FTFC23: Buildruary Build-off Challenge

mastermalpass

Elite member
So I finished the Corsair, but it seems quite tail -heavy...
View attachment 235373
Also, not a fan of all the poster board!

Needless to say, all birds are complete (except for some more decorations needed on the Mini Old Fogey), so this month has been a success.

Until I crash then all on their maiden flights, that is...
View attachment 235372

Welp, with all my painting likely to be crunched into the 11th hour, I know I won't be winning on the livery front, these look fantastic! The Bronco and Scout were already looking good, but that Corsair really completes the package!
 

mastermalpass

Elite member
This challenge is deceptive. It seems simple... Then you realize, uh oh... I have underestimated it. And as you say, either you make strange choices, or you just fall short.

Yeah, who else has had this realisation several times so far? For me it's like:

"I'M GONNA BUILD MY FIRST EDF AS A FULLY FLEDGED MASTER SERIES WITH LIGHTS AND RETRACTS AND IT'S GONNA BE MASSIVE AND FOR THAT REASON DISASSEMBLEBLE!! :D "

"Actually, a design and build of that calibre would be ambitious for four weeks, let alone squeezing three other planes alongside it. Let's do the simple ones first and see what time I have left. The simple Su-36 can go first; it has a lot in common with the BipePipe which only took a couple days, so this shouldn't be long!"

Two weeks later: "Okay, what the dung? Well, at least that's out the way. Let's see how long a MiG-29 takes"

Two days later: "Oh this one's easy, just gotta rig up the servos! Then I can get going on the Sig Kadet tonight!" *Rigging up servos takes the ENTIRE evening*

With life also eating up so much spare time, I now have two days left to finish a Kadet and build a mirage, with Tuesday evening left to give all models a lick of paint... I think the mirage is going to end up being a profile with an EDF of it. 😂
 

FlyingTyger

Elite member
This challenge is deceptive. It seems simple... Then you realize, uh oh... I have underestimated it. And as you say, either you make strange choices, or you just fall short. I am glad you participated @Inq . I hope you join us next year as @Yankee2003 mentioned.

As I have stated, I thank everyone here for joining, trying. I hope you are enjoying this deceptively simple/hard challenge.

A couple days left. Let's give it one last push.

My strategy this year was to set aside the large build that I knew I didnt want to cut corners on and tackle some of the several smaller/faster builds waiting on the shelf. I picked them in the order I wanted them done and had at it. I knew going in that 4 in a month is simply not achievable for me with everything else going on in life. But this got 2 projects off the shelf and started; one even got done. Fun was had and I have a new plane to play with. That's all I can hope for.
 

Inq

Elite member
It can be a bit ….. time consuming jamming 4 planes in 4 weeks. I think most of us can empathize with you.


I hope you join us next year as @Yankee2003 mentioned.

I missed the notices on these for some reason.

It was a bad day being... nice weather out, but feeling the burden of a mountain of a check list. I'll probably have forgotten this feeling when it rolls around next time. And I know, all my problems were based on how I'm tackling this challenge. I never had any expectation to be competitive in the points scheme. Me simply not painting them would likely throw me out of contention. There are no points for designing the planes. Where I built my first FT Storch in a day and flew it the next... I'll go through three or four design iterations on the wing of a plane. I really have to hand it to the FT designers to put out such deceptively simple plans. The devil is in the details.

Where as most people are in this hobby for the flying, I'm in it for the designing. If I even finish a plane, it is to confirm that it flies. If I crash it, its a sign to design another. My F-22 was easily fixable... yet its crash (due to misjudging which side top/bottom I was seeing) spawned the F-23 Black Widow design effort. Guess how I'll fix the top/bottom issue on it... big fluorescent-red hour glass on the bottom! :oops:

I'll join next year... but I'll throttle myself with only one new design and the rest will be FT or my old designs. The main thing I'm missing is having time to look/read everyone else's work and be supportive back to them. Next year, I'll have the time. No more crotchety old codger. :geek:

My now coming down to the wire (39 hours left)... is the finish line midnight UTC or in our own time zone? I'm going to need those 5 hours!
 

Yankee2003

Well-known member
I missed the notices on these for some reason.

It was a bad day being... nice weather out, but feeling the burden of a mountain of a check list. I'll probably have forgotten this feeling when it rolls around next time. And I know, all my problems were based on how I'm tackling this challenge. I never had any expectation to be competitive in the points scheme. Me simply not painting them would likely throw me out of contention. There are no points for designing the planes. Where I built my first FT Storch in a day and flew it the next... I'll go through three or four design iterations on the wing of a plane. I really have to hand it to the FT designers to put out such deceptively simple plans. The devil is in the details.

Where as most people are in this hobby for the flying, I'm in it for the designing. If I even finish a plane, it is to confirm that it flies. If I crash it, its a sign to design another. My F-22 was easily fixable... yet its crash (due to misjudging which side top/bottom I was seeing) spawned the F-23 Black Widow design effort. Guess how I'll fix the top/bottom issue on it... big fluorescent-red hour glass on the bottom! :oops:

I'll join next year... but I'll throttle myself with only one new design and the rest will be FT or my old designs. The main thing I'm missing is having time to look/read everyone else's work and be supportive back to them. Next year, I'll have the time. No more crotchety old codger. :geek:

My now coming down to the wire (39 hours left)... is the finish line midnight UTC or in our own time zone? I'm going to need those 5 hours!

We all need to be talked off the ledge once in awhile.
It’s nice to have you back safely in the physc ward. And just in time, nurse Rachett is due to hand out the medications…..😏
 

FoamyDM

Building Fool-Flying Noob
Moderator
It was a bad day being... nice weather out, but feeling the burden of a mountain of a check list. I'll probably have forgotten this feeling when it rolls around next time.
I have felt that. I always forget by this time the next year.

Guess how I'll fix the top/bottom issue on it... big fluorescent-red hour glass on the bottom! :oops:
Nice, Love it!

I'll join next year... but I'll throttle myself with only one new design and the rest will be FT or my old designs. The main thing I'm missing is having time to look/read everyone else's work and be supportive back to them. Next year, I'll have the time. No more crotchety old codger. :geek:
I am glad your plan on doing this next time. I have thought about adding bonus points if you designed the plane yourself. All my previous years, I designed and built at least one of the planes. I also try to have folks post in the main thread so people can follow one thread and see everyone's progress
 

FoamyDM

Building Fool-Flying Noob
Moderator
Last day! Good luck Everyone.
1677592976719.png
 

mastermalpass

Elite member
  • Like
Reactions: Inq

mastermalpass

Elite member
It's now 1am of March 1st in the UK. Bit cheeky of me, but hey, you're all still building across the Atlantic. 😝

I completed my Sig Kadet! :D

Screenshot_20230301_005352_Gallery.jpg

Screenshot_20230301_005355_Gallery.jpg


It's big and it's a beast! I don't know how much it weighs, but it's up there! I hope the 9x6 slow-fly prop, on a 1400kv motor, fed by a 40a ESC, with a 4S battery, is enough to pull its weight through the air. With it's giant wings and flapperons, I'm confident it will fly, so long as it has sufficient thrust. Need a big flat field and no winds to maiden this one!

And of course, we have my twist on the design; you can turn it from full plane to this, in under two minutes, by hand! :D
Screenshot_20230301_005805_Gallery.jpg
 
Last edited: