XA (3D) with Foam Board Design Challenge

[Jonny Gum]

This should be an interesting build off to see what is possible with foam board. Personally, I find 3d and XA to be very fun, but extremely expensive. Even a ~50" airframe can run you up to 200$- not including electronics. Wouldn't it be great if we could build our own airframes for less than 10$? It would surely make progression easier as we wouldnt be so scared to crash.

Rules
1. Must use dtfb.
2. Planes can be any size.
3. Winner will be decided by the best flying design.
4. I will think of more rules with time.
5. There may or may not be a prize to the best design.

(XA means extreme aerobatics. It's the modern high energy 3D flying.)

 

[JasonK]

Not mine, but fits the bill and should be sub $100 with electronics:
https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/the-hitherto-unnamed-profile-3d-foamy-inc-plans.64189/

 

[OliverW]

Not mine, but fits the bill and should be sub $100 with electronics:
https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/the-hitherto-unnamed-profile-3d-foamy-inc-plans.64189/

That one is more of a low and slow plane than a XA plane

 

[Jonny Gum]

Not mine, but fits the bill and should be sub $100 with electronics:
https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/the-hitherto-unnamed-profile-3d-foamy-inc-plans.64189/

Looking for more capable planes. As @SquirrelTail said, that design fits more into old school 3D.

 

[JasonK]

Looking for more capable planes. As @SquirrelTail said, that design fits more into old school 3D.

just put a bigger motor on it? or are you looking for something like this:

 

[OliverW]

just put a bigger motor on it? or are you looking for something like this:

XA is more like the stuff Jase Dussia and other top pilots do.

 

[JasonK]

you have a few things there. the FT edge 540 looks like it could do most/all of that.

however, there are a few edge cases there...

1. Flight time - the gas engine might have a hand up for flight time
2. the Edge might need a carbon fiber spar added for wing strength for that dive/pull out & possibly some reinforcement on the control surfaces., but everything else looked fairly reasonable (or I missed something) unless just the pure intensity of that is going to cause problems with foam board (but if it can't be done with foam board, then we appear to be outside the challenge anyways).

 

[OliverW]

you have a few things there. the FT edge 540 looks like it could do most/all of that.

however, there are a few edge cases there...

1. Flight time - the gas engine might have a hand up for flight time
2. the Edge might need a carbon fiber spar added for wing strength for that dive/pull out & possibly some reinforcement on the control surfaces., but everything else looked fairly reasonable (or I missed something) unless just the pure intensity of that is going to cause problems with foam board (but if it can't be done with foam board, then we appear to be outside the challenge anyways).

The edge always comes out too heavy to have decent performance from what I've heard.

 

[JasonK]

well, that is about all I got, because I don't fly 3D... so making my own design up isn't going to go very far as I wouldn't be flying it anyways. (now weaving through trees in FPV... that I am enjoying... but I think I need to make some gates to fly through and some poles to setup a chicane to really get some challenging bits to fly though)

someone up and fly my V-Tail and did most 3D manuvers that I have seen with it.. it just had issues with hovering because of the V-tail (or was the surmised reason of the pilot.)

 

[Joe Carpino]

I’m down for this but is speed or capability the main focus?

 

[OliverW]

I’m down for this but is speed or capability the main focus?

Capability

 

[Jonny Gum]

I’m down for this but is speed or capability the main focus?

Bonus points if it looks cool. Keeping it light is the main struggle for dtfb, but if you do it, it should fly good.

 

[Samh]

Like @SquirrelTail said, the edges come out heavy. I built two and the both came out heavy. both had the recommended motors and I even ran 4s in them. they barely had enough power to do a loop.

 

[Samh]

is there a deadline on the challenge? I am going to join in and maybe judge if @Jonny Gum and @SquirrelTail are cool with it since I am a XA/3D pilot and foamboard human. The

 

[Joe Carpino]

Bonus points if it looks cool. Keeping it light is the main struggle for dtfb, but if you do it, it should fly good.

You can remove the paper on the inside to reduce the fb weight by 40%

 

[OliverW]

You can remove the paper on the inside to reduce the fb weight by 40%

That also takes away the rigidity. On a 3D plane they have to be super strong so they don't twist when we're pushing 20g's with them

 

[The Hangar]

Like @SquirrelTail said, the edges come out heavy. I built two and the both came out heavy. both had the recommended motors and I even ran 4s in them. they barely had enough power to do a loop.

Rimfire for the win! You both are going to fly my edge when I come down - it hovers at 1/2 throttle, and that's on 3s. I'm gonna buy an 11 inch prop so I can run it on 4s.

 

[The Hangar]

BTW I'm so in for the challange! I'm going to be designing a Mamba/Beast biplane - it should do 3D and XA really well.

 

[Joe Carpino]

Got the wing done for my own 3D Design. Trying to figure out a symmetrical airfoil in 2D

 

[The Hangar]

I came across this vid of a young guy absolutely rocking with the Mamba 10! @FlyingWithRyan I'd say it does decent XA...
This is what my goal is:

I need to finish up the F7F plans and then this project is going to be top priority!