Life of the Simple Scout...

Marty72

Elite member
Alright, thanks. I'll wait until I get motor and work the pod. Inside the house now, watch some football and fit checking and working out the fuselage graphics.

Scratch build requires some extra trimming to get everything to fit just right (because my knife/hand isn't as precise as the laser cut kit parts). I'm betting on trimming to get the wing in too.

BTW, Dollar tree was just about out of white foam board but had a ton of flat black. I got me wondering why I don't see builds using that? That or a combination. Painting paper has limitations. Too bad the paper doesn't come in more colors. I realize the foam board wasn't intended for this use. The Ras stuff (paper graphics) is awesome but a looks like a lot of work. IMG_1765.JPG IMG_1766.JPG
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
Beautiful looking plane man! You’re doing an amazing job! The power pod has no thrust angle, and it is just one if the swappable power pods cut short. The two holes in the top of the firewall will stick above the power pod about a with of foam for some models like the ft old speedster for placement.
 

BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
Alright, thanks. I'll wait until I get motor and work the pod. Inside the house now, watch some football and fit checking and working out the fuselage graphics.

Scratch build requires some extra trimming to get everything to fit just right (because my knife/hand isn't as precise as the laser cut kit parts). I'm betting on trimming to get the wing in too.

BTW, Dollar tree was just about out of white foam board but had a ton of flat black. I got me wondering why I don't see builds using that? That or a combination. Painting paper has limitations. Too bad the paper doesn't come in more colors. I realize the foam board wasn't intended for this use. The Ras stuff (paper graphics) is awesome but a looks like a lot of work. View attachment 143207 View attachment 143208
If you check out my Spitfire thread you will see I used the black FB along with the white. You can get all kinds of colors of FB from Michaels but it is 3 times the price. Poster board comes in a myriad of colors as well. If you want to reference any of my other builds the links are listed below in my signature.

Did you watch any videos of Ras skins and how to apply them? Its actually way less work the masking and painting, just a peel and stick operation once the plane is built. I was thinking he did the free downloads you could print off, I wanted to try it, but it looks like he doesn't do that. His latest plane is a Spitfire, and it looks great. Here is the link: https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/spit-roasted-fb.59444/unread

Your plane looks awesome again, you should be proud of your work man, great build. I can't wait to see you fly it.
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
If you check out my Spitfire thread you will see I used the black FB along with the white. You can get all kinds of colors of FB from Michaels but it is 3 times the price. Poster board comes in a myriad of colors as well. If you want to reference any of my other builds the links are listed below in my signature.

Did you watch any videos of Ras skins and how to apply them? Its actually way less work the masking and painting, just a peel and stick operation once the plane is built. I was thinking he did the free downloads you could print off, I wanted to try it, but it looks like he doesn't do that. His latest plane is a Spitfire, and it looks great. Here is the link: https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/spit-roasted-fb.59444/unread

Your plane looks awesome again, you should be proud of your work man, great build. I can't wait to see you fly it.
What did you think of the black fb? It seems like the black paper comes off a lot easier - too easy for me...
 

BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
What did you think of the black fb? It seems like the black paper comes off a lot easier - too easy for me...
I've seen two different types of black FB, black paper/white foam, and black paper/black foam. these are two polar opposites when it comes to the adhesion of the foam to the paper. Black/white does peel easy, black/black does not. on the Spit I used black/white, but I didn't have any more trouble with delamination then the white/white once it was built, it held up the same. I haven't tried any of the other more expensive colors though
 

Marty72

Elite member
Thank you both, Battleaxe and Hanger.

Update: I got some flying in early this morning, with zero wind. Another crash free session. I flew most of the morning in "experience mode", it's a bit sloppy but I flew better today than Friday, so I'm excited. I'm using beginner mode (flip the switch) to pull me out of uncomfortable situations sometimes. Part of that is I fly pretty low and slow (I know altitude is my friend but), I like the feed back and seeing exactly how the aircraft handles to my inputs . I've accepted that I'm going to hit the dirt a lot more with this approach, but I find the feedback very helpful for learning. With the beginner mode, I can save myself most of the time.

Because of this, I'm going to upgrade my transmitter, I was stuck between the DXe and DX6e. There is a sale on some of the spektrum products, 15% off, and the DX6e is one of them. I can get a receiver (620) and the DX6e for $169. If you guys know of a better deal, let me know, I'm pulling the trigger tonight.

Losing communication: This is starting to happen more and more with the Sports Cub S, I'm flying and suddenly, no control, the plane motor shuts off, plane starts fall descend in circles. Sometimes it will reattach and will continue for the rest of the plan flight (battery time).
You all know way more about this than I do, so I thought I'd ask before I start searching for answers on the internet.
Here are my thoughts: Could it be the $3 gameboy transmitter? (it has happened fairly close to me, but most of the time is farther away) Something wrong with the receiver in the plane? Loose wire on the plane (poor connection) or something over heating on the plane? Thoughts? It didn't do this when it was new, and it seems to be happening more often.

Battleaxe, I had no idea they made the boards in all different colors. I did see your Spitfire(just now) with the black wings and I like it! ( I have a lot of your stuff to review that I have not yet done). As far as the Ras stuff, I was pursuing that, but I quit following that approach when I saw a video (maybe a write up) of him saying you had to peal off both sides of the foam (otherwise the board would curl) before building and this was not for newbies. I'll restart my learning about the Ras stuff.

A couple of lessons learned from a newbie:
1) lots of different cutting tools, hobby knife, simple blade, box cutter, dull tipped box cutter. They all have their place in the build
2) work on a perfectly flat, clean surface or put down cardboard or poster board under the build (all phases) if you don't want micro dents in your foam board (if you are a little OCD like me).
3) Paint: Quality really matters. I used Rustoleum Ultra cover (satin) and it was really great stuff. I had a few tiny parts to paint black, so I bought some "cheap" $3 paint at Ace, called Now Paint and is total watery crap with poor color (it's black, how hard is that!). The Rustoleum was only 3.97 at Wally or HD. I'm sure there are plenty of great spray paints, but I had great success with Rustoleum Ultra. I picked up some satin black on the way home from flying. I put too much time into my model to ruin it with cheap paint. I wonder how the cheap walmart black $1 works, but I didn't want to experiment anymore, just bought what works.

Battery Run time: I can't find a published number the safe run time of a 1300mah with power pack B motor for the Simple Scout. You guys know?
.
 
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BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
So you are liking the flying, getting things sorted out. It is a bit of a toss up when it comes to the Crash Cub as you call it. It can be a great trainer and give to the peace of mind that you can switch modes. But because it is so light the wind can really make it a bear to handle. Since you had no wind you should have taken it up a little higher just to get yourself used to having the plane further away from you, In the sky with attitude will be your best friend the majority of the time. I was just like that when I started, thinking I would be able to save the plane, not the case, always ended up worse of then if I just got the cajones to throttle up and get some height. Then the learning really started to take off as it were.

As far as the Spektrum purchase you want to make I think it's a good deal because in Canada it would be a $250 ticket item. Although I would just get the transmitter, the receiver will crash more planes due to loss of signal then you can imagine. I went through 3 Rx's at over $50 a piece before I realized that the Rx was the problem. You may be able to find Just the Transmitter for $140 or even less in the U.S. Then pair that up with the Lemon brand of receivers along with satellite receivers to alleviate the LOS issue. Are you ordering this equipment online or at a local hobby store?

The Rasterize skins are great, he shows how you can apply it right to the full board before cutting, or after cutting, or even once the plane is built. Applying it to the FB before you cut out the pieces is almost like a decaled set of plans for the outer pieces. you only need to take the paper off the side the skin is getting applied to, not both sides. Depending on the model you are building and what part of the process you are applying them will determine the difficulty level. I personally haven't used them myself but I would like to try it out. His Spitfire turned out really nice and scale.

The Rustoleum paint you bought is the best for the FB we use, everything else is garbage comparatively, as you have already noticed. If you brush on a coat of oil based Minwax Polyurethane and wipe off after 5 minutes it seals in the plane against moisture, delamination to a point, and is easier to paint. You could even go as far as sealing in the paint or any decals with a clear coat over top which is what I did to my P-40.

Looks like we have hooked you into the hobby man, congrats on the flying progress and the build to date. Just gotta get the Scout up in the air now. Watch the FT vids on beginners set up and maiden. Do all the checks before just taking it up, write it down or watch it a few times so you are familiar with the procedures. Just like you said about getting this far into a build and ruining it with cheap paint, don't toss the plane up and forget to check the balance or control surface direction. It's the simple misses like that which can cost you a plane and gain grief and a lack of confidence. When you get your electronics I will help where ever I can to get you set up properly. Once you have the Scout in the air the Crash Cub will be only seeing attic time and not air time so I wouldn't worry about the LOS thing with it at this point, your moving forward and up, not using the Cub as a crutch lol.

If you want to private message me just point at my avatar and click "start conversation" and we can go from there if it's easier. I usually answer PM's before the regular forum stuff as a rule. Keep in touch
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
Thank you both, Battleaxe and Hanger.

Update: I got some flying in early this morning, with zero wind. Another crash free session. I flew most of the morning in "experience mode", it's a bit sloppy but I flew better today than Friday, so I'm excited. I'm using beginner mode (flip the switch) to pull me out of uncomfortable situations sometimes. Part of that is I fly pretty low and slow (I know altitude is my friend but), I like the feed back and seeing exactly how the aircraft handles to my inputs . I've accepted that I'm going to hit the dirt a lot more with this approach, but I find the feedback very helpful for learning. With the beginner mode, I can save myself most of the time.

Because of this, I'm going to upgrade my transmitter, I was stuck between the DXe and DX6e. There is a sale on some of the spektrum products, 15% off, and the DX6e is one of them. I can get a receiver (620) and the DX6e for $169. If you guys know of a better deal, let me know, I'm pulling the trigger tonight.

Losing communication: This is starting to happen more and more with the Sports Cub S, I'm flying and suddenly, no control, the plane motor shuts off, plane starts fall descend in circles. Sometimes it will reattach and will continue for the rest of the plan flight (battery time).
You all know way more about this than I do, so I thought I'd ask before I start searching for answers on the internet.
Here are my thoughts: Could it be the $3 gameboy transmitter? (it has happened fairly close to me, but most of the time is farther away) Something wrong with the receiver in the plane? Loose wire on the plane (poor connection) or something over heating on the plane? Thoughts? It didn't do this when it was new, and it seems to be happening more often.

Battleaxe, I had no idea they made the boards in all different colors. I did see your Spitfire(just now) with the black wings and I like it! ( I have a lot of your stuff to review that I have not yet done). As far as the Ras stuff, I was pursuing that, but I quit following that approach when I saw a video (maybe a write up) of him saying you had to peal off both sides of the foam (otherwise the board would curl) before building and this was not for newbies. I'll restart my learning about the Ras stuff.

A couple of lessons learned from a newbie:
1) lots of different cutting tools, hobby knife, simple blade, box cutter, dull tipped box cutter. They all have their place in the build
2) work on a perfectly flat, clean surface or put down cardboard or poster board under the build (all phases) if you don't want micro dents in your foam board (if you are a little OCD like me).
3) Paint: Quality really matters. I used Rustoleum Ultra cover (satin) and it was really great stuff. I had a few tiny parts to paint black, so I bought some "cheap" $3 paint at Ace, called Now Paint and is total watery crap with poor color (it's black, how hard is that!). The Rustoleum was only 3.97 at Wally or HD. I'm sure there are plenty of great spray paints, but I had great success with Rustoleum Ultra. I picked up some satin black on the way home from flying. I put too much time into my model to ruin it with cheap paint. I wonder how the cheap walmart black $1 works, but I didn't want to experiment anymore, just bought what works.

Battery Run time: I can't find a published number the safe run time of a 1300mah with power pack B motor for the Simple Scout. You guys know?
.
Glad to hear of your success! I personally would go for the dx6e. I have one and I LOVE IT! It will be able to fly your crash cub and scout, and any other planes you build in the future! I’ve had similar issues with my champ with the stock transmitter but don’t seem to have that with the dx6e. I’d set the timer (dx6e has a timer you can set in it) for ten min. and then check your battery voltage with one of those $5 battery checkers you can get in the flitetest store. If the voltage is between 3.7 and 3.8 v per cell, you’ll be within a good stopping range. 10 min of flying would be a good time for what it sounds like you plan on flying it like. If I go crazy, it can be less, or if I fly super slow and relaxed, I can probably get about 20 min on a 1500.
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
Battleaxe. Please give more details on this Lemon receiver. Model number? I was unaware of an issue with the spektrum receiver. No sale without the receiver, same price as with it.
The Spektrum receivers are good, and I have 3 of them, and @BATTLEAXE they are more durable as they have the internal antennas so those never break. I’ve never used the lemon receivers but I have used the orange rx receivers from eBay/amazon. And the sale price is about the cheapest you can get them for. I paid the same for mine when I got mine during a sale on the flitetest store. You probably won’t find it any cheaper than that unless it’s used - but I’ve not had the best experience buying used transmitters, so I finally just went ahead and picked the dx6e on sale, and I love the capabilities I have with it that I didn’t have with the older transmitters like the dxe.
 

Marty72

Elite member
Thanks for all the insight Hanger. You have the 620 receiver? Well, I'll take out one of the variables when I get the new transmitter, it I don't lose signal, then I'll know it was the cheap transmitter. It's is a really great package for the money, the Champ or Crash Cub. It's cheap enough to give it a try but still good enough to teach you some basics. The first thing, is to be able to go in the direction you want without having to think about it. I'm getting close to that, I can just decide to turn the plane right and it happens (regardless of away or towards me). Now it's a matter of sensitivity, lag and patience. Panicking, is what us beginners do and it makes things worse. The stick all the way to the left, then all the way to the right. ha. The brain is amazing that way, people call it muscle memory (really it is not) but it's pretty amazing when it happens to you.
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
Thanks for all the insight Hanger. You have the 620 receiver? Well, I'll take out one of the variables when I get the new transmitter, it I don't lose signal, then I'll know it was the cheap transmitter. It's is a really great package for the money, the Champ or Crash Cub. It's cheap enough to give it a try but still good enough to teach you some basics. The first thing, is to be able to go in the direction you want without having to think about it. I'm getting close to that, I can just decide to turn the plane right and it happens (regardless of away or towards me). Now it's a matter of sensitivity, lag and patience. Panicking, is what us beginners do and it makes things worse. The stick all the way to the left, then all the way to the right. ha. The brain is amazing that way, people call it muscle memory (really it is not) but it's pretty amazing when it happens to you.
👍 yup - it just takes a lot of practice!
 

BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
The Spektrum receivers are good, and I have 3 of them, and @BATTLEAXE they are more durable as they have the internal antennas so those never break. I’ve never used the lemon receivers but I have used the orange rx receivers from eBay/amazon. And the sale price is about the cheapest you can get them for. I paid the same for mine when I got mine during a sale on the flitetest store. You probably won’t find it any cheaper than that unless it’s used - but I’ve not had the best experience buying used transmitters, so I finally just went ahead and picked the dx6e on sale, and I love the capabilities I have with it that I didn’t have with the older transmitters like the dxe.
I get where you are coming from and as a happy consumer with the Spektrum AR620, If you are using the DX6e it is a DSMP Tx, which may work better with the AR620. The DXe is DSMX compatible only so that might be my issue. Maybe if I upgraded to a DSMP Tx maybe my AR620 might work. I don't know, what I do know is that it didn't work for my set up, after going through 3 of the Rx's. He is a consumer just like any of us and asked my opinion, and I answered.
Thanks for all the insight Hanger. You have the 620 receiver? Well, I'll take out one of the variables when I get the new transmitter, it I don't lose signal, then I'll know it was the cheap transmitter. It's is a really great package for the money, the Champ or Crash Cub. It's cheap enough to give it a try but still good enough to teach you some basics. The first thing, is to be able to go in the direction you want without having to think about it. I'm getting close to that, I can just decide to turn the plane right and it happens (regardless of away or towards me). Now it's a matter of sensitivity, lag and patience. Panicking, is what us beginners do and it makes things worse. The stick all the way to the left, then all the way to the right. ha. The brain is amazing that way, people call it muscle memory (really it is not) but it's pretty amazing when it happens to you.
If you do go with the DX6e and the AR620, as @The Hangar said you might have the same experience as he does, flawless signal. Try it out and let me know what you think.
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
I get where you are coming from and as a happy consumer with the Spektrum AR620, If you are using the DX6e it is a DSMP Tx, which may work better with the AR620. The DXe is DSMX compatible only so that might be my issue. Maybe if I upgraded to a DSMP Tx maybe my AR620 might work. I don't know, what I do know is that it didn't work for my set up, after going through 3 of the Rx's. He is a consumer just like any of us and asked my opinion, and I answered.

If you do go with the DX6e and the AR620, as @The Hangar said you might have the same experience as he does, flawless signal. Try it out and let me know what you think.
So I don’t know too much about all this rc and rx stuff but to my understanding both are DSMX. The pics are from my dxe and dx6e boxes, but Spektrum definitely could have changed things since I bought mine...
 

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BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
So I don’t know too much about all this rc and rx stuff but to my understanding both are DSMX. The pics are from my dxe and dx6e boxes, but Spektrum definitely could have changed things since I bought mine...
Well well look at that. Maybe it has something to do with the "e" rating at the end of the model title. I see yours Rx came with the Tx. This is all confusing.

The only real time I got the AR620 to work was when I mounted the Rx on the outside of the fuse or there was a hole cut into the bottom to expose the Rx. This might be the only Spektrum I buy, I would like to save up for Graupner gear
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
Well well look at that. Maybe it has something to do with the "e" rating at the end of the model title. I see yours Rx came with the Tx. This is all confusing.

The only real time I got the AR620 to work was when I mounted the Rx on the outside of the fuse or there was a hole cut into the bottom to expose the Rx. This might be the only Spektrum I buy, I would like to save up for Graupner gear
There’s a lot of great gear out there, so it really comes down to personal preference... I know Josh and peter used to fly graupner.
 

BATTLEAXE

Legendary member
@Headbang uses a Graupner as well as Spektrum DX8. He raved about his Graupner but he also paid a pretty penny for it. I imagine he got the top of the line model. I want to look into it. Might be a project for tonight

Did you fly today
 

Headbang

Master member
@Headbang uses a Graupner as well as Spektrum DX8. He raved about his Graupner but he also paid a pretty penny for it. I imagine he got the top of the line model. I want to look into it. Might be a project for tonight

Did you fly today
DX9, DX8, DX6i.
DX9 is my work horse go too tx.
Graupner is an mz32, insane, will make coffee and drink it for you too, you can even program the exact way you want it to react while drinking said coffee!
 

moret

Well-known member
My DX6e cost me $169 for just the transmitter. Then the AR620 was another $39.99
The E is for economy I think. Cheaper version of the DX6 and has voice and some dual receiver.
With the DX6e you can do all your programming from the screen and menu.
I understand with the DXE you have no screen and need a smartphone or PC to program it..
I have no problem with AR620 and the built in antennas keeps them out of the way.
I have been buying admiral receivers from motionrc just because they are cheaper and work with the DX6e.
The DX6e has a timer and I will set it for 5-6 minutes on a new motor / battery size. land, check the battery and adjust as needed.
And as stated, you really need a battery checker ( under $10 ) to get a ideal on how long to fly. Try not to run them down to the volage cut off point.

Good luck and don't even try to keep up with BATTLEAX on the number of planes you built:)