Build Thread- FT NASA X-29

Should I make it swappable or EDF?


  • Total voters
    7
  • Poll closed .

CarolineTyler

Legendary member
Thanks guys! I'll be happier only when I actually do glue in the canards, rudder, horizontal stabilizer, and wing! I almost can't take my eyes off of it. My sincere Thanks to Flite Test for making this plane a reality! Andres did a great job on its design. I'll admit, as with any plane when you get up close and personal, you see a little hot glue that you forgot to squeegee off or a foam crinkle, but it looks Amazing from a distance! I'm going to be so nervous before I maiden it!
Terrific job! It's a beautiful plane you have built there.
 

Matthew Sanders

Elite member
Flew mine again this morning, it's a beautiful flyer. Flight today was 3m47s and the 3300 6S came down with 57% left. Plenty left for go rounds and to push it a bit more.
You're going to love flying it!
Advise: lots of expo and reduce your throws on the roll axis.
Yours is an EDF, right? Thanks for the advice for Expo! What are your rates?
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
Anybody run this thing off a 64mm edf and 3s yet? Plans say it should, but I’m a bit skeptical. Maybe a super light setup with gorilla glue... hears that hen viggen is definitly not overpowered on 64mm and the x-29 weighs a bit more
 

Matthew Sanders

Elite member
Anybody run this thing off a 64mm edf and 3s yet? Plans say it should, but I’m a bit skeptical. Maybe a super light setup with gorilla glue... hears that hen viggen is definitly not overpowered on 64mm and the x-29 weighs a bit more
Are you running the viggen on a 3s with the 64mm ducted fan? Just curious!
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
No, but I want too. I just don’t have the kind of money it takes to go buy a 70mm edf, 80 amp esc, and batteries, but I think I could get away with a 20$ 64mm edf from amazon with a 30 amp esc running off a 1500 mah 3s, so my viggen project is on hold untill I can get an edf... and then I want to do an x-29 with a 70mm edf (20$ on Amazon) and 4s. We will see...
 

Matthew Sanders

Elite member
Do you know how to solder? Do you have access to someone who does? You can get a 12 blade 70mm ducted fan FOR 20 DOLLARS! All you have to do is solder the bullet extentions on the wire. You can get a 60 amp esc on amazon pre soldered with XT-60 for 26 dollars. The more I build my X-29, the more I want to make it an EDF, but I'll stick to my promise of a swappable.
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
Do you know how to solder? Do you have access to someone who does? You can get a 12 blade 70mm ducted fan FOR 20 DOLLARS! All you have to do is solder the bullet extentions on the wire. You can get a 60 amp esc on amazon pre soldered with XT-60 for 26 dollars. The more I build my X-29, the more I want to make it an EDF, but I'll stick to my promise of a swappable.
Yup - I solder, and boy - those edf’s sure are tempting!
 

Matthew Sanders

Elite member
For that matter, I think bullet connectors are about the easiest things there are to solder! Let’s just say battery connectors - especially the Traxxas ones - are a bit more difficult.
And with the Amazon $20 70mm edf, what size of 4s would y’all recommend?
Is soldering stuff expensive? And on the VLOG in which the X-29 debuted, Andres flew it on a 1300 4s. That was a pusher though. Im not good with battery/esc knowledge which is what you need, so take my advice like a grain of salt, but im pretty sure a 3300 4s might work. I would try mine on a 2200 3s, which im using on the pusher, but im not sure if it would be enough thrust on 3s
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
Is soldering stuff expensive? And on the VLOG in which the X-29 debuted, Andres flew it on a 1300 4s. That was a pusher though. Im not good with battery/esc knowledge which is what you need, so take my advice like a grain of salt, but im pretty sure a 3300 4s might work. I would try mine on a 2200 3s, which im using on the pusher, but im not sure if it would be enough thrust on 3s
You can get a 40 watt basic iron from homedepot.com for $8...
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
A small tube of rosin-core electrical solder is just a few bucks. I would also buy a small tin of rosin. Even with rosin-core solder, dipping the two ends you are soldering into the rosin first, makes the solder adhere much faster, which means it's easier and you've less opportunity to cause heat damage to anything at the other end of the wire.

Soldering isn't really hard, it's just another skill in the toolbox. Practice tinning some wire ends and then connecting the ends together and you'll be good enough to do bullet connectors after just a few successful tries.
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
A small tube of rosin-core electrical solder is just a few bucks. I would also buy a small tin of rosin. Even with rosin-core solder, dipping the two ends you are soldering into the rosin first, makes the solder adhere much faster, which means it's easier and you've less opportunity to cause heat damage to anything at the other end of the wire.

Soldering isn't really hard, it's just another skill in the toolbox. Practice tinning some wire ends and then connecting the ends together and you'll be good enough to do bullet connectors after just a few successful tries.
You don’t even know how to solder two wires to do bullet connectors - you just put your tip on the outside of the connector and heat it up until it will melt your solder inside. Fill up te cup and don’t move the iron until you stick your prentinted wire into the melted solder. Remove the heat and leave it until the solder hardens (a few seconds)
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
It is notable that the bullet connector will get VERY hot! I solder on a piece of wood placed on my work table. Something like this is also extremely helpful:

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