What happened to the Flite Test I loved?

[RC_Grundrauschen]

Hey guys,
I have been away from all things FT for a while and now checked back in because I saw the videos of the master series Mighty minis popping up on the YouTube tech channel. I thought hey that’s cool, let’s download the plans and build! But there are none… also not for the older newer plans being sold in the store as a Kit. Are these good old days finally over? Or am I just too blind to find them?

If Flite Test is now on the full capitalism road, I really regret having backed Edgewater. That would be really sad!

cheers from Hamburg, Germany

 

[Ketchup]

Hey guys,
I have been away from all things FT for a while and now checked back in because I saw the videos of the master series Mighty minis popping up on the YouTube tech channel. I thought hey that’s cool, let’s download the plans and build! But there are none… also not for the older newer plans being sold in the store as a Kit. Are these good old days finally over? Or am I just too blind to find them?

If Flite Test is now on the full capitalism road, I really regret having backed Edgewater. That would be really sad!

cheers from Hamburg, Germany

Flite Test recently started having FTCA memberships, and most of the new plans would only be available to those members. This is because many other companies have copied FT's plans and a lot of other things have gone on that caused them to have to do this. The old plans are still available, just not the new ones (unless you want to pay $12 a year, which isn't too much really).
I'm personally ok with this, because there are many other plans here on the forums from FT and other users, and FT needs to make money somehow. They have become a much bigger business, and they are now having to spend even more money to defend the hobby from the FAA and others, so I guess a couple bucks a month is fair. Also, there is a free membership option that gives you some benefits like coupons and deals to multiple online stores, and it also comes with the plans for the simple stick. It doesn't include the rest of the plans, but I chose that one and I like it.

 

[Flyingshark]

Hey guys,
I have been away from all things FT for a while and now checked back in because I saw the videos of the master series Mighty minis popping up on the YouTube tech channel. I thought hey that’s cool, let’s download the plans and build! But there are none… also not for the older newer plans being sold in the store as a Kit. Are these good old days finally over? Or am I just too blind to find them?

If Flite Test is now on the full capitalism road, I really regret having backed Edgewater. That would be really sad!

cheers from Hamburg, Germany

This is a very common and controversial topic. An explanation for this really should be put in a prominent place on the forum, but that hasn't happened so far.

Dishonest people were taking advantage of FliteTest's openness, so they are now trying to deliver plans to honest people who want to build with them, while also weeding out the companies that might turn around and produce their own SBKs from FT designs, without FT's permission.

The fact that plans for the newest planes aren't available right now doesn't mean they won't ever be available. A top-tier FTCA membership (last time I looked) was $2 a month, so much more reasonable than one of the new SBKs. I'll probably become a member if/when there are more plans to build from.

 

[CappyAmeric]

Hey guys,
I have been away from all things FT for a while and now checked back in because I saw the videos of the master series Mighty minis popping up on the YouTube tech channel. I thought hey that’s cool, let’s download the plans and build! But there are none… also not for the older newer plans being sold in the store as a Kit. Are these good old days finally over? Or am I just too blind to find them?

If Flite Test is now on the full capitalism road, I really regret having backed Edgewater. That would be really sad!

cheers from Hamburg, Germany

Lots of "free" plans, including Master Series, are to be found in this long list: Sponz' Index of Plans

 

[Hondo76251]

If Flite Test is now on the full capitalism road, I really regret having backed Edgewater. That would be really sad!

cheers from Hamburg, Germany

Forgive me chuckle at a german critique of American capitalism... 😁

 

[RC_Grundrauschen]

That’s bad. I guess I always thought foamboard scratch building is such a niche market, that there won’t be too many copycats. 12$ is totally ok for 12 months, but how will this stop stealing plans?
Anyways…. It would be nice if FT made a membership plan for non US citizens too, since there are quite some fans from out of the US. It’s an important and good thing that FT is lobbying for the hobby in their home country, but if you feel that most of the membership is useless to you than chances are high you don’t hit that membership button. Maybe a non US membership for 10 Bucks?

 

[Hondo76251]

Wouldnt think $2 would be a deal breaking amount of money. A years membership for a 6 pack of good beer doesn't sound that bad to me i guess.

You probably cant stop everyone from ripping the plans off but part of having a paywall for them is that they can legally ask people to stop selling their products outright. Thats a hard thing to do when you're openly giving them away for free.

 

[tomlogan1]

Would be interesting to see if the companies whose planes Flite Test uses as models (Lokheed Martin F22, F35) and others decide that Flite Test is monetizing their designs so Flite Test should pay a royalty. Real capatlism.

 

[Hondo76251]

Lol

 

[CappyAmeric]

Would be interesting to see if the companies whose planes Flite Test uses as models (Lokheed Martin F22, F35) and others decide that Flite Test is monetizing their designs so Flite Test should pay a royalty. Real capatlism.

There aren't any FT designs touted as "replicas".

 

[RC_Grundrauschen]

Guess I‘m in 😅

 

[Hondo76251]

@RC_Grundrauschen welcome Aboard! Lol

 

[Thomas B]

I have no qualms about FT stopping free plans in general, but I have to think this will have zero effect on various entities copying Flite Test designs to kit and sell. They will simply get a membership under some name, pay the list cost of the dues and carry on with their illegal copies.

 

[CappyAmeric]

I have no qualms about FT stopping free plans in general, but I have to think this will have zero effect on various entities copying Flite Test designs to kit and sell. They will simply get a membership under some name, pay the list cost of the dues and carry on with their illegal copies.

The new symbol mapping would greatly discourage it that. It is pretty extensive and complex.

 

[Thomas B]

The new symbol mapping would greatly discourage it that. It is pretty extensive and complex.

I think the plans could be cloned without the symbols, or at least scanned and traced well enough to clone the design.

A shame that this even has to be worried about, but it is a thing these days.

 

[jack10525]

Yes. FT has changed a lot in the 5-6 years I've been here. Looks like the good old days are long gone along with a cheap six pack.
12 bucks for a six pack is too much for me....

Wouldnt think $2 would be a deal breaking amount of money. A years membership for a 6 pack of good beer doesn't sound that bad to me i guess.

You probably cant stop everyone from ripping the plans off but part of having a paywall for them is that they can legally ask people to stop selling their products outright. Thats a hard thing to do when you're openly giving them away for free.

 

[Marzipan]

Would be interesting to see if the companies whose planes Flite Test uses as models (Lokheed Martin F22, F35) and others decide that Flite Test is monetizing their designs so Flite Test should pay a royalty. Real capatlism.

that would happen if they called them by their trademarked names...which you'll notice they are not.

this happened to Valve when the launched Counter-Strike. they called the guns by what they were and had lawyers smother them. so now they have weird names, but we all know what they are from 'likeness.'

 

[alan0043]

Yes. FT has changed a lot in the 5-6 years I've been here. Looks like the good old days are long gone along with a cheap six pack.
12 bucks for a six pack is too much for me....

Hi Jack,

A question for you. What would you like to see Flite Test do or get back to doing ?

 

[Marzipan]

Yes. FT has changed a lot in the 5-6 years I've been here. Looks like the good old days are long gone along with a cheap six pack.
12 bucks for a six pack is too much for me....

but you're getting a 12 pack for $12...one plan every month for 12 months.

 

[MCNC]

I look at the ftca membership more as a contribution to support the continuance of a hobby rather than a way to get free plans . I think it may have been a mistake to associate a membership drive with simple stick plans because that became the emphasis and I don't think it was the intent. I also give to national public television and radio because I believe all these organizations are trying to broaden our horizons. I respect and support that.