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This section describes the items you will need to purchase for your new Tangent EP. These suggestions are not set in
stone, but they should provide you with a good starting point.
SECTION 1: OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
IMPORTANT
When choosing accessories for your Tangent EP, such as servos, ESC, and receiver, it's very important to take the
weight of these items into consideration. Remember, the lighter the overall weight of the finished airplane, the
better the airplane will fly.
What Servos Do I Use?
The servos you use should be the lightest available, yet still have an adequate amount of torque. We suggest using servos
that weigh no more than 0.19 ounces and have a torque rating of no less than 7.0 ounces per square inch.
What Receiver Do I Use?
The receiver should be as light as possible, preferably 1/2oz. or less. Most four-channel micro receivers would be a good
choice. If you plan on using the Hitec 555 Micro receiver, we suggest removing the case to reduce the receiver's weight.
If you do remove the case from your receiver we strongly suggest wrapping the receiver with heat-shrink material to protect
the internal components.
Note: We don't suggest using short-range receivers like the Hitec Feather or Cirrus MRX-4. The range provided by these
receivers will not be long enough for you to keep control of the airplane.
What Electronic Speed Control Do I Use?
The ESC you choose should be capable of handling 10-15 amps continuous current. Again, lighter is better. Your ESC
should weigh no more than 1 ounce including the wiring and switch.
Note: Although a 10 amp ESC may work with our recommended battery, motor, gear box and propeller, it is at the low end of
the scale. Since some customers may wish to experiment with other motors, gear boxes, batteries and propellers, chances
are a 15 amp ESC will then be necessary because of higher current draw; therefore, we recommend just starting with a
higher-capacity ESC.
What Flight Battery Do I Use?
To get good flight performance you need to use the right type of flight battery. You need a flight battery that can
deliver enough voltage and be able to handle current draw up to approximately 8 - 10 amps. Through much testing on
this power system, we have found the 8 cell 800Mah 5/4AAA NiMH battery pack delivers the best performance in terms of
weight, power and duration. You certainly could use NiCD battery packs - they will give you more power, but they are
heavier and offer much less duration than NiMH batteries. Depending on how you fly the airplane, the trade-off between
higher weight and less duration may not be worth the extra power.
Note: At the time of this writing, most NiMH batteries cannot withstand current draw above 10 amps. If you use our included
370 size motor, gear box and propeller, current draw will not be a problem. However, if you experiment with larger
propellers or different motors and gear boxes, the current draw may be too high for NiMH batteries. If this is the case,
you will need to use NiCD batteries in your airplane. NiMH battery technology is evolving quickly, so in the future they
may be compatible with high-draw power systems.