Yankee2003
Well-known member
Nice work.
*Unofficial* FT Tutor
- Thread starter SP0NZ
- Start date
Foamforce
Elite member
Nice Tutor! I like the paint on the prop. I just finished painting mine. I didn’t have adhesion issues, but I didn’t apply any tape over existing painted areas. Mine was made with DTFB. Then a brushed on layer of oil poly, followed by masking and spraying acrylic, and then another layer of poly because I made the dumb mistake of buying water washable acrylic (made for kids play).
It flies great! Full throws turn it into a real hoot. I’m trying to learn to do knife edges and I’m making progress. What a fun plane.
It flies great! Full throws turn it into a real hoot. I’m trying to learn to do knife edges and I’m making progress. What a fun plane.
Spadman
New member
Holy Guacamole FoamForce! She is a beauty and the paint scheme I was going for. I also like the holographic cockpit windows! Do you have a steerable tailwheel? I built my Bush Tutor (💨) with a tailwheel and it steers well on the ground.
When I scratch build (definitions may differ 🙄) the next Tutor, I want to do an upscale. 150%, maybe upwards of 200%.
When I scratch build (definitions may differ 🙄) the next Tutor, I want to do an upscale. 150%, maybe upwards of 200%.
This is not quite flight ready yet but getting close. I have used a few 3d printed parts both downloaded from Thingiverse and self designed. The main effort here was the landing gear and the wheels that I designed using Onshape. I knew this would make it over weight but was hopeful that it would weigh less than the floats version. The poly and paint added a bit of weight also. As it sits with only the prop missing it is 330g greater than the all-up suggested weight of 771g. Anyone know how much weight the floats add?
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Spadman
New member
HCox, I would say you hit this one out of the park! I would love to see a list of printed mods you did. I wish the bomb bay box mech would be available for purchase but I think there is an assumption that 3D printing knowledge and the ownership of printers is so common that making finished parts for sale is unnessasary. I would buy!
I just weighed my Bush Tutor, built almost exactly to instructions (ESC cooling scoop) with the FT bush tires, and it came out to 1057g (37.28 oz) with a 2200mAh battery. I hope that helps answer your question.
I just weighed my Bush Tutor, built almost exactly to instructions (ESC cooling scoop) with the FT bush tires, and it came out to 1057g (37.28 oz) with a 2200mAh battery. I hope that helps answer your question.
Foamforce
Elite member
Thanks!
Thanks! I used the Rasterize Cub skin as a reference for mine. For masking I used the purple painters tape which is made for delicate work, so the adhesion isn’t as strong. To make the stripes I used a technique suggested by somebody else on the forums here. The first piece of tape on the front of the wing goes from the center of the sunburst straight out to the outer edge. That forms the top of the white stripe. The bottom of the second piece of tape starts at the center of the sunburst and the bottom of that tape forms the bottom of the stripe. Then run a sharp blade over the seams, right on the plane, to cut off the excess. That’s hard to describe but I could take a picture if you wanted.
I don’t have a steerable tailwheel on mine, that’s all rudder. I’ve been afraid of damaging my rudder hinge, but I’ll have to try it sometime. I frequently can’t taxi mine and have to go pick it up. What kind of tail wheel mechanism did you use?
Thanks! I used the Rasterize Cub skin as a reference for mine. For masking I used the purple painters tape which is made for delicate work, so the adhesion isn’t as strong. To make the stripes I used a technique suggested by somebody else on the forums here. The first piece of tape on the front of the wing goes from the center of the sunburst straight out to the outer edge. That forms the top of the white stripe. The bottom of the second piece of tape starts at the center of the sunburst and the bottom of that tape forms the bottom of the stripe. Then run a sharp blade over the seams, right on the plane, to cut off the excess. That’s hard to describe but I could take a picture if you wanted.
I don’t have a steerable tailwheel on mine, that’s all rudder. I’ve been afraid of damaging my rudder hinge, but I’ll have to try it sometime. I frequently can’t taxi mine and have to go pick it up. What kind of tail wheel mechanism did you use?
Thanks for the weight information Spadman. I guess my 1130g Tutor might fly.
My added 3D printed modifications include:
- 100mm Tires - It was a big effort to design and print these...I may just buy next time. I was able to match the weight of the FT wheels.
- Landing Gear - This was challenging but interesting to design. We will see how it works out. The landing gear has suspension but also will snap out in a relatively hard landing...and easily snap back in.
- Servo mounting points with covers - available on Thingiverse
- Battery hatch with vent and a latch
- firewall
- knobs for the power pod skewers
- knobs for the wing retainer skewers
- washers glued on around the holes where the skewers go through the fuse to strengthen the foam
- bezels around the top fuse opening and the opening on the bottom of the wing
- profile tail wheel
Spadman
New member
I’ve got silly goose ideas rattling around in my neurospicy brain today. Let’s see who wants to be a party to my tomfoolery!!
Take a 150-200% Tutor and do all the things!!! HCox landing gear, big flaps, steerable tailwheel and fatty-boomalattie tundra tires, underwing pull pin release hard points for flour bomb/ parachutes ( 4 stations sounds fun!) and maybe even the internal belly door drop box!! All ideas are welcome but it would be very cool if someone could make a tiled printable plan for this beast! I wanna play with this design in true FT fashion!!!
Take a 150-200% Tutor and do all the things!!! HCox landing gear, big flaps, steerable tailwheel and fatty-boomalattie tundra tires, underwing pull pin release hard points for flour bomb/ parachutes ( 4 stations sounds fun!) and maybe even the internal belly door drop box!! All ideas are welcome but it would be very cool if someone could make a tiled printable plan for this beast! I wanna play with this design in true FT fashion!!!
Spadman
New member
Frustration. I was playing with the toot in the front yard tonight and I am still having trouble keeping the gear wire straight and upright despite the addition of rubberbands to add shock absorption. I just want some plastic gear!!! Where can I buy some printed gear? The wire has to go and I need something that will hold up and not fold back or out with some yard bouncing!!! Ideas???
Foamforce
Elite member
You most likely have the wrong kind of wire. You need music wire which is a springy metal that returns to its original shape after being bent. I think I used 3/32” for my tutor. When I first started, I used electric fence wire, and it folded on my very first landing. Music wire is available at some local hardware stores.
Spadman
New member
I used the wire that was supplied in the kit which I think is 3/32”. Every wire gear aircraft I’ve ever flown have needed a little adjustment here and there once a season. The supplied wire is just more needy than I care for so I want to replace it with better material on the next build. This Toot will just get the ol’ second wire/ bungee/ popsicle stick strut treatment for now until I find a better solution.
speedy7385
Active member
Plan available on FTCA
CappyAmeric
Elite member
FTCA members can purchase PDF plans for the Tutor for $6.
RossFPV
Well-known member
I think the cub is a similar size
dylanbeaudette
Active member
Those giant wheels look great! We tried something similar, but the plane "felt" very heavy. That was with a 2200mAh 3S and 10x4.5 prop. What kind of battery and prop are you using?
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