*Unofficial* FT Tutor
- Thread starter SP0NZ
- Start date
RavenFly
Member
Jumping in here. My plan is to build the Turbo Tutor on cub floats. Almost all my flying is off the lake. Radial C-pack, start with 3s, and a 3-blade prop handy to try 4s and maybe for more water clearance. Sounds like a carbon spar is going to happen too.
Now I just have to wait for the turbo wing as I didn't realize it wasn't in the kit until I opened it.
Now I just have to wait for the turbo wing as I didn't realize it wasn't in the kit until I opened it.
mikedkelly
Member
I survived the maiden today. When I got it all trimmed and brought it back to the pit, the elevators were at dead zero, so great job on the design Flitetest. I have the "student" wing with a C power pack. Unlike my FT Charlie, I couldn't just put it in the air and pull it back below 1/2 throttle. I had a little scare when it was out aways and suddenly had no roll response. I realized the throttle was back at 1/4 and it was basically just flying at stall. The good news is that at stall it basically just turns into a subtle mush. But the plane likes to be under power to stay flying so my flights were all at around 3/4 throttle from then on. I added flaps to the wing, but there is really no need. It is so light that it lands nice and slow without them. And my plans for adding a damped shock landing gear will be scrapped as well. I did build it with a pitot tube, GPS, and lidar in the hopes to dial in Ardupilot autolandings. Maybe that will be a first for the Tutor. I'll get some video if I get it working.
On a sad note, one of the other pilots lost signal on his A-10 maiden and it nosed in at full throttle. I was silently glad that I would only be losing $40 instead of $600 if mine ended up having the same fate.
DrewTest
New member
Do you have any details regarding making the nosewheel steerable. I'm about ready to put the fuselage together, but would like a steerable nosewheel solution ready to go before I get started. TIA!
mikedkelly
Member
I can't get the power pod out to get a picture, but I soldered an allen wrench to the top of the landing gear wire that sticks out of the firewall, which extends it about 1.5 inches and then turns 90 degrees down. On a 9g servo, I installed the servo arm that has a slot in it and put the slot in the 12 o-clock position when the servo is centered. With the servo in the rudder mix, the slotted servo arm moves between 10 and 2 o-clock. I then slid the part of the allen wrench that was pointing down into the slot and hot glued the servo to the floor of the fuselage. I also reinforced the servo with a doubler that glues to the floor. I've landed nose-wheel-first a few times and other than the gear wire bending, everything has held pretty well. It gets pretty tight trying to maneuver that servo into place, so anything you can do before gluing the fuselage walls into place will make things easier.
One thing to consider - unless you want to taxi or maneuver your Tutor onto the runway, the castering effect of the nose gear will keep you pretty straight on the runway during takeoff and landing without the need for a steerable nose wheel. Since I fly at a club field, I didn't want to be walking out to the center of the runway for takeoff and landing.
DrewTest
New member
Hey Intashu, in the photo of the three Tutors, the middle one appears to have a tail wheel attached to the rudder so that it is steerable. Do you have a close-up photo of that? Can you provide any details regarding materials and construction? I'm looking for a steerable solution for ground handling and can't quite figure out how to arrive at a steerable nosewheel. This might be a simpler option. TIA!
Intashu
Elite member
That plane belongs to @Aslansmonkey so he'd be best able to give you the link to the 3d print he set it up with and/or pictures of it.
Aslansmonkey
Well-known member
Yep, that's my plane. And that tail wheel and the clip that goes with it are lost in the snow somewhere. But I had another wheel...err...well, @Intashu did anyway and I improved the design. Attached is the photo of the current wheel set up. The wire travels along the bottom of the 3D printed clip and bends down 90 degrees resting in a channel at the front of the clip. Then I bent it back a little bit and did an offset series of bends so the wheel is centered under the rudder. The whole assembly is then glued onto the rudder and two skewer pieces are driven through to prevent it from popping off like my last one did. A few drops of glue on the skewers should hold them in place.
When I made it, it honestly didn't occur to me anyone might want one, though I guess in retrospect, it's a pretty handy thing. So I've put it up on Thingiverse if anyone wants one for themselves.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5230138
When I made it, it honestly didn't occur to me anyone might want one, though I guess in retrospect, it's a pretty handy thing. So I've put it up on Thingiverse if anyone wants one for themselves.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5230138
Attachments
FlamingRCAirplanes
Elite member
Get a DLS brand motor from Amazon.
Musdang
Not Quite Legendary
Haha lol I forgot about this and “accidentally” built 4 more different planes! Still no 1806. But I did get a 2218!
FlamingRCAirplanes
Elite member
FLASH HOBBY BE1806 2300KV Brushless Motor Race Edition for Multicopters Parts 160~210 Micro Drone (2300kv Red) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P5MYWMH/?tag=lstir-20
Like this, same motor I have just cheaper and rebranded.
FlamingRCAirplanes
Elite member
Aha lol okay
Jeff Yoder
New member
Does anyone know anything about the printed bomb bay that showed up in the Tudor video? I think I heard something about files becoming available sometime, but I can't find anything. I would like to print one if it is available. Thanks
kdobson83
Well-known member
Does anyone have a 3D print file of the landing gear wood component for the Tutor? I bought the plans and am scratch building it for my son to fly on and this landing gear is going to have to be as strong as possible. lol I could make my own out of wood but that would consist of too much effort, i just wanna hit print on my printer and walk away. lol
I see @SP0NZ has made this object for his Scout XL but i cant find any files for these the Tutor/Cub.
I see @SP0NZ has made this object for his Scout XL but i cant find any files for these the Tutor/Cub.
speedy7385
Active member
You can use the landing gear stl from the Scout XL, just change the size of it in your slicer to match the dimension on your Tutor plan.
Flyingshark
Master member
I made an STL in Fusion 360 based off of the plans for the Tutor. I've printed it and it looks good to me, but I haven't actually finished the landing gear or tested it.
Here's the file (and a photo of it all printed out), if you want to use it:
Attachments
kdobson83
Well-known member
This will work. Thank you sir.
CapnBry
Elite member
The problem with putting effort into decorating these things is it makes it hard to go maiden them, knowing it will never be in as good shape as it is today. Waiting on 9x4.5 props from the FT store but who says we just go for it with an 8x6? I'll just have to give it more beans!
Matek R24-P ExpressLRS PWM receiver
Sunnysky X2216 III 1250KV motor
Flycolor Francy 30A blheli_32 ESC
4x SG90 clone 9g servos
1300mAh 3S Racedayquads battery
534g dry, 651g with battery
EDIT: It went fine! A little too much throw on the ailerons and a little elevator trim but 8x6 on 3S worked just fine with power to loop easily. Flew for about 7 minutes and landed with the battery at 3.75V so could definitely go longer. Need to switch out the RX for one with VBAT telemetry.
Matek R24-P ExpressLRS PWM receiver
Sunnysky X2216 III 1250KV motor
Flycolor Francy 30A blheli_32 ESC
4x SG90 clone 9g servos
1300mAh 3S Racedayquads battery
534g dry, 651g with battery
EDIT: It went fine! A little too much throw on the ailerons and a little elevator trim but 8x6 on 3S worked just fine with power to loop easily. Flew for about 7 minutes and landed with the battery at 3.75V so could definitely go longer. Need to switch out the RX for one with VBAT telemetry.
Last edited:
Similar threads
