FT Simple Stick Needs More Power...

[Bill K]

My Simple Stick overall flies great but it needs more power. I guess by strengthening the landing gear mount, the fuselage where the gear slides in and painting I've added too much weight for the Power Pack B to handle unless I fly 80-100% throttle. [I'm used to flying ~60-80 throttle with all my other RC planes.] Can I just run a different battery (I'm now running 3S 1300 mAh batteries) or must/should I upgrade to a bigger motor and esc? e.g Power Pack C?

Thanks...

 

[Kzhurley]

I run a “c” pack motor with 2200 3s and a 9x4.5 prop and it’s plenty powerful. That’s pretty over powered. Sometimes I throw a 2200 4s in it and it’s insane. It does get pretty hot on 4s though so have to watch

Mines pretty heavy also from all the repairs since I can’t fly very well and 4s doesn’t make me any better pilot lol

I have one of those motors like you have and it doesn’t make the power that the newer radial b pack motors do

 

[Tele130]

Check out my post “Simple Stick on Steroids”. I’ve built three of them and all three have bigger motors and ESC’s than the plans call for. But my third build went a little wild🤘🏻.

 

[Bill K]

Check out my post “Simple Stick on Steroids”. I’ve built three of them and all three have bigger motors and ESC’s than the plans call for. But my third build went a little wild🤘🏻.

What an awesome looking FT Simple Stick!

If not a 3D print, would you please tell me what strut you're using for the landing gear and how you mounted it to your model? [a few pictures would be nice.] I've done a few FT models and find that it doesn't take long for the piano wire landing gear to become a problem.

Thanks
Ps. On my Stick going from a 10x4.5 to a 9x4.5 prop and from a 1300mAh 3S to a 1300mAh 4S has made a noticeable improvement in the performance of the plane.

 

[Tele130]

Thank you. It’s been clocked at 84mph-87mph-86mph with a 3S 2200. It’s a total blast to fly!!!!

Here’s the gear I used on all three.
You need to make a hole (cut-out) tin the bottom of the fuselage the width of the top cross over on the gear. You’ll need to remove a part of the inner side reinforcement along the side of the fuselage the width of the landing gear strut, just high enough so the gear goes into the fuselage until the lower portion of the fuselage is level with the bend in the gear strut.

I hope this helps…..pics attached. 👍🏻

 

[Tele130]

I forgot to mention that you’ll need to drill two mounting holes in the side of the fuselage that go through the lading gear strut inside the fuselage. I used a small wooden brace on the outside of the fuselage and ran Bamboo skewers all the way through the other side along with some two part epoxy and hot glue along the landing gear struts that run up the inside of the fuselage.

 

[Bill K]

Yes, I can follow what you've done. Very creative. I wish FT would go a similar route with their kits but understand that they must try to keep the costs down.

I might just copy what you've done but want to give some thought to a breakaway landing gear design. One where on a hard landing the gear would come off the plane and not tear up the body; maybe just break a prop.

 

[Tele130]

I’m not sure about the break away gear. The gear needs to a fixed to the fuselage sturdy enough for normal landing and taxing on a grass field. In case of a hard landing….like a belly plant, the mounting point on the bottom of the fuselage would surly be damaged to some extent with the gear breaking away. There would have to be a catastrophic landing in order to rip out this gear set-up I did. I’ve had students perform their first landing with my other two Sticks (set-up the same as shown in the other post) and I have yet to have a student do any damage to the gear. Anothe great thing about the gear is it’s not springy. So once you touch down she’s (the plane 🤣) planted on the ground, no hopping down the runway🤘🏻.

I’ve also added a tail wheel to the bottom of the rudder. Ground handling is fantastic!!!

 

[Bill K]

I’m not sure about the break away gear. The gear needs to a fixed to the fuselage sturdy enough for normal landing and taxing on a grass field. In case of a hard landing….like a belly plant, the mounting point on the bottom of the fuselage would surly be damaged to some extent with the gear breaking away. There would have to be a catastrophic landing in order to rip out this gear set-up I did. I’ve had students perform their first landing with my other two Sticks (set-up the same as shown in the other post) and I have yet to have a student do any damage to the gear. Anothe great thing about the gear is it’s not springy. So once you touch down she’s (the plane 🤣) planted on the ground, no hopping down the runway🤘🏻.

I’ve also added a tail wheel to the bottom of the rudder. Ground handling is fantastic!!!

Stop it! Now I want to see your tail wheel mod. 😊

 

[Tele130]

It’s so simple you laugh🤪😂🤣.

It’s a tail wheel taken from my parts bin, straighten out the top 3/4” of wire, two part epoxy on the end of the wire and push it into the bottom edge of the rudder. Since students will be flying it I reinforce the lower sides of the rudder with white duct tape🤘🏻.