FT Spear build.

Tdugar

Well-known member
15786127180133963529862133240376.jpg
Possibly my next project lol I'm not sure though
15786127180133963529862133240376.jpg
 

BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
Left handed
Perfect that should make the toss easy then, you can keep your right hand on the steering stick as you toss, so there is no delay trying to toss and get your hands on the stick in time. It should go well for ya.

You did set up some up reflex in the elevons right?

The goblin is a fun plank plane, I built one at 130% for the larger motor. I loved it until it snapped the spar, did get about a dozen flights out of it though
 

Tdugar

Well-known member
Perfect that should make the toss easy then, you can keep your right hand on the steering stick as you toss, so there is no delay trying to toss and get your hands on the stick in time. It should go well for ya.

You did set up some up reflex in the elevons right?

The goblin is a fun plank plane, I built one at 130% for the larger motor. I loved it until it snapped the spar, did get about a dozen flights out of it though
I put the 8.5 percent reflex as suggested
 

Tdugar

Well-known member
That's why I'm so hesitant. This is my first flight ever. I e never flew an rc plane before. Now I'm a beast with my old trusty Dji Mavic Pro and ground rc but never flew one. I'm thinking about hanging this one up also and build a beater plane
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
That's why I'm so hesitant. This is my first flight ever. I e never flew an rc plane before. Now I'm a beast with my old trusty Dji Mavic Pro and ground rc but never flew one. I'm thinking about hanging this one up also and build a beater plane
Try building an old speedster. It was my first plane I was able to successfully fly and it flies super slow and steady. Very easy to fly. I also taught a guy to fly on it and he had it down and could fly it by himself by the second pack! We were doing buddy box and I rarely had to take over for him.
 
Last edited:

evranch

Well-known member
IBCrazy has good solid advice in this video here, though I wouldn't try the overhead toss with the Spear. With Pack C, it doesn't even need that much toss if you launch at full throttle. Just guide it in the right direction.

Seriously, try the wood thing I mentioned before you throw your plane. I got a great launch on my first try, and my Spear was my first ever flying wing.

I like the velcro, here is how I secured my door on my Spear. BBQ skewers take the place of the little turnbuckles from the kit, just reinforced with tape and poked through it. Since the airstream mostly holds the door shut anyways, these just keep it from flapping.
IMG_20200109_155946.jpg
 

evranch

Well-known member
Oh, you posted while I was typing on an old version of the thread. Never flown fixed wing before? MAKE SURE your elevon mix is correct. Check and double check it, in both rates and all quadrants of the stick.

The Spear is a very easy flyer if you can get it into the air.
 

BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
That's why I'm so hesitant. This is my first flight ever. I e never flew an rc plane before. Now I'm a beast with my old trusty Dji Mavic Pro and ground rc but never flew one. I'm thinking about hanging this one up also and build a beater plane
This was the maiden of my Spear... don't stress about the end, it was a loss of signal, not a problem with the wing
I will say this plane isn't first plane material, it took a lot to keep it straight.

Here is my Goblin though, you might like this one

For a first plane that will get you used to the bank and yank elevons would be the FT-22, you can set it up nice and docile and it is easy to fix. Here is my maiden of that...
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
IBCrazy has good solid advice in this video here, though I wouldn't try the overhead toss with the Spear. With Pack C, it doesn't even need that much toss if you launch at full throttle. Just guide it in the right direction.

Seriously, try the wood thing I mentioned before you throw your plane. I got a great launch on my first try, and my Spear was my first ever flying wing.

I like the velcro, here is how I secured my door on my Spear. BBQ skewers take the place of the little turnbuckles from the kit, just reinforced with tape and poked through it. Since the airstream mostly holds the door shut anyways, these just keep it from flapping.
View attachment 153926
What motor is that? After seeing so much spear action lately, I kinda want to build one. Maybe a twin spear like ft did... :D
 

BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
I like the velcro, here is how I secured my door on my Spear. BBQ skewers take the place of the little turnbuckles from the kit, just reinforced with tape and poked through it. Since the airstream mostly holds the door shut anyways, these just keep it from flapping.
That's exactly what I did with mine, held fine... for the short flight it had lol
 

evranch

Well-known member
I will say this plane isn't first plane material, it took a lot to keep it straight.
I found the opposite, mine tracks like it's on rails. Definitely no swooping off the launch like your video. I'll try to do a video if the weather ever breaks. Might this have something to do with you mounting the optional inner stabs on yours? Quite a few people have said that they result in worse handling characteristics.

@The Hangar I'm flying a Turnigy D2826-10 (1400kV) with a 8x4 prop. My LHS carries them for combat flyers with a modest markup. I prefer to buy from them than deal with HK since I get burned on customs every time. They are roughly equivalent to a milder FT C pack, and will get anything that calls for a C pack in the air with no problem.
 

BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
Might this have something to do with you mounting the optional inner stabs on yours? Quite a few people have said that they result in worse handling characteristics.
I believe it did have something to do with it yes. In doing research on it I found there was a lot of people who said the outer ones caused wing rock on the yaw axis, so I used them all thinking it would help, but it created a new problem on the roll axis. I will do more wings but just not the Spear again. Although my Franken-plane is made from the Spear wing it flew better then the original
 

evranch

Well-known member
wing rock on the yaw axis
Mine definitely rocks gently on the yaw axis, but it can be ignored for LOS flying. The body of the plane follows a straight path and can be handled as such.
However I haven't put a camera on it yet, and for what was billed as an FPV wing, it might be really annoying.

I've read that yaw rock is an inherent flying wing problem though, so it's going to be interesting to try this big wing I'm building which has only the angled inner stabs.
 

Wildthing

Legendary member
I know that he's from the area, we haven't met in person though. I keep pretty busy here on the ranch and don't get out as often as I'd like. The only reason I'm building planes and posting on the forum right now is that the weather has driven me inside... it's awful out there today!
Saskatoon is my home, I am one of the combat dudes :)
 

Wildthing

Legendary member
West central Saskatchewan, my LHS is in Saskatoon. Sometimes I'll go to Regina too, but their hobby shop is more oriented around cars. Not too many other pilots around here but I've got a couple guys who are getting interested, and Saskatoon is starting to build a pretty good foamboard and combat scene.
I support to stores, one is mainly the rc cars and such (Ultra RC) the other which of course has cars too but a lot in planes and even trains if you are into them and that is Express Hobbies.
 

Tdugar

Well-known member
This was the maiden of my Spear... don't stress about the end, it was a loss of signal, not a problem with the wing
I will say this plane isn't first plane material, it took a lot to keep it straight.

Here is my Goblin though, you might like this one

For a first plane that will get you used to the bank and yank elevons would be the FT-22, you can set it up nice and docile and it is easy to fix. Here is my maiden of that...
Omg that goblin is epic. So much information it is so appreciated
I want to build a 130 goblin now what power plant did you use.