FT 3D - Scratch Build
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You have to do it as a "Color Engineering Print" then it will be much cheaper
Thanks for the hint. So when I get there I ask for a "Color Engineering Print" and what would that mean exactly? What bond paper will it be?
That's your first scratch build!? What made you try one of the trickiest builds as a starter? At any rate,
Bravo-Zulu! "Well done"
Bayboos
Active member
FT 3D is not very difficult; definitely not much more than Simple Soarer and comparable to Simple Storch (both are supposed to be "simple", right?). My first scratch build was FT Baby Blender, and it turned out just fine. Building with foam board is relatively easy, having literally any decent DIY experience is enough to build any of the FT designs good enough to fly.
FT 3D is way more difficult as a plane than as a building project. Good luck, sm1340. If you will be able to fly this plane, it will reward you with a lot of fun!
And Kurt: that's one great looking plane! I wish you it will stay looking like this for very long!
FT 3D is way more difficult as a plane than as a building project. Good luck, sm1340. If you will be able to fly this plane, it will reward you with a lot of fun!
And Kurt: that's one great looking plane! I wish you it will stay looking like this for very long!
dieuthuyenvtt
Banned
Great
Huffheinz
New member
FT-3D Speed Build
Hey everyone! I know this is the FT-3D scratch build thread, but I just put together a speed build and thought I'd share my experience here. I used to build blue fan-fold-foam planes but have been out of the hobby for a few years. Here's a link to my old RCGroups blog if you want to see some of my old blue foam builds.
I'm not a 3D RC pilot so I chose the FT-3D for aerobatics and because it reminded me of my old blue Piranha build. I really like the speed build kit but I had some trouble getting clean cuts in the water-resistant foam. I started another thread here asking how to better work with it and it boiled down to dull blades and user error.
I used the recommended Powerpack C and the build took two evenings. My biggest head-scratching moment was trying to figure out the proper motor mounting setup with all the provided mount options. The most difficult thing to do was bend the wire for the landing gear. The wire that came in the kit (~1/8" dia) is stout and doesn't bend easily with pliers and hands. I had to rig up a vise with some scrap metal and clamps I had laying around.
I took her out for the maiden last night and it was a real success! I was cruising around against 5-10mph winds on 1/2 throttle with little trouble and the 10x4.7 prop made it really easy to pull out of any stalls. With just a little trimming, I was looping and rolling in no time. And the high rates...good Lord...I'm going to have to dial the ailerons down even more to tame that crazy roll rate.
Inverted flight required a lot of elevator but I think that's because my CG was a little too far forward. I didn't even attempt a knife-edge. I'm using some long-ish 3s1600mAh that wouldn't go back far enough on the bottom of the powerpod due to interference from the internal wing spar. Has anyone else run across this problem?
I know the plain brown plane doesn't look as good as some of the amazing paint jobs I've seen on this thread, but here are a couple of pics anyway. (I think it's funny how it matches my workbench top.)
I really like this plane. I think it is going to work wonderfully for aerobatics and will be there for me when I'm ready to start learning 3D. While the speed build kit makes the build easy, I would not recommend this for beginner RC pilots. It can be tamed down with rates & expos, but I would still recommend this for intermediate RC pilots who are ready to step up to a more aerobatic plane.
Hey everyone! I know this is the FT-3D scratch build thread, but I just put together a speed build and thought I'd share my experience here. I used to build blue fan-fold-foam planes but have been out of the hobby for a few years. Here's a link to my old RCGroups blog if you want to see some of my old blue foam builds.
I'm not a 3D RC pilot so I chose the FT-3D for aerobatics and because it reminded me of my old blue Piranha build. I really like the speed build kit but I had some trouble getting clean cuts in the water-resistant foam. I started another thread here asking how to better work with it and it boiled down to dull blades and user error.
I used the recommended Powerpack C and the build took two evenings. My biggest head-scratching moment was trying to figure out the proper motor mounting setup with all the provided mount options. The most difficult thing to do was bend the wire for the landing gear. The wire that came in the kit (~1/8" dia) is stout and doesn't bend easily with pliers and hands. I had to rig up a vise with some scrap metal and clamps I had laying around.
I took her out for the maiden last night and it was a real success! I was cruising around against 5-10mph winds on 1/2 throttle with little trouble and the 10x4.7 prop made it really easy to pull out of any stalls. With just a little trimming, I was looping and rolling in no time. And the high rates...good Lord...I'm going to have to dial the ailerons down even more to tame that crazy roll rate.
Inverted flight required a lot of elevator but I think that's because my CG was a little too far forward. I didn't even attempt a knife-edge. I'm using some long-ish 3s1600mAh that wouldn't go back far enough on the bottom of the powerpod due to interference from the internal wing spar. Has anyone else run across this problem?
I know the plain brown plane doesn't look as good as some of the amazing paint jobs I've seen on this thread, but here are a couple of pics anyway. (I think it's funny how it matches my workbench top.)
I really like this plane. I think it is going to work wonderfully for aerobatics and will be there for me when I'm ready to start learning 3D. While the speed build kit makes the build easy, I would not recommend this for beginner RC pilots. It can be tamed down with rates & expos, but I would still recommend this for intermediate RC pilots who are ready to step up to a more aerobatic plane.
That piece is the canopy hatch. It fits in the canopy With poster paper on top, and is removeable so you can access your electronics.
My semi-new FT-3D
Hi, just wnnted to share the ft3d I built at Flite Fest. This is my first 3d aircraft and I must say it flys amazingly. I decided not to paint it to keep weight down, but I used tape for decoration and to keep myself from loosing orientation. I am using a 40amp esc and a Luminier 2216 spinning a 10x7 prop. The battery is a 1300mah 4s, and this setup provides A lot of power. Unfoutunitly the humidity has already rinkled my canopy, so I think I will replace the paper with a thin black plastic. I coated the vortex genorators in hot glue in order to reinforce them and that works realy well. I also thought the Woden wing spar seemed to bridle so I cut out some wood and put in a carbon fiber spar. I reinforced the elevator with carbon too. I couldn't get rubber banded landing gear to work, so I just glued in the landing gear and reinforced it with some paint sticks. All in all I have to say this thing flys perfectly. Landing are a little weird with the symmetrical-airfoil wings because they don't porduce lift unless they are on an angle, so I always end up landing in a high Alfa. I also added a tail wheel That I had taken from a e-flite delta reay, and that has held up so far. This is deafanitly a great plane for 3D, good job Flite Test!
Hi, just wnnted to share the ft3d I built at Flite Fest. This is my first 3d aircraft and I must say it flys amazingly. I decided not to paint it to keep weight down, but I used tape for decoration and to keep myself from loosing orientation. I am using a 40amp esc and a Luminier 2216 spinning a 10x7 prop. The battery is a 1300mah 4s, and this setup provides A lot of power
. Unfoutunitly the humidity has already rinkled my canopy, so I think I will replace the paper with a thin black plastic. I coated the vortex genorators in hot glue in order to reinforce them and that works realy well. I also thought the Woden wing spar seemed to bridle so I cut out some wood and put in a carbon fiber spar. I reinforced the elevator with carbon too. I couldn't get rubber banded landing gear to work, so I just glued in the landing gear and reinforced it with some paint sticks. All in all I have to say this thing flys perfectly. Landing are a little weird with the symmetrical-airfoil wings because they don't porduce lift unless they are on an angle, so I always end up landing in a high Alfa. I also added a tail wheel That I had taken from a e-flite delta reay, and that has held up so far. This is deafanitly a great plane for 3D, good job Flite Test!Attachments
varg
Build cheap, crash cheap
I had to build one of these so I had something to try stupid things with instead of doing it to planes that can't handle it like my poor cub
It's great fun to fly, and a really easy build, an underrated plane. Why aren't there more flitetest videos featuring this? Challenges and such?
The only mods I made to the design were a piece of posterboard to partially cover the cavernous opening on the bottom of the nose. This seemed to have a noticeable effect on top speed. I keep my battery in the power pod and the ESC on the bottom.
And a tiny tailwheel made from a little rubber grommet and a piece of wire. Ground handling still is terrible though, it tips over so easily and I just hand launch it instead of taking off from the runway.
It's great fun to fly, and a really easy build, an underrated plane. Why aren't there more flitetest videos featuring this? Challenges and such?
The only mods I made to the design were a piece of posterboard to partially cover the cavernous opening on the bottom of the nose. This seemed to have a noticeable effect on top speed. I keep my battery in the power pod and the ESC on the bottom.
And a tiny tailwheel made from a little rubber grommet and a piece of wire. Ground handling still is terrible though, it tips over so easily and I just hand launch it instead of taking off from the runway.
mrjdstewart
Legendary member
almost there...
laters,
jason
laters,
jason
mrjdstewart
Legendary member
finished..
personally i think this will be my most beautiful failure. i think i completely messed up the camber of the wings and spoiled the symmetrical nature that it need. i guess we will see come saturday, i couldn't just stop at this point an decided to just finish it and see what happens. i have been surprised before, never know.
laters,
jason
personally i think this will be my most beautiful failure. i think i completely messed up the camber of the wings and spoiled the symmetrical nature that it need. i guess we will see come saturday, i couldn't just stop at this point an decided to just finish it and see what happens. i have been surprised before, never know.
laters,
jason
Bayboos
Active member
mrjdstewart
Legendary member
ok. so it flies even though i completely messed up the angle on the wings. problem i have is it just doesn't seem to have any ooomph. it is nice and stable in the air, rolls like crazy, but is far from being able to go 3D and maintain a stall. i came in under the weight advertised for the plane and am using the recommended emax 2215gt motor, 30a esc, and 9x4.5 prop. flying on a 3S-2200mah batttery.
what's up?
thanks,
jason
what's up?
thanks,
jason
Ah just the very person, i heard you are the person with the know on heavier foamboard.
How sensitive is this model to weight...?? Looking to build this but if its anything like the yak 55 i build it really needs lightweight foam. My yak is 350g flying weight (it should be under 200g) and flies heavy.
I built a mini arrow which is coming in at 170g without electronics. This is west foamboard which is known to be heavier. I can get FT foamboard (there are a few UK online stores that sell it) or theres xps floor insulation that should do the job. The other option is to remove the paper from 1 side although its pretty hard to get off..
