Hello from Canada (where the FT guys don't go in winter)

[Iglooman]

It's been about 15 years since I was into R/C airplanes, but after watching the neighbour kid fly his EFlite Timber off the lake the last two years it's really got me wanting back in. Stumbled on the FT videos on Youtube, and I'm hooked. I do piles of research before I jump into things, so now I'm looking at the best builds I could try. Would love some advice. I want to keep it fairly cost-efficient for learning. I'd love to get up to the Sea Duck at some point for lake flying, but want to start with the A Pack minis first. Any chance the minis could be converted to pontoons? Has anyone attempted it? Hoping FT makes a mini seaplane for the A Pack soon if a current mini on pontoons isn't an option.

I recently tried to get my old GWS Pico Tiger Moth converted to pontoons I cut from SM blue styrofoam. Not sure if it will ever work - but makes a cool plane boat so far... Next step is to try foamboard when I can get my hands on some, or white styrofoam... Maybe a prop change would help.

Would love some recommendations for a newbie - looking at the mini-trainer. Wishing there was a mini FT Explorer. I like pusher props for training to save props. No hobby store close to my area of northern Ontario. Have lots of lake for area, and a soccer and ball field in town to fly at. Not a lot of open field space apart from over water, and not sure about how much 'landing/takeoff strip' there is at either place.

 

[AkimboGlueGuns]

You're probably going to have to dig through the forum a bit, but there is a mod to do a pusher conversion on the tiny trainer to make it a lot like a mini explorer. I think it's in the FT Tiny Trainer thread, but things get a little scattered on this site. Otherwise, the tiny trainer makes a great first plane on its own.

As for seaplanes, you could probably get the mini scout on floats without too much issue.

Welcome to the forums! Be sure to let me know if you have any other questions. Anyone with a green forum name has been designated a mentor, so we can generally give you a hand with anything.

 

[PsyBorg]

Welcome to the forums mate.

If you are a true connoisseur of Flite test videos then you know NOTHING is impossible. They flew a cinder block..If you can fly a brick you can certainly make foam floats for nearly anything with time and effort.

Looking forward to your ideas and attempts to accomplish you goals. Make sure you get plenty of pictures and video if possible as that is what powers the forums.

 

[Iglooman]

Thanks for the replies! I might have to check out switching props. I know 15 years ago I got it with a slowflyer prop because I wanted something slow and gentle. Never got the nerve to fly it after crashing my Wingo, then life got busy, yada yada... It's got a GWS EP-9070 prop on it now, so if you know of a better prop that might pull more thrust out of the geared IPS engine. Apparently I got a couple GWS EP-1047 props as spares too, but I need a shorter prop so I'm not hitting the water. I was already having issues with the 9070 reaching the water.

Any suggestions on a three blade that might pull more thrust than the 9070? I fear I might need to mod it with an A pack engine or better just to get it off the water. Going to check battery weights on an Li-Ion battery pack I just got for something else versus the old GWS NiCad pack I had with it. Might be able to lighten it up a lot swapping them.

 

[RavenFly]

Welcome to the FT community! I was just flying in Temagami two weeks ago - on Lowell Lake. We'll have to fly next summer when I can get back up there.

My favourite FT plane for the lake is the Sea Duck. Far more maneuverable and stable in the thermals near shore than the Sea Otter. I've finally got it to hover with 3S. Start with the simple cub https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG4M-G-4Yhs and then work your way to the Duck.

I would suggest looking for a flat spot on the pipeline to takeoff and land if you want to start on land. Maybe where an ATV trail crosses it?

 

[Iglooman]

Ha! Small world! Where you at Everett & Hendrika's? I run Leisure Island in town. If you're up next summer, we'll have to plan on a calm nightto meet and I can grab one of our pontoon boats for a mobile aircraft base to fly from. We've usually got one or two at the dock. One year we took one of my large docks and anchored in the bay in front of Temagami Shores and I had the TARMAC club from New Liskeard come for the Canada Day celebrations and fly. That was back when I had more time... It's far less fun going from helping run a business to running it...

Thanks for the suggestions. I've been wanting to make a Sea Duck ever since I saw the videos for it... Looks awesome!

 

[RavenFly]

We have stayed at Loon Lodge, CanUsa, and we had a place on Rib lake south of Bayleemac for 20 years. Just moved to Lowell lake (road access!), but do day trips onto Temagami all the time. Sounds like we have a flying date next spring/summer! We may be up for thxgiving, I'll let you know.

 

[flitetest]

WELCOME to the forums and the FT family Iglooman! So glad to have you along for the ride! You will be very well taken care here with this community... THEY ARE THE BEST!

Blessings,
Stefan

 

[Ricci]

Welcome to the greatest community!

 

[sprzout]

Sea Duck is a GREAT plane. I just built one and maidened it on Monday, and it flew incredibly well! The guys at the field helped me make some minor adjustments with it (mostly just trimming it out), but it flies better than you'd think for something made out of foam board.

I will recommend that if you are building a plane for the first time out of foam board, consider these two things:

1) Buy a laser cut kit from the FT store. Sure, you can cut one out yourself from foam board, but it's time consuming, and cuts can go awry quickly.

2) Watch the build video all the way through first, BEFORE you try to assemble it. Learn to pause as you're building so you can come back to it, but watch the build video all the way through. With the Sea Duck, I learned (nearly at the end of the video) that they included a piece of foam that you can use as a triangle for making sure your sides are square and you're on a 90 degree angle from the table. I had a plastic triangle that I was using prior to that, but had I known that they had something cut out specifically for that purpose, I could have used that!

Also, seeing how it's supposed to go together may help, mentally, in how you'll hold certain folds or run certain amounts of glue, or even how much glue you'll need to lay down...

 

[Iglooman]

Thank you all for the recommendations! I'm going to try building a Mini Scout and work up to a Sea Duck. Also probably many Sparrows if I can get a STEM club going in my town. It's a small town and likely only have a small group of kids in it, but that should make it easier to do.

I've also thought about getting an X-Vert simply for the ease of takeoff and landing in an area that doesn't offer as much space for a landing strip, but lots of space for flight. Anyone have any experience with them? Does the onboard flight assist make them suitable for a beginner with some experience? I was looking at the Timber for that reason, but the X-Vert would be easier to take to the club north of me and fly, or fly here all season.