Help! FT Mustang 1st build questions

[Gr8folded]

Just finishing my first FT build with the Mustang. Pretty rewarding and fairly straight forward. Hoping it flies well.

One question regarding the Power pod which the FT Mustang build video didn't seem to cover. The XT60 connector off the FT ESC is too short to extend out the back of the power pod and wrap to the front to connect to the battery. The simple solution, I assume, is to cut a hole on the bottom front of the power pod to route the ESC XT60 connector out the bottom near where the battery will be positioned. Is that correct or am I missing something? Or should I have the battery in the power pod and remove the power pod after each flight. This would seem to wear out the power pod much more quickly though and be a PITA to swap batteries.

Last question is regarding the rudder and elevator control horns. The rudder control horn seems to jam/catch against the elevator when a moderate amount of down elevator is applied. A combo of left rotor and down elevator with further exacerbate the problem as well. See images.
I could flip the linkage stopper to point downwards and allow more elevator travel, but that would create an angle on push rod coming from the servo. A corner of the elevator could be cut out to create free movement, but I wanted to make sure this was the right solution before cutting the elevator. I imagine cutting a small corner of the inside of the elevator, wouldn't affect flight too much.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Yankee2003]

Just finishing my first FT build with the Mustang. Pretty rewarding and fairly straight forward. Hoping it flies well.

One question regarding the Power pod which the FT Mustang build video didn't seem to cover. The XT60 connector off the FT ESC is too short to extend out the back of the power pod and wrap to the front to connect to the battery. The simple solution, I assume, is to cut a hole on the bottom front of the power pod to route the ESC XT60 connector out the bottom near where the battery will be positioned. Is that correct or am I missing something? Or should I have the battery in the power pod and remove the power pod after each flight. This would seem to wear out the power pod much more quickly though and be a PITA to swap batteries. View attachment 236919

Last question is regarding the rudder and elevator control horns. The rudder control horn seems to jam/catch against the elevator when a moderate amount of down elevator is applied. A combo of left rotor and down elevator with further exacerbate the problem as well. See images.
I could flip the linkage stopper to point downwards and allow more elevator travel, but that would create an angle on push rod coming from the servo. A corner of the elevator could be cut out to create free movement, but I wanted to make sure this was the right solution before cutting the elevator. I imagine cutting a small corner of the inside of the elevator, wouldn't affect flight too much.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

I usually put the z bend at the control horn, linkage stopper at the servo.
There is a lot of cutting and modifications “allowed” so you can accommodate electronics, battery placement, etc. Your thought processes are good. These planes fly great and don’t seem to be adversely affected by small changes.
Set your control surfaces as neutral as possible, make sure you balance the aircraft at the CG with the aircraft in flying configuration. Battery, props and spinners on, etc.
This will all make sense once you get a couple airframes under your belt. Don’t get discouraged you will get better. And wether you think it came out perfect or not…..FLY IT! They are surprisingly forgiving. Plus you learn at every stage of the process…most of it at the maiden flight.
Keep on going…your doing great.

 

[kdobson83]

Welcome to the addiction. lol

As stated above by @Yankee2003, these planes are pretty forgiving and slight modifications to accommodate your build techniques and personal electronics usually wont affect much.

I would either move that quick connect to the servo and put the z-bend side of the rod on the control horn, or do what you said, and just nip of a tiny section of the elevator to make room for that connector. FYI, a weak spot on these tail designs is that tiny section of the elevators control surface that goes through the vertical stabilizer. FT has used this design on a handful of planes including their newer Tutor. I have found reinforcing that area with a popsicle stick, or BBQ skewer, or 3D printed bracket helps a ton, but much easier to reinforce that spot before assembly.

And yes, cut a small hole in the bottom of your power pod to route your esc wire down below to connect to the battery. I would hold the battery in place first to determine where the hole needs to be.

If you decide to put the battery inside the pod, or on future builds where the battery is kept inside the plane, you can always reinforce these wear areas with tape or other cheap items. I use old gift cards cut up into 1/2" squares with a small hole for the BBQ skewers to go through. Glued onto the inside of the fuse and/or the pods, this prevents most wear at that spot and prevents the BBQ skewers from widening the holes in the foam during rough landings or normal use.

 

[Gr8folded]

I usually put the z bend at the control horn, linkage stopper at the servo.
There is a lot of cutting and modifications “allowed” so you can accommodate electronics, battery placement, etc. Your thought processes are good. These planes fly great and don’t seem to be adversely affected by small changes.
Set your control surfaces as neutral as possible, make sure you balance the aircraft at the CG with the aircraft in flying configuration. Battery, props and spinners on, etc.
This will all make sense once you get a couple airframes under your belt. Don’t get discouraged you will get better. And wether you think it came out perfect or not…..FLY IT! They are surprisingly forgiving. Plus you learn at every stage of the process…most of it at the maiden flight.
Keep on going…your doing great.

Thanks Yankee2003, I'll give that a try and see how it works!

 

[Gr8folded]

Welcome to the addiction. lol

As stated above by @Yankee2003, these planes are pretty forgiving and slight modifications to accommodate your build techniques and personal electronics usually wont affect much.

I would either move that quick connect to the servo and put the z-bend side of the rod on the control horn, or do what you said, and just nip of a tiny section of the elevator to make room for that connector. FYI, a weak spot on these tail designs is that tiny section of the elevators control surface that goes through the vertical stabilizer. FT has used this design on a handful of planes including their newer Tutor. I have found reinforcing that area with a popsicle stick, or BBQ skewer, or 3D printed bracket helps a ton, but much easier to reinforce that spot before assembly.

And yes, cut a small hole in the bottom of your power pod to route your esc wire down below to connect to the battery. I would hold the battery in place first to determine where the hole needs to be.

If you decide to put the battery inside the pod, or on future builds where the battery is kept inside the plane, you can always reinforce these wear areas with tape or other cheap items. I use old gift cards cut up into 1/2" squares with a small hole for the BBQ skewers to go through. Glued onto the inside of the fuse and/or the pods, this prevents most wear at that spot and prevents the BBQ skewers from widening the holes in the foam during rough landings or normal use.

 

[Gr8folded]

Thanks kdobson83, I appreciate the insight. Yep, having taken a handful of years off from the hobby, getting back into it through building your own is addictive and adds an entire new level of enjoyment. In fact, before I even finished my Mustang I ordered the Simple Stick and Bushwacker on FTs recent Easter sale. Ha!

Good to know that the planes are relatively forgiving to mods, etc. The majority of my RC flying in the past has been wind powered slope soaring out here in Colorado with some powered planes in between when the wind wasn't cooperating. Rough landings and flying in winds up 30-40 mph made you learn field repairs pretty quickly and understand that most planes were relatively forgiving after being repaired.

That said, I appreciate the tips on the credit cards pieces for the barbecue skewers. I was just thinking about that issue and buying some small plastic washers from the hardware store. Old CC or gift cards seem way easier. It's coming up with on the fly solutions to fix problems like that which is one of the many rewarding parts of this.

On that note, regarding the weak portion of the tail, are you referring to adding a popsicle stick or a few barbecue skewers across the elevator surface prior to gluing on the rudder to keep the elevator from "folding"? Are you able to send a pic so I can add that mod on the next two planes I build?
I was considering covering the entire elevator surface with reinforced packing tape, laid out horizontally from side to side, to hopefully stiffen up the elevator and reduce folding. The elevator in a writer assembly were always with parts on my slope soarers as well.

My last slope soarer build was 6 years ago and was a Mustang build kit made of EPP foam, 48" wing span and weighed about 5 lbs. Thoroughly enjoyed that build process (lots of sanding/shaping foam and balsa, covering, painting, etc). That prompted me to get the FT mustang kit as my first plane getting back into the hobby. Will probably try to replicate the paint scheme.

Thanks again!

 

[Merv]

...The simple solution, I assume, is to cut a hole on the bottom front of the power pod to route the ESC XT60 connector out the bottom near where the battery will be positioned...

Yes, cut a hole would be far easier than extending the wires.

...Or should I have the battery in the power pod and remove the power pod after each flight...

Nothing wrong with that, it's a matter of personal choice. I prefer to have the battery below the pp. I often use a banged up pp as a battery tray, below the main pp.

...I imagine cutting a small corner of the inside of the elevator, wouldn't affect flight too much...

Nothing wrong with that, it's what I would do.
I prefer the Z bend on the servo & the stopper on the control horn, like you have it. Either way works just fine, it's personal choice.
If you put the Z bend on the control horn, you cannot remove or replace the wire without tearing out the horn.

 

[kdobson83]

Sounds like you have a bit more XP than I was thinking. lol That mustang looks nice. Howd it fly? 5lbs slope soarer sounds heavy, but then again I've never slope soared. I'm assuming slope soarers don't need to be light like gliders do.

I don't have any pictures of my tail reinforcement atm, and I'm stuck at work, so ill use your picture. The section the arrow is pointing to is the weak point of the elevator. Its the small ish section that goes through the vertical stabilizer.

There are many ways to reinforce this section. I have tried a few with varying degrees of success. I have cut about a 6-8" slot centered as best as possible, and glued in a BBQ skewer. You can also use this method if you have some carbon fiber rods laying around. Kinda have to do this method before you build the plane though. I made a Tutor for my in-law, it is actually my profile picture here on the forums. I covered the whole outside of the plane before assembly with thin packing tape. It added some strength to that section of the tail and probably would have been fine under normal flying and rough landings but didn't stop it from bending badly from something falling on it during transportation. I ended up repairing it with a popsicle stick glued underneath that section. I then cut out a little bit underneath to allow room for full elevator travel.

I have also 3D printed a bracket on the Tutor I made for my son after seeing how weak it was on the first one I built. I made the bracket to sandwich the foamboard following the angles of the elevator as seen in the picture below. I printed 2 of these and glued together with CA and then hot glued onto the elevator. It worked, but was way more complicated and time consuming than just inserting a BBQ skewer which can be hidden very easily with hot glue and paint. I used a BBQ skewer on my FT mustang I built about 6 years ago and never had an issue with the elevator. Outlasted the airframe after a number of crashes.

Anyway, welcome to the forums. Loads of useful information on here. Lots of inspiration as well.

 

[Gr8folded]

Yes, cut a hole would be far easier than extending the wires.

Nothing wrong with that, it's a matter of personal choice. I prefer to have the battery below the pp. I often use a banged up pp as a battery tray, below the main pp.

Nothing wrong with that, it's what I would do.
I prefer the Z bend on the servo & the stopper on the control horn, like you have it. Either way works just fine, it's personal choice.
If you put the Z bend on the control horn, you cannot remove or replace the wire without tearing out the horn.

Thanks Merv!

 

[Gr8folded]

Sounds like you have a bit more XP than I was thinking. lol That mustang looks nice. Howd it fly? 5lbs slope soarer sounds heavy, but then again I've never slope soared. I'm assuming slope soarers don't need to be light like gliders do.

I don't have any pictures of my tail reinforcement atm, and I'm stuck at work, so ill use your picture. The section the arrow is pointing to is the weak point of the elevator. Its the small ish section that goes through the vertical stabilizer.
View attachment 236937

There are many ways to reinforce this section. I have tried a few with varying degrees of success. I have cut about a 6-8" slot centered as best as possible, and glued in a BBQ skewer. You can also use this method if you have some carbon fiber rods laying around. Kinda have to do this method before you build the plane though. I made a Tutor for my in-law, it is actually my profile picture here on the forums. I covered the whole outside of the plane before assembly with thin packing tape. It added some strength to that section of the tail and probably would have been fine under normal flying and rough landings but didn't stop it from bending badly from something falling on it during transportation. I ended up repairing it with a popsicle stick glued underneath that section. I then cut out a little bit underneath to allow room for full elevator travel.

I have also 3D printed a bracket on the Tutor I made for my son after seeing how weak it was on the first one I built. I made the bracket to sandwich the foamboard following the angles of the elevator as seen in the picture below. I printed 2 of these and glued together with CA and then hot glued onto the elevator. It worked, but was way more complicated and time consuming than just inserting a BBQ skewer which can be hidden very easily with hot glue and paint. I used a BBQ skewer on my FT mustang I built about 6 years ago and never had an issue with the elevator. Outlasted the airframe after a number of crashes.

View attachment 236938

Anyway, welcome to the forums. Loads of useful information on here. Lots of inspiration as well.

I get it now kdobson83. Thanks! A sandwich type of reinforcement brace to beef up the "half hex" cut out in the elevator control surface. Makes sense and definitely easier to do prior to adding the rudder. Still may see if I can try a little game of "Operation" with a small piece of popsicle stick and hot glue to reinforce that area.

The Mustang slope soarer flew really well. Based on its weight and size, it was made for bigger wind days (10 - 40 mph.). Truly amazing the speed and aerobatics you can achieve from "wind only powered" plane given the right slope and wind conditions. Most folks have various planes sizes and weights for different wind conditions. If you have even a small hill in your area it's doable. I would recommend it to any one...makes windy days your friend.

Thanks again!

 

[Gr8folded]

Looking to maiden my Mustang tomorrow, but I'm having some confusion on the center of gravity. I am using a 2200 mah battery and a C power pack.

The center of gravity listed on the sheet that came with the simple build kit says 2.75 inches back from the leading edge. However the build video which was done in 2015 says right at the first fold section on the top of the wing.

Measuring from the leading edge, next to the fuselage, that first fold is roughly around 1.8 - 2 inches. 2.75 inches is quite a ways further back.

I'm not sure which one to use for my initial center of gravity. He says in the video about 20% back from the leading edge. Based on the cord of the wing, which is roughly around 9 inches, the center of gravity should be around 1.8 to 2 inches back from the leading edge, which is right around that first fold.

However, maybe they changed the center of gravity from what was listed in the video and the newest one is listed on the sheet as you can see in the picture.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I really don't want to get this part of the process wrong before I maiden.

Thanks!

 

[Shurik-1960]

CG for all models at the first flyby of 25% of the wing chord. They provide for the possibility of changing the CG by moving the battery in the box holding it Along the elevator: I insert a U-shaped metal spoke from the umbrella. Be sure to reset the planning a couple of times and trim the model. Then you can throw the model with the addition of gas and determine the correctness of the engine mowing.