Foam Board Question

[stew64]

Will different kinds of foam board work for the FT models. What if it is smooth white board a little thicker than the brown board from FT store. Just wondering as it is a little heavier and with scratch building I just don't seem to make as precise of cuts as the laser speed build kits do.

 

[leaded50]

it will, but weight can change, and get tailheavy. Do the front fuselage a bit longer to compensate..

 

[SP0NZ]

With thicker board you will need to account for the thickness with the A/B/C folds. FT foam is 3/16 (~5mm) thick and the folds are designed for that thickness.

Heavier foam board is a bigger issue. Your CG will likely be off (usually tail heavy) and you will need to add weight somewhere to balance the plane to the proper CG in order to get it to fly correctly. With the added weight of the model due to the foam board and the extra weight needed to balance, one way to get it to balance out better and perform better is to add a larger motor. That way you are not just adding extra dead weight, but increasing your power as well.

 

[stew64]

With thicker board you will need to account for the thickness with the A/B/C folds. FT foam is 3/16 (~5mm) thick and the folds are designed for that thickness.

Heavier foam board is a bigger issue. Your CG will likely be off (usually tail heavy) and you will need to add weight somewhere to balance the plane to the proper CG in order to get it to fly correctly. With the added weight of the model due to the foam board and the extra weight needed to balance, one way to get it to balance out better and perform better is to add a larger motor. That way you are not just adding extra dead weight, but increasing your power as well.

thanks that helps a lot.

 

[Merv]

Yes, different types of fb will work, some do work better than others. It’s not the thickness of the foam but the heaviness of the paper. Here in the USA, Adams fb from the Dollar Tree and Ross fb from Walmart work equally well for me. A 20x30” sheet will weigh about 4 oz, the paper will make about half of the weight. Ross is far more difficult to get the paper off.

Regarding accuracy, when cutting out planes from plans, some have fretted over, do I cut the line or leave it on the plan. It just doesn’t matter, close is good enough.

 

[stew64]

Yes, different types of fb will work, some do work better than others. It’s not the thickness of the foam but the heaviness of the paper. Here in the USA, Adams fb from the Dollar Tree and Ross fb from Walmart work equally well for me. A 20x30” sheet will weigh about 4 oz, the paper will make about half of the weight. Ross is far more difficult to get the paper off.

Regarding accuracy, when cutting out planes from plans, some have fretted over, do I cut the line or leave it on the plan. It just doesn’t matter, close is good enough.

that is good to know. I was a little worried i was missing something.

 

[moke]

I just used 'colored foam board' for a mini sportster build. I it wasn't water proof like FT and a little thinner. when I put on clear coat the paper delaminated and the control surfaces warped. I will stick with FT maker foam and standard foam from this point forward.

 

[A&a rc]

Will different kinds of foam board work for the FT models. What if it is smooth white board a little thicker than the brown board from FT store. Just wondering as it is a little heavier and with scratch building I just don't seem to make as precise of cuts as the laser speed build kits do.

You can use it just it will fly heavy and it is a lot less just to get it from flite test or the dollar store.