My first foam-board scratch build diary

d8veh

Elite member
Based on what I've learned from Flitetest planes and having fond memories of a balsa version of this plane that I built from a sketch. I'm going to have a go at making a foam-board version of this blast from the past. You don't hear much about this model, but everyone that had one says that it's a hidden gem. I'm not going to tell you what it is. See if you can figure it out as the build progresses. The Fuselage will give it away because it's very distinctive. I always thought it looked a bit evil!

I'm making this up as I go along, so I hope it works out.

build 1.jpg
 

DamoRC

Elite member
Mentor
Based on what I've learned from Flitetest planes and having fond memories of a balsa version of this plane that I built from a sketch. I'm going to have a go at making a foam-board version of this blast from the past. You don't hear much about this model, but everyone that had one says that it's a hidden gem. I'm not going to tell you what it is. See if you can figure it out as the build progresses. The Fuselage will give it away because it's very distinctive. I always thought it looked a bit evil!

I'm making this up as I go along, so I hope it works out.

View attachment 119459
Love the symmetrical wing build example. No idea what this could be. A little hint of the fuselage?
 

d8veh

Elite member
Here's today's progress. The fuselage sides are starting to show the characteristic shape, but you have to know this plane to recognise it.

I added a pair of 1/16 balsa stiffeners to the main spar. I'm not sure if they're necessary.

Somebody up there is looking after me. After doing a lot of difficult scaling calculations and then sketching it out, the fuselage length came to exactly the length of a foam-board sheet. I was kicking myself at first because I thought the sheet was not long enough, but then i realised that the bulkhead would be further back because of the way I will mount the motor. I had already chosen the half wing length to be exactly the width of a sheet.

I'm sort of making this up as I go along. I've got a feeling that I'm going to have a problem with battery placement and access.

wing.jpg fus sides.jpg
 

d8veh

Elite member
I don't know if this motor will be too powerful for it. It's a Dongxingwei D3536 1200Kv. The only other one I have is a Surpass C3536 1050Kv, but that's about the same weight. after that I drop down to the Emax 2215 from the FT store, but I'm pretty sure that it'll be under-powered. I need something in between round about 85g.

Today's progress:

pre finish.jpg
 

d8veh

Elite member
Looking forward to seeing this in the air.
So am I. Unfortunately I go under the knife on Monday, so I'll be out of action for a while. I'm trying to get it finished before then, but I don't think I'll have time to fly it even if we were lucky enough to get good weather.
 

DamoRC

Elite member
Mentor
I'm going to have my throat cut and some of my neck removed. I've got a feeling it's going to sting a bit in the morning.

Also sounds like they are going to make you a bit shorter!

Take care.

DamoRC
 

d8veh

Elite member
It's a slightly scaled down version of a Hots 40. My original was 48" span with an OS 35 FP motor. It could do everything. That's in the days before we had 3D planes.