Raptortech
Foam Addict
Preface: Over the next few months, I will be building a 10 foot wingspan cargo plane with a close friend. This plane will be made almost entirely out of dollartree foam board. I hope to use this thread to document the build and get input and ideas.
Background: This plane will be based on a smaller cargo plane my friend and I built last year. That plane had a 5 foot wingspan, and this new plane will be a 200% scaled version of it. The old plane was built out of DTFB, and powered by two 1100kv NTM prop drive motors swinging 11x4.7 slowfly props.
The five foot plane performs extremely well. It tracks very straight, handles the wind easily, and has respectable vertical performance when not loaded with cargo. We have tested it with up to 3 lbs in the cargo bay, but I am confident that it could hold much more than that.
Here is a video demonstrating dropping a parachute from the bay.
The 10 foot plane: I have started planning the new plane already. I am using sketchup to get a rough idea of how much foam and materials I will be using, as well as how to reinforce the aiframe. Here is an early screenshot.
I currently expect to use about 20 sheets of DTFB for the build, along with a piece of insulation foam for structural support inside the fuselage.
The power system will likely be 6s (two 3s batteries in parallel), and right now I'm looking at the 5000-6000mAh range for the batteries (20C). This limits my total current to around 100A if I go with this power setup.
The plane will be driven by a twin motor setup (with differential throttle). Currently, I have these motors in mind, though I am open to suggestion.
http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__19610__NTM_Prop_Drive_Series_42_58_500kv_1300w.h tml
Challenges/Problems: I have never built a plane of this scale, so there are several main problems I anticipate.
I will be adding images and videos as my build progresses, and look forward to advice and recommendations from you guys!
Background: This plane will be based on a smaller cargo plane my friend and I built last year. That plane had a 5 foot wingspan, and this new plane will be a 200% scaled version of it. The old plane was built out of DTFB, and powered by two 1100kv NTM prop drive motors swinging 11x4.7 slowfly props.
Here is a video demonstrating dropping a parachute from the bay.
The 10 foot plane: I have started planning the new plane already. I am using sketchup to get a rough idea of how much foam and materials I will be using, as well as how to reinforce the aiframe. Here is an early screenshot.

I currently expect to use about 20 sheets of DTFB for the build, along with a piece of insulation foam for structural support inside the fuselage.
The power system will likely be 6s (two 3s batteries in parallel), and right now I'm looking at the 5000-6000mAh range for the batteries (20C). This limits my total current to around 100A if I go with this power setup.
The plane will be driven by a twin motor setup (with differential throttle). Currently, I have these motors in mind, though I am open to suggestion.
http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__19610__NTM_Prop_Drive_Series_42_58_500kv_1300w.h tml

Challenges/Problems: I have never built a plane of this scale, so there are several main problems I anticipate.
- 3 piece wing and sparring.
- Sufficiently strong cargo bay door.
- Keeping price low (under $300).
- Reinforcing the fuselage.
- Mounting the motors (my usual firewalls aren't gunna cut it).
- Attaching the landing gear. On the previous plane, after about 30 landings, the fuselage was bent.
I will be adding images and videos as my build progresses, and look forward to advice and recommendations from you guys!
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