The build videos are far superior to written directions. I'll second that. I'm not a spring chicken and I don't do computer things terribly well. But I figured out how to capture Youtubes and down load them to my laptop. Something a 12 year old could probably do better then I. Although the Storch is a great plane and not that hard of a build. I think I would have sent the Nutball as it's easier all the way around. YMMV
FT Storch Owners Thread
- Thread starter airhawk
- Start date
basslord1124
Master member
Some new Storch footage. Got a little bit of flying in on Memorial Day.
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basslord1124
Master member
Holy crap yes!
Dihedral is specified by the plans and I use full length ailerons...no flaps at all. I did not use the throw gauge that FT has on the plans so I'm not sure how mine compares...makes me curious though. I personally love it b/c I have been wanting to improve my aerobatics skills and even this high wing Storch allows me to explore that. Here's a rundown of what I got going with it...1200KV motor
30A ESC
9x6 prop
TowerPro 9g servos
Homemade control horns (out of old credit cards)
2200Mah 3S Lipo
Low rates are set at 70% and High rates at 100%.... I think only at one point in the video I went to high rates, rest of the time was low rates.
basslord1124
Master member
Oh yeah, forgot to mention...the barrel roll I did at around 2:18 was accidental. lol. I always thought barrel rolls were some of the neatest rolls to watch and I've wanted to start learning how to do them. Guess I did one without even realizing what I was doing.
nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
Here's a link to the ultimate C power pack. http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?33158-THE-ULTIMATE-C-PACK!!!
basslord1124
Master member
From my experience, FT's specs in terms of electronics is pretty good EXCEPT I think they should give a little more headroom in the ESC department. Meaning, if they recommend a 30A ESC with whatever motor/prop/battery combo then you should actually get a 40A ESC.
I did the recommended specs on the Storch and at full throttle I was pushing over 30A on a 30A speed controller...so I backed the prop down a size. On the Seaduck, I went ahead and got a 40A speed controller instead of the 30A recommended by the power pack and sure enough at full steam/fully charged battery it went over 30A.
So to avoid burning something up and just giving you some extra assurance/headroom get an ESC that is just a little higher than stock recommendations. Some may be ok with how they are running their's...I just prefer/recommend to play it safe.
I did the recommended specs on the Storch and at full throttle I was pushing over 30A on a 30A speed controller...so I backed the prop down a size. On the Seaduck, I went ahead and got a 40A speed controller instead of the 30A recommended by the power pack and sure enough at full steam/fully charged battery it went over 30A.
So to avoid burning something up and just giving you some extra assurance/headroom get an ESC that is just a little higher than stock recommendations. Some may be ok with how they are running their's...I just prefer/recommend to play it safe.
nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
Take a look at my C Pack, it has unlimited vertical and power for the Storch and it only weighs a tiny bit more than the FT design. It has so much power it is ridicules, more power is better!
My Storch is the most successful FT plane that I have built. Unfortunately, it was getting a bit banged up as my building skills are much better then my piloting skills. So the time for some surgery had come....
So, I printed out the nose section from the tiled plans and built a new one..
While I was at it, I added an extra layer on both sides to strengthen the nose section like you would see on a Sportster...
Now everything is all straight and nice again. Can't wait to get her back into the air!
So, I printed out the nose section from the tiled plans and built a new one..
While I was at it, I added an extra layer on both sides to strengthen the nose section like you would see on a Sportster...
Now everything is all straight and nice again. Can't wait to get her back into the air!
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basslord1124
Master member
wind
Anybody ever tried flying their Storch in heavier winds?
I had the experience yesterday. I was at our RC field yesterday and the wind had started picking up. It calmed down for a few so I took off and go figure as soon as I got it up in the air the wind picked up again. I'd guess somewhere between 8-10mph. Take that coupled with the fact that I didn't realize I was in high rates for the first 1/3 of the flight it made for a crazy squirrely flight. Once I toned the control surfaces back to low rates it was a little tamer...wind still shook it around quite a bit though.
Anybody ever tried flying their Storch in heavier winds?
I had the experience yesterday. I was at our RC field yesterday and the wind had started picking up. It calmed down for a few so I took off and go figure as soon as I got it up in the air the wind picked up again. I'd guess somewhere between 8-10mph. Take that coupled with the fact that I didn't realize I was in high rates for the first 1/3 of the flight it made for a crazy squirrely flight. Once I toned the control surfaces back to low rates it was a little tamer...wind still shook it around quite a bit though.
I have flown the Storch in some pretty aggressive winds. There is a lot of surface area compared to the weight so it does get tossed around a bit. Running the B-pack, I have been concerned that I could not get back flying against the wind. I had to gain significant altitude and then do a full throttle decent to get enough airspeed to fly into the wind. I got the tail surfaces to flutter quite a bit with the airspeed.
Always fly upwind in case of a power loss or you will never see it again.
I fly it with a C-pack now.
Hey Swimjim, is that an orange wire nut holding the wheel on?
nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
Ya, the large wing does get a little floaty in winds. Landing can get exciting... Mine is on the heavy side with a powerhouse custom C pack, so I usually just power through whatever these days, except landing in wind is still exciting...
basslord1124
Master member
My landing was probably the best part. lol. I glided it in and with the wind plus the amount of throttle I applied, sometimes it's like it appeared to hover there. I got it down nicely and safely...little further away, but it was fine.
tamuct01
Well-known member
The Storch is an interesting bird. I'm using the power pack C as well with the flaps wing. The wind at our club is almost always a crosswind to the runway, and I've found that with a flaps-down approach the Storch will slow down up to a point where it weathervanes quickly. This usually happens at the most inopportune time. For the windy crosswind landings I've learned to opt for no flaps and do a power-on landing. An overall fantastic plane that is (mostly) predictable, floaty, and fun!
Sure is. They work great! Sometimes you have to grind them down a touch to make them fit, but that's now my go to way to keep the wheels on.
Jim
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