Newbie needs help

Mongo

Junior Member
Hi, I am new to the hobby and live I the UK. Finding foamboard here is hard but I have found something similar but it's really heavy. 250grams for an A0 sheet. This appears to be at least three times heavier than DTF. The couple of planes I have built from flitetest plans, ft flyer and the spitfire both lasted only a few seconds. I think they were both to heavy. Add top that that I have never flown anything before. I have love the beginners series of videos from flitetest and have tried to follow them, it's just the actual flying bit we're I crashed!
Is the solution just a bigger engine, more power? But wouldn't that add even more weight?
How would a bigger plane work? Would that be better, more wing for the weight?
Appreciate any help
Mongo
 

T-Richard

Active member
I'd try an experimental airlines nube tube. you can remove the paper layers for the fuselage and part of the wings as show in his youtube videos. (look up experimental airlines) This will take some weight off while being reasonably strong. I've had good results with this useing elmer's foam which is about 2x the weight of DTFB. More power and larger planes isn't terrible either. (the axon was my favorite beginner plane and I built it super heavy). That's my recommendation, exair planes are easier to build, perhaps ugly but great when starting out. As you progress they make good aerobatic planes(nube tube especially) and testbeds for other projects. Now that I am better at flying and building I love the flitetest planes but had much better times with exair when I was starting out
 

Mongo

Junior Member
Yes experimental airways planes look easier. My current scratch built made up frankenplane uses the ea tube fuselage. It has ended up as a twin boom pusher, save the prop from impact, high wing for docility and a bit of dihedral for balance.
Hops about on the Tarmac but won't go straight long enough to take off as the under carriage is really hard to get right.
Should I be Able to steer well in a taxi?
 
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jayz 84

Posted a thousand or more times
Hey there mongo. First off wecome to the forms. You have come to a great place for advice. Well to start ive heard meny times about the foam board in the UK being so much heavier. My question is can you remove the paper off the foam. Cause if so you can allways remove the paper and recover it in packing tape. In most cases this modification can allmost cut the weight in half. Now the bigger motor and more power theory dose work but as you said that will give you more weight and get you nowhere but trying to fly a brick. Try to find a lower kv motor of the same weight that can handle more watts. In turn you can add a bigger prop for more thrust. And a bigger plane can be better for you cause the bigger they are the easier they are to fly. Now if you crash dont be worried. You are learning it will happen you just have to keep trying and learning new way to do things. Now for more help form everyone on here. Add what power setup you are useing and ways your going about getting airborne. (Like hand launching or landing gear. ect,) there might be better ways you can go about it that others will advise you
 

Mongo

Junior Member
Thanks jays84, unfortunately the paper doesn't come off at all easily. I think I have made my sacrifices to the gods of flight. As far as power train goes I have a 1450 kv with 7 5 prop on a 30 amp esc. Supposed to give me about 170 watts. My plane is about 550 grams and after the last two hand launched crashes, one lawn dart and one four seconds of climb with three seconds of power dive into pieces I thought maybe launching from landing gear would safer, but I can hop it up a few feet for a second or so but I would like a bit more directional control in the taxi first. I guess more practice!
 

jayz 84

Posted a thousand or more times
Thanks jays84, unfortunately the paper doesn't come off at all easily. I think I have made my sacrifices to the gods of flight. As far as power train goes I have a 1450 kv with 7 5 prop on a 30 amp esc. Supposed to give me about 170 watts. My plane is about 550 grams and after the last two hand launched crashes, one lawn dart and one four seconds of climb with three seconds of power dive into pieces I thought maybe launching from landing gear would safer, but I can hop it up a few feet for a second or so but I would like a bit more directional control in the taxi first. I guess more practice!

Turnigy 2822 1450kv?
 

jayz 84

Posted a thousand or more times
What kind of transmitter are you using and do you know about control rates.and how to set them up?
 

jayz 84

Posted a thousand or more times
Yes I think so it's from turnigy and it has D2822/14 1450kv written on it.

Haha your in luck man i just recommended that motor to a newbie the day before yesterday. To start that 7x5 prop is going to be to fast for you at first. You need to pick up some 8x3.8 sf prop or 8x4. Thatll give you around 700grams of thrust and pulling only 147watts at 14amps on 3s thatll give you more then enough power for your build and slow you down a bit
 

jayz 84

Posted a thousand or more times
That motor is good for the small beginner planes like the flyer, old froggy or speedster, or you can do good on a 80% spitfire. That motor dosent have enough power for a full size spit( none of the 40in planes)
 

Mongo

Junior Member
I watched all the videos and understand how expos and throws work so I have dialled the expos down (or is that up?) 30 -70 on elevator and airalons. Everything seems to "high 5" so I have more movement on the sticks for less on the control. I have a fly sky T6 transmitter.
 

Mongo

Junior Member
Thanks jazz 84
I will see about changing the prop, although not sure it will all fit on the pusher as the booms might get in the way!
I have a couple a 3cell 2200 25-30 lipos.
What kit would work well on a very heavy spitfire? Just need to learn, so no acrobatics required!
 

jayz 84

Posted a thousand or more times
I watched all the videos and understand how expos and throws work so I have dialled the expos down (or is that up?) 30 -70 on elevator and airalons. Everything seems to "high 5" so I have more movement on the sticks for less on the control. I have a fly sky T6 transmitter.

You have control rates/ or duelrates that controls how much throw that is applied when using 100% on the sticks for you id keep it around the 50s, expo is how sensitive your sticks will be around center and when applying a direction. the higher you set them the less sensitive the stick will be around center until you reach that percent. on your stick travel with that i would do 30% or higher. Now your throws are a setting that you can change on how much travel you will have on your servo when 100% stick is applied
 

jayz 84

Posted a thousand or more times
Thanks jazz 84
I will see about changing the prop, although not sure it will all fit on the pusher as the booms might get in the way!
I have a couple a 3cell 2200 25-30 lipos.
What kit would work well on a very heavy spitfire? Just need to learn, so no acrobatics required!

Well you still get around 600grams of thrust on a 7x5. So just apply 3/4 throttle then a nice hand launch at a 45degree angle and let her clime altitude before and hard turns just little inputs to keep it level
 

Mongo

Junior Member
Thanks, So whilst the expo I have is about right, maybe I can do with some more throw at each end? I dialled it well down on the elevator as the prop wash right over the tail seemed to make up for it. Perhaps I should set it with higher to help it "hop" better!
 

jayz 84

Posted a thousand or more times
Thanks jazz 84
I will see about changing the prop, although not sure it will all fit on the pusher as the booms might get in the way!
I have a couple a 3cell 2200 25-30 lipos.
What kit would work well on a very heavy spitfire? Just need to learn, so no acrobatics required!

For the spit i would recommend the turnigy D 3530/14 1100kv with a 10x4 prop itll give you 1100grams of thrust and you can use little throttle to fly her around at slow speeds allso a 30amp esc
 

jayz 84

Posted a thousand or more times
Thanks, So whilst the expo I have is about right, maybe I can do with some more throw at each end? I dialled it well down on the elevator as the prop wash right over the tail seemed to make up for it. Perhaps I should set it with higher to help it "hop" better!

Youll be surprised how little deflection a control surface needs to move to fly around nicly. You only need around 12 to 15 degrees form neutral. At that You can get a desent roll rate so it dosent need much
 

Mongo

Junior Member
Thanks
My biggest worry at the moment is hand launching. Last two attempts went badly from the launch so I am thinking I am doing it wrong. Thought I would opt for something "safer" but maybe I should just suck it up and chuck the thing. I can put it down to another sacrifice if it all goes wrong. Any tips on newbie hand launch a pusher?
 

jayz 84

Posted a thousand or more times
Well theres a few was on launching a pusher and being safe... but it all depends on what kind of plane you have?
But you do just have to go for it. Thats one of the reason they build them outta foam. Its cheap, just the time to build them.