Stevens Aeromodel Free Flight Timer

Additional Details

A Free Flight Timer for the Fun of It

This timer is made for the models we fly for the pleasure of a good climb and a long glide: small sport and 1/2A-type models converted to electric, vintage and old-timer designs, and the overnight “Ebenezer”-style sport models that free flight has always had room for. It’s just as handy for trimming a new model with short, repeatable runs at low power, and for newcomers who want a timer they can understand at the field without a manual.

Set it once, fly it again. The run time is stored in memory, from 1 to 99 seconds in 1-second steps: tap for seconds, hold for tens. Each time you connect a battery, the LED plays the stored time back, so you always know what’s about to fly. Power is set from 0 to 100% on a trimmer that holds its setting. Each flight ramps up in 1 second, runs at your power setting for the stored time, then eases off over a 5-second run-down. That run-down carries the model smoothly from climb into glide and helps prevent a power-off stall.

Works alongside your DT. This timer does one job, the motor run, and is designed to work with the dethermalizer you already use, whether that’s a fuse, a mechanical timer, or a stand-alone electronic DT or radio DT. Your DT keeps doing what it does, and the timer takes care of the motor.

Safe handling, built in. The timer powers up with the motor commanded off, so your ESC arms normally. The motor starts only when you release the button, never on the press. One press during the flight stops it immediately. After every flight, the timer locks until the battery is reconnected, so picking up the model can’t start the motor.

A sport timer, not a competition timer. Competition electric free flight classes like E-36 and F1S call for sub-second settings, hard motor cuts and integrated DT functions. This timer deliberately does none of that. It’s built for sport and recreational flying, where a soft run-down and a simple, repeatable flight matter more than tenths of a second.

Specifications

Weight	2.1 g
Board size	15 × 35 mm
Motor run	1–99 seconds, set in 1-second steps and stored in memory
Total motor time	Stored time + 6 s (1 s ramp up, 5 s run-down)
Factory setting	10 s (16 s of motor)
Throttle range	0–100%, set by the onboard trimmer
Launch	Tap or grip; the motor starts on release
Power	From the ESC’s BEC, 5 V only
Connection	Standard 3-pin servo header (GND / +5 V / Signal)
Protection	Reverse polarity blocked, motor off at power-up, one-press emergency stop, lock after every flight

Flight Sequence

Phase	Length	LED	What’s happening
Ramp up	1 s	Slow flash	Power rises quickly to your trimmer setting.
Motor run	Your time	Solid	Power at the trimmer setting.
Run-down	5 s	Slow flash	Power fades gradually to prevent a power-off stall.
Locked	—	Short blink every 3 s	Motor off. Button disabled until the battery is reconnected.

Free Flight or Control Line?

Our free flight and Control Line Timer share the same board but run different firmware, because the two kinds of flying ask for opposite things. Choose the timer made for your kind of flying.

	Control Line Timer	Free Flight Timer
Run time	1–10 minutes	1–99 seconds, stored
Start	5 s delay for the assistant to clear the prop	Instantly on release, for a hand launch
Ramps	5 s up, 25 s wind-down	1 s up, 5 s run-down
End warning	Engine “stumble”	None
Power	50–100%	0–100%
After the flight	Ready to program again	Locked until the battery is reconnected

ESC Compatibility (Important)

This timer is for ESCs with a 5 V BEC only. A 6 V BEC will damage it. Check your ESC’s specification before you connect it. Our SA Sport 12A Brushless ESC (JST) supplies 5 V and is a natural match for small electric free flight models.

What’s Included

Timer and printed instructions. Download available here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use it for E-36 or F1S?
No. Those classes need sub-second settings and a hard motor cut, and the motor is timed until it stops, so this timer’s soft run-down would count against the limit. It’s built for sport and recreational flying. Our info sheet compares the common electric free flight classes.

Does it include a dethermalizer?
No. It runs the motor only, and pairs with the fuse, mechanical or radio DT you already use.

How do I set the run time?
Connect the battery and press once while the LED flashes rapidly. Then tap for each second and hold for each ten seconds. After 2 seconds the time is saved and played back on the LED. The manual walks through it step by step.