Miscellaneous - Motor Test Rig and Motor/Prop Figures

Motor tests - a more scientific approach

We long extolled the virtues of the equipment we both use in our hobby and sell in our online shop but it's always been rather subjective and free from anything remotely scientific.

We've had some test equipment for ages but never really gotten around to firing it all up and seeing what our motor and prop combinations can do.

The setup photographed above is how we got the following figures. The motor is held securely in the vice pointing vertically upwards and the scales under the vice are zeroed. This allows us to get a rudimentary firgure for static thrust. Not very exact but a nice basis for comparison.

Static thrust and static load current reduce quite considerably in flight as the prop moves through air that is moving relatively rather than churning in still air.

The figures

We'll publish more bench tests as we trial new motors but for now the figures make some intresting reading. Good setup for great performance on a 490g model!