Budget Building - A High Quality Radio Controlled Power Glider

[Bonzodog]

I spotted this glider in a post on a Facebook RC group, liked the look of it and bought one. £16 delivered. It's a slightly easier conversion than a Lidl foamie build, as main wing is split and there's already a hollow in the fusi. A bit bigger and nice looking plane. Here's my unboxing and build blog.

No maiden yet, but I know it'll fly well!

 

[quorneng]

The FX707 is indeed a very nice plane just crying out for a neat power installation. It doesn't need to be any too powerful. It is after all a pretty efficient glider.
On mine I went to the ultimate and gave it a fully streamlined motor installation with a folding 5x3 prop.

The final modification was to add big flaps. Three settings 0, 20 and 40 degrees. All five servos are 3.7g.

344g with a 1500mAh 2s ,just 25g heavier than the original glider, it has a still air endurance of 27 minutes. If there is lift about there is no limit! Landing with 40 degree flap is interesting and very slow.

 

[Bonzodog]

The FX707 is indeed a very nice plane just crying out for a neat power installation. It doesn't need to be any too powerful. It is after all a pretty efficient glider.
On mine I went to the ultimate and gave it a fully streamlined motor installation with a folding 5x3 prop.
View attachment 247556
The final modification was to add big flaps. Three settings 0, 20 and 40 degrees. All five servos are 3.7g.
View attachment 247557
344g with a 1500mAh 2s ,just 25g heavier than the original glider, it has a still air endurance of 27 minutes. If there is lift about there is no limit! Landing with 40 degree flap is interesting and very slow.

 

[Bonzodog]

Nice job on the motor cowling and folding prop. 3d printer job? Mine is 350g including 800mA 3s. As you say, it looks like a very efficient design, and I could probably have got away with a smaller motor, but I had the BR1806 kicking around so used that. With luck I get to maiden on Wednesday weather permitting. Video should follow. I doubt if I'll be soaring at that location though. Maybe!

 

[quorneng]

A very grey day but a video of my FX707 with flaps.
Not easy to video and fly at the same time.

It actually even more "gentle" to fly with15 degree of flap.

 

[bisco]

well done! you gotta get the hat cam

 

[Bonzodog]

A very grey day but a video of my FX707 with flaps.
Not easy to video and fly at the same time.

It actually even more "gentle" to fly with15 degree of flap.

Good work. Mine had a maiden a couple of days ago, it was faster and more twitchy than I thought it would be, but that was partly due to a silly mistake I made. See the maiden video! But also, despite checking where the original CG was when I bought it, I strongly suspect I had it too far back? What CG are you working to? I was at 68 mm which is pretty much middle of the chord, but that is where it balanced when it was a chuck glider. I've since seen online 46 mm.