Gas powered foamy?

messyhead

Well-known member
I got hooked on this hobby last year, and I'm in the process of building my 3rd foam board electric powered plane. My plan for this year, once the lock down is over, was to join a club and learn to fly properly. I can fly in local fields, and have been out a few times.

However, I've always wanted to get a gas engined plane at some point.

So I was wondering if it's possible to build a gas powered foam board plane? I ask mainly as FB is cheap, and easy to repair/rebuild should things go wrong.

The thought of building or buying a balsa plane, only for it to end up in splinters, is something I want to avoid. I would like to build a balsa plane eventually anyway, but only once I'm a capable flyer.
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
I got hooked on this hobby last year, and I'm in the process of building my 3rd foam board electric powered plane. My plan for this year, once the lock down is over, was to join a club and learn to fly properly. I can fly in local fields, and have been out a few times.

However, I've always wanted to get a gas engined plane at some point.

So I was wondering if it's possible to build a gas powered foam board plane? I ask mainly as FB is cheap, and easy to repair/rebuild should things go wrong.

The thought of building or buying a balsa plane, only for it to end up in splinters, is something I want to avoid. I would like to build a balsa plane eventually anyway, but only once I'm a capable flyer.
Fuel and foamboard don't mix but if you do the proper waterproofing methods it should be ok. @JennyC6 has done a bit with at making foamies fuel-powered.
 

JennyC6

Elite member
I got hooked on this hobby last year, and I'm in the process of building my 3rd foam board electric powered plane. My plan for this year, once the lock down is over, was to join a club and learn to fly properly. I can fly in local fields, and have been out a few times.

However, I've always wanted to get a gas engined plane at some point.

So I was wondering if it's possible to build a gas powered foam board plane? I ask mainly as FB is cheap, and easy to repair/rebuild should things go wrong.

The thought of building or buying a balsa plane, only for it to end up in splinters, is something I want to avoid. I would like to build a balsa plane eventually anyway, but only once I'm a capable flyer.

It will work if you keep a couple things in mind.

1: You want to use the brown foamboard from FT. Something they did when they made that stuff waterproof helps it with fuel resistance too. I haven't gotten my hands on the makerfoam to test it yet.

2: You are gonna have to get creative with engine mounting. Power pods will NOT work; too much vibration. For small stuff...Cox 049s...you can get away with CA-gluing a good solid firewall in, but anything bigger than that will shake so much that you'll need to put some wood beams down the fuse.

3: The brown FT foamboard is fuel resistant. Small spills don't bother it but a major spill will soak through the paper, delaminate it. You will also want to seal the edges well. Rustoleum paint, which is what FT recommends anyway, will seal it well enough.

4: Alcohol de-chooches hot glue. Don't spill raw fuel on hot glue joints unless you're ready for them to come apart.

5: Heat is not much of an issue due to the airflow in question. Just make sure the jug's poked out into the airstream.
 

FDS

Elite member
Or buy a balsa kit and make that, theres plenty of UK fliers still doing it that way, plus plenty of plans for simple glow type planes etc.
Bear in mind those will all be over the legal weight limit for registration and the noise they make always attracts attention so be sure you have a good spot to fly them.
If you want to get into flying gas easier, join your local BMFA club, that’s the place to find those fliers.
 

JennyC6

Elite member
Or buy a balsa kit and make that, theres plenty of UK fliers still doing it that way, plus plenty of plans for simple glow type planes etc.
Bear in mind those will all be over the legal weight limit for registration and the noise they make always attracts attention so be sure you have a good spot to fly them.
If you want to get into flying gas easier, join your local BMFA club, that’s the place to find those fliers.
Or he could put an engine on a foamboard plane. It works fine with the right procedure. Guy on FT Fans facebook put two OS 15s on a Sea Duck and it flew like a champ, and I'm fixing to put an FS26 Surpass on a Simple Scout. Seen a master series spitfire with an OS 46AX and a swappable series spit with a clone .21 on it as well; the latter had flight vids and it was just as nippy as an electric swappable spit is.
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Thanks for the replies. It's good to hear it's possible, but maybe not for my level. I would like a balsa plane, and intend to at some point
You could always go half way to your first Blasa plane with something like the Balsa/FB spitfire. See;
https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/balsa-foamboard-test-build-ft-spitfire.32734/

Being covered with covering film the body of the plane is fuel proof already and then a little extra work in the motor area would allow it to go full fuel operation.

Have fun!
 

JennyC6

Elite member
Thanks for the replies. It's good to hear it's possible, but maybe not for my level. I would like a balsa plane, and intend to at some point
Scope your LHS then. I got this plane for $40 and the engine in a seperate used bin purchase later on for just $30.



I put more money into the receiver and receiver battery than I did the rest of the airframe. Plane originally had a smaller Webra engine on it but that engine needs an overhaul so I threw this OS on. More power anyway. Flew it last friday too; didn't even need trimmed.

You'll find deals like this if you look hard enough. My LHS makes it easy for me; they deal in used models and have an 'as-is' room where this plane was found. Already had servos in it too, was basically 'revive engine install receiver/batt go fly'.
 

messyhead

Well-known member
There's only one LHS in myarea now, and he mainly deals in model trains. There was a guy that did planes, but he retired and closed the shop. I'll wait till the clubs have reopened, and I can join one, learn to fly with the foamies, and take it from there.
 

JennyC6

Elite member
Seems like you have air leaking past your needle valve
It's definitely doing something funky. Shouldn't thin the mix out and give me a thousand RPM when I merely press down on it like that. Someone on Glow Nation FB said it probably needed some fuel tubing around it to stabilize and seal it; will do that if I can find some spare.
 

Bricks

Master member
IF I remember right there MAY be a small O-ring missing or got hard pull the needle valve and look for a small space for an O-ring to sit where the needle valve goes in.
 

chrisknee

New member
To messyhead,
To learn how to fly properly, you have to fly a lot. To fly a lot, you need a lot of money or do things cheaply. Cheaply means avoiding to buy balsa, hobby shop engines and RC hobby shop items. I really started enjoying the hobby when I got the costs down. When you don't fear a crash (because your plane is low cost), you can relax and try all sorts of maneuvers. Ever flown a Gremlin? (RCM plan #1134) There's fun. But you did mention gas. My first gas plane was a Ryobi weed wacker with a scratch built plane of swap shop wings and tail which weighed 16 lb or 7.2 kg. The engine cost $50 from Harbor Freight. My fuel cost became minuscule. Imagine stopping for fuel on the way to the flying field, NOT at the hobby shop, but at a gas station where I could buy the petrol/gasoline AND the oil to mix with it was well. Then, the 31 cc engine only sips the 6 oz fuel tank I was using so I could fly almost forever on a gallon of gas.
Now, everything I buy is selected from the local hardware shop where prices are low and competitive. It makes you love life again. The options one has in selecting an engine, is now almost endless. String trimmer engines are everywhere as well as chainsaw engines. They are easy to modify and use. There is NO need to replace the original ignition! This is senseless and just wastes money. No need for lathed parts. I was able to use a Ryobi RPT-3000 engine with just a plastic tube spacer as the prop driver to fly my plane. Have fun and good luck.
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
To messyhead,
To learn how to fly properly, you have to fly a lot. To fly a lot, you need a lot of money or do things cheaply. Cheaply means avoiding to buy balsa, hobby shop engines and RC hobby shop items. I really started enjoying the hobby when I got the costs down. When you don't fear a crash (because your plane is low cost), you can relax and try all sorts of maneuvers. Ever flown a Gremlin? (RCM plan #1134) There's fun. But you did mention gas. My first gas plane was a Ryobi weed wacker with a scratch built plane of swap shop wings and tail which weighed 16 lb or 7.2 kg. The engine cost $50 from Harbor Freight. My fuel cost became minuscule. Imagine stopping for fuel on the way to the flying field, NOT at the hobby shop, but at a gas station where I could buy the petrol/gasoline AND the oil to mix with it was well. Then, the 31 cc engine only sips the 6 oz fuel tank I was using so I could fly almost forever on a gallon of gas.
Now, everything I buy is selected from the local hardware shop where prices are low and competitive. It makes you love life again. The options one has in selecting an engine, is now almost endless. String trimmer engines are everywhere as well as chainsaw engines. They are easy to modify and use. There is NO need to replace the original ignition! This is senseless and just wastes money. No need for lathed parts. I was able to use a Ryobi RPT-3000 engine with just a plastic tube spacer as the prop driver to fly my plane. Have fun and good luck.
We need some pictures of it! :)
 

Bricks

Master member
To messyhead,
To learn how to fly properly, you have to fly a lot. To fly a lot, you need a lot of money or do things cheaply. Cheaply means avoiding to buy balsa, hobby shop engines and RC hobby shop items. I really started enjoying the hobby when I got the costs down. When you don't fear a crash (because your plane is low cost), you can relax and try all sorts of maneuvers. Ever flown a Gremlin? (RCM plan #1134) There's fun. But you did mention gas. My first gas plane was a Ryobi weed wacker with a scratch built plane of swap shop wings and tail which weighed 16 lb or 7.2 kg. The engine cost $50 from Harbor Freight. My fuel cost became minuscule. Imagine stopping for fuel on the way to the flying field, NOT at the hobby shop, but at a gas station where I could buy the petrol/gasoline AND the oil to mix with it was well. Then, the 31 cc engine only sips the 6 oz fuel tank I was using so I could fly almost forever on a gallon of gas.
Now, everything I buy is selected from the local hardware shop where prices are low and competitive. It makes you love life again. The options one has in selecting an engine, is now almost endless. String trimmer engines are everywhere as well as chainsaw engines. They are easy to modify and use. There is NO need to replace the original ignition! This is senseless and just wastes money. No need for lathed parts. I was able to use a Ryobi RPT-3000 engine with just a plastic tube spacer as the prop driver to fly my plane. Have fun and good luck.

I will agree with most of this but the problem is smaller planes where weight is a factor, that is where the small 10CC gassers are at there best with the electronic module saves a bunch of weight, they will fit right into that 40-60 size plane. I have 5 of the Evolution 10CC gassers in planes fuel cost is nil compared to running a glow fuel, they do not have the same power as some of the Glow engines but close.