FT-22 Supersized - 150% Bigger

[HilldaFlyer]

Previously published build article: Supersized FT-22 150% BIGGER
The main reason for adding this to the forum is to provide fellow builders comment and add pictures and video (since the article comments don't allow).

Here is a photo of the final version 1. This version has three channels, throttle and two control surfaces (elevons). If you were wondering how a single thickness of Readi-Board is able to handle the stresses of flight, I modified the Ready-Board by peeling the paper and resurfacing the foam with fiberglass. Without the fiberglass, I doubt the wings would have survived the maiden, let alone many flights afterward.

The maiden was really nice, but I thought it lacked roll authority and thrust. The build article has links to all the videos, so I'll let you go there for the whole story. After several awesome flights I wanted more - more roll and more power. The version 1 powertrain had
Motor - NTM 2826 1200kv (Hobbyking)
Propeller - APC 9x6 ([url]http://www.radicalrc.com/shop/[/URL])
ESC - Hobbyking 20A (Hobbyking)
Battery - 2200 mAh 3S 40C

 

[HilldaFlyer]

Supersized FT-22 Upgraded - Ailerons and Bigger Motor

The first upgrade was to add ailerons. All of the upgrade was fully documented in another article:
Supersized FT-22 Upgraded - Ailerons and Big Motor

However, adding two more servos so near the tail screwed up the CG. To balance the plane again, I moved the motor forward about 10 cm.

Then I filled the old propeller hole with more foam and fiberglass.

Because I added a bigger motor, I also added some more strength to the vertical stabilizers by added some carbon tubes the the leading edge.

Here is the new powertrain info:
Motor - NTM 28-36 1400kv (Hobbyking)
Propeller - APC 9x4.5 ([url]http://www.radicalrc.com/shop/[/URL])
ESC - Hobbyking Plush 40A (Hobbyking)
Battery - 2200 mAh 3S 40C

 

[HilldaFlyer]

The upgraded Supersized FT-22 is one of my most favorite to fly. I sure catch a lot of attention at the field!

Oh, by the way, the plans for the V1 and upgraded are in the articles linked above. I hope you have fun building and flying. The build is really simple.

Future plans are to make an airfoil wing so that fiberglass is not necessary. Then all FT-builders can have one.

Still looks and flies great after dozens of flights...

 

[CrashRecovery]

What about a simple KF foil? That could help with stiffness

 

[HilldaFlyer]

What about a simple KF foil? That could help with stiffness

That should work too. Might be a bit lighter too.

 

[dradams2]

Well, I am doing it. I jumped in with both feet on this project with the following abilities: I can fly an Apprentice pretty good. I have flown a Phoenix Cessna 182 with the receiver from an Apprentice in it with no problems as well. I have never worked with foamboard. I have never worked with fiberglass.

So, I started off by doing a tiled poster print of the plans, taped them together, and then cut out the individual pieces. I then traced the pieces onto the peeled Adams posterboard and used my Olfa rotary cutter for most of the cutting. It worked like a charm.

Today I began the fiberglassing with a lot of apprehension. I purchased the epoxy resin and fiberglass from your recommended sources and the service from both was great. I used GreatPlanes 1 oz cups to measure 3 ounces of the "A" part with the 1 ounce of the "B"part (though they are not labeled A and B) as per instructions. I mixed the two in a 9 ounce clear plastic cup that I have 200 of from some purchase years ago that have been sitting on the top shelf of our pantry. They work great for this.

I wasn't sure how much to mix and had no idea how to pour out the "correct" amount. Having 20-25 minutes of pot life and not trusting my pouring techniques I used the popsicle stirring stick I had mixed the epoxy with and drizzled what I thought was necessary on the parts I had laid out which was basically everything except the wings and the two skid plates. Boy did, I overestimate. It turns out that 2 to 2 1/2 ounces would have been plenty for the parts I did. If I had had the flat space to work on, I had the time and could easily have done the two skid plates as well.

Here are some pictures of my work so far.

I am building a 6 foot workbench but in the meantime I have an old card table with a piece of plywood on top. This is the first side of my first ever fiberglass job.


These are the parts in waiting for tomorrow.


This is how much epoxy mixture I had left over as it hardened. There is probably an ounce or an ounce and a half in there.


I hope to have all of the fiberglassing finished by Thursday and start hot gluing it all together (another thing I have never done).

Thanks for giving me the incentive to try something new. Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks.

 

[Garret234]

There is defiantly an art to glassing stuff.

 

[dradams2]

Maidened my 150% F22 Tuesday. I built it with the v2 plans with the larger engine but I did not add the ailerons at this point.

I used a Spektrum 400 4 channel receiver and my DX5e transmitter that came with my Apprentice along with 2 Turnigy 9g servos and a Turnigy 3S 2200mah 45C battery with the elevon setup. The motor/prop combo was the one you recommended - NTM 2836 1400Kv/9x4.5 prop.

I arrived at the Bayou City Flyers flying field about 7:15 am with a wind speed of 0-1 mph. There was no one else there yet but I was anxious to get this bird in the air. More firsts for me... hand launch and flying a foam airplane. My plane came in at 1/2 oz heavier than yours at 33.5 oz. I didn't get any pictures of the flight but it was awesome. On launch it climbed almost vertical for 50 feet before I leveled it off and trimmed it out. It was doing everything you had said it would and that I saw happen in your videos. It would slow to a crawl and flew extremely stable. My only problem was I never got to land it. At Dick Scobee Filed there is one tree off the end of the runway a pretty fair distance away. It just seemed like it had a magnet in it and sucked my plane right into it.
I got a long pole and knocked it free from the branch that had embedded itself into one of the wings and when it hit the ground it landed on the other wing tip causing damage there as well. I already have it repaired and ready to go again when I get some decent weather. Thanks again for an awesome set of plans and the encouragement for building my first foam plane. I learned a lot this time and look forward to my next build.

Plane ready for maiden:


Repairs underway: You can see a mod I had to do. When I built my engine mount it was too tall and stuck out above the battery cover. I just bent the battery cover up at an angle to deflect the airflow away from the vertical wall of the mount. It did not seem to have any bearing on the flight characteristics that I could attribute specifically to it.

 

[HilldaFlyer]

Supersized FT-22 flies away - Crashes

I had an awful expiereince last Saturday. Just after takeoff, my Supersized FT-22 lost radio contact. All I could do was watch as it glided fairly steeply toward the far end of the field. Almost 800 feet of terror.

Here is the CapCam and on-board Cam video - Enjoy. Oh, Nothing broke... so unless I crash it between now and FliteFest2016, I'll bring it.