FT Scout XL : Flite Fest 2022 Dawn Patrol Challenge

willsonman

Builder Extraordinare
Mentor
Awesome build! Question, did you print the rotary engine? Or can we buy it? Really cool I want one!
As mentioned previously, it’s printed and the design belongs to @SP0NZ and can be found on his Thingiverse page.

A little more time invested this afternoon on P2 (prototype #2). The British side just needed more tail work so I added the colors to match the airplanes of the era. The German side also got tail details. The cross of course, but the leading edge black was also added. The leading edge black on just the front wing was not bad but after I put from @wilmracer it pushed me to do the H-stab too. I don’t think there’s much more I’d like to do to this model. I need to fly it more and really play with what it’s capable of.

BF33E19A-3850-4763-8986-3C7A32F8B781.jpeg B3A1439B-F089-4D19-9004-105A1A333088.jpeg
 

willsonman

Builder Extraordinare
Mentor
agreed. the foam that i use is paper less. but i do have some nice thin ply and balsa that i could reinforce it with.
but no i will not fly a complete balsa plane:ROFLMAO:
I suppose it’s my flight experience along with my climate but my issue with pure foam board airplanes is that I find they just don’t last. You definitely get what you pay for. I don’t crash my aircraft often but I also find that repairs on balsa are not bad, you just have to dive in and do them. They just SEEM hard when you start.

Regardless, I had a look at the cup this afternoon. Clearly the nitromethane had evaporated and what was left was the oil. It was a syrupy mess in the cup but the foam was interesting. I forgot to grab a picture but I’ll grab one later. The stain from the fuel had clearly crept up and into the pores of the foam. I’d imagine that even if you did construct a nitro airplane, over time it would get so saturated with oil that eventually you’d have balance issues or a catastrophic failure of some sort due to the added mass somewhere. I’m not above trying to build one out but I’m not reckless and would never continue to fly the airplane because of that safety concern.
 

ColoFlyer

Active member
Yes. Any and all accessories that I model for this project will be made available for free download.
Sponz, Just a couple of quick questions, first you mentioned that the STLs would be available for the Scout XL, do you know when these might get posted.
Second, I printed out the plans and noticed a RED SCORE LINE on the bottom part of the wing fold over that is not on the original FT Scout. I was wondering what that line is scored for and does it get folded over or back before gluing the trailing edge. See image attached.
Thanks again for the plans for this, I am looking forward to getting this built.
 

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willsonman

Builder Extraordinare
Mentor
Second, I printed out the plans and noticed a RED SCORE LINE on the bottom part of the wing fold over that is not on the original FT Scout. I was wondering what that line is scored for and does it get folded over or back before gluing the trailing edge. See image attached.
Thanks again for the plans for this, I am looking forward to getting this built.
Yeah, the trailing edge gets THREE thicknesses of foam, not two, like the original. So, that score line should be made on the OPPOSITE side of the side that you remove the foam for to do the C fold. Think of it like an accordion fold.
 

ColoFlyer

Active member
Yeah, the trailing edge gets THREE thicknesses of foam, not two, like the original. So, that score line should be made on the OPPOSITE side of the side that you remove the foam for to do the C fold. Think of it like an accordion fold.
Accordion fold is exactly what I was thinking it would be. But I believe the score line would still be on the side where it is shown on the plans because it would break on the side where the foam is removed and fold back over the folded piece. If that makes sense.
Kinda like these pics?
 

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willsonman

Builder Extraordinare
Mentor
Accordion fold is exactly what I was thinking it would be. But I believe the score line would still be on the side where it is shown on the plans because it would break on the side where the foam is removed and fold back over the folded piece. If that makes sense.
Kinda like these pics?
Yeah, you got it. Oddly, I entirely missed that when I built mine because I missed that conversation and had printed my set of plans before Dan and Ben made that change. My airplane lacks that bit and it flies just fine but yes, that's how it should be built.
 

willsonman

Builder Extraordinare
Mentor
So, I just got the coolest email.

Emmanuel over at Air-RC was kind enough to make a set of custom icons for the Scout XL. Pretty much if you can put a custom icon on your radio, he's got your format covered.

https://www.air-rc.com/aircraft/Flite-Test_Simple-Scout-XL_SCOUTXL

Everyone, please go give that guy some traffic. He's been nothing but supportive of all my custom models and he has been doing such a great job of keeping icons up to date and staying up to date on the new formats for all the current gen systems. That's a LOT of work and it's all for free. What a guy! If you feel so inclined, in the bottom left corner of the web page there's a donate button. Seriously cool of him to support our hobby and specifically our little project here.

THANK YOU EMMANUEL!!!
 

The Fopster

Master member
Don't know how everyone else is getting on, but I'm finding this is taking longer than I'd envisaged. I chose to do the Sopwith Pup because the basic shape looked really simple. And it is. But all the little details are making it a much more complex build than I'd imagined. It's my first biplane, and the biggest thing I've ever built, so that shouldn't be a surprise. And yet...
All that said, I'm enjoying building again and can't wait to see if it flies!
 

willsonman

Builder Extraordinare
Mentor
Don't know how everyone else is getting on, but I'm finding this is taking longer than I'd envisaged. I chose to do the Sopwith Pup because the basic shape looked really simple. And it is. But all the little details are making it a much more complex build than I'd imagined. It's my first biplane, and the biggest thing I've ever built, so that shouldn't be a surprise. And yet...
All that said, I'm enjoying building again and can't wait to see if it flies!

Welcome to the madness. There are those who build WWI era models and those who don't. Those who don't, don't know the addiction. These models are RIPE for detail picking. Focus on the overall shape first. Main construction ONLY with making the build as LIGHT as possible. Once that's done, THEN you can start adding details, because details are WEIGHT and in these models every bit of weight does matter.

This recipe has worked for me and many before me. Take it for what you will but the recipe yields results.
 

The Fopster

Master member
Welcome to the madness. There are those who build WWI era models and those who don't. Those who don't, don't know the addiction. These models are RIPE for detail picking. Focus on the overall shape first. Main construction ONLY with making the build as LIGHT as possible. Once that's done, THEN you can start adding details, because details are WEIGHT and in these models every bit of weight does matter.

This recipe has worked for me and many before me. Take it for what you will but the recipe yields results.
It’s not the scale details so much (yet!) but all the structural stuff. The cabana and struts between the wings, rigging wires etc. There’s just a lot more “stuff” than a simple WW2 Warbird (i.m.o.) just to get it all together. Worth it, though!
 

Yankee2003

Well-known member
First time build for me…. I hear all the time on how you need to keep it light. I feel my Fokker DVIII will have the wing loading of an F104 Starfighter. I will probably have to bring her in on 3/4 throttle.
There is so much to learn and so much left to putting your thumb in the air. The second build I do will start with a margin of power and the expectation of fast and steep guide paths.
 

Baron VonHelton

Elite member
Welcome to the madness. There are those who build WWI era models and those who don't. Those who don't, don't know the addiction. These models are RIPE for detail picking. Focus on the overall shape first. Main construction ONLY with making the build as LIGHT as possible. Once that's done, THEN you can start adding details, because details are WEIGHT and in these models every bit of weight does matter.

This recipe has worked for me and many before me. Take it for what you will but the recipe yields results.

Bingo!!

:cool:
 

Baron VonHelton

Elite member
First time build for me…. I hear all the time on how you need to keep it light. I feel my Fokker DVIII will have the wing loading of an F104 Starfighter. I will probably have to bring her in on 3/4 throttle.
There is so much to learn and so much left to putting your thumb in the air. The second build I do will start with a margin of power and the expectation of fast and steep guide paths.


:LOL:
 

cyclone3350

Master member
Don't know how everyone else is getting on, but I'm finding this is taking longer than I'd envisaged. I chose to do the Sopwith Pup because the basic shape looked really simple. And it is. But all the little details are making it a much more complex build than I'd imagined. It's my first biplane, and the biggest thing I've ever built, so that shouldn't be a surprise. And yet...
All that said, I'm enjoying building again and can't wait to see if it flies!

I have yet to come anywhere near to to my estimated build time. My last month long build went to 4. This current 30 day project will be 90 days. I've been reading your build & U R doing just fine.
 

willsonman

Builder Extraordinare
Mentor
So the basic rule of thumb here in the states is about 100 watts for every pound of airplane. Given your mass you would need somewhere around 330 watts. The power pack C radial motors can handle around 400-450 watts so yes, they can but you should make sure that you appropriately prop the motor for your application. The usual recommended 10x4.5 slow flyer prop may be a bit anemic so I’d recommend an 11x5 prop. A 12” prop may be a bit too much for these motors but I have no experience with them. Others, feel free to chime in with prop recommendations.