cheapest flyer

Ben Presten

New member
I thought of this when I tried to build an airplane for under 20 dolars try it your self no using parts yove already got unless you know th exact price post the results here on the thread and see who can make the cheapest flyer.
 

colorex

Rotor Riot!
Mentor
I'm in, not for under $20 dollars, but cheap.

Q: Does the price include the Tx and Rx?

I suppose not, since HK's cheapest TX is $22
 

pgerts

Old age member
Mentor
Among the cheapest plane i build is the FUNBAT.
I get 2 planes from a sheet of 6 mm depron. The sheet 125*80cm (50*30") costs me 10$
I am using the towerpro combo as motor + speedcontroller but i can get cheaper but they are not as good.
The combo costs me about 25$ as i want the hottest combo
I am using 2 HXT900 for the cost of 8$
and a Nanotech 850 3s battery for 13$
I need some aliphatic glue and some pieces of piano wire as pushrods - say 2$

The plane will cost me 53$ included postage for the items.

If i choose to get for the cheapest items i bet i can trim the price with about 15 down to 38$ but then i expect less flight time and less fun.

Ben - please tell us your plane for 20$. What parts do you get?
 

ananas1301

Crazy flyer/crasher :D
I am so in as well !

Nothing better than quickly having a new plane for low costs!

I would agree with pgerts that a scratchbuild is the way to go for the cheapest stuff.

Maybe also go for just a 3mm depron sheet and than something more like this :


Parts List:
$3.50 GWS EP Propeller (RD-8043 203x109mm) (6pcs/set)
$7.15 Turnigy 28-22-azj 7A 1400Kv Brushless Outrunner
$11.50 TURNIGY Plush 18amp Speed Controller
$4.16 Turnigy 500mAh 2S 20C Lipo Pack
$2.90 Light Foam Wheel (Diam: 30, Width: 12mm 5pcs/bag)
$2.77 Turnigy 1370A Servo 3.7g/0.4kg/.10sec
$2.77 Turnigy 1370A Servo 3.7g/0.4kg/.10sec
$0.43 Light Plane Plastic Part set (10pcs)
$1.00 Foam Board

This parts list should be easy to modify to some much lower prices! :D
 

pgerts

Old age member
Mentor
I am so in as well !
This parts list should be easy to modify to some much lower prices! :D

Forgot fibers, pushrods and ..
33 dollars but ----- Do you get those to your home for that price or you have to add some dollars for postage.
 
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pgerts

Old age member
Mentor
I thought of this when I tried to build an airplane for under 20 dolars try it your self no using parts yove already got unless you know th exact price post the results here on the thread and see who can make the cheapest flyer.
This question does not require any motor or radio when you read it!

It is possible to be a champion with a plane with parts for just 3$
lunsar1.JPG

All of them for less than 20$ included glue and paint
 

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lobstermash

Propaganda machine
Mentor
$5.99 A1 foamboard sheet
$5.15 HobbyKing Donkey ST2004-1550kv Brushless Motor
$6.77 Hobbyking SS Series 18-20A ESC
$3.98 Turnigy TG9e 9g / 1.5kg / 0.10sec Eco Micro Servo
$5.49 Turnigy 1000mAh 3S 20C Lipo Pack
$6.99 postage

$34.37 in total. I understand in the US you can get foam a lot cheaper. With these ingredients, you can make a profile plane around 150-250g and fly 3D
 

ananas1301

Crazy flyer/crasher :D
Hahaha

lets stay with the idea of building cheap and radio controlled!

But I honestly like pgerts free flight planes!
 

pgerts

Old age member
Mentor
Hahaha

lets stay with the idea of building cheap and radio controlled!

But I honestly like pgerts free flight planes!
There is a lot to learn from free flight champion gliders, maybe not so much from paper gliders.
Chuck gliders are actually an FAI class.

Interested in airfoils and calculations? Take a look at http://www.smallflyingartsforum.com/YaBB.pl?num=1222486854/20
Don’t try to make something like this from foam – The forces are extreme to chuck a glider + 100 feet high and make it glide for + 60 seconds.

I am still interested in a RC setup < 20 dollars.
Why cant it be fond as parts when you actually can buy RTF for that price.
Is the only way to “build” a cheap plane first to buy an RTF Silverlit then destroy it and use the parts to build your own?
 

ananas1301

Crazy flyer/crasher :D
Probably. But also it is the costs of shipping.

If you order from three different places, you nearly reached your limits, so you should really look for a shop that is cheap in ALL. Shipping and electronics.
 

pgerts

Old age member
Mentor
A new try to get the cheapest setup from HobbyKing
Sort by $

Motor
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...ing_Donkey_ST2004_1550kv_Brushless_Motor.html Donkey needs 3,5 A for 180 grams Thrust 5,15$

Speed controller
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__18002__HobbyKing_Red_Brick_10A_ESC.html Red Brick 10A controller 5,68$

Battery
2 cell (not B-grade) http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__9027__ZIPPY_Flightmax_180mAh_2S_15C_.html 180 mAh 15C &#8211; say 1,5-2,0A to the motor 1,66$
Or
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__9028__ZIPPY_Flightmax_350mAh_2S_20C_.html 350 mAh 20C for a more real 5A to the motor. 2,78@

Servos
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__16257__HK15178_Analog_Servo_10g_1_4kg_0_09s.html they get fine reviews at a cost of 1,89$ - need two of them.

Propeller for the Donkey http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__11318__7x3_5_Propellers_5Pcs_Bag_.html 2,24$/5 gives 0,45$.
It seems that the Donkey do not have a prop adapter &#8211; the prop has to be glued to the shaft.


The total price for the electronics seems to be : 17,9$
Freight is 6$ because it contains a battery and has to be Registered L

Building materials could be really cheap if foam. &#8220;Pushrods&#8221; can be made &#8220;pull-pull&#8221; of sewing string. &#8220;Rudder horns&#8221; of foam.

Without the freight cost and radio equipment &#8211; just at the limit of 20$ - and the parts should really make a reasonable setup.

Ben Presten - please show your own setup.
 

Illiop

Big Daddies
Has anyone used old gift cards to cut out control horns? wow, $6 for foam board? I can get it for $1 or less per sheet.
 

ananas1301

Crazy flyer/crasher :D
I need to pay about 5$ for a medium sized sheet of depron -.-'

But when I buy that I know that I get the true quality depron, which is in my eyes very good for making nice round shapes but also having straight nice cuts.


No I haven´t but I think you could make control horns out of everything.
Just use an old cd case and draw the shape of a control horn on it and get the saw.
Bit of sandpaper and you´re done.
 

Illiop

Big Daddies
only bad thing aboud CD case plastic is that it is very brittle, it shatters too easily.
Also, I cut the gift cards out with those heavy kitchen shears. Im sure a good set of scissors would work well also.
 
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lobstermash

Propaganda machine
Mentor
Yeah, $5.99 is a really good price for depron here. Mind you, I built my predator frame for free. All the foam came from either a recycle bin or packaging. The ply was from the backing of an old set of drawers. I re-used an old fishing rod for spars.
 

ananas1301

Crazy flyer/crasher :D
Yeah, $5.99 is a really good price for depron here. Mind you, I built my predator frame for free. All the foam came from either a recycle bin or packaging. The ply was from the backing of an old set of drawers. I re-used an old fishing rod for spars.

That is pretty clever man! A plane for free is something many would like to have :D