FT Bronco Build

fliteadmin

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This design is inspired by Josh’s FT Explorer as it follows the idea of a radically awesome, easy to build, fly, and modify design! The Bronco even uses the same core section from the FT Explorer, making it modular for all of your crazy aviation experiments.
Originally the design was a simple twin boom plane that had one fixed motor on the back to create a simple FPV ship that was durable and had lots of protection for the motor while keeping the FPV camera completely unobstructed. After the FT Explorer was released, Josh had the brilliant idea of integrating the simplistic concept of my design into a fully-fledged design capable of many configurations!
You will find that the design is easy to replicate if you’re working from plans (wich you can download for free at the bottom of this article) or if you're working with a Speed Build Kit. If you’re building the speed build kit, the process is very quick!
The kit comes with three tail styles: an “A” tail for pitch and yaw control with just two servos...


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...a lower “H” style tail that’s akin to a P-38/C-119...


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...and a OV-10 style bronco tail that looks like an “H” with the top cut off.


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So go ahead and get started with the build! By the time you start piecing together the plane, there will be tons of additional mods available on our forums. Customize your build or simply go out and try your hand at creating your own unique flyer!
In the build video, after you build the wing and booms, this is where you will choose your tail style. Simply click the annotation to jump to that section of the build video.




CHECK THE VIDEO BELOW FOR THE EXPLORER CORE AND EXPLORER POWER POD BUILD




CHECK THE VIDEO BELOW FOR THE TWIN BOOM POWER POD BUILD




CHECK THE VIDEO BELOW FOR SETING UP DIFFERENTIAL THRUST




New to the R/C hobby?
Here's some resources to help get you up to speed!
Beginner Series: WATCH HERE!
Electronics Setup: WATCH HERE!
First Flight Quick Tips: WATCH HERE!
Got glue?? Get Some Here!


[h=3]FT BRONCO PLANS[/h]
[h=3]STORE LINKS[/h]
[h=3]FT BRONCO SPECS[/h]
  • WEIGHT WITHOUT BATTERY: 1.4 lbs (640 g)
  • CENTER OF GRAVITY: 2” (51 mm) from leading edge of wing
  • CONTROL SURFACE THROWS: 12˚ deflection - Expo 30%
  • WINGSPAN: 42.75 inches (1086 mm)
  • RECOMMENDED MOTOR: Park 370 – 425, 1000 kv minimum
  • RECOMMENDED PROP: 8 x 4.5 slow fly
  • RECOMMENDED ESC: 20 amp minimum
  • RECOMMENDED BATTERY: 1300 - 2200 mAH 3s minimum
  • RECOMMENDED SERVOS: (4) 9 gram servos
 
Excellent! Is definitely on my radar for future build. So that I can plan accordingly, which tail works best with the VTOL option (assuming it will eventually be made available)?
 

Craftydan

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The VTOL on the FT Bronco would be neat . . . but it might have some complications.

You'd either need to go attached wing, or put in some keying/framing so the wing/fuse joint maintains the wing's orientation. you can use the rubber bands to hold it on, but I wouldn't trust them to keep the wing straight. You don't want a yaw torque from the front motors twisting the wing relative to the fuse . . . particularly if you've got a third motor and control board in the fuse.

as for the tails . . .

V-tail mixing to the tail in addition to flight control is possible, but might be an unnecessary complication, particularly when the control board can already run differential thrust for yaw . . . so still doable, but is it best? In the mean time, you're still flying it -- do you want rudder? mind programming your TX for differential thrust?

High or low might depend on the tri tail boom. If the prop is clear of the H-stab, (probably is, but some might want a long tail boom) then low is a slightly stronger configuration. If it's not clear of the prop, lifting the H-sab above the prop will get it out of the thrust column. It'll still affect the airflow into the blades, but not to the same degree.

. . . so probably P-38/C-119-ish tail.
 

A_Sladden

Winter Flyer
Is there a FT Explorer forum yet? I can not seam to find one.

Here is a video I put together of my FT Explorer!

 
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marblekit

Member
My FT Bronco Build

Just finished up my build of the FT Bronco w/ the A-Tail style. Looks amazing. Will post maiden video soon!

Specs:
2x Sunnysky 2208 1500kv motors
2x 20amp ESCs
9x4.7 CW & CCW Props
4x 9g Turnigy TG9z servos
AUW = 615gram w/out Batt

FT Bronco.jpg
 

dgrigor02

Member
70% Bronco Pusher style. Pictured next to a well used Mini Guinea for size comparison. Wing span is 30" while the mini guinea is 35".

I wanted to go with a 2204 motor but can't get it to balance out without going with battery larger than 1000mah or moving the servos. I have a 1804 on it now pushing a 6X3 prop. Likely undersized. Will have to see. Will maiden it tomorrow weather permitting. Total flying weight 304grams.

A little more difficult than other resizing becuase there are so many A & B style folds to account for. Everything lined up just fine, Mightly mini pod fits perfectly no changes needed.

I don't care for the boom covers they are a bit bulky looking. If I like it enough I'll forgo and just curve the front main boom instead of covers. Move the servos inside the booms and move them farther up to try to balance out a larger motor.

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nevenelestate

No Agenda FPV
Dgrigor I like your 70%, I'm building a 70% scaled down bronco also but using twin motor. I put all the servos forward near the cg.

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dgrigor02

Member
I was following your sea duck one. The mini-guinea was so not fun trying to fish all the esc, servos, leds wires through the wing so I was avoiding that...... I have 1 pair of 1806s left that I am planning to do a twin ugly stik with so a pusher it is.

I'm thinking I want to make a snow/float version of a versa as part of the experimental movement.
 
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nevenelestate

No Agenda FPV
I was following your sea duck one.

The day I sat it in a puddle to see how it would float and the tail just sunk in I kind of lost interest in the SD, maybe I will go back to it in the spring.

I'm thinking I want to make a snow/float version of a versa as part of the experimental movement.

That I would be interested to see, not sure how the floats would impact the wing. I love the Versa, which is another reason the SD got set aside, I was having so much fun flying Versas.
 

dgrigor02

Member
Maiden today the 70% Bronco A Tail pusher with RCX 1804 motor, 6X3 prop, 3S 1000mah battery. Pleasantly surprised it was plenty fast enough for the sized park. Vertical was fine, not unlimited but enough to get several vertical rolls before loosing steam. Glided very well easy to land.

It was much more forgiving with battery placement than I thought it would be. I landed it 3 different times to scoot the battery back 1/2" each time and still flew fine. Next day, I tried a 500mah as far forward as possible as was still too tail heavy. My 800mah is much thicker so I wouldnt be able to put forward enough I don't think without moding the battery tray. So yes, Ideally for the most options the servos on a 70% need to be more forward than the stock locations.

I didn't have anyone with to get a video.

Pretty durable too, hit the ground pretty hard since all white I lost orientation a bit. Just a crease here or there and back in the air.

So if anyone has a 1804 lying around you don't know what to do with it, 70% Bronco pusher is certainly an option.

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marblekit

Member
FT Bronco Maiden Flight

Maiden flight of the Flitetest FT Bronco. Downloaded the plans from the Flitetest website and made this plane exactly as described in their build video so no need for me to make one too!

Specs:

Sunnysky 2208 1500kv motors
20amp ESCs
4x 9gram Turnigy servos
LemonRX 7-ch Stabilzer Receiver
2200mah Lipo for this maiden flight.

It flies really nice. Can go fast and slow and is fairly acrobatic. I highly recommend this for FPV which is what I will be adding to this plane in the near future.

 

rossmort

Member
Any chance there are 70% tiled plans floating around? Love the idea of doing one as a pusher / have a transfer candidate ready when my mini guinie finally bites the dust
 

dgrigor02

Member
Any chance there are 70% tiled plans floating around? Love the idea of doing one as a pusher / have a transfer candidate ready when my mini guinie finally bites the dust

No need for tiled plans just follow Nerdnics instructions in this post to recale at 70%.
Here is an excerpt from the Nerdnic thread, that show exactly how:

http://forum.flitetest.com/showthre...ble-by-request&p=160570&viewfull=1#post160570


Any tabs or cutouts just cut on the outside of the black lines and just pinch the tabs and usually fit in just fine. The A/B folds you will need to cut through and glue the sides. On B cuts leave the excess paper on the bottom part. On A folds leave the excess paper on the Side part. This will keep most of the glue from making a mess on your table.

It takes a little longer to assemble becuase of this until you get the feel for which side of the A/B folds to cut but once you get that down assembly time is pretty negligable.

This particular one has lots of A/B folds so it's not the ideal one to try for the first time.

If you use packing tape to decorate or reinforce , another trick from nerdnic that really helps is to use the tape role for the 90degree to get the sides straight. Easier than a square tool and you don't have to hunt around for it.
 
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