KAVAN Pulse 2200 V2 - Instruction manual

From KAVAN RC Wiki

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of the Pulse 2200 V2, motor-powered glider. You are about to start assembling a model manufactured from virtually unbreakable EPO (expanded polyolefin) foam powered by a mighty brushless motor and lightweight LiPo battery. Everybody who has already mastered flying a "full house" trainer – with aileron, elevator, rudder, and throttle control will enjoy this beautiful high-performance glider.

However, if you have not flown any other RC model yet, please put your Pulse 2200 V2 aside for a while – at least until you become familiar with any of the trainers like KAVAN BETA 1400 or ALPHA 1500. You can purchase any of these planes as RTF or ARTF kits. Please note that even the most famous glider pilots started their careers flying an elementary trainer first. After a lot of hours at the controls of a twin-seater (like the famous Czech L-13/23 Blanik) they had made their first solo flight and only then they could fly all those high-performance gliders.

Before you start

  1. If you are not an experienced RC pilot, plan to have a fully competent pilot check your completed model and help you with your first flights. Even though we have tried to provide you with a thorough instruction manual, RC models are rather complicated. An experienced modeller can quickly check over your model to make sure your first flights are successful.
  2. Please assemble your model exactly according to these instructions. Do not attempt to modify or change your model in any way as doing so may adversely change its flying characteristics.
  3. Before you begin, please check the entire contents of this kit to make sure no parts are missing or damaged. This will also help you to become familiar with each component of your plane. If you find that any of the parts are either missing or damaged, please contact your dealer immediately for replacement.
    Note: Your dealer cannot accept kits for return if construction has begun.
  4. Trial fit each part before gluing it in place. Make sure you are using the correct part, and that it fits well before assembling. No amount of glue can make up for a poorly fitting part.
  5. The manual contains a drawing showing the default position of the Centre of Gravity (CG) and recommended control surface throws. Please note it is essential to keep the recommended CG position for the first flight otherwise the model could be unstable, hard to control or even unable to fly at all. Later you can fine-tune the CG position to suit your flying style and skills.

Precautions

This RC model is not a toy. Use it with care and strictly following the instructions in this manual.

Assemble this model following strictly these instructions. DO NOT modify or alter the model. Failure to do so, the warranty will lapse automatically. Follow the instructions in order to obtain a safe and solid model at the end of the assembly.

Children under the age of 14 must operate the model under the supervision of an adult. Assure that the model is in perfect conditions before every flight, taking care that all the equipment works correctly and that the model is undamaged in its structure.

Fly only in days with light breeze and in a safe place away from any obstacles.

Safety precautions and warnings

  • An RC aeroplane is not a toy! If misused, it can cause serious bodily harm and damage to property. Fly only on a safe place following all instructions and recommendations in this manual. Beware of the propeller! Keep loose items that can get entangled in the propeller away from the spinning propeller, including loose clothing, or other objects such as pencils and screwdrivers. Ensure that yours and other people’s hands, and face are kept away from the rotating propeller.
  • As the user of this product, you are solely responsible for operating it in a manner that does not endanger yourself and others or result in damage to the product or the property of others. This model is controlled by a radio signal that is subject to interference from many sources outside your control. This interference can cause momentary loss of control so it is advisable to always keep a safe distance in all directions around your model, as this margin will help to avoid collisions or injury.
  • Never operate your model with low transmitter batteries.
  • Always operate your model in an open area away from power lines, cars, traffic or people. Avoid operating your model in populated areas where injury or damage can occur.
  • Carefully follow the directions and warnings for this and any optional support equipment (chargers, rechargeable batteries, etc.) which you use.
  • Keep all chemicals, small parts and anything electrical out of the reach of children.
  • Moisture causes damage to electronics. Avoid water exposure to all equipment not specifically designed and protected for this purpose.
  • The model is mostly made of plastics - it is not fireproof. It may not be exposed to higher temperatures otherwise severe distortion of the foam airframe or other damage may occur.

Specification

Wingspan 2206 mm
Length 1266 mm
Wing area 41.8 dm²
Weight 1800 g
All–up weight 2100–2250 g
Motor C3548–750
ESC KAVAN R–50SB Plus
Propeller 11×8"

Set contents

Almost ready-to-fly model of a sailplane with the brushless motor, speed controller and servos installed, instruction manual.

You will also need

  • At least 7-even channel RC set, 14.8 V 2600–4000 mAh LiPo flight pack.
  • Regular modeller’s tools – modeller’s knife, screwdrivers, pliers etc.

Model assembly

  1. Slide the halves of the horizontal tailplane onto the carbon joiner inserted into the fin. Secure them with four 2.5×8 mm screws. Attach the elevator push rod to the ball link on the elevator horn. (Fig. 1+2+3)
  2. Connect the wing multi connectors to the corresponding sockets in the wing halves. Insert both the wing halves all the way into the opening in the fuselage until you hear a click. Secure the wing with one M6×40 mm nylon screw. (Fig. 4+5)
  3. Hook up your receiver, servos and ESC following the wiring diagram (Fig. 8). The receiver is to be secured with a strip of double side foam tape or hook-and-loop tape to the rear part of the cockpit. Deploy the antennas, so their active parts were square to each other (if you are using a receiver featuring diversity antennas).
  4. The flight pack is to be placed in the bay in the centre of the cockpit; use the installed hook-and-lop ties to fasten it. With your radio on, set the servos to the neutral position (sticks and trims centered) and fasten the setting screws of the pushrod connectors on the elevator and rudder servo arms. Perform the throttle range calibration of the ESC as described in the attachment of this manual. (Fig. 6)
  5. Attach the canopy.
Note: The kit is supplied with the connection board for ailerons, flaps, elevator, rudder servos and the ESC so you can use even the most basic 6-channel radios to control your PULSE 2200 V2. If you intend to use independent control of aileron and flap servos and an advanced computer radio, you will have to bypass the connection board accordingly.

RC set installation and preflight check

  • Referring to the instruction manual of your radio carefully hook up the onboard electronics.
  • Once everything has been correctly connected, turn on your transmitter and plug in the flight pack. Check the neutral positions and throws of all control surfaces. If you needed to make the control surface throws smaller, simply move the pushrod closer to the centre on the servo arm or move it far from the control surface on the control horn. And vice versa.
Low rate High rate
Ailerons 20 mm up/10 mm down 25 mm up/13 mm down
Ailerons (Butterfly) 20 mm up 20 mm up
Ailerons (Thermal) 3 mm down 3 mm down
Ailerons (Speed) 3 mm up 3 mm up
Elevator ± 10 mm ± 15 mm
Elevator (Butterfly) 1-3 mm down 1–3 mm down
Rudder ± 30 mm ± 40 mm
Flaps 12 mm up/18 mm down 12 mm up/18 mm down
Flaps as Ailerons 7 mm up/3.5 mm down 10 mm up/5 mm down
Flaps (Butterfly) 30 mm down 30 mm down
Flaps (Thermal) 4 mm down 4 mm down
Flaps (Speed) 4 mm up 4 mm up
  • The "Low rate" recommended control surface throws are suitable for a less skilled pilot and regular soaring. The "High rate" setting allows an experienced pilot exploring the full aerobatic capabilities of his model. The aileron differential (aileron down deflection reduced to 50 % of up deflection) is only possible with a computer radio.
  • Check the direction of rotation of the propeller. If it was incorrect, simply swap two of the tree wires between the ESC and motor or program the ESC (refer to the ESC manual).
  • Check the correct position of the centre of gravity (CG) – 75–85 mm behind the leading edge of the wing (Fig. 7). Adjust the CG position by moving the flight pack – if you could not reach the recommended position, do not hesitate to add appropriate amount of lead to the nose or tail. An extra couple of grams won't spoil the flying characteristics - but the incorrect CG position is a killer.
  • Fully charge your flight pack and transmitter batteries, check the proper function of your radio and perform the range check of your radio according to its instruction manual. The range has to be almost the same with the motor off and at full throttle (no more than 10 % decrease is acceptable). DO NOT try to fly unless the range check is 100% successful.

Flying

The test flying and fine tuning is pretty much straightforward. There will be no surprise for a medium-advanced pilot that is supposed to fly this model.

Appendix

KAVAN PLUS R-15B...R-100SB

Programmable Electronic Controllers for Brushless Motors

Congratulation on your purchase of a KAVAN PLUS line electronic controller for brushless motors. The state-of-the-art KAVAN PLUS line covers almost the entire range of electric powered planes flown by a Sunday flyer. All the ESCs can be quickly programmed using your transmitter and even easier with the optional KAVAN PRO Card.

1. Warnings

  • Read through the manuals of all power devices and aircraft and ensure the power configuration is rational before using this unit.
  • Ensure all wires and connections are well insulated before connecting the ESC to related devices, as short circuit will damage your ESC. Ensure all devices are well connected, in order to prevent poor connections that may cause your aircraft to lose control or other unpredictable issues like damage to the device. If necessary, please use a soldering iron with enough power to solder all input/ output wires and connectors.
  • Never get the motor locked up during high-speed rotation, otherwise the ESC may get destroyed and may also get your motor damaged. (Note: move the throttle stick to the bottom position or disconnect the battery immediately if the motor really gets locked up.)
  • Never use this unit in the extremely hot weather or continue to use it when it gets really hot. Because high temperature will activate the ESC thermal protection or even damage your ESC.
  • Always disconnect and remove batteries after use, as the ESC will continue to consume current as long as it's still connected to batteries. Long-time contact will cause batteries to completely discharge and result in damage to batteries and/or ESC. This will not be covered under warranty.

2. Features

  • The ESC features a high performance 32-bit micro processor (with a running frequency of up to 96MHz). It is compatible with various brushless motors.
  • DEO (Driving Efficiency Optimization) Technology greatly improves throttle response & driving efficiency and reduces ESC temperature.
  • Separate programming cable for connecting ESC to a LED program card and allows users to program the ESC anytime, anywhere. (For detailed info, please refer to the user manual of KAVAN PRO LED programming card.)
  • Normal/Reverse/Linear Reverse brake modes (esp. reverse brake mode) can ef fectively shorten the landing distance for the air craft.
  • Search mode can help users finding the aircraft by the alarm beeps after the aircraft lands in unclear terrain.
  • Multiple protection features like start-up, ESC thermal, capacitor thermal, over-current, over-load, abnormal input voltage and throttle signal loss effectively prolong the service life of the ESC.

3. Specification

Cont. Current Peak Current Input Voltage BEC Output Weight Dimension
KAVAN Plus R–15B 15 A 30 A 2–3S LiPo 5 V/2 A linear 10 g 38×17×5 mm
KAVAN Plus R–20B 20 A 40 A 2–3S LiPo 5 V/3 A linear 19 g 45×23×8 mm
KAVAN Plus R–30SB 30 A 50 A 3–4S LiPo 5 V/5 A switched 33 g 60×25×8 mm
KAVAN Plus R–40SB 40 A 60 A 3–4S LiPo 5 V/5 A switched 36 g 60×25×8 mm
KAVAN Plus R–50SB 50 A 70 A 3–4S LiPo 5 V/5 A switched 36 g 60×25×8 mm
KAVAN Plus R–60SB 60 A 80 A 3–6S LiPo 5 V/7 A switched 68 g 73×30×12 mm
KAVAN Plus R–80SB 80 A 100 A 3–6S LiPo 5 V/7 A switched 79 g 85×36×98 mm
KAVAN Plus R–100SB 100 A 120 A 3–6S LiPo 5 V/7 A switched 92 g 85×36×98 mm

4. Connecting the ESC for the first time

  1. ESC wiring diagram
    a) Throttle signal cable (white/red/black tri-color cable): Plug it into the throttle channel on the receiver. The white wire is for transmitting throttle signals, the red & black wires are BEC output wires.
    b) Reverse brake signal wire/Programming cable (yellow wire):
    • It must be plugged into any vacant channel on the receiver (when using the Reverse brake mode) to control the ON/OFF of the Reverse brake function.
    • Connect it to the KAVAN PRO LED programming card if you want to program the ESC.
  2. ESC/radio calibration
    a) Turn on the transmitter and move the throttle stick to the top position.
    b) Connect a battery to the ESC; the motor will sound "123" to indicate the ESC is powered on.
    c) Then the motor will beep two short beeps to indicate the maximum throttle endpoint is accepted.
    d) Move the throttle stick to the bottom position within 5 seconds after the two short beeps, the minimum throttle position will be accepted 1 second later.
    e) The motor will beep "Number" beeps to indicate the number of LiPo cells you have plugged in.
    f) The motor will beep a long beep to indicate the calibration is complete.
  3. Normal ESC start-up procedure
    a) Turn on the transmitter, and then move the throttle stick to the bottom position.
    b) After connected the ESC to a battery, the motor will emit "123" to indicate the ESC is normally powered on.
    c) The motor will emit several beeps to indicate the number of LiPo cells.
    d) The motor emits a long beep to indicate the ESC is ready to go.
Caution: Please bear in mind improper polarity or short circuit will damage the ESC therefore it is your responsibility to double check all plugs for proper polarity, and proper connection BEFORE connecting the battery pack for the first time.

5. Programmable functions

*) Factory default setting.

No. Value 1 2 3 4 5
1 Brake type *Disabled Normal Reverse Linear Reverse
2 Brake force *Disabled Low Medium High
3 Voltage cut-off type *Soft Hard
4 LiPo cells *Auto Calc. 2S / 3S 3S / 4S 5S 6S
5 Cut-off voltage Disabled Low *Medium High
6 Start-up mode *Normal Soft Very Soft
7 Timing Low *Medium High
8 Active freewheeling *Enabled Disabled
9 Search mode *Off 5 min 10 min 15 min
  1. Brake type
    Normal brake: Move the throttle stick to the bottom position. Function is now activated. In this mode, the brake amount equals to the brake force you've preset.
    Reverse brake: After selected this option, the Reverse Brake signal wire (its signal range must be the same as the throttle range) must be plugged into any vacant channel on the receiver. You can control the motor direction via that channel. The channel range of 0–50 % is the default motor direction, the channel range of 50 % to 100 % will cause the motor to spin counterclockwise. The channel stick should be within the channel range of 0–50 % (0 would be better) when the first time you power on the ESC. After the Reverse function is activated, the motor will stop first and then spin in the reversed direction and then increase to the speed corresponding to the throttle input. Either signal loss, no matter reverse brake signal loss or throttle signal loss during the flight, can cause the throttle signal loss protection to be activated.
    Linear reverse brake: After selected this option, the Reverse Brake signal wire must to be plugged into any vacant channel on the receiver, and you can control the motor direction via that channel. This channel should be set to a proportional control (usually a knob or slider on the transmitter). Turn the proportional control to activate the reverse function. The speed of the motor is controlled by the proportional control. When reversed, the initial throttle value is started at 10 %, and the throttle stroke of the linear switch is cured to 1.34 ms – 1.79 ms. The channel stick should be at 0 % throttle position when the first time you power on the ESC. Either signal loss, no matter reverse brake signal loss or throttle signal loss during the flight, can cause the throttle signal loss protection to be activated.
  2. Brake force
    This item is only effect in the "Normal brake" mode. The higher the level, the stronger the braking effect, where the low/medium/high corresponds to the braking force: 60 %, 90 %, 100 %.
  3. Voltage cut-off
    Soft cut-off: After selected this option, the ESC will gradually reduce the output to 60 % of the full power in 3 seconds after the low voltage cut-off protection is activated.
    Hard cut-off: After selected this option, the ESC will immediately cut-off the output when the low voltage cut-off protection is activated.
  4. LiPo cells
    The ESC will automatically calculate the number of LiPo cells you have plugged in as per the "3.7 V/Cell" rule if "Auto Calc." is selected, or you can set this item manually.
  5. Cut-off voltage
    If set off, the low voltage protection function is disabled. In addition, the protection voltage value of the low voltage protection function corresponding to the low/medium/three modes is about 2.8 V/section, 3.0 V/section and 3.4 V/section. This value is the voltage of a single battery, multiplied by the number of lithium batteries automatically identified by the electronic governor or the number of lithium batteries manually set, which is the protection voltage value of the battery. (For example, if the low voltage protection threshold of 3 lithium batteries is medium, the protection voltage of the batteries is 3×3.0 = 9.0 V)
  6. Start-up mode
    This is used to adjust the throttle response time of ESC acceleration from 0 % to 100 %. Normal/soft/very soft correspond to approximately 200 ms/500 ms/800 ms respectively.
  7. Timing
    Can adjust the drive motor timing value. The low/medium and high are respectively: 5°/15°/25°.
  8. Active freewheeling (DEO)
    This item is adjustable between "Enabled" and "Disabled", and it is enabled by default. With it enabled, you can have better throttle linearity or smoother throttle response.
  9. Search mode
    After selected this option, ESC will drive the motor chirping prompt when the throttle is keep 0 % and continues to do during the set time.