FT Explorer extended wingspan

[eddynamic]

Hi there !

I've customized a HB Bixler 1.1 with FPV, Baro & GPS gears and I have a lot of fun with it, ~45 minutes flights on a 2200 3S with a ~2km range.

During covid, I've built a SeaDuck from free plans, I really enjoyed the building process and the plane is also very fun to fly with the Powerpack C, but very far from efficiency. I can flight about 10-12 minutes max on the same 2200 3S, so no very suitable for good FPV sessions (that was not the initial plan anyway).
Short clip of the maiden:

Today I would like to build a new plane that could be my next FPV platform, after checking arround I think the FT Explorer is a good choice, but I would like to have better performance that I have with the Bixler. So I though about building it at ~1.5 scale in order to have ~2000mm (78in) wingspan to carry more battery (I have a 4000 / 3S in stock).

A few questions about this:

• is it worth it (what flight time do you have with the regular Explorer version) ?
• did anyone already build a 'bigger' version of the FT Explorer ?
• should I use a few carbon fiber rods to make it strong enought ?
• would it be possible to build a bigger wing keeping the original body size ?
• how can I get the tiled free plans at a different scale ?

Thanks a lot for your feedback !
Ed

 

[Mr NCT]

Hi there !

I've customized a HB Bixler 1.1 with FPV, Baro & GPS gears and I have a lot of fun with it, ~45 minutes flights on a 2200 3S with a ~2km range.

During covid, I've built a SeaDuck from free plans, I really enjoyed the building process and the plane is also very fun to fly with the Powerpack C, but very far from efficiency. I can flight about 10-12 minutes max on the same 2200 3S, so no very suitable for good FPV sessions (that was not the initial plan anyway).
Short clip of the maiden:

Today I would like to build a new plane that could be my next FPV platform, after checking arround I think the FT Explorer is a good choice, but I would like to have better performance that I have with the Bixler. So I though about building it at ~1.5 scale in order to have ~2000mm (78in) wingspan to carry more battery (I have a 4000 / 3S in stock).

A few questions about this:

• is it worth it (what flight time do you have with the regular Explorer version) ?
• did anyone already build a 'bigger' version of the FT Explorer ?
• should I use a few carbon fiber rods to make it strong enought ?
• would it be possible to build a bigger wing keeping the original body size ?
• how can I get the tiled free plans at a different scale ?

Thanks a lot for your feedback !
Ed

I have not built a larger version of the explorer but I did put on a larger wing and it behaves more like a glider now. You might try it and see what you think.

Part - Explorer Extended Sport Wing with Flaps

A longer sport wing with flaps. Gives a very gentle flight and great glide while keeping the ailerons. Built for a 3 to 5 degree dihedral and should have a reinforcing spar where the wings join.

forum.flitetest.com

 

[Piotrsko]

Carbon fiber spars fix a huge amount of engineering errors. If youre extending the wings of the FT explorer, you might want to use a more efficient wing planform that would be much less draggy. Flatbottom NACA series with a radiused lower nose entry comes to mind

Thermal gliding is all about reducing the rate of descent which turns out to be drag related. Stretching wings lowers the loading which unsurprising lowers drag.