FT Sportster and FT Mini Sportster
If you’re a fan of the FT Old Fogey or FT Old Speedster and you’re ready for a model with higher performance, the FT Sportster may be just the ticket. Although the FT Sportster looks a lot like the FT Speedster, there are a handful of differences that make the FT Sportster both faster and more aerobatic. Think of the FT Sportster as a FT Speedster on steroids! All of the differences between the FT Speedster and the FT Sportster can be found in the wing. While the FT Speedster features an undercambered, polyhedral wing, the FT Sportster uses a fold-over wing with no dihedral. Oh, and did I mention that the FT Sportster also has ailerons?
The FT Sportster is a 4-channel adaptation of the FT Old Speedster. It is capable of more speed and aerobatics than the original.
The result of these differences is an airplane that is capable of some pretty impressive aerobatic moves. Yet, the FT Sportster is still docile and easy to fly on low-rates. Best of all, it doesn’t mind being flown in a little wind. This airplane is a good choice for pilots who have mastered their 3-channel or 4-channel trainer and are ready to take on new challenges.
The FT Sportster is also perfect for accomplished flyers who are looking for an easy-to-build sport model with golden-age styling. With a 39-inch wingspan, the FT Sportster is small enough that it is easy to transport and store.It has a wide wing chord so there is plenty of wing area. This helps to give the model a broad speed range with gentle stalls and easy landings.
We have also developed a 23-inch wingspan variant of the FT Sportster, appropriately called the FT Mini Sportster. This downsized version has surprised us with its versatility. You can set it up to run on a 2-cell battery for low-key indoor flying. With a 3-cell battery, it makes a spunky little sport ship for outdoor flying. If you’ve got a real speed jones, prop it for a 4-cell battery and hold on tight!
Like the other planes in the Mini Swappable series, the Mini Sportster can be tuned for a wide range of performance envelopes to suit your preferences and flying location.
Both Sportster designs are “swappable”. Those of you with a completed FT Power Pod or FT Mini Power Pod already have much of what you’ll need. These models are built using tried and true Flite Test techniques. This build will feel very familiar if you’ve constructed one of our designs before. Even if you’re new to fold-over wings, building either version of the FT Sportster is easy and straightforward. As always, free plans are available for those who like to scratch build. An alternate path is to buy a laser-cut Speed Build Kit from our store. Whichever method you choose, our build video (coming Wednesday) will guide you through the assembly process.
We encourage you to get creative with the paint job on your FT Sportster. This model is a big blank canvas for any sort of color scheme that you would like to apply. Just be sure to provide good color contrast between the top and bottom of the model. This will help you to maintain visual orientation while the airplane is flying. The design lends itself especially well to vintage air racing color schemes. Flying is always more fun with a buddy or two. So go ahead and build a gaggle of FT Sportsters and try a few heats of low-cost, one-design pylon racing. I think you’ll find that when the machines are closely matched performance-wise, racing is a lot of fun…even at moderate speeds.
Our favorite aspect of the FT Sportster is that it wasn’t even our idea. The concept of adding a “sport” wing to the FT Old Speedster came from our best resource for great ideas: the Flite Test community. This model is a perfect example of the experimentation and innovation that we love to see. Even if you don’t build an FT Sportster of your own, we encourage you to explore your own aeronautical whims. One of the best ways to get started is to tweak an established design…just as we see here with the FT Sportster. Before long, you’ll have the skills to create new designs that are all your own.
FT SPORTSTER
Weight without battery: 0.95 lb (430 g)
Center of Gravity: 2.5 in (63 mm) from leading edge of wing
Control Surface Throws: 12 - 16° deflection; Expo 30 %
Wingspan: 39 in (990 mm)
Recommended Motor: 1000 kV Park 425
Recommended Prop: 10 x 4.7 slow fly
Recommended ESC: 30 amp minimum
Recommended battery: 2200 mAh 3S
Recommended Servos: (x4) 9 gram
PICK UP A SPEED BUILD KIT HERE!
FT MINI SPORTSTER
Weight without battery: 7.2 oz (204g)
Center of Gravity: 1.75 in (44.45 mm) from leading edge of wing
Control Surface Throws: 12 - 16° deflection; Expo 30 %
Wingspan: 23 in (584 mm)
Recommended Motor: 2200 kv 2204 size
Recommended Prop: 6 x 3 minimum
Recommended ESC: 12 amp minimum
Recommended battery: 800 mAh 2s or 3s
Recommended Servos: (x4) 5 gram
PICK UP A MINI SPEED BUILD KIT HERE!
Inverted flight? It’s no problem with the fold-over wing.
It’s a good idea to paint your model with contrasting colors on the top and bottom to help you with in-flight orientation.
The FT Sportster has good power and maneuverability, but it can be toned down for pilots who are new to 4-channel airplanes.
Although the FT Sportster does not have a large wingspan, it has a broad chord…so there is plenty of wing area for comfortable slow flight characteristics.
With its vintage styling, the FT Sportster looks great with racing-themed color schemes.
Flying is always more fun with a friend.
This design is perfect for an afternoon of low-key racing around the pylons.
Is that a racing pylon or bowling pin? The only difference is in how close you cut the turn.
Racing with closely matched planes is fun even if they’re not flying at ballistic speeds.
When you get tired of carving turns around the pylons, you can always just hover next to them!
Big thanks to Ken (dz1fsb) from RCgroups for the inspiration. Keep up the amazing scratch builds!
If you’re a fan of the FT Old Fogey or FT Old Speedster and you’re ready for a model with higher performance, the FT Sportster may be just the ticket. Although the FT Sportster looks a lot like the FT Speedster, there are a handful of differences that make the FT Sportster both faster and more aerobatic. Think of the FT Sportster as a FT Speedster on steroids! All of the differences between the FT Speedster and the FT Sportster can be found in the wing. While the FT Speedster features an undercambered, polyhedral wing, the FT Sportster uses a fold-over wing with no dihedral. Oh, and did I mention that the FT Sportster also has ailerons?
The FT Sportster is a 4-channel adaptation of the FT Old Speedster. It is capable of more speed and aerobatics than the original.
The result of these differences is an airplane that is capable of some pretty impressive aerobatic moves. Yet, the FT Sportster is still docile and easy to fly on low-rates. Best of all, it doesn’t mind being flown in a little wind. This airplane is a good choice for pilots who have mastered their 3-channel or 4-channel trainer and are ready to take on new challenges.
The FT Sportster is also perfect for accomplished flyers who are looking for an easy-to-build sport model with golden-age styling. With a 39-inch wingspan, the FT Sportster is small enough that it is easy to transport and store.It has a wide wing chord so there is plenty of wing area. This helps to give the model a broad speed range with gentle stalls and easy landings.
We have also developed a 23-inch wingspan variant of the FT Sportster, appropriately called the FT Mini Sportster. This downsized version has surprised us with its versatility. You can set it up to run on a 2-cell battery for low-key indoor flying. With a 3-cell battery, it makes a spunky little sport ship for outdoor flying. If you’ve got a real speed jones, prop it for a 4-cell battery and hold on tight!
Like the other planes in the Mini Swappable series, the Mini Sportster can be tuned for a wide range of performance envelopes to suit your preferences and flying location.
Both Sportster designs are “swappable”. Those of you with a completed FT Power Pod or FT Mini Power Pod already have much of what you’ll need. These models are built using tried and true Flite Test techniques. This build will feel very familiar if you’ve constructed one of our designs before. Even if you’re new to fold-over wings, building either version of the FT Sportster is easy and straightforward. As always, free plans are available for those who like to scratch build. An alternate path is to buy a laser-cut Speed Build Kit from our store. Whichever method you choose, our build video (coming Wednesday) will guide you through the assembly process.
We encourage you to get creative with the paint job on your FT Sportster. This model is a big blank canvas for any sort of color scheme that you would like to apply. Just be sure to provide good color contrast between the top and bottom of the model. This will help you to maintain visual orientation while the airplane is flying. The design lends itself especially well to vintage air racing color schemes. Flying is always more fun with a buddy or two. So go ahead and build a gaggle of FT Sportsters and try a few heats of low-cost, one-design pylon racing. I think you’ll find that when the machines are closely matched performance-wise, racing is a lot of fun…even at moderate speeds.
Our favorite aspect of the FT Sportster is that it wasn’t even our idea. The concept of adding a “sport” wing to the FT Old Speedster came from our best resource for great ideas: the Flite Test community. This model is a perfect example of the experimentation and innovation that we love to see. Even if you don’t build an FT Sportster of your own, we encourage you to explore your own aeronautical whims. One of the best ways to get started is to tweak an established design…just as we see here with the FT Sportster. Before long, you’ll have the skills to create new designs that are all your own.
FT SPORTSTER
Weight without battery: 0.95 lb (430 g)
Center of Gravity: 2.5 in (63 mm) from leading edge of wing
Control Surface Throws: 12 - 16° deflection; Expo 30 %
Wingspan: 39 in (990 mm)
Recommended Motor: 1000 kV Park 425
Recommended Prop: 10 x 4.7 slow fly
Recommended ESC: 30 amp minimum
Recommended battery: 2200 mAh 3S
Recommended Servos: (x4) 9 gram
PICK UP A SPEED BUILD KIT HERE!
FT MINI SPORTSTER
Weight without battery: 7.2 oz (204g)
Center of Gravity: 1.75 in (44.45 mm) from leading edge of wing
Control Surface Throws: 12 - 16° deflection; Expo 30 %
Wingspan: 23 in (584 mm)
Recommended Motor: 2200 kv 2204 size
Recommended Prop: 6 x 3 minimum
Recommended ESC: 12 amp minimum
Recommended battery: 800 mAh 2s or 3s
Recommended Servos: (x4) 5 gram
PICK UP A MINI SPEED BUILD KIT HERE!
Inverted flight? It’s no problem with the fold-over wing.
It’s a good idea to paint your model with contrasting colors on the top and bottom to help you with in-flight orientation.
The FT Sportster has good power and maneuverability, but it can be toned down for pilots who are new to 4-channel airplanes.
Although the FT Sportster does not have a large wingspan, it has a broad chord…so there is plenty of wing area for comfortable slow flight characteristics.
With its vintage styling, the FT Sportster looks great with racing-themed color schemes.
Flying is always more fun with a friend.
This design is perfect for an afternoon of low-key racing around the pylons.
Is that a racing pylon or bowling pin? The only difference is in how close you cut the turn.
Racing with closely matched planes is fun even if they’re not flying at ballistic speeds.
When you get tired of carving turns around the pylons, you can always just hover next to them!
Big thanks to Ken (dz1fsb) from RCgroups for the inspiration. Keep up the amazing scratch builds!
