My last foam board build before the balsa journey

[Bob Smitham]

 

Well I still feel a little more flying experience is needed before committing to a traditional wood build.So a progression from flying wings I thought a four channel decent sized foam with landing gear will make a good stepping stone.

Purchasing a foam high wing was an option but not really my idea of fun.So the most technical foam build for me to date(still easy ish) was undertaken.

The flitetest Edge free plans in tiled PDF format and a build video from here.

https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?resources/ft-edge.22/

Spec 40" wing span, 1200KV motor 4S 1800mah 9x4 prob A.U.W around 2lb with battery.

Lots of selotape and lining up of the tiled plans covering four sheets of FT foam board costing £10.

The FT foam builds really are progressing from the  early models.The weak points for me being the control surface edges.To reinforce the edges a small V cut was made and BBQ skewers glued in the groove.A balsa edge would have been preferable but as the thread tittle says.I'm not kitted up for balsa yet.    

Edited By Bob Smitham on 10/01/2019 20:28:09

[Bob Smitham]

part 2.

A 1200kv motor was given me from a fella up the road.He appears too buy BNF foamies , destroys them and buys another.This has given me a bag of servo's and motors to scavenge from.

Finished the build with some pound shop spray paint and the poor mans Monokote (clear packing tape) Decent quality spray paint would have doubled the build costs.

So for around £30 minus RX the build was done.The landing gear being fashioned from a wire coat hanger and some ebay wheels.The plans do include a template for foam wheels.I did make these but honestly couldn't see them being anything less than useless.

For the RX the FrSky S6R this has the built in gyro and 6 flight modes.Like all FrSky products a few hours updating and flashing and loading of scripts was necessary.Seems daft that a RX aimed at beginners is so complicated to set up.If the Tarnis was new kit to me and I hadn't the experience with flight controllers .I would have found this a real pain for a first RX.The upside if the S6R being it's flexability it can go from fully stabilsed through to a stright six CH number with a few options in between.

When I get the hang of this I promise I'm going down the traditional path.The cheap build has left enough in the kitty for a Balsa build in the spring.

No maiden yet, but hopefully this weekend weather permitting of course.

[Dad_flyer]

Does the spray paint stick directly to the foamboard, or do you need to do some prep first?

[Bob Smitham]

Posted by Dad_flyer on 10/01/2019 20:45:18:
Does the spray paint stick directly to the foamboard, or do you need to do some prep first?

A bit of a rub down with a fine grade. The Hafords brand car undercoat went on great one coat 18" away and no reaction with the foam.I have read the propellants disperse if kept a reasonable distance away.The top coat was a cheap brand that would have taken 3 cans to get a nice finish.Buy cheap pay twice as they say.The black on the cowling and rudder was again a different brand, this adhered very well and doesnt' peel or chip. I have covered most of the yellow area's with tape as it does chip off easily.On a previous build a laquer top coat seemed to prevent this.Lesson learned for me cheap paint is cheap for a reason.

[Dad_flyer]

Thanks for the tips. I maidened a FT Simple Storch at the weekend, nice to fly, but I had left it plain brown and it is no so easy to see!

[gliggsy]

Built one a month or so ago, flies like a pussycat on a 2200 3 cell, really floats but very capable aerobatics motor mount could do with beefing up, think your coat hanger idea won't stand up, too soft, 2.5mm piano wire would be good

[Bob Smitham]

Posted by gliggsy on 10/01/2019 22:07:01:
Built one a month or so ago, flies like a pussycat on a 2200 3 cell, really floats but very capable aerobatics motor mount could do with beefing up, think your coat hanger idea won't stand up, too soft, 2.5mm piano wire would be good

After building the landing gear I thought as much and added a cross member.But still can't see it lasting.Same with the motor added a few struts.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Don Fry]

And when you do go balsa, remember the board. There's a lot to be said for hybrid foam/balsa airframes. Depron wing ribs spring to mind. Cheap, quick, light. What's not to like.

[Dave Hess]

Here's how I stffened up the tail and control surfaces on my FT Edge: 3/16" square balsa strips are exactly the same thickness as that foam-board, so I removed 5mm from all the edges that I wanted stiffened and glued on strips of the balsa. It makes a big difference, looks very neat, glues nicely with hot-melt and costs hardly anything.

[gliggsy]

So, how does it fly

[Keith Berriman]

Hi Dave. Are you talking the outer edge of the rudder and elevator and airleon edges being stiffend

I have a Apex 35/36 brushless 1100 kv 350 watts would this be over the top ?