HS 645 mg) will work for all the times you are just floundering around the sky, but the one time you get out of sorts, get towed too fast ( hard to do with that plane ) or overspeed the ship somehow, the smaller servos can get overloaded. I've seen it and have had it happen.
Put in the best you can afford and don't skimp on the elevator or tow release servos.

I hope you get the plane, its a neat one!!

[kjkavaney]

If I were doing my re hab on Dan's Ka6cr today, I would do as Len suggests with the Hitec 7955's, a lot more power, so far I have been lucky I guess with my weak servos...however, my elevator servos have always been JR8611's that Dan put in there..
kevin

[Stew2]

I think one element that often gets overlooked as our airplanes get bigger and bigger is not so much the flight loads, but simply the inertia loads of unbalanced control surfaces. I know my landings are so far from perfect and can lack consistency resulting in an "arrival" as it gets called.. But really, the unintentional stall or occasional thump with the ground will strip the lighter weight servos and the higher torque rating servos simply have tougher and more robust gear train.

[JimD]

Scot makes a point here that is true across the broad range of sizes of our models. Back in 2010, we spent a lot of time introducing pilots to areotowing with a Telemaster 40 and an Easy Glider. Multiplex recommended Hitec HS-55 servos for the ailerons in the Easy Glider. While these were perfectly serviceable from a flight stand point, the nylon gears were very easy to strip on a less than perfect landing. The Hitec HS-65HB servos were twice the price, but the gears held up through hundreds of less than perfect landings by dozens and dozens of first time aerotow/glider pilots.

A lot of pilots are looking to save money on their projects and the temptation is to pick the "good enough" servo...but...if you are at the field and strip a gear train, your day is over! And then replacing the gear train is an expense, if you can even buy the gears. More likely than not, you may just opt to replace the servo. Now that "good enough" servo that was half the price is now costing the same price as the better servo...and you lost a day of flying and spent additional shop time fixing the model...so what did you really save!

Len, Scot, and others here offer wise advice based on real world experience...been there, done that.

Sometimes spending more up front saves money and time in the long term.

[LRFitch]

Guys, Thanks for all the info. However, I think only Kevin answered the question I asked. I'm not asking what I should buy and use, but what are other owners using. There is a build thread on RCG by the fellow that assembled the first Hempel KA6 in America. He installed HS7955mg servos all around. Later in the long thread, after he had flown the glider a couple of dozen times, he states he would not use such powerful servos if he had it to do over again. Not sure why (the thread doesn't say).
I was hoping to hear what 3-4 owners have used and compare that info with my decision making process. Still hoping some owners will speak up and share.

[Tom]

I’m using a Spektrum 9 channel Powersafe receiver with 2 - 5000 mah NIMH battery packs.....servo’s are ones that Erich found that are designed to be used in IMAC 3D aircraft......all metal gear train and 300 oz of torque........which are no longer avaible since the company we got them from is no longer in business......the senesable thing to do is buy all metal geared high torque servo’s.....at 50+ lbs it’s not a “toy” and needs reliable equipment to guide it.

[LRFitch]

Tom,
Thank you very much. Just the kind of info I am looking for. I also just heard from Bill H. His next Ka-6 won't be here until June--not quite what I was hoping to hear. Oh well, I now have plenty of time to get everything here needed to assemble it.
Thanks Again,
Larry

[Tom]

Tom,
Thank you very much. Just the kind of info I am looking for. I also just heard from Bill H. His next Ka-6 won't be here until June--not quite what I was hoping to hear. Oh well, I now have plenty of time to get everything here needed to assemble it.
Thanks Again,
Larry

Check with AMR in Canada.....

https://amr-rc.com/en_ca/50-ka-6-glider-7-5m-ws-blue-white.html

[LRFitch]

Tom, Good idea! However AMR says they are out of stock as well.