jtbluefeather
New member
I like FT planes. I like big planes because I can see them better when I fly them. And I have two kids that come flying with me a lot. So I've started chopping the wings off of my airplanes to make them a bit more portable. My first attempt was my Sea Duck.
I was a little hesitant at first about doing anything crazy with it, but after many, many flights I've found it to be an excellent performer and a joy to fly.
Then I built the FT Mustang and just had to use the Star Wars plastic Easter eggs the kids got from the bunny.
When it was time to build my Big Guinea Pig, I also modified it to break down and box up. Gotta keep them safe on the way to Flite Fest this summer after all. I saw that my box had some extra space in it, so I decided to slice the wings off the Mustang and see if I could make it more transportable.
I made some spars out of $0.98 yardsticks from Lowe's, added little extensions to the y harness for the ailerons, and I was in business. Turns out it fits in the box with my Guinea Pig, too!
I went out to give the Mustang a test flight today, to make sure the wings would stay on, and I gotta tell you, it was a BLAST to fly. I wish I had thought to put my kiddos to work filming, but we were all having so much fun I didn't even think of it. The best part was the cartwheeling crash I did during a high speed low pass. I watched in horror as the wing clipped the ground and the whole thing tumbled and a wing went flying off one way while the rest tumbled on. I thought that was it for the flying for today, but upon further inspection it seemed ok. I plugged the servo back in, reattached the wing, checked the controls were in working order and tossed it back into the air to fly out the battery!
Next up for construction is a FT Spitfire. You just know it's getting modified to go into that box as well.
It's not hard to modify these planes to break down. For me, that means I can fit more planes in the vehicle, which means I can build more planes, which means I have my whole air force with me when I head to the flying field! Give it a try. More space means more planes!
It's a good addiction to have... right?
I was a little hesitant at first about doing anything crazy with it, but after many, many flights I've found it to be an excellent performer and a joy to fly.
Then I built the FT Mustang and just had to use the Star Wars plastic Easter eggs the kids got from the bunny.
When it was time to build my Big Guinea Pig, I also modified it to break down and box up. Gotta keep them safe on the way to Flite Fest this summer after all. I saw that my box had some extra space in it, so I decided to slice the wings off the Mustang and see if I could make it more transportable.
I made some spars out of $0.98 yardsticks from Lowe's, added little extensions to the y harness for the ailerons, and I was in business. Turns out it fits in the box with my Guinea Pig, too!
I went out to give the Mustang a test flight today, to make sure the wings would stay on, and I gotta tell you, it was a BLAST to fly. I wish I had thought to put my kiddos to work filming, but we were all having so much fun I didn't even think of it. The best part was the cartwheeling crash I did during a high speed low pass. I watched in horror as the wing clipped the ground and the whole thing tumbled and a wing went flying off one way while the rest tumbled on. I thought that was it for the flying for today, but upon further inspection it seemed ok. I plugged the servo back in, reattached the wing, checked the controls were in working order and tossed it back into the air to fly out the battery!
Next up for construction is a FT Spitfire. You just know it's getting modified to go into that box as well.
It's not hard to modify these planes to break down. For me, that means I can fit more planes in the vehicle, which means I can build more planes, which means I have my whole air force with me when I head to the flying field! Give it a try. More space means more planes!
It's a good addiction to have... right?
