Today we see how crazy we can get with a single piece of simple foam board. The goal was to use every square inch of our building material to make a fun plane to fly, build, and crash! Then we thought, let’s make some one-sheet warbirds!
CORSAIR
Peter designed the FT Mighty Mini Corsair. It is the first round fuselage design Flite Test has ever done! This little warbird park flyer is the perfect size to always keep with you in the back seat of your car and is small enough to fly at most medium sized parks. Though this little Corsair doesn't have the 2,000 HP Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine that the original full-scale warbird had, it does use a 2204 sized brushless motor that is commonly found on mini race quads. This gives this little 4 channel plane enough power to climb vertically endlessly and pull off most basic aerobatic maneuvers with ease.
SPECS
WEIGHT WITHOUT BATTERY: 5.5 oz (156 g)
CENTER OF GRAVITY: 1 inch (25 mm) from leading edge of wing
CONTROL SURFACE THROWS: 12 ˚ deflection (elevator/aileron/rudder) Expo 30%
WINGSPAN: 24 inches (609 mm)
RECOMMENDED MOTOR: 2200 kv 2204 size motor
RECOMMENDED PROP: 6 x 4.5 prop
RECOMMENDED ESC: 12 amp minimum
RECOMMENDED BATTERY: 800 mAH 2s or 3s
RECOMMENDED SERVOS: (4) 5 gram servos
The Mighty Mini Corsair relies heavily on the use of poster board. This may seem complicated, but it is not! The internal foam board former makes building both quick and easy. It even makes a battery hatch possible. The final result is a simple little plane that is heavy on detail and features, but light and nimble in the air.
MUSTANG
The P-51 is definitely one of the most iconic airplanes of all time and this one sheet foam board airplane kit is a great way to experience the great flight characteristics of this icon. Using 4 channels, and the power of a 2204 size brushless motor the Mini Mustang has more than enough power for endless vertical climb, and most basic aerobatic maneuvers such as knife edge. With it's wide flight envelope, this little Mustang can fly slow enough to easily be flown at a decent sized park.
SPECS
WEIGHT WITHOUT BATTERY: 5.5 oz (156 g)
CENTER OF GRAVITY: 1 inch (25 mm) from leading edge of wing
CONTROL SURFACE THROWS: 12 ˚ deflection (elevator/aileron/rudder) Expo 30%
WINGSPAN: 24.5 inches (622 mm)
RECOMMENDED MOTOR: 2200 kv 2204 size motor
RECOMMENDED PROP: 6 x 4.5 prop
RECOMMENDED ESC: 12 amp minimum
RECOMMENDED BATTERY: 800 mAH 2s or 3s
RECOMMENDED SERVOS: (4) 5 gram servos
The Mighty mini mustang carries the same fun flight characteristics as its larger FT Swappable brother. We took what we learned from the larger design and applied it to the mini. The Mighty Mini P-51 features a rigid hatch that gives access to the servos, battery bay, and all the electronics. Both the Corsair and the Mustang fly great on a 2204 2300kv motor. This motor is available in our F Power Pack, or can be purchased separately. It's the same motor used in many race quadcopters flown today.
The speed and characteristics of the Mustang and the corsair can be changed by simply changing the cell count of the battery. A 2 cell battery yields 8.4 volts and makes for a fun and relaxing back yard flyer. A 3 cell setup will give vertical capabilities and bring speeds up to 54 mph (87 km/h). Install a 4 cell and you can expect to hit above 64 mph (103 km/h). That is, if the wind is in your favor! Be sure to match the proper prop with your battery choice. As the cell count goes up, your prop diameter goes down.
Peter decided to go big on cell count and small on wings. The final result was more useful as a gardening tool.
So Peter went back to his roots! Two big rocket motors and a fuse… Check!!!!
With about five seconds of fuse and our health insurance paid up, we lit and launched Peter's Rocket Corsair
The sound and the sight where very exciting! But the top speed will never be known. At least we were able to find the wreckage and also test the strength of the wing. Although you may not put rockets on it, we hope you will find tons of enjoyment building and flying these fun little warbirds. Remember. Planes are better when they fly together. And so are people!
Be on the lookout for FREE plans and build videos coming later this week!
If you'd like to cut down on your build time, Speed Build Kits for both the FT Might Mini Corsair and FT Might Mini Mustang are available now!
