David Ashby - Moderator Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 New poll - What % of your fleet is foam? To satisfy curiosity as to the incursion of foam against traditional model flying materials I thought it would be interesting to see what % of your fleet is/are foam models? Are there any 100% foamie flyers? Edited By David Ashby - RCME Admin on 18/01/2012 13:13:31 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Just my battered old Zagi in a fleet of 20+ models........ Had it for years and haven't the heart to bin it!The rest are mostly trad wood (except for a couple of moulded hotliners - which feature foam-cored wings BTW).The new MPX Dogfighter might just tempt me to go for another foamie though....tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 bang on 50% ATM. took me a while to work that out.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclicscooby Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Two of my 7 planes are trad wood.. The Tailwind, is a shelf queen as she needs re-balancing, and the Edge still needs fixing, so technically I am a 100% foamie flyer... A 36" Edge profile my own design 32" full-bodied Bipe and my UMX Sbach... The rest only come out if i've exhausted the lipo's on the above, and still have daylight.. Luv Chrisie.. xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Just 3 out of the flying fleet of 14 at present - an Easyglider, ST Models Fox and E-Flite Sea Fury - and no more foamies in sight right now, I'm enjoying building too much! Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_B Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Having built many trad models over the the last 40 odd years in this glorious hobby, it's a refreshing change to have a completely different medium to work with. At the moment I'm trying many different foamies (Depron, EPP and the Elapor type), and the two trad kits in my attic will probably stay there for some time yet. Interestingly the Germans have a foamie only magazine, but at the moment I believe there are only 4 issues a year. I've no doubt that as time moves on and interest increases this will become a monthly. I would like to bet that as the moulding techniques improve (along with the paints and surface finish), the majority of ARTF aeroplanes will be a foam of one type or another.BTW David, any possibility of an annual "Foamie Special" mag? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 12 current flyable are all built traditionally, it is just 10 use foam sheet rather than balsa sheet for the vast majority of their construction. So its either 0% or 83% depending on the definition of that horrible word "foamies". I don't see an equivalent slang for wood construction. "woodies" or even "balsies" Yuck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron Beaumont Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 What has "foamies" got to do with proper aero"modelling" ,I use old packaging stuff for holding the Rx but that is all You know who ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W-O Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Why does there have to be a separation between foam and balsa? Model flying apartheid? Posted by Simon Chaddock on 18/01/2012 15:01:16:12 current flyable are all built traditionally, it is just 10 use foam sheet rather than balsa sheet for the vast majority of their construction. So its either 0% or 83% depending on the definition of that horrible word "foamies". I don't see an equivalent slang for wood construction. "woodies" or even "balsies" Yuck! Many balsa models have foam core wings, plastic props, plastic wheels etc. Maybe we should all go back to tissue and dope and rubber power. When I started flying in the 70s, I had a balsa trainer, I gave that away, still flying when I returned to the UK 10 years ago.I destroyed one plane at that time, a Sea Fury, probably built from RCM&E in the late 70s early 80s. When I started flying again here, I wanted to fly not spend my time fixing things. I bought the Mentor, which attracted the "normal" comments about foam planes at the club, soon though, they were saying that it could easily become "the" trainer, and people just viewed it as an good plane. Many home built full size planes, and an increasing number of commercial planes are using alternative construction methods, and that is all it is, an alternative construction method.I enjoy building as well, often or usually out of balsa, but I use whatever material is best suited in all ways (including price, durability, ease of use etc) to what I want to do. Life in the UK is now so busy, so complicated, foam planes enable many to fly who would not have the time otherwise, and are probably largely responsible for the continuation of the hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Grigg Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Thats the interesting thing isnt it.You can have as much enjoyment irrespective of what you fly construction doesnt actually matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Fairgrieve Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Parkzone Mosquito. Does that count? Kev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I have two foam moulded models and two depron models. The majority of my models are now balsa types. I guess about 5 will never fly again, some have never flown, built as IC models. I have a number of glass fibre type models with glassed wings, I suspect that many of these will not fly again. Yet what does interest me is the effect that foam type models have had on me as well seeing others ARTF models, and that is the extreme lack of weight. The foamies have built in strength, with low weight. Above all foam models fly very well. EPO models just seem to bounce on impact. The other side is ARTF from ply and some traditional light weight stick and tissue models, they seem to disintegrate on any sought of arrival. The much despised foam model, has revised my thoughts on model strength to weight aspects with respect to both construction and flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericrw Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I have been 100% foamy but as I now have on order an E-Flite Beaver; collecting on Friday it puts me in the 70-90% range ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I use foam models as hacks, the sort of model you throw in the back of the car for the odd snatched hour's flying, or for hooning around doing things you wouldn't want to do with a model you value - low inverted 8s, how low can you go, figure 8s round the rugby posts - you know the sort of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Skilbeck Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Do EPP slope soarers count as foamies............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben B Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Wow. When I saw this I thought "yuk- foamies" then realised two of mine (Windrider Slipstream and Britflight Hustle) were both made from foam! So I'm at 50% (though it depends on how you define a foamy). Do we define foamies as pre-moulded Parkzone type planes or planes predominantly made from foam / depron even if it's cut and Uhu-por'd foam sheet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Myron, does this mean you wouldn't class something like the BUFF I'm building as proper aeromodelling then just because it has a foam core! I can assure you that the work involved (especially if one cuts one's own foam cores first) is considerable, in fact possibly even more so than built up construction, particularly if it is then completely covered in glass /epoxy skinning before final covering. Also, have you seen the terrific models that Dave Royds ( Foamy Dave ) produces from Depron etc?Whilst Im wound up, take a look at some of the magnificent stuff done from foam on the PSSA site too! It's this sort of ignorant prejudice that we should all be avoiding for the good of the hobby and its future is to be retained . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger 2 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hi all I am a traditional model builder, although I still fly (only in very good conditions) a 30 yr old Keil Kraft Ivory Gull that has foam cored wings. The other eight are all trad, a couple being from the DB stable.I know it's stupid but foamies just don't hack it for me, although I have seen a very nice P51 that rang a few bells !! Cheers Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Adams Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Before I can say what percentage, where is the divide between foamies and trad build? I have put some of my fleet in order of amount of foam as follows:- Trad end Full balsa / ply construction Balsa / ply with Depron Ribs Balsa / Ply with white foam wings covered in veneer or balsa Balsa / Ply fuselage with blue foam wings covered in brown paper Blue foam fuselage with balsa wings. Blue foam Fuselage and wings covered in brown paper EPO foam fuselage and wings Depron foam fuselage and wings Foamies end Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Posted by Frank Skilbeck on 18/01/2012 17:39:26:Do EPP slope soarers count as foamies............... Yes they would Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 Posted by Paul Adams on 18/01/2012 18:57:21: Before I can say what percentage, where is the divide between foamies and trad build? I have put some of my fleet in order of amount of foam as follows:- Trad end Full balsa / ply construction Balsa / ply with Depron Ribs Balsa / Ply with white foam wings covered in veneer or balsa Balsa / Ply fuselage with blue foam wings covered in brown paper Blue foam fuselage with balsa wings. Blue foam Fuselage and wings covered in brown paper EPO foam fuselage and wings Depron foam fuselage and wings Foamies end Good point Paul, I was think of all-foam models really though, whether depron, EPO, EPP or EPS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codename-John Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I`ve got 4, a Wot 4 Foam e, Glider, A HK Stinger 64 edf and an Alfa F-86, I tend not to fly them at the club as if ive got to make the 25 mile round trip its for a reason ie my ic models to get used, but theyre great for a quick trip out to the local playing fields Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron Beaumont Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Timbo Of course I don't categorise your beautiful Buff as being a Foamie.From what I've seen so far ,it's a combination of traditional skills amalgamated with newish technology .I associate "foamies "with out of the box ready made things .Maybe I have misunderstood the meaning of the term? I've never ever seen one by the way -only adverts ! I think your creation is something to be admired and as has been said ,probably a lot lighter & stronger than traditional construction .Look forward to seeing it finished . Myron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Randall Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 At least a third of my fleet are foamy indoor models Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spice Cat Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Having started with a foamie trainer and hated it, it kept crashing of its own accord, I was dead set against them. However I now own two Diamond gliders and love them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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