Zephyr1
Elite member
Hi everyone, I had such a great time working on the 2018 Flite Test Forum Challenge: WWII Design & Build and I’m realizing that was almost 7 years ago. Flite Test has slowed down their official releases, and Master Series releases have ceased. So I would like to re-start this design and build competition with similar rules of the last one to get more engagement from the community and promote designing and building of new designs.
Summary:
Participants will build a scale electric motor driven, radio-controlled airplane model of a WWII aircraft that was never used in combat (in WWII), and demonstrate that it is capable of controlled flight. At the end of the design portion of the competition, a panel selected from the Flite Test forums will score the entries and select winners from the completed and flight-proven models posted on the forums.”
Objectives:
The Design-Off Rules:
1. Subject must resemble an aircraft designed for military use in World War II that never engaged in active WWII combat. Scale outlines may be changed within reason to improve flight characteristics or for ease of construction. Aircraft that were used in military surveillance missions but never shot at, designs that were on paper only but never built, early jets that were in development but not not completed in time for WWII action, and planes that were built but never flew are all fair game. The aim is to celebrate the unusual and advanced concepts of the time period. Please consult the community in this thread if you have doubts about a specific aircraft's inclusion.
2. All designs must use electric power with motors from (or equivalent to) one of the Flite Test Power Packs. Exceptions for really crazy planes can be proposed, but are discouraged in the scoring. This way the largest number of community members can participate with existing or easily accessible equipment. Until Flite Test makes available an EDF power pack, jet or rocket designs may use any available EDF or modify the airframe for pusher prop or prop-in-slot with no scoring penalty.
3. Building designs to 1/10 scale is encouraged, but not required. For example, an aircraft with a 42' wingspan could be built at 1/10 scale with a 50" wing and perhaps a C pack motor, or at 1/20 scale with a 25" wingspan and perhaps a pack A motor.
4. To include as many builders as possible in the challenge, FT building techniques should be used as a foundation. Other more advanced techniques may be used but you should keep in mind that others may want to build YOUR airplane and may require additional skills to do so - be sure to provide clear build instructions for these techniques. Incorporation of FT power pods, FT Elements firewalls is encouraged for this purpose, but are not required.
5. Entries must demonstrate that they are capable of controlled flight before the Design-Off closing date to be considered for judging for the Design-Off portion of the community challenge. Only videos of the entry in flight will be considered proof of flight-worthiness.
6. Already started builds may be entered.
7. A complete set of digital plans must be available in the entries build thread by the close of the Design-Off. Vector-based formats are preferred but not required.
8. Build instructions MUST be provided through video instruction, textual write-up, or build log. Techniques different from standard Flite Test skills should be clearly explained. An excellent example can be found here: http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?36200-Baby-Bugatti-700m
9. Participants may submit more than one entry, and multiple entries for the same design from different participants are acceptable.
10. A community vote will be held to determine the winner.
11. A prize will be awarded to the winning design, of a speed build kit of their design and I would like to be able to offer a limited run of SBKs of the winning design to be available for the community through something akin to a kickstarter. This would not be in coordination with FT and would be an entirely community endeavor.
Coordinator's Instructions:
Here's an example of the winning design from 2018, an XF5U Flying Flapjack
Good luck and good building!
Summary:
Participants will build a scale electric motor driven, radio-controlled airplane model of a WWII aircraft that was never used in combat (in WWII), and demonstrate that it is capable of controlled flight. At the end of the design portion of the competition, a panel selected from the Flite Test forums will score the entries and select winners from the completed and flight-proven models posted on the forums.”
Objectives:
- Celebrate the obscure, unusual concepts and advances of WWII aviation
- Foster interest in building foam board model aircraft from community plans
- Promote designing and building as one of the aspects of the FT community
- Compete in flying events where any level of experience can be a winner
The Design-Off Rules:
1. Subject must resemble an aircraft designed for military use in World War II that never engaged in active WWII combat. Scale outlines may be changed within reason to improve flight characteristics or for ease of construction. Aircraft that were used in military surveillance missions but never shot at, designs that were on paper only but never built, early jets that were in development but not not completed in time for WWII action, and planes that were built but never flew are all fair game. The aim is to celebrate the unusual and advanced concepts of the time period. Please consult the community in this thread if you have doubts about a specific aircraft's inclusion.
2. All designs must use electric power with motors from (or equivalent to) one of the Flite Test Power Packs. Exceptions for really crazy planes can be proposed, but are discouraged in the scoring. This way the largest number of community members can participate with existing or easily accessible equipment. Until Flite Test makes available an EDF power pack, jet or rocket designs may use any available EDF or modify the airframe for pusher prop or prop-in-slot with no scoring penalty.
3. Building designs to 1/10 scale is encouraged, but not required. For example, an aircraft with a 42' wingspan could be built at 1/10 scale with a 50" wing and perhaps a C pack motor, or at 1/20 scale with a 25" wingspan and perhaps a pack A motor.
4. To include as many builders as possible in the challenge, FT building techniques should be used as a foundation. Other more advanced techniques may be used but you should keep in mind that others may want to build YOUR airplane and may require additional skills to do so - be sure to provide clear build instructions for these techniques. Incorporation of FT power pods, FT Elements firewalls is encouraged for this purpose, but are not required.
5. Entries must demonstrate that they are capable of controlled flight before the Design-Off closing date to be considered for judging for the Design-Off portion of the community challenge. Only videos of the entry in flight will be considered proof of flight-worthiness.
6. Already started builds may be entered.
7. A complete set of digital plans must be available in the entries build thread by the close of the Design-Off. Vector-based formats are preferred but not required.
8. Build instructions MUST be provided through video instruction, textual write-up, or build log. Techniques different from standard Flite Test skills should be clearly explained. An excellent example can be found here: http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?36200-Baby-Bugatti-700m
9. Participants may submit more than one entry, and multiple entries for the same design from different participants are acceptable.
10. A community vote will be held to determine the winner.
11. A prize will be awarded to the winning design, of a speed build kit of their design and I would like to be able to offer a limited run of SBKs of the winning design to be available for the community through something akin to a kickstarter. This would not be in coordination with FT and would be an entirely community endeavor.
Coordinator's Instructions:
- Registration for the Design portion of the challenge will be by posting participant members’ FT user name, the model to be entered, and a link to the entries build thread on this thread, NOT via PM to the OP. All aspects of the design challenge are coordinated virtually through the forum: in person participation or demonstration is not required (and in fact not available).
Example of entry format:
AwesomeForumMember
WWII Plane Name
http://forum.flitetest.com/showthrea...7-AwesomeBuildThread
Build threads should be titled in the format:
FTFC'25 WWII [plane name] designed by [designer name]
With the shortened version of 'Flite Test Forums Challenge' in the prefix so searches and causal forum browsers are all the more likely to notice these projects.
Entrants are encouraged to add why they chose this model, and link to documentation for historical appropriateness of the design for this challenge. (Wikipedia, Janes' Planes, etc.) Links to historical confirmation should be in the build thread!
Here's an example of the winning design from 2018, an XF5U Flying Flapjack
- Registration for Design entries will open no later than November 1, 2024.
- The competition will end on March 31st, 2025 when building season ends.
Good luck and good building!
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