SP0NZ - Plans Index

[Flying Monkey fab]

@Hai-Lee not an unfair request, and in fact one that has been asked for many times before. Flite Test decided a while ago that they would not be making the CAD files available for download. I've been asked not to post them.

While it is an extra step, It is not that difficult to prep the PDF plans for CAM. There is plenty of information here in the forums on that subject.

While somewhat disappointing this is completely understandable. There has to be a balance somewhere. Free to fans but not handing it directly to competitors.

 

[SP0NZ]

While somewhat disappointing this is completely understandable. There has to be a balance somewhere. Free to fans but not handing it directly to competitors.

It also opens up a support issue for people asking questions about laser and CNC settings, cutting speeds and feed rates, etc.

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

It also opens up a support issue for people asking questions about laser and CNC settings, cutting speeds and feed rates, etc.

And yes,there is that.

 

[Celcla]

Hola, ¿existe la posibilidad de que los planos de Hawker Temps de Boris Alp en Tiled?
Gracias

 

[jajefan]

I have a request for an addition to be considered for the plans index.

With the increasing number of CNC users, (hopefully I will be one soon), and as the plans are obviously done in a CAD program could consideration be given to the provision of the plans in DXF format or similar as well.

This would allow those trying to come to grips with the CNC software to have one less hurdle to overcome initially. Whilst I currently use the PDFs quite well importing them into some CAD programs is not supported whereas other formats like DXF SVG etc are.

As I currently understand it, it would only require the opening of the original plans in CAD and exporting to DXF.

Have fun!

Hai-Lee, I know that feeling!

My school’s makerspace has a laser cutter, and ever since we’ve gotten it, I’ve been looking into FT laser cut planes.

I’ve gotten my process for converting from Sp0nz’s PDF’s to a Coreldraw file down pretty well, and I currently have around 5 planes in Coreldraw format (optimized space for cutting, so it looks messier than the plans).

If you want, I think I can export those files as .dxf and send em over via pm if you want, as I’ve already asked Sp0nz regarding the topic before and he told me the same thing. It’s frustrating, I know, but as flying monkey said earlier, it is definitely hard to strike a balance between free plans and competitors, and I understand their decision nonetheless.

However, I’m here to help in any way possible, so if you need some of the plans in a .dxf format, just pm me and I’ll work on it and send you a .dxf copy.

 

[Hai-Lee]

Hai-Lee, I know that feeling!

My school’s makerspace has a laser cutter, and ever since we’ve gotten it, I’ve been looking into FT laser cut planes.

I’ve gotten my process for converting from Sp0nz’s PDF’s to a Coreldraw file down pretty well, and I currently have around 5 planes in Coreldraw format (optimized space for cutting, so it looks messier than the plans).

If you want, I think I can export those files as .dxf and send em over via pm if you want, as I’ve already asked Sp0nz regarding the topic before and he told me the same thing. It’s frustrating, I know, but as flying monkey said earlier, it is definitely hard to strike a balance between free plans and competitors, and I understand their decision nonetheless.

However, I’m here to help in any way possible, so if you need some of the plans in a .dxf format, just pm me and I’ll work on it and send you a .dxf copy.

I thank you for the offer! Currently I have quite a few FT plans redrawn and re-balanced for the local, and heavier, FB. All have been flight tested and it will take me very little time in reality to input the plans into CAD for CNC usage if required.

My plan is that when my CNC is built or purchased I will render my own designs into CAD files and then when I feel the need the FT plans I already have in hard copy. The DXF files are not that important to me and at most just a little disappointing!

The one thing that seems to be misunderstood is that a real competitor who is planning to copy FT designs as a competitor would have sufficient funding to rip the plans into CAD/CAM already! So those most effected would be those who are amateurs trying to cut their only copy. Anyway their decision is final!

Thank you for the offer and perhaps if you need some FT designs, (original or for the heavier FB), you could just PM and when I render them in DXF I could send them to you!

Have fun!

 

[Jorge Pi]

I thank you for the offer! Currently I have quite a few FT plans redrawn and re-balanced for the local, and heavier, FB. All have been flight tested and it will take me very little time in reality to input the plans into CAD for CNC usage if required.

My plan is that when my CNC is built or purchased I will render my own designs into CAD files and then when I feel the need the FT plans I already have in hard copy. The DXF files are not that important to me and at most just a little disappointing!

The one thing that seems to be misunderstood is that a real competitor who is planning to copy FT designs as a competitor would have sufficient funding to rip the plans into CAD/CAM already! So those most effected would be those who are amateurs trying to cut their only copy. Anyway their decision is final!

Thank you for the offer and perhaps if you need some FT designs, (original or for the heavier FB), you could just PM and when I render them in DXF I could send them to you!

Have fun!

I'm very interested in your comments. Here where I live I have access just as you mentioned to a heavier that FT Form Board.

Last week I had the opportunity to compare them, and the one I can buy at a local supply store is about 70-80% heavier that FT's.
What considerations you made in order to re-balance the plans?

Regards

 

[Hai-Lee]

I'm very interested in your comments. Here where I live I have access just as you mentioned to a heavier that FT Form Board.

Last week I had the opportunity to compare them, and the one I can buy at a local supply store is about 70-80% heavier that FT's.
What considerations you made in order to re-balance the plans?

Regards

My approach has been to firstly build the EXACT FT design in the heavier FB and ascertain where the balance is off and what the total weight comes in at. If the FT design is too tail heavy to balance without significant extra balance weight then I rebuild a fuselage without the paper in the tail boom. (The paper of the FB I use makes up approximately 60% of the total weight, (30% for each side).

Should this still be unsatisfactory I then extend the nose of the design slightly and shorten the tail a small amount. A minor decrease in tail member area is also done. This is normally sufficient to get the majority of designs flying quite well. Minis are the exception but then I cheat here and render them in 3mm FB. They actually fly better in the thinner material!

For overall weight reduction I often remove all internal paper from the entire plane or even proceed as I did on this post:- https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/balsa-foamboard-test-build-ft-spitfire.32734/ It is still flying!

Once I get the design to fly properly I redraw the plans and do a single build to the new plans as verification. Normally the test build to the new plans is gifted away after flight testing! With designs that are of my own design I build a number and give them out to club members for evaluation. They are a lot with a great mixture of experience and capability, (a microcosm of the wider RC community), and if they like and enjoy the design then it gets earmarked for possible retail release when I get tooled up for production!

I hope that answers your question but if you have further questions then ask away!

Have fun!

 

[joelspangler]

I am not familiar with most of the names of the ft planes, so it is tedious for me to figure out what I want. Is there a visual reference of the ft planes somewhere?

 

[rockyboy]

I am not familiar with most of the names of the ft planes, so it is tedious for me to figure out what I want. Is there a visual reference of the ft planes somewhere?

It's probably easiest to see them all in the store in the DIY airplane section

https://store.flitetest.com/diy-rc-airplane-kits/c12698

 

[Atlant]

Hello all. I am a newby here on forum and in hobby and I want to build FT Flyer. I downloaded plans (thank you, SP0NZ!), but looking at list of parts for motor/electronics here here I do not know what to chose - some items discontinued, there are multiple choices for motors/ESC, but i do not know yet which one will work with which one. Is it possible to by "power pack" with all electronic components kitted? If so - which one? Thank you!

 

[JTarmstr]

Hello all. I am a newby here on forum and in hobby and I want to build FT Flyer. I downloaded plans (thank you, SP0NZ!), but looking at list of parts for motor/electronics here here I do not know what to chose - some items discontinued, there are multiple choices for motors/ESC, but i do not know yet which one will work with which one. Is it possible to by "power pack" with all electronic components kitted? If so - which one? Thank you!

PowerPack B is the set your looking for. Its arround 60 USD, you will still need a transmitter and battery.

 

[Atlant]

Thank you, JTarmstr !

 

[w1lp33]

You can check this pdf for which planes will take which power pack:

https://images.amain.com/images/resources/shared/PowerPack Chart Compatibility.pdf

 

[Atlant]

Thank you, w1lp33. I did not know this pdf existed.

 

[w1lp33]

I came across it on the flite test store, under the new "resources" tab they added when the new website launched. Pretty handy, but not entirely up to date, so most of the planes are on there, but not all of them....

 

[SP0NZ]

Updated the FT Charlie plans to version 1.1. Fixed an issue with the double bevel on the wing panels extending too far to the wing tips. Plans are now available in the Resources section. Link in first post has been updated.

https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?resources/ft-charlie-plans.35/

 

[Stinger]

Hi, I'm new around here. Question: Why do all of the threads for the FT designs now say *Unofficial*?

 

[SP0NZ]

Hi, I'm new around here. Question: Why do all of the threads for the FT designs now say *Unofficial*?

Flite Test used to make an official forum thread for each new release. They stopped doing it a while ago, so I decided to make the *unofficial* forum threads for each new release. It's nice to have one forum post to let everyone discuss the release in, rather than scattered all over the forums.

 

[SP0NZ]

FT Simple Cub 1.1 plans have been moved to the Resources section of the forums. I will slowly begin to transition all the plans over to this new location. For some reason, the Cub plans have been an issue for some people downloading them from my Google Drive. Hopefully, this will make everything easier for everyone.

Applicable download links for the Cub plans have been updated.

Thanks!