FT Scout - B-pack - What batteries fit?

What batteries do you use on your Ft Scout or other B-pack builds?

  • 1000-1500 mah - 4S

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  • 1500+ mah - 4S

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  • Other (comment)

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  • Total voters
    10

Duck

Active member
I finally built a scout after seeing one at the field last year. It was a nice easy build. I am very excited to have something with landing gear. My Bushwacker's gear either lost a wheel on every flight or ripped entirely off on every landing. My Bloody Wonder's gear could never get sufficient prop clearance. I've run into a problem however. I've flow lots of A, F & C pack planes and have batteries to match. I also have a 4" and a 5" quad. With my giant pile of batteries, I don't have an exact match for the recommend 1300mah 3S xt60 that fits the specific dimensions. What is everyone else using? Did you buy new batteries for your B pack planes?

My options are as follows:
* 800-850mah 3S xt30 - Fits, with xt60 adaptor. CG is not great. Some of these are not high C rated batteries so 30A continuous is a bad idea. My Tattu 75C should be OK.
* 800-850mah 4S xt30 - Barely fits, with xt60 adaptor. CG is better. C rating is consistently higher on these. Likely my best option.
* 1500mah 4S xt60 - Really close to to the prop. Barely fits, needs a little fuselage flex to get in and out. 4S should be OK with a smaller prop but of course the FT Radials don't come with an amp draw chart or even clear recommendations on props. My 7" prop would likely work. I only have one of these batteries as a test for my new 5" quad.
* 2200mah 3S xt60 - My default C pack battery. I have like 7 of these. They don't fit without removing the gear AND to get the right CG they stick out the nose close to the prop.
 

slembcke

Member
Mine has flown fine on 3S 1100 and 1500 mah batteries. When I swap in my C pack motor, 3S 2200 mah batteries balance nicely and provide 15 minute flights even if I go nuts on the throttle and fly it like a not-so-miniquad.

Dunno what their current B pack motors are, but the 900 kv Emax one they used to stock pulls like 15, maybe 20 amps at full throttle. I checked it at some point, but I forget. It didn't balance the best with a 2200 mah, but I got almost a 30 minute flight with that power setup. Nice, easy going FPV time.
 

moret

Well-known member
Use 2200 3S. I have a mod to the plane, made the batteries top loading so they set in the power pod
 

Duck

Active member
I put a 4S 850 in and it balanced nicely with the landing gear and I was able to get a number of great long flights in. I didn't time them but battery wasn't the limiting factor. My landing gear wire was too flimsy and collapsed on a very mild landing, resulting in a broken motor mount which put my flying to rest for the day.

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Overall very happy with how it flies on 4S so I might just leave it at that and take < 30m flight times. I loved being able to practice wheeled landings and with stiffer gear I should be able to do touch and goes. The lighter loading should also help me slow down a bit.
 

moret

Well-known member
Here is how I do it on my FT Scout, Top loading 2200 3s. I like the Scout so much I have another one set up and flying. This one is 10-11 months old. I use the thick landing gear wire form FT store. Instead of foam board I use the jumbo craft sticks to make the landing gear mount I use about 5 layers. Also have craft sticks around the hole that the landing gear slide into. Running a FT B power pack. This is my touch and rolling go plane, even on grass.
 

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BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
Here is how I do it on my FT Scout, Top loading 2200 3s. I like the Scout so much I have another one set up and flying. This one is 10-11 months old. I use the thick landing gear wire form FT store. Instead of foam board I use the jumbo craft sticks to make the landing gear mount I use about 5 layers. Also have craft sticks around the hole that the landing gear slide into. Running a FT B power pack. This is my touch and rolling go plane, even on grass.

I did the top hatch on my recent Scout build off the top of my head and its so cool someone else has been doin it already. I have been dabbling with the Mini Scout and have had my most successful flights so far. So since I have a larger motor package why not scale it up to the standard size Scout as well... see how it goes. Mind you I didn't think there was enough room for the battery under the PP with the landing gear mount in the way so I came up with this concoction...
20190810_170627.jpg 20190810_170704.jpg 20190810_170737.jpg
Kinda the same as yours but i cut into the wings LE and doubled it over with a pod like box that is glued in to reconnect the wings LE. The firewall is fixed and the ESC is on the bottom where the airflow is. Access to change the battery or to get to any of the electronics is so much easier then any other plane I have built. Hatch is held on with magnets as well.

You have a fixed firewall I'm guessing... how is that holding up? 11 months old already huh? Seen some good action too?
 

moret

Well-known member
I using the regular small power pod but I do not swap any of my power pods. I put them in and leave them unless they need repair. ESC is also under the power pod. The plans looks awful, has a lot of tape on it. Flying off wet grass has not helped. The edge of the foam has been redone 2-3 times. Broke the firewall once. Clear packing tape on the bottom helps the wet grass. I hate bottom batteries, I have a mustang and spitfire and used the design of the mig 3 to make them top loading batteries. I cut out a new Scout and had it in case of a bad crash.. I had a simple cub and did not like it, so the cub was attacked in a dark alley. Now the second Scout is flying. A new guy at the field put his plane into the dirt so I took the old scout and told him to fly it. he was worried about crashing my plane. I told him just look at it, a crash would be an improvement! He had no problem flying it. I have tried the cub, mig3, mustang, spitfire, sportster, and 3D. If you want a plane to just relax with and it will stay on its wheels, the scout is the way to go. If you like speed built the mustang, if you get to big for you pants, try the 3D, it put me in my place. The scout, mustang, and 3D. If I crash one of them, I will be buying more DTFB..... again
 

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BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
I love the building part. And only as of recently have I gotten slightly confident in the flying part of the hobby. This Scout is officially my 12th build in like 3 months. I haven't flown a standard size plane yet... and not from lack of trying. I started in this hobby with a motor pack just a little bigger then the C Pack for a plane I was building when i knew nothing of how RC lanes worked, how to build them, and even less on how to fly them. Long story short, many scrapped planes, I downshifted to the Mini series. Smaller planes, less weight, less collateral damage per crash... translation... might learn how to keep a plane in the air long enough to run a whole battery through it. Success with the Mini Scout. But fried the 20 amp ESC during some bench testing. Now moved on to the standard Scout with the larger motor package cuz it's the only ESC I have left at this time. Just finished it and would like to maiden it but the weather has been a little wet the past 24 hours. Can't wait to try it though, and if it works out for me I have a Spitfire and a Baby Blender to maiden as well

Talking about the building like I said I really like it, almost like I want to crash and trash planes to get back to the bench to build more. Want to try the Master Series style of building next, step up the game. Warbirds are cool for me, 3D isn't yet. I like the scale stuff right now, and I am looking at scale video FPV style without the FPV part, just cameras for now, small steps.

How long have you been in the hobby?
 

moret

Well-known member
60 years ago I was flying "U" control
40 years ago I got some time in flying full size
30 years ago I got my first RC,,(didn't end well)
How I am retired and got back into RC about a year ago, but
I live 1 mile from a cub field,
eat breakfast, go fly my 3 batteries or crash
come home charge batteries and repair as needed
eat lunch, go fly my 3 batteries or crash
come home charge batteries and repair as needed
eat supper, go fly my 3 batteries or crash
come home charge batteries and repair as needed
next day repeat

I like the bigger or standard planes, old guy old eyes. I can see them better and they handle the wind better
I also like to build and try different planes.

On you Scout, reinforce the big tail, after an 100 landing on wet grass or wet weather the plane's tail will look like a F4 Phantom if you do not.

On the spitfire, reinforce the wing tips. The longer the wingtips from the fold over bottom, the weaker they are.
But maybe you keep the wingtips out of the dirt better then me;)

If you are new or a new plane, keep the throws on the controls very small. Have a low rate if your transmitter will allow it.

have fun
 

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BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
60 years ago I was flying "U" control
40 years ago I got some time in flying full size
30 years ago I got my first RC,,(didn't end well)
How I am retired and got back into RC about a year ago, but
I live 1 mile from a cub field,
eat breakfast, go fly my 3 batteries or crash
come home charge batteries and repair as needed
eat lunch, go fly my 3 batteries or crash
come home charge batteries and repair as needed
eat supper, go fly my 3 batteries or crash
come home charge batteries and repair as needed
next day repeat

I like the bigger or standard planes, old guy old eyes. I can see them better and they handle the wind better
I also like to build and try different planes.

On you Scout, reinforce the big tail, after an 100 landing on wet grass or wet weather the plane's tail will look like a F4 Phantom if you do not.

On the spitfire, reinforce the wing tips. The longer the wingtips from the fold over bottom, the weaker they are.
But maybe you keep the wingtips out of the dirt better then me;)

If you are new or a new plane, keep the throws on the controls very small. Have a low rate if your transmitter will allow it.

have fun
I like your advice on the Scout and the Spit. I was actually thinking of doin the BBQ skewer struts on the tail feathers but I don't know how long the rest of the plane will last given my flight experience. Plus I already want to build another one to improve on this one and I haven't even flown it yet lol.

This is my Spit mod for the wing tips... haven't flown this one yet either:
20190804_084000.jpg

Lined the under camber in HD poster board to stiffen it up. I also use bbq skewer reinforcement in the elevator in all my planes. Holds up well.

Wish I had your lifestyle of flyin man... never boring. Which is your go to plane to fly?
 

moret

Well-known member
On your Spit, It also can be a top loading battery. Look at the Mig 3 build. That will also show how to roll the foam board to get you ready for the master series.. Pictures below, back hole radio, middle hole battery (2200 4S), front hole is to put your finger into to push the battery out. The top section in back is also rolled foam board. If using the "c" v2 power pack. protect your batteries from the motor shaft if they set in the power pod.

What to fly? Always take more then one incase of a crash.
The Scout always goes. A lot of time the old one incase a new person is there with nothing to fly.

What next???
It was the Mig3 #2 till its meeting with the plane stand. There is a reason I fly alone a lot.
Parts were put into a mustang. Very nice flying plane so it had to go. But if it fly's so good why is this #3?
Then had to build a 3D. also nice flying plane so it had to go. but also now number 3. It takes me 2-3 planes to learn how to fly one.

But last week wife wants to go to the big City. I got away and she forgot to take the credit card away from me.
I am now flying a Timber X and hopefully it will not need to be replaced soon.
That did cost me supper at a good steak house.

I usually do not take the spitfire, I like the mustang better. Pulled the power pod from the sportster to go into the spitfire. To me its just a boring plane.
 

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BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
On your Spit, It also can be a top loading battery. Look at the Mig 3 build. That will also show how to roll the foam board to get you ready for the master series.. Pictures below, back hole radio, middle hole battery (2200 4S), front hole is to put your finger into to push the battery out. The top section in back is also rolled foam board. If using the "c" v2 power pack. protect your batteries from the motor shaft if they set in the power pod.

What to fly? Always take more then one incase of a crash.
The Scout always goes. A lot of time the old one incase a new person is there with nothing to fly.

What next???
It was the Mig3 #2 till its meeting with the plane stand. There is a reason I fly alone a lot.
Parts were put into a mustang. Very nice flying plane so it had to go. But if it fly's so good why is this #3?
Then had to build a 3D. also nice flying plane so it had to go. but also now number 3. It takes me 2-3 planes to learn how to fly one.

But last week wife wants to go to the big City. I got away and she forgot to take the credit card away from me.
I am now flying a Timber X and hopefully it will not need to be replaced soon.
That did cost me supper at a good steak house.

I usually do not take the spitfire, I like the mustang better. Pulled the power pod from the sportster to go into the spitfire. To me its just a boring plane.

Yea I should have done that to my Spit as well. I posted my Spitfire build when bracesport commented on a group collaboration with buzzbomb and mayan to build their perspective Spit's. bracesport is goin all out with his with the 3d printed nose. But he was also saying that he was looking to do the top hatch thing, and it looks like it would be super simple to do. Just like the Mini Mustang. I love modding builds, the trial and error thing keeps the creative juices flowing.

I also did some crazy mods on the Baby Blender as well. Extended swept back wings and extended the tail section by 3"s, single cockpit with grouped servos and a race profiled nose. Haven't flown that one yet either, it's the prettiest one I have done so far:
20190731_205709.jpg

20190731_205617.jpg

Gotta crash some of these to salvage out the electronics to build more lol.

Just seen the Spit that the Overstreets put out, awesome looking plane. And if you look closely in the background they are also gonna release a F14A Tomcat with functioning wing sweep.

Why do you think your Spit is boring?
 

moret

Well-known member
That is a good looking plane. you do a great job building. Way better detail then mine.
I think the sportster is boring. I pulled the power pod from it to put into the spitfire.

The spit is ok but the mustang, I love to do a long dive at the field wide open then at about 5 foot, go straight up while doing slow rolls. Puts a smile on my face
The spit will fly inverted better then any other plane I got.