Great Planes RimFire 50mm Power System User Manual

Page 2

COLLET TYPE PROP ADAPTER INSTALLATION

Slide the prop shaft
over the output shaft
of the gear drive or
motor. Next slide the
prop shaft retainer
over the prop shaft.
Note that the hole
through the retainer is
tapered. Make sure
that the side with the
larger diameter hole is installed first. Install the spinner backplate (if
used, not included), the prop, prop washer and then the prop nut.
Tighten the prop nut against the prop. This will cause the tapered hole
in the prop shaft retainer to squeeze the prop shaft around the output
shaft. Carefully pull on the prop to make sure it is securely attached
to the output shaft of the gear drive.

SET SCREW TYPE PROP ADAPTER INSTALLATION

Slide the prop adapter over
the output shaft of the gear
drive or motor. Apply a drop
of Great Planes Threadlocker
(GPMR6060) to the set
screws and install them in the
prop adapter, tightening them
against the motor shaft.

Position the motor/front plate
assembly between the
backplate. Measure the distance
from the firewall to the front of
the prop adapter. Attach the
front plate of the motor mount
to the back plate using the eight
6-32x1/2” SHC screws, eight
#6 flat washers and four
aluminum screw plates, spaced
out as far as possible.

Note: Once the motor is mounted in position, the collet type prop
adapter can be removed to allow the cowl to be mounted. This adapter
is easily installed with the cowl already installed.

INSTALL THE BRUSHLESS ESC

Mount your ESC in the desired location. Always make sure that the
ESC is positioned so that it gets some cooling air flowing over it. Use
the instructions included with the ESC to correctly connect the ESC.

RIMFIRE MOTOR MAINTENANCE

RimFire brushless motors require virtually no maintenance. There are
no brushes to wear out and replace. The precision bearings have a very
long service life and should last a very long time. The internal parts of
the motor should not require any cleaning. The only thing that needs to
be checked is to make sure all the screws and set screws remain tight.

IMPORTANT PRECAUTIONS

•

Once the battery is connected to the ESC, stay clear of the motor and
prop.

•

DO NOT apply an input voltage that exceeds the maximum
specification of each motor.

•

DO NOT apply currents to the motor that exceed the maximum

specifications of each motor.

•

DO NOT allow the input connectors to accidentally touch each other

while power is applied to the motor. Make sure all input connections
are insulated electrically.

•

DO NOT allow water or moisture to enter the motor, as it can cause

permanent damage to the motor and possibly short out the attached
ESC.

•

DO NOT cut the coated wires from the motor. If you must remove

the bullet connectors, unsolder them.

•

Allow the motor to cool after each flight.

•

The motor shaft of the motor will rotate at very high rpm. DO NOT

attempt to touch the shaft while it is rotating. If setting up the motor/
ESC on the workbench, make sure the motor is securely attached and
that nothing is attached to the motor shaft BEFORE applying power.

•

Never attempt to use a damaged motor (having mechanical or
electrical defects).

ElectriFly carries a complete line of Ammo (inrunner style) and
RimFire (outrunner style) brushless motors, gear drives, motor
mounts, prop adapters and speed controls. For a complete list of
these products, check out our web site at:

www.greatplanes.com

www.electrifly.com

or visit your nearest hobby shop that carries the full line of Great
Planes and ElectriFly products.

Check the airplane instruction
manual for the correct distance.
These pictures show the distances
from the firewall to the front of
the prop adapter using the
different mounting systems.

If you are replacing a glow engine
with an electric motor system,
remove the nylon engine mount
and replace it with the Large
Motor Mount or RimFire mounting
plate, using the same bolts to
attach it to the firewall. If the
firewall has not been drilled for an
engine mount and blind nuts, use
the mounting template on the
header card to locate the mounting
holes. Drill the four mounting
holes and install 8-32 blind nuts
from the back of the firewall.

MOUNTING PLATE INSTALLATION

If attaching the motor to the firewall using the adjustable motor mount,
skip to the Large Motor Mount Installation.

Note: Apply a drop of Threadlocker (GPMR6060) to all bolts and screws
used to install the motor on the plane.

Attach the backplate to the motor using four
3x8mm flat head machine screws.

Attach the Backplate of the motor mount
to the firewall using four 8-32 machine
screws and four #8 flat washers. Apply a
drop of Great Planes Threadlocker to the
screws before installing them. Mount the
aluminum prop adapter to the motor case
using four 3x7mm SHC screws. Use a
drop of Threadlocker to the threads of
each bolt.

LARGE MOTOR MOUNT INSTALLATION

Note: Apply a drop of Threadlocker (GPMR6060) to all bolts and screws
used to install the motor on the plane.

Attach the backplate of the motor
mount to the firewall using four
8-32 machine screws and four #8
flat washers.

Remove the c-clip from the
motor shaft. Mount the
RimFire motor to the motor
mount front plate (front or
back) using four 3mm
machine screws.

Slide the 8mm spacer,
included with the motor, and
the brass collar on the motor
shaft. Tighten the set screw
in the brass collar, making
sure the collar does not rub
on the motor mount.

Install the collet or set screw prop adapter on the motor shaft or the
aluminum prop adapter on the motor case. Great Planes carries a full line
of collet type prop adapters to fit shafts from 1.5mm to 8mm in diameter.
The RimFire 50mm motors use the 8mm prop adapter (GPMQ4971 Collet
Type or GPMQ4945 Set Screw Type).

ALUMINUM PROP ADAPTER INCLUDED WITH MOTOR

Mount the aluminum prop adapter
to the motor case using four 3x9mm
SHC screws and threadlocking
compound.

DETERMINE WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD YOUR POWER SYSTEM

Now that you have one component for your power system, there
are several different ways to select the rest. In time, experience will
help you to determine what works best for you, but an easy way to
determine what you need now is the following.

Procedure #1: If you know the size of the propeller you want to turn
and the rpm, then:

❏

1. Find the combination that delivers the closest performance to what

you want (refer to the ElectriFly web site for typical combinations),
or refer to the airplane manufacturer’s recommendations.

❏

2. Note the recommended battery voltage.

❏

3. Determine the battery capacity needed based on the current draw

of your system and your desired fl ight time.

❏

4. Determine the ESC you need based on the system current draw.

See the ESC section.

Procedure #2: If you know the approximate weight of your airplane,
including the motor and battery, and the performance you want from
it, answer the questions below to determine the correct power system
for your plane. You may need to make more than one calculation using
different motors and battery combinations. See the battery section for
some of the battery weights for the suggested batteries.

❏

1. Perform the following calculation to determine the wattage required:

• If you expect trainer-like performance, then multiply

75 × Airplane Weight (lbs)

• If you expect aerobatic or high speed-like performance, then

multiply 100 × Airplane Weight (lbs)

• If you expect 3D or extreme performance, multiply

150 × Airplane Weight (lbs)

❏

2. The number you get is the minimum wattage you will need for

your plane to perform as you wish. Watts = current (A) × voltage
(V). Using suggested power system combinations as reference,
determine what combination gives you the performance you
want based on wattage and maximum propeller size that will fi t
on the plane.

❏

3. Note the recommended battery voltage.

❏

4. Determine the battery capacity needed based on the current draw

of your system and your desired fl ight time.

❏

5. Determine the ESC you need based on the system current draw.

In addition to these two procedures, you can also visit the Great
Planes ElectriFly web site for descriptions of the power systems
recommended for our line of electric and glow airplanes as well as
more detailed explanation on the subject.

Recommended Setups:

RimFire .60: 6S Battery, 12x6 Electric Prop

RimFire .80: 6S Battery, 15x8 Electric Prop

RimFire 1.20: 6S Battery, 17x8 Electric Prop

ASSEMBLE YOUR POWER SYSTEM

Once the required RimFire motor has been determined, it needs to be
installed on the plane. To determine the best mounting system, the
distance from the firewall to the front of the prop adapter first needs to
be determined.

It can be mounted directly
to the firewall using the
RimFire aluminum mounting
plate (included with the
motor) which replaces the
Great Planes

.60-1.20

nylon engine mount; or, an
ElectriFly 36mm Motor
Mount (GPMG1260) which
replaces the Great Planes
.40-.70 and .60-1.20 nylon
engine mounts.

69.72mm

Motor Mount Template

GPMZ0030Instr