Thanks Matthew, I'll give that a try! -j
Tutor Build Plans for FTCA Aircrew Only!!!!!!
- Thread starter FTCA Director
- Start date
CappyAmeric
Elite member
The turbo wing has full length ailerons - and the training wing does not really need flaps.
SSgt Duramax
Junior Member
I rechecked my email last night, and for whatever reason I cruised right past the deal on the mini zero SBK the first time. So there is more to it than just plans too! Needless to say for the price, I ordered it to replace my somewhat dead 13th Squadron one. I still need a full sized one to dogfight with my F6F though. Right now it isn't a fair fight!
rockyflyer
New member
I'm an old balsa builder, so I'm a real newbie when it comes to building with foam. My first scratch foam build was the Pientenpol. I love the classic design of plane. IThe Pientenpol is no longer available from FT as a kit, so downloaded the plans and started at ground zero.
My next scratch build is the FT Tutor. I am building from plans using Dollar General foam board, not waterproof. FT was out-of-stock on its brown foam board which I preferred because it is water-proof. In the future, I don't think I will build from plans, but instead buy the FT kits. It saves time, and really does save you a whole lot in money, plus the precision of laser cut components, I can't duplicate by hand. I'm building both wing styles with ailerons.
My next scratch build is the FT Tutor. I am building from plans using Dollar General foam board, not waterproof. FT was out-of-stock on its brown foam board which I preferred because it is water-proof. In the future, I don't think I will build from plans, but instead buy the FT kits. It saves time, and really does save you a whole lot in money, plus the precision of laser cut components, I can't duplicate by hand. I'm building both wing styles with ailerons.
SSgt Duramax
Junior Member
I understand, cutting foam can be a pain. I actually don't find the flite test designs that painstaking to cut out, but the master series ones with all the formers are pretty tough. When I was cutting out all of the formers for my F6F it was brutal. For aircrew members as I posted above they have a smokin' deal on the A6M zero mini build kit. You might pick one of those up.
I like scratch building as in you can try before you buy on the FT planes (my next speed build kit will be their FT P-40 since I like my scratch build so much, it can only be better cut out by a machine) and you can try out some non-FT designs which are fun as well.
As for your DTFB plane, there are many methods of waterproofing it. What I do is I take my finger and smear wood glue over the edges of the foam, then I minwax and thus far it has held up great. A little 5 dollar can of oil based minwax can do several planes, and if you minwax over the black DTFB it goes from that washed out gray/black color to a deeper black satin and really makes the black DTFB pop.
FlamingRCAirplanes
Elite member
Yes, as of late the price has gone up. But I remember when I sold legos just to afford motors but didn’t bat an eye at buying the kit.
SSgt Duramax
Junior Member
time is money
FlamingRCAirplanes
Elite member
Yeah but money is time and it takes less time to cut your own kit then to make $46
Bo123
Elite member
Not if your Jeff Bezos.....
JasonK
Participation Award Recipient
For some people, sure, but not all people.
If it takes only 2 hours to cut it out, you only need to be making $23/hour (or $46k/year) [after taxes] for the time cost to be the same. If it takes more then 2 hours to cut out (which is a possibility, those numbers go down).
You should see the emergency room bill from the one time I tried to use a razor knife to cut a Flite Test plane myself...
JasonK
Participation Award Recipient
well... as far as I can tell, you still seem to have more disposable income then I have, and you do seem to really enjoy your job, so I wouldn't call all that bad life decisions
SSgt Duramax
Junior Member
I don't get paid by the hour, but my salary adds up to more than that. But mo money mo problems and other hobbies. The house note is $1500, I like to modify my Audi which is $$$ (there seems to be a special Audi tax, where everything costs more), I build a couple guns a year...
Plus, I had a solid 5-6 hours at least cutting the parts out for my 13th squadron F6F. About half way through I was thinking how I would gladly pay someone $20 to cut these formers out. Unfortunately my children aren't quite dexterous enough yet.
I have thought about all of the "time/money" some form of needle cutter or other thing would save me, but space is also a commodity, and I like having room in my garage to pull out an engine or swap some suspension or something too.. It is all a trade off.
Plus when you account for the things like actual nice control horns and other bits you usually have to round up it starts add up. For instance, the FT3D I am building is "just $3 of foam" but I had to go buy a strip of balsa at hobby lobby, some stiffer music wire since I couldn't use coffee straws and little things like that start adding up. There are ways you can do it cheaper, but yet again, cutting a firewall out takes more time than just gluing one in. Plus, what if you don't have the equipment to do that?
But that is the cool thing about this. It is something 13 year olds can afford and something 60 year olds can afford. I have an absurd stockpile of electronics. I wouldn't expect someone who had to save up for 6 months to have just enough money to buy a power pack and flysky radio to go buy a SBK which costs more than their rx/tx combo did. (Actually when I put this in context, I should probably upgrade my radio). There is more than one way to skin a cat.
JasonK
Participation Award Recipient
i'm retired. no time or money. at least posting here is quick and cheap
How are you retired, but have neither of those?
I joined the FTCA Aircrew Annual Membership ($ 24.0 USD / year) I do not hide that I did it mainly for the plans and also to support this splendid association, the problem is that I have not received the plans prior to my membership, how can I solve the problem?
