This model certainly lives up to its name! Peter Smart’s Me 323 Gigant is by no means small nor agile but at 48″ wingspan, 32″ length, 146g and powered by six Falcon PU04 motors it knows how to impress!
On paper it all looked good: Six PU04’s developing in excess of 60g of thrust and drawing between 2 and 3 amps. A Kokam 640mAh Lithium Polymer cell was chosen to ensure the discharge rate (approx. 3C – 5C) was well within the manufacturer’s limits and that maximum power was developed at the motors and a minimum was dissipated in the cell. All that was needed now was a method of controlling all that power and this is where Atomic Workshop were called upon to develop what is now the predecessor of The Zombie. Atomic Workshop delivered all the features Pete could have dreamed of – and more!
Firstly it was small and light (18.5mm x 13mm and under 1g), it provided two timed power phases – one for takeoff and climb out and the other for cruise/slow descent and landing, amongst other features it also boasted a high frequency 4 amp speed controller with soft start to minimise gear damage on the PU04’s and also a slow controlled RPM change between phases to ensure the trim was not disturbed.
Pete was now all set for the 2004 BMFA Indoor Scale Nationals but when flight time came, the Atomic Workshop controller surprised with another feature. Pete would activate the controller, replace the nose panel, place the Gigant on the ‘tarmac’ and retire – the Gigant just sat there motionless. Judges, other competitors and spectators suspected a problem but seconds later the Gigant’s 6 motors burst into life and propelled the aircraft into a stunning, beautifully controlled flight pattern. The Gigant took first place in the ELECTRIC/CO2 class with a massive flight score of 1366.8.
In the following few months, Atomic Workshop took this controller, refined it, shrunk it, added more features and named it The Zombie.
Download a video clip of Peter Smart’s ME323 Gigant! – choose one of the links below (right click and select ‘save target as…’).
ME323.wmv (7.59MB, best quality but windows only)
ME323.mpg (7.59MB, MPEG1 format)
Note: The above footage was shot at the BMFA Indoor Scale Nationals 2005. The idle feature can be observed on startup – the engines appear to start at different times due to the Zombie idle feature. Also, look carefully 61s into the footage and you’ll see No.4 engine shed a prop. in mid flight!
