Next Airplane Suggestions

mastermalpass

Master member
Several Questions:

Would these be a good option for some cheap servos:
Amazon.com: 10Pcs SG90 9g Micro Servos for RC Robot Helicopter Airplane Controls Car Boat : Toys & Games

Can I fly FT Swappables with a power pack B or C (Mainly FT Flyer, Nutball, and Delta)?

Should I get a power pack B, or a power pack C?
Can power pack C planes fly with a power pack B? Would power pack B planes be too sensitive with a power pack C?

Can either power pack fly with an 850mah 11.1V 45C 3S Lipo battery?

I think I bought a pack of servos like that off Wish. They have yet to let me down! I don't think I've asked them to handle anything heavier than 600g, but some of them have racked up a lot of flight minutes.

I haven't bought any FT Power packs. I've been trusting much cheaper equipment of similar power, but like those cheap servos, they've yet to let me down! Now that 1000kv approx motor with 30A approx ESC seems to be the ballpark for all the swappables. They seem to like underloading those 1000kv motors with 8" props, but power still seems sufficient enough. B or C pack should do you good!

3S 45C lipo is ideal for that set up as well, however the standard swappable will drink up 850mAh fairly quickly, especially on a twin. My 'medium' sized planes always fly with 2200mAh. That seems to be the all-rounder battery. Get yourself one of those and you'll be getting more time in the air.

A mini plane with 800mAh would fly, I'd say roughly for 8-10mins? It depends how you fly it, but the point is, you're gonna get used to your battery lasting that long. So when you send up a bigger plane with the same supply, you may run out of fuel sooner than expected and find yourself emergency landing with the ducked power - not what you want!
 

Inq

Elite member
Several Questions:

Would these be a good option for some cheap servos:
Amazon.com: 10Pcs SG90 9g Micro Servos for RC Robot Helicopter Airplane Controls Car Boat : Toys & Games

Can I fly FT Swappables with a power pack B or C (Mainly FT Flyer, Nutball, and Delta)?

Should I get a power pack B, or a power pack C?
Can power pack C planes fly with a power pack B? Would power pack B planes be too sensitive with a power pack C?

Can either power pack fly with an 850mah 11.1V 45C 3S Lipo battery?

Sure can, but I use this link. It's a little cheaper and has a bunch of other electronic pieces that I can use in my other hobby. Don't know why they're included together. I've already gone through two sets and I've only been doing this since October '22.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089GPC9NK/?tag=lstir-20

Also, I use these sets for motor/ESC/propellers...

This one is good on a trainer. I use it on a FT Storch - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3X6DD9Q/?tag=lstir-20

This one is good on something fast like the FT F-22 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VN47XN7/?tag=lstir-20

It helped me getting started where I didn't have to figure out what ESC and propeller goes with what motor.
 

Foamforce

Elite member

Avoid those servos. I bought the same one and I even left a review. Of the ten, one was dead out of the box and two would fail intermittently during flight but then appear fine again later on the ground. I had several bad crashes until I figured that out. I switched to TowerPro servos from ValueHobby which are only a little more expensive, and haven’t had a failure yet,

If you want to fly the Nutball or Flyer, you should really get the power pack A and go on the smaller side of the suggested batteries. Every airplane flies much better with less weight, but it seems particularly like the Nutball and Delta do. I originally overbuilt a Delta with too heavy foam, too big motor, too big landing gear, etc, and I could fly it, but only at full throttle, and it required every bit of attention to keep it from rolling instantly into the ground. I rebuilt it with the proper foam, a smaller motor, smaller battery, and no landing gear, and it flies slow and easy now. Similarly, I have a slightly overweight Snowball (Nutball with snow shoes) and it’s challenging to fly, but my lightweight Nutball with an A pack floats so nicely and I can do ridiculous acrobatics with it. In summary, I would recommend against a B or a C pack in the Nutball, Delta, or Flyer.
 

dylanbeaudette

Active member
There is lot to learn with the TT, especially once you transition to the 4 channel configuration. We are on our second TT now and it is a very relaxing plane to fly even in a light wind. Using a 3 cell battery and adding flaperons have made this plane a lot more interesting than the standard, 3 channel configuration.

We are on our second DR1: this thing is a ton of fun for both lazy + crazy flying. I'd suggest a larger 3S battery (we use a 1300mAh) for keeping the CG as far forward as possible.

Thinking about an FT Scout, Explorer, or Sportster next.
 

BenH

New member
Sure can, but I use this link. It's a little cheaper and has a bunch of other electronic pieces that I can use in my other hobby. Don't know why they're included together. I've already gone through two sets and I've only been doing this since October '22.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089GPC9NK/?tag=lstir-20

Also, I use these sets for motor/ESC/propellers...

This one is good on a trainer. I use it on a FT Storch - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3X6DD9Q/?tag=lstir-20

This one is good on something fast like the FT F-22 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VN47XN7/?tag=lstir-20

It helped me getting started where I didn't have to figure out what ESC and propeller goes with what motor.
Thanks for the info! Which electronics set would you recommend for the FT Flyer, Nutball, or Delta?
 

Foamforce

Elite member
Thanks for the info! Which electronics set would you recommend for the FT Flyer, Nutball, or Delta?

Power pack A is what they recommend on their store for the Nutball and Flyer. The power pack they sell on the store is good quality. I used this cheapo motor and ESC from eBay on a few of mine. They were on sale for $14 per set when I bought them. One of them came with a bad ESC, so I think it’s a case of getting what you pay for, but the others have all worked perfectly. Along with that I used two TowerPro 9 gram plastic gear servos from ValueHobby.com and a FlySky receiver.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1749695543...41HBoSWRB2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
 

BenH

New member
Update: I upgraded the Tiny Trainer to the 4-channel version. I am feeling very comfortable with flying it and doing some basic aerobatics. I ended up building the regular FT-22 Raptor (not the mini) and I really like it as well. The roll rates aren't quite as high as I'd like them to be, even with maximum throw. Overall, I think I'm handling both planes quite well.

I just purchased one of those cheap 2212 2200kv motor and ESC combos and was wondering if I can use those electronics in an FT Arrow or one of the FT Jets (Alpha, Bravo or Charlie). I usually don't have any trouble maintaining orientation on my FT-22 so I'm looking to get more into the speed side of the hobby with some faster planes.
 

danskis

Master member
The Versa Wing doesn’t get much love these days but it’s a great plane. Build it as a puller first then as a pusher
 

JDSnavely

Member
Is the Mini Scout a good plane? Or is the regular Scout better?

I would prefer the mini because I could reuse the A pack electronics from my TTrainer.
The Mini Scout with the "A" engine is great. With landing gear it self-levels very easily. Flies the most like 4-channel than any other 3-channel I've flown. I've tried others with the "A" engine (commuter, mini sportster... and I feel they are underpowered.) The Mini Scout has plenty of power with the "A" engine and can even fly in windier conditions. Also, because it is light, it withstands damage well. The landing gear is the only thing that will break as it is weak. We redesigned that by making it pivot off the fuselage after it broke off. Two BBQ skewers and a small rubber band and it hasn't broken or bent again.
 

tomlogan1

Elite member
Big fan of the Bronco. A little more complex as it has 2 motors but it flys very well and the sound of two motors is intoxicating. If not this time, put it on your build list. You will not be disappointed.