European foam Thickness
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gabrielete
New member
The difference is not that big that you have to redraw plans. Parts just are tighter, but everything works pretty well.
m00ndancer
Member
I use a Depron-like material with lots of tape and glue 5mm thick. Works fine. Just have to think about how you adapt the build for you type of material. (My first fuselage try was really, really really bad)
Most European Foam board is nearer 6mm than the stated 5mm and weighs a lot more in any case meaning designs need modifying in order to get the CoG in correct place with same equipment.
I built one of the Mini's it needed bigger battery and motor to balance and cope with the extra foam weight.
Better off with Tape covered Depron as it is stronger and the same weight if not lighter than the DTFB.
I built one of the Mini's it needed bigger battery and motor to balance and cope with the extra foam weight.
Better off with Tape covered Depron as it is stronger and the same weight if not lighter than the DTFB.
twincam1449
Junior Member
Indeed the EU 5mm foam is very very heavy.
Therefor I'm now using the 3mm version.
Weight is 315 gram for a plate 70x100cm = 450 gram / m2
Therefor I'm now using the 3mm version.
Weight is 315 gram for a plate 70x100cm = 450 gram / m2
I recently build the FT Spitfire out of 6 mm depron. It’s easy to get at the local hardware store and about 1,20 € a piece (ca. 100 x 45 cm).
For more strength I use ironing film from a laminator machine. This film is on a roll with 150 m so lots of film to iron. Works pretty good and you can purchase this stuff at amazon. Also the film is really lightweight.
Just use some sandpaper to roughen the depron surface befor appling the lamination.
The original FT plans are good enough for the build, just mind the diffrent thickness of the depron which is 6 mm and foam board is about 4 mm I think. You can even apply decals between the depron and the lamination.
For more strength I use ironing film from a laminator machine. This film is on a roll with 150 m so lots of film to iron. Works pretty good and you can purchase this stuff at amazon. Also the film is really lightweight.
Just use some sandpaper to roughen the depron surface befor appling the lamination.
The original FT plans are good enough for the build, just mind the diffrent thickness of the depron which is 6 mm and foam board is about 4 mm I think. You can even apply decals between the depron and the lamination.
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This stuff from UK Amazon is 4.76mm (3/16mm) and works perfectly. It is a tad heavier but gave no issues with My FT mini Arrow or Tiny Trainer builds. I think it looks stronger than the FT stuff and accepts paint very well.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Foamboard-A1-5mm-White-pack/dp/B002LBC9HS
Others have also reviewed it as suitable.
Hope this helps!
I'm using a 'generic' 5mm foam board available through Ebay in the UK. It's quite a bit heavier than DTFB, but when I started building using the Flite Test plans about 3 years ago, I was completely unaware of the weight difference. All my planes flew, but as nobody at the time was posting All Up Weights, I had no idea mine were heavier.
When I eventually became aware of the difference I wondered what all the fuss was about. But I did start to notice that some people were flying their DTFB planes with what appeared to be much larger battery loads. Where I was using 1000mah and 1500mah, they were using 1500mah and 2200mah. So basically, many DTFB fliers were flying on roughly the same AUW as me, or could potentially. They were getting a little longer in the air - so what I said; if I take plenty of batteries, my flying session can be as long as I want it to be. And if the DTFB planes are flown lighter, it means they can fly a little slower. Though you wouldn't think it from the videos I've watched, most people seem keen to go as fast as possible! I've got friends who have built the mini series with heavier foam board and have been very happy with the flight experience. It flies - wow! That's usually enough for a beginner
Regarding the difference in the foam's thickness, when cutting out plans it's almost as simple as where you cut along the line. Printed-out, some of the lines are actually quite thick, so if you cut down the middle of the line you get one size; cut along the edge you get another. Once you're familiar with your board, you tend to get a feel for it. I transfer the plan to foam board using pin-pricks, and then redraw the plan on the surface paper. I'm probably mentally readjusting the size of any fold-joins and tabs as I go. Only a few of the joins are actually 'critical'. Though even then a sloppy join is easily disguised with an extra film of glue. And if it's a touch tight, a little pinch of the fingers to slightly flatten the foam will usually let things come together. It's really not rocket-science.
In October 2013 I posted an article about 'heavy' foam board; http://www.flitetest.com/articles/don-t-let-heavy-foamboard-get-you-down
It 'showcased' all my heavy foam board builds, and since then I've built a whole range of planes using heavy foam board, and though I might be a little envious of missing out on super slow speed flying, I've produced some very satisfying and slow-flying builds.
My advice, don't fret the weight of the foam board too much. Build-up your skills, both in flying and scratch building, to the point where it matters, and then start exploring ways to improve your builds. But I'll draw your attention to a comment by David Windestal during the spitfire build, where he suggests extra weight is a bonus, helping the plane with wind penetration. Some of these really light planes aren't worth taking to the field if the wind is over 5 mph.
Cheers, alibopo.
When I eventually became aware of the difference I wondered what all the fuss was about. But I did start to notice that some people were flying their DTFB planes with what appeared to be much larger battery loads. Where I was using 1000mah and 1500mah, they were using 1500mah and 2200mah. So basically, many DTFB fliers were flying on roughly the same AUW as me, or could potentially. They were getting a little longer in the air - so what I said; if I take plenty of batteries, my flying session can be as long as I want it to be. And if the DTFB planes are flown lighter, it means they can fly a little slower. Though you wouldn't think it from the videos I've watched, most people seem keen to go as fast as possible! I've got friends who have built the mini series with heavier foam board and have been very happy with the flight experience. It flies - wow! That's usually enough for a beginner
Regarding the difference in the foam's thickness, when cutting out plans it's almost as simple as where you cut along the line. Printed-out, some of the lines are actually quite thick, so if you cut down the middle of the line you get one size; cut along the edge you get another. Once you're familiar with your board, you tend to get a feel for it. I transfer the plan to foam board using pin-pricks, and then redraw the plan on the surface paper. I'm probably mentally readjusting the size of any fold-joins and tabs as I go. Only a few of the joins are actually 'critical'. Though even then a sloppy join is easily disguised with an extra film of glue. And if it's a touch tight, a little pinch of the fingers to slightly flatten the foam will usually let things come together. It's really not rocket-science.
In October 2013 I posted an article about 'heavy' foam board; http://www.flitetest.com/articles/don-t-let-heavy-foamboard-get-you-down
It 'showcased' all my heavy foam board builds, and since then I've built a whole range of planes using heavy foam board, and though I might be a little envious of missing out on super slow speed flying, I've produced some very satisfying and slow-flying builds.
My advice, don't fret the weight of the foam board too much. Build-up your skills, both in flying and scratch building, to the point where it matters, and then start exploring ways to improve your builds. But I'll draw your attention to a comment by David Windestal during the spitfire build, where he suggests extra weight is a bonus, helping the plane with wind penetration. Some of these really light planes aren't worth taking to the field if the wind is over 5 mph.
Cheers, alibopo.
kulens
Member
Did you guys know that the FT-foam will become available in Europe too? Graupner (Germany) will start the distribution soon: https://www.graupner.de/Flite-Test-ENG
If you subscribe to the newsletter, you'll get a 10% discount on your first order.
If you subscribe to the newsletter, you'll get a 10% discount on your first order.
SnowdonFlier
New member
Price must be coming down a little. I've ordered this from Amazon and it arrived this morning:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0052ISMPA/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Price of £22.99 ($30.38) is competitive in the UK. I'll measure and weigh it and post the results tomorrow.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0052ISMPA/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Price of £22.99 ($30.38) is competitive in the UK. I'll measure and weigh it and post the results tomorrow.
Hai-Lee
Old and Bold RC PILOT
Here in Aus I buy my foamboards from an Art supply and picture framing shop in either 3mm or 5mm to suit my requirements.
For those who like to tinker a little especially when there is a design which has come out tail heavy or too heavy in general is to riddle the tail or fuselage with lightening holes, like swiss cheese
When you have cut out enough to get the balance right plank the tail or fuselage with the thinnest Balsa sheet you can get.
The strength is good and the range of finishing options is vastly improved. you can also put cover strips around the raw foamboard edges to protect them also.
Not every piece of foamboard in the current designs is required structurally but rather most of it is for simplicity of construction or for aesthetics alone.
Judicial use of lightening holes in the foamboard will make your models lighter and the landing speeds a lot slower.
For those who like to tinker a little especially when there is a design which has come out tail heavy or too heavy in general is to riddle the tail or fuselage with lightening holes, like swiss cheese
When you have cut out enough to get the balance right plank the tail or fuselage with the thinnest Balsa sheet you can get.
The strength is good and the range of finishing options is vastly improved. you can also put cover strips around the raw foamboard edges to protect them also.
Not every piece of foamboard in the current designs is required structurally but rather most of it is for simplicity of construction or for aesthetics alone.
Judicial use of lightening holes in the foamboard will make your models lighter and the landing speeds a lot slower.
SnowdonFlier
New member
Foam board from Amazon
OK, sorry for the delay, I have measured the thickness and weight of the A! Foam board.
Thickness is: 5.25mm
Weight (per sheet): 227grams
Slightly thicker and heavier than I would like but it behaves well in cutting and folding. I've just built a new fuselage for the Tiny Trainer and one thing the thickness affects is the power pod - I have to make it slightly narrower as the doublers reduce the space available by about .5mm which makes standard pod a very tight fit.
Built a Versa which is almost ready for maiden. I'll post results.
Mike
OK, sorry for the delay, I have measured the thickness and weight of the A! Foam board.
Thickness is: 5.25mm
Weight (per sheet): 227grams
Slightly thicker and heavier than I would like but it behaves well in cutting and folding. I've just built a new fuselage for the Tiny Trainer and one thing the thickness affects is the power pod - I have to make it slightly narrower as the doublers reduce the space available by about .5mm which makes standard pod a very tight fit.
Built a Versa which is almost ready for maiden. I'll post results.
Mike
SlingShot
Maneuvering With Purpose
Nice collection man
As I watched the FT videos I speculated to myself that performance might benefit from a little more wing loading. I like the "heavy" ride.m00ndancer
Member
Information a few days back from Graupner.de:
They state that they don't know but are expecting the first FT product in stock end of September / beginning of October.
Soon we can order stuff in the EU!
They state that they don't know but are expecting the first FT product in stock end of September / beginning of October.
Soon we can order stuff in the EU!
Can't wait to be able to buy FT merchandise from Europe. I heard Josh say at the start of the HoTTrigger episode that news is coming soon. I wan't some FT mugs!
With regard to Euro foamboard, from what I can gather the stuff we get is the same as they get in Oz. Being that bit heavier, builds tend to be a bit tail heavy, you need to watch out for that. As for the thicckness, its never caused me a problem. I use the 3mm stuff, by putting in a bit of forethough, I trim a mm off the channel width for the A and B folds. Print your plans, watch the build video and keep in mind where you need to modify and mark the plan accordingly.
The good thing about the thicker covering paper is it makes the whole build stronger. The downside is it doesn't peel off too easy. If I need to get a decent sized piece of backing paper off I wet it, taking care to cut a small section of paper around the edges to stop the water wicking into the paper I want to keep. If a bit does get wet, just leave it to dry fully.
Another thing I found is the 5mm board is not 166% weight of the 3mm. Haven't got eact figures, but its more like 10% heavier. Seems most of the weight is in the paper. Sometimes I get a wet cloth and soak the inside of a fuse, then peel off the paper to reduce weight.
With regard to Euro foamboard, from what I can gather the stuff we get is the same as they get in Oz. Being that bit heavier, builds tend to be a bit tail heavy, you need to watch out for that. As for the thicckness, its never caused me a problem. I use the 3mm stuff, by putting in a bit of forethough, I trim a mm off the channel width for the A and B folds. Print your plans, watch the build video and keep in mind where you need to modify and mark the plan accordingly.
The good thing about the thicker covering paper is it makes the whole build stronger. The downside is it doesn't peel off too easy. If I need to get a decent sized piece of backing paper off I wet it, taking care to cut a small section of paper around the edges to stop the water wicking into the paper I want to keep. If a bit does get wet, just leave it to dry fully.
Another thing I found is the 5mm board is not 166% weight of the 3mm. Haven't got eact figures, but its more like 10% heavier. Seems most of the weight is in the paper. Sometimes I get a wet cloth and soak the inside of a fuse, then peel off the paper to reduce weight.
wedgetailaus
New member
I'm using a 'generic' 5mm foam board available through Ebay in the UK. It's quite a bit heavier than DTFB, but when I started building using the Flite Test plans about 3 years ago, I was completely unaware of the weight difference. All my planes flew, but as nobody at the time was posting All Up Weights, I had no idea mine were heavier.
When I eventually became aware of the difference I wondered what all the fuss was about. But I did start to notice that some people were flying their DTFB planes with what appeared to be much larger battery loads. Where I was using 1000mah and 1500mah, they were using 1500mah and 2200mah. So basically, many DTFB fliers were flying on roughly the same AUW as me, or could potentially. They were getting a little longer in the air - so what I said; if I take plenty of batteries, my flying session can be as long as I want it to be. And if the DTFB planes are flown lighter, it means they can fly a little slower. Though you wouldn't think it from the videos I've watched, most people seem keen to go as fast as possible! I've got friends who have built the mini series with heavier foam board and have been very happy with the flight experience. It flies - wow! That's usually enough for a beginner
Regarding the difference in the foam's thickness, when cutting out plans it's almost as simple as where you cut along the line. Printed-out, some of the lines are actually quite thick, so if you cut down the middle of the line you get one size; cut along the edge you get another. Once you're familiar with your board, you tend to get a feel for it. I transfer the plan to foam board using pin-pricks, and then redraw the plan on the surface paper. I'm probably mentally readjusting the size of any fold-joins and tabs as I go. Only a few of the joins are actually 'critical'. Though even then a sloppy join is easily disguised with an extra film of glue. And if it's a touch tight, a little pinch of the fingers to slightly flatten the foam will usually let things come together. It's really not rocket-science.
In October 2013 I posted an article about 'heavy' foam board; http://www.flitetest.com/articles/don-t-let-heavy-foamboard-get-you-down
It 'showcased' all my heavy foam board builds, and since then I've built a whole range of planes using heavy foam board, and though I might be a little envious of missing out on super slow speed flying, I've produced some very satisfying and slow-flying builds.
My advice, don't fret the weight of the foam board too much. Build-up your skills, both in flying and scratch building, to the point where it matters, and then start exploring ways to improve your builds. But I'll draw your attention to a comment by David Windestal during the spitfire build, where he suggests extra weight is a bonus, helping the plane with wind penetration. Some of these really light planes aren't worth taking to the field if the wind is over 5 mph.
Cheers, alibopo.
As someone who has been stressing over the heavy FB I've bought in Australia and I'm about to build with I really appriciated your post. Thanks ali.
