basslord1124 RC flight and Flitetest journey/diary - Perkyplanes & RC

basslord1124

Master member
All right, 99% of my RC goodies have been delivered. Still waiting on a few small things from aliexpress which could take another 3-4 weeks I think. First time ordering through aliexpress actually. So pictured is most of the goodies that I ordered from Amazon.

rc stuff stim.jpg


5lb box of glue sticks (yes 5 pounds of hot glue sticks!), CA glue, Titebond glue, XT60 connectors, 2 x Lemon Receivers, linkage stoppers, 2x5g servos, 4x9g metal gear servos, 10x9g plastic gear servos, 910KV brushless motor, 720KV brushless motor, heat shrink tubing (got clear by mistake), 3 new Xacto knives with extra blades, mix of servo extensions.

Not pictured...1 roll of Ultracote covering (just came in today) and a new high speed corded rotary/dremel tool.
 
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Rhaps

Elite member
How does the Titebond work for you?
At the moment I'm mostly using brown gorilla but it has it's drawbacks and I wouldn't mind finding an alternative.
 

basslord1124

Master member
How does the Titebond work for you?
At the moment I'm mostly using brown gorilla but it has it's drawbacks and I wouldn't mind finding an alternative.

I think Titebond is a great alternative glue for these foamboard planes. Super strong and lightweight (and doesn't expand a ton like GG). The only downfall (to some people this might be) is the wait time for it to dry. It's not as quick as good ol hot glue. So if you want to build a model quickly use hot glue. But if you don't mind waiting it's fine. You also have to secure the pieces you glue too so they don't move while it's drying...either adding weight, clamping if possible, etc. Usually what I will do is a hybrid of Titebond and hot glue. Put Titebond down for most of the section, then use little dabs of hot glue to hold the piece in place while the Titebond dries.
 

Rhaps

Elite member
I think Titebond is a great alternative glue for these foamboard planes. Super strong and lightweight (and doesn't expand a ton like GG). The only downfall (to some people this might be) is the wait time for it to dry. It's not as quick as good ol hot glue. So if you want to build a model quickly use hot glue. But if you don't mind waiting it's fine. You also have to secure the pieces you glue too so they don't move while it's drying...either adding weight, clamping if possible, etc. Usually what I will do is a hybrid of Titebond and hot glue. Put Titebond down for most of the section, then use little dabs of hot glue to hold the piece in place while the Titebond dries.

Thanks, that's pretty much what I do with GG now. The main problem with GC for me is that it feels unpleasant on hands :)
 

basslord1124

Master member
Agreed @Rhaps ...it is an awful feeling when you get it on your hands. Been there before. I went through a phase where I swore by GG but now it's one of the last glues I use. Never really used it a whole lot on foam models, but have used it on balsa ones.

Well this is just depressing:

weather.png


This is what our weather has kinda been like for a while. And if it's not rainy, it's 10+ mph winds. I've got 2 planes I'd like to maiden...the Spit and the Shrubsmacker.

Currently at the in-laws again for a little stay. I brought the Shrubsmacker with me in case a dry spell opens up. I've still got a little bit more work to do it before I'd send it up...nothing major luckily. I did fire up my simulator recently, so that took some of the edge off from where I haven't flown in a while.

Something that has been on my mind (when you are quarantined your mind does a lot of "thinking") and I've thought about this at other times too: the mentality of us RC plane folks and how things have changed. Nowadays, thanks to FT, RC planes are disposable. Build a plane within a day, crash it, rebuild it or build something different and do it all over again. Going back in time a little ways, planes were not as disposable. They were works of art that folks poured their heart,soul, and lots of money and time into. It could be months or even years before a plane was built and ready to be maidened. And with the fun and addictiveness of this hobby, you usually end up with more than 1 plane. AND you usually end up with mountains of kits, half built projects, etc. We all know about it. I feel I am sort of a mix of both the old school and new school mentalities. Yes these foam planes are pretty disposable BUT I still tend to take my time on building these models. I have a nice collection of unfinished projects, and yet I still add more to the pile. Perhaps it's the years of being poor and not having much. Granted my family went out of their way to spoil me in any way they could but I am a far cry from a lot of other more privileged folks out there. I would rather have someone's old beater balsa plane that they are getting rid of or selling cheaply than buying a new balsa kit/balsa RTF setup that costs hundreds or thousands of dollars. I would rather buy something that's broke and needs fixing in an attempt to give it new life. I totally enjoy the build and build process as much as I enjoy flying.

Well I think that is enough for today. Just some stuff I've been pondering. Hope everyone out there who may be reading this is doing well and staying safe. It seems the talk of "opening up" is becoming more frequent and may become reality soon. I'm undecided on whether or not I think it's the best time to "open up" BUT only time will tell and we won't know how things will progress until we do it.
 

mayan

Legendary member
Agreed @Rhaps ...it is an awful feeling when you get it on your hands. Been there before. I went through a phase where I swore by GG but now it's one of the last glues I use. Never really used it a whole lot on foam models, but have used it on balsa ones.

Well this is just depressing:

View attachment 169297

This is what our weather has kinda been like for a while. And if it's not rainy, it's 10+ mph winds. I've got 2 planes I'd like to maiden...the Spit and the Shrubsmacker.

Currently at the in-laws again for a little stay. I brought the Shrubsmacker with me in case a dry spell opens up. I've still got a little bit more work to do it before I'd send it up...nothing major luckily. I did fire up my simulator recently, so that took some of the edge off from where I haven't flown in a while.

Something that has been on my mind (when you are quarantined your mind does a lot of "thinking") and I've thought about this at other times too: the mentality of us RC plane folks and how things have changed. Nowadays, thanks to FT, RC planes are disposable. Build a plane within a day, crash it, rebuild it or build something different and do it all over again. Going back in time a little ways, planes were not as disposable. They were works of art that folks poured their heart,soul, and lots of money and time into. It could be months or even years before a plane was built and ready to be maidened. And with the fun and addictiveness of this hobby, you usually end up with more than 1 plane. AND you usually end up with mountains of kits, half built projects, etc. We all know about it. I feel I am sort of a mix of both the old school and new school mentalities. Yes these foam planes are pretty disposable BUT I still tend to take my time on building these models. I have a nice collection of unfinished projects, and yet I still add more to the pile. Perhaps it's the years of being poor and not having much. Granted my family went out of their way to spoil me in any way they could but I am a far cry from a lot of other more privileged folks out there. I would rather have someone's old beater balsa plane that they are getting rid of or selling cheaply than buying a new balsa kit/balsa RTF setup that costs hundreds or thousands of dollars. I would rather buy something that's broke and needs fixing in an attempt to give it new life. I totally enjoy the build and build process as much as I enjoy flying.

Well I think that is enough for today. Just some stuff I've been pondering. Hope everyone out there who may be reading this is doing well and staying safe. It seems the talk of "opening up" is becoming more frequent and may become reality soon. I'm undecided on whether or not I think it's the best time to "open up" BUT only time will tell and we won't know how things will progress until we do it.
Hey buddy sorry to see that the weather is playing nice for you these days I shouldn't complain but our weather is more like hell right now so I don't know what I prefer.

ללא שם.png


I also hear you regarding your concern of openning things up again, I have the same feeling every single day and we are soon openning up the last things that are still closed like stadiums, concert halls, restuarants, movie theathers and more. I just think we all have to take care of ourselves and just wear a mask, stay away from other and make sure to keep our hands clean at all times, stay safe amigo :).
 

basslord1124

Master member
Here's something a little different I felt like sharing. Below is the garage outside my in-laws house. They got an incredible deal on the house. Only big things were that the upstairs of the house is completely gutted and the garage was in pretty rough shape. Not deal breakers for them as it's just the 2 of them. The main part of the house is perfectly livable.

My father-in-law has decided to make the upstairs and the garage his "man areas" for now. Since the weather has been starting to get warmer he has been doing a lot of work to the garage. Unfortunately I don't have a big "before" picture but in this pic here, the original boards are still visible towards the rear of the garage (where the ladder is). All the exterior boards looked like that. It's actually pretty amazing it was still standing. The tarp is covering up any exposed areas that he is currently working on.
garage-ext.jpg


This is the other side...as you can see the front with the large window is all new wood. He just recently added the large antenna to pick up local digital TV channels. He most always has some sort of way getting entertainment...TV, laptop/tablet to do streaming Netflix, etc.

garage-ext2.jpg


Here's some of the interior. The original floor is gone now. It had some of those original same boards that were on the exterior. Some of those original boards and joists were rotted and broke and really was unsafe to walk on. There was also A LOT of random junk left inside the garage that he had to clear out. It's got another window to be put in place, all new wood framing, and even some pegboard on the walls.
garage-int1.jpg
garage-int3.jpg



This wall is a divider with a door access to the back half. The front half will be more enclosed, place to sit, watch TV, etc. The back half will be where you can park a car or work on it if need be (my father-in-law specializes in being a car mechanic...although sort of semi-retired now).

garage-int-door.jpg


The back half is used for storage right now and still has a dirt floor.

garage-int2.jpg


He originally thought of just having a whole new garage built, but he decided to try and save some money and just fix up what was already there. It still isn't all the way there, BUT it has came a looooooooong way from its original state. It it much more structurally sound now. Believe it or not, of all things, the roof was probably the best thing on the garage.
 

basslord1124

Master member
Well a couple updates...

First off, new video posted:


Father-in-law and I dropped by one of the local airports where he noticed they had been a lot of flying activity. He noticed what looked like some sort of military plane and a biplane. So we went to go check it out.

Also, got some progress on the FT Corsair this week while waiting on the retracts to come in.

https://forum.flitetest.com/index.p...r-yes-sir-three-planes-full.59362/post-575092
 

mayan

Legendary member
Well a couple updates...

First off, new video posted:


Father-in-law and I dropped by one of the local airports where he noticed they had been a lot of flying activity. He noticed what looked like some sort of military plane and a biplane. So we went to go check it out.

Also, got some progress on the FT Corsair this week while waiting on the retracts to come in.

https://forum.flitetest.com/index.p...r-yes-sir-three-planes-full.59362/post-575092
Awesome video buddy :).
 

basslord1124

Master member
Got some updates. First off, a few new videos...

The unfortunate crash of the Shrubsmacker...

Most of the damage to the Shrubby was minor except the motor. It's making a grinding noise now, so not sure if it's just dirt or something more serious. I have since ordered a new motor and will keep the old one to see if its fixable.

Some DJI Phantom 3 drone/quadcopter footage...

Not sure if I ever announced it, but we have a DJI Phantom 3. It was a gift we got for my wife a few years back as she wanted it for her youtube channel plus she likes doing photography and capturing scenic things. Sadly, it has sat more than it has been flown...and as you can see, it captures amazing quality video. This particular day my father-in-law was really trying to encourage my wife to take it back out and fly it...he likes watching it too. But wife never got around to flying it (having a little one makes it hard sometimes), so as not to waste a fully charged DJI lipo, I opted to take it out and just fly it close by. Captured some cool shots of the nearby railroad tracks. I'm not going to lie, it captures amazing video, but to me, flying the thing is kinda boring.

On some other news, I have maidened the FT Spitfire. Maiden went well and video will be posted soon on it. I attempted a 2nd flight with the Spit right after the maiden, and sadly I crashed the plane into a tree. BUT repairs are mostly complete now. Somebody pulled up as I was starting the 2nd flight and it distracted me. I have posted the crash/repair over in the Spit thread.

https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/spit-roasted-fb.59444/post-577841

I have also attached the pics.

Overall I found the Spit to be a pretty easy flyer. Looking forward to adding some color to it next.
 

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basslord1124

Master member
A quick entry before I head to bed...

I'm pretty excited that I successfully got a flight out of the FT Edge today. This would actually be the Edge's 2nd flight...first one was a nose down lawn dart crash after takeoff. Overall, while I like the Edge's cool looks and the aerobatic performance, the plane is a huge step for me as an RC pilot. And actually kind of a tricky build too.

I did get a video which will be posted soon. But a few things I wanted to share about the flight
-the plane to me just felt very slow flying...not sure if it's the motor, prop, battery setup, or just the nature of this plane where torque is needed for 3D maneuvers versus speed.
-With slow flying...it actually glides very nicely.
-Aside from manual throw adjustments on the servo arm/control horn I also really kept the throws very minimal on my radio. I also cranked the expo up. So it really sort of kept me from having any major accidents.
-Just an FYI...with the throw settings and me being as cautious as possible not to over control and crash...I would list this as a super boring flight. So keep that in mind when the video is posted. :p:D ....maybe the next Edge flights will be a little more exciting.

I've got a few other videos in the works along with the Edge, but regardless, I will get to it as soon as I can.
 

Wildthing

Legendary member
A quick entry before I head to bed...

I'm pretty excited that I successfully got a flight out of the FT Edge today. This would actually be the Edge's 2nd flight...first one was a nose down lawn dart crash after takeoff. Overall, while I like the Edge's cool looks and the aerobatic performance, the plane is a huge step for me as an RC pilot. And actually kind of a tricky build too.

I did get a video which will be posted soon. But a few things I wanted to share about the flight
-the plane to me just felt very slow flying...not sure if it's the motor, prop, battery setup, or just the nature of this plane where torque is needed for 3D maneuvers versus speed.
-With slow flying...it actually glides very nicely.
-Aside from manual throw adjustments on the servo arm/control horn I also really kept the throws very minimal on my radio. I also cranked the expo up. So it really sort of kept me from having any major accidents.
-Just an FYI...with the throw settings and me being as cautious as possible not to over control and crash...I would list this as a super boring flight. So keep that in mind when the video is posted. :p:D ....maybe the next Edge flights will be a little more exciting.

I've got a few other videos in the works along with the Edge, but regardless, I will get to it as soon as I can.

As you get more comfortable with the plane slowly turn up the throws and live for another flight without having to build a new one, boring can be a good teacher.
 

mayan

Legendary member
@basslord1124 it's good that you mechanicaly dialed in your throws and then added some expo in the Tx that's surely something to help avoid over controlling this plane that doesn't need almost any stick movement to go exactly where you tell it too. This plane will fly slow and feel like it's underpowered if you use the old C pack motor (not the radial) and a 3S 2200 battery, so if that's your setup then your plane is fine. I personally think that you should be able to feel comfortable enough to fly any plane before you start doing crazy stuff with it, flying 3D is crazy flying in my opinion. BTW I beefed up my motor for this plane and am using this now (https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32965003376.html). With a 3S 2200 battery and a 12x6 prop, I have more than enough power to go really fast.
 

basslord1124

Master member
Not the Edge video, but the next video I had in line:


Thanks for the reply @Wildthing . Yeah agreed that slow and boring can be a good teacher. Gotta crawl before you can walk.

@mayan - yeah followed your advice on the linkages. And yeah considering what's it's capable of, I'm going to try and take my time with it. As for the power setup, this is what I got:

-Motor: DYS 1120KV
-ESC: 40A with a separate Turnigy BEC
-Prop: 10x5
-Battery: 3S 1600Mah
 

basslord1124

Master member
Well I received word recently that one of our long time RC club members Bob has passed away. He's been in pretty rough health for a while now, but I really didn't expect it to happen just yet.

Most of the guys at the field, I have personally never known outside of the club...with the exception of Bob...well sort of. Didn't know him much personally BUT when i joined the club I found out that his wife was my old 6th grade teacher...talk about crazy! She remembered me too and that was almost 30 years ago!

I had been talking with Bob and his wife for a while now about making the trek to their house and buy some gear off of him (he lives a couple towns down from us). His health got so bad he couldn't fly anymore. Life and things kept happening so I never made it, BUT with our stimulus money I was actually going to head there this weekend coming up. Thought it'd be neat to chat RC planes with him and get some balsa kits/planes from him (so I could expand more into balsa). Of the times I talked to him, he was a nice sweet old man. Intelligent too. Shared a few tips with me and had a good way of explaining those tips. RIP Bob. :cry: