Hobbyzone Sport Cub S is a plane that will make you fall in love with flying. And as soon as you settle in with your love for flying, you’ll look for more.
Suppose you don’t want to commit to something bigger yet. But you are looking for a way to expand the possibilities of your Cub S.
So what are the possible Sport Cub S Upgrades?
Sport Cub S is an easily upgradable plane in a lot of ways. You can upgrade the motor while keeping SAFE. But, upgrading this way is tricky. You can also upgrade the props, batteries, servo, flight stabilizer quite easily by yourself. Upgrades can be done to exactly suit your needs for your plane.
Without further ado, let’s proceed and see how you can upgrade your Sport Cub S.
Is It Worth Upgrading Sport Cub S?
For the original Sport Cub S, there is always room to improve for engineered devices.
First, let’s look at the drawbacks of this plane. Depending on what you want more of, you can decide whether you can upgrade the plane.
5 Drawbacks of Sport Cub S
Sport Cub S RTF uses HBZ4400 and BNF uses HBZ4480 motors. Which are brushed motors. The replica of the sport cub aircraft was popular when it came out.
Yet, as with any other electronic device, this RC airplane also has many drawbacks.
Here are the 5 drawbacks we identified of Sport Cub S. Later you can decide on which upgrades you want for your Sport Cub S –
Short-lasting Battery Life
Many RChobbyists have complained about the very short battery life of Sport Cub S. The flight time and battery life of Sport Cub S RTF and BNF are short lasting.
Currently, the Sport Cub S has a 1S Lipo 150 mAh 3.7V 25C battery. With this battery, you can fly the airplane for a maximum of 5 – 6 minutes. And a fully charged battery lasts for 5 minutes.
Unstable Wings Against Strong Wind
Another drawback of the Sport Cub S is that it’s difficult to fly when it’s windy. Even at a low speed of the wind. The wings start to wobble making the airplane unstable when flying. And the instability of this airplane is what the users have mentioned the most. The plane is an excellent RC plane to fly for beginners. Yet the instability of this plane is a hinder to having a pleasant flying session.
The upgraded model Sport Cub S 2 has 3 modes for better control and stability.
Small Fuselage
The fuselage of Sport Cub S is only 16.3 inches in length. The sport cub S’ fuselage is comparatively smaller than any other RC airplane.
This restricts the airplane from getting drastic upgrades. Because the fuselage won’t be able to accommodate the changes.
You will have to keep this shortcoming in mind when you upgrade your plane.
If not, the upgraded parts will falter the overall balance of the plane.
The Top Speed Is Not Up To The Mark
The flying speed of Sport Cub S is an airplane for beginners. Being a beginner-friendly RC airplane, the top speed of this plane is not high.
The top speed is not as fast when compared with an advanced or bigger model plane.
The reason is that the servo and the motor is not strong enough. The propeller is also a small one with a diameter of 130 mm.
Motor Type Not Energy Efficient
Sport Cub S RTF uses an HBZ4400 and BNF uses an HBZ4480 motor. There is no significant difference between the two motors.
However, the motors are brushed, which is not energy efficient. Because the brushed motor has frictions caused by the stator and rotor. Which generates heat and that heat results in energy loss.
Starting from the motor to batteries, you can upgrade a few parts of this plane. Subjective to your needs, upgrading Sport Cub S is worth it .
Upgrading Sport Cub S: Upgrade
Sport Cub S Upgrade Motor
Originally Sport Cub S has an HBZ44oo motor. Being a brushed motor, it is not energy efficient.
You can upgrade your motor to a brushless motor. For motor upgrade, you have to connect the ESC of the plane with the brushless motor. Here’s how you can connect the esc to the brushless motor.
This will be more energy efficient. Because the brushless motor’s magnet levitates in the center of the coils. As a result, it doesn’t have friction issues. This means, no heat production, no energy loss with heat, and quieter.
Sport Cub S Upgrade Battery
Granted Sport Cub S flight time is supposed to be short. Yet. you can upgrade the battery and extend the flight time.
1S 150mAh 25C 3.7V is the standard battery for Sport Cub S. You can upgrade the battery to a bigger Lipo batter.
If you happen to forget to bring a LiPo battery charger with you, don’t worry. There are ways to charge LiPo battery without charger.
Sport Cub S Propeller Upgrade
The joined force of a propeller and esc is what will make your airplane faster. The Sport Cub S’ propeller is 130mm in diameter. If you install a propeller with a bigger diameter, your plane will fly faster.
Sport Cub S Wings Upgrade
So, thinking of Sport Cub S Wing Upgrade?
By installing a pair of support rod, you can stabilize your plane. The wings of the Sport Cub S are not stable during flight. Which is okay but an upgrade can make the flying experience much better.
5 Types of Recommended Sport Cub S Upgrades
| Upgrading Options | For Speed | For Stability | For Longer Flight Duration |
| Battery | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Motor | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Propeller | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Support Rod | ✔ |
Upgrading Sport Cub S for More Speed
Upgrading Sport Cub S for more speed will focus on battery, motor, and propeller.
A better battery will aid the motor in providing you with speed. The ESC and a bigger propeller together will increase the speed of your plane.
Upgrading Sport Cub S for Better Stability
To ensure more stability of your plane, you will have to upgrade the propeller. Install a bigger diameter of the propeller.
Also, install support rods under the wings. As a result, you will enjoy a stable flight experience with your Sport Cub S.
Upgrading Sport Cub S for Longer Flight Duration
For longer flight duration, purchase 180 to 200 mAh 1S 25C batteries. You will be able to fly for a longer time. The flight duration will extend at least 3 more minutes.
Also, a brushless motor will efficiently use the energy to increase flight duration.
Upgrading Sport Cub S for Better Environment Protection
Changing the motor to a brushless motor is environmentally friendly. Brushless motors are more energy efficient and produce no heat.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Transmitter Comes With The Sport Cub S?
The HobbyZone Sport Cub S RTF RC Airplane comes with 6-CH 2.4GHz Transmitter. It also comes with a 150mAh 3.7V LiPo Battery. Along with the transmitter and battery, Sport Cub S comes pre-set up and pre-installed. Along with the SAFE technology, Sport cub S is a really good plane for beginners.
How Do You Setup A Sport Cub S2?
Take the airplane out of the box and power it up. Make sure to check all the controls are working properly. Now align all of the parts of the airplane. Make sure it stands on the ground flat. The airplane comes pre-installed from the factory, just put the batteries, and it’s set for flying.
How Do You Match A Transmitter and Receiver?
For 2 seconds, press the red button on the transmitter. On both the transmitter and receiver modules, the Link LED should begin to blink. During the pairing procedure, make sure the units are close to one other. The transmitter and receiver will blink for 5 seconds and then be paired.
Conclusion
That was an all-around article for Sport Cub S upgrades from us. Hopefully, this article will help you decide which upgrades you want for your Sport Cub S.
Make sure to charge and take care of the LiPo Batteries.
Best of Luck.
