SchŸbeler Jets DS-38 HDS EDF Unit
SchŸbeler Technologies GmbH is a manufacturer based in Germany that supplies the electric ducted fan (EDF) market with very high-quality and high-performance fans and fan/motor combinations. These units are designed for both high performance and high efficiency, and ever since my experience with one of their 90mm fans, I have been begging them to release an 80mm fan that would fit the E-flite Habu 32 and several other models.
When SchŸbeler finally released the 80mm fan that was a drop-in replacement for my Habu 32, I ordered one posthaste! The Habu 32 and 32X jets have enjoyed a great production run and are extremely popular, and I have owned two of them. There have been all sorts of upgrade configurations to make them go faster, but most of these upgrades involved moving up to 8s and even 10S battery setups. No doubt they fly faster, but they end up being too heavy, so they land hot and tear up the wire landing gear. Then, if you upgrade the gear, they are even heavier.
I spoke with founder and CEO Daniel SchŸbeler about upgrading my trusty Habu 32x, with the requirements of upgrading performance and speed while keeping it light and maintaining a 6S 5000mAh battery setup—with a nod to good flight time. He sent me the new DS-38 HDS to try with a 2100kV HET electric motor ($339.00 for the package). This combination produces 3.3kg (7.3 pounds) and draws 102 amps. SchŸbeler also offers a 2250kV fan that pulls 125 amps and produces 4.0kg, or almost 9 pounds of thrust! That extra thrust comes at the price of faster battery consumption, and while it was tempting, I wanted long flight time as well.
You can buy SchŸbeler HSD fans separately or with a motor. If you get the combo they are assembled and dynamically balanced at the factory. “Dynamically,” meaning they are balanced as a unit where all the moving components are treated as one. The result is an exceptionally smooth-running fan unit.
SchŸbeler fans are made with a carbon fiber shroud, while the rotor and blades are made from a heat-resistant, fiber-reinforced polymer. An aircraft-grade aluminum hub and a specially designed machine collet ties everything together. The resulting short rotor has very low inertia, allowing for a higher Kv motor, thus making more thrust than other models. Losses are also minimized because the high manufacturing tolerance means there is minimal gap between the fan and shroud. Mounting tabs are available that make mounting the fan extremely easy.
All that tech stuff is fascinating but how does it work in practice? The first thing I noticed is the sound. These 10-blade fans are very quiet and have a very pleasing “whoosh”, which is more jet-like than many of the low blade count screamers. In videos it’s difficult to tell them from a turbine during a full speed pass, but in person they aren’t nearly as loud.
In flight I was getting consistent radar runs in the mid-130mph, so the upgrade was noticeably faster than the stock Delta-V fan. One thing that really stood out was that the vertical performance was excellent. Flight time is the same or better than stock, with improved speed and much better vertical, while maintaining the lower weight of a 6S battery. A couple of other Habu users who have gone with bigger battery systems to get more speed commented about how well mine flew, and especially how well it landed, despite being upgraded.
These setups are reasonably priced and of very high quality, so if you’re looking to upgrade the fan in your EDF, give these fan and motor systems a serious look. Gary at efflux RC, the distributor in the United States, is extremely knowledgeable and will recommend a setup to meet your performance and budget specs.—By