Airobatic FT-Flyer Is Here...

by dholcomb | September 26, 2015 | (9) Posted in Projects

First let me say thank you Josh Bixler and Flite Test for the FT-Flyer. Ever since I started flying foam board airplanes almost 2 years ago, I have flown the FT-Flyer in one format or the other. Over time, however, I have made various modifications which I feel have accomplished things far beyond what it was originally intended. It does make a great starter plane but with a little alteration becomes a fast, advanced, and acrobatic Flyer. This article is to provide you with enough information to evaluate some of my design changes.

My first revision was to add ailerons but on my first attempt I maintained the original dihedral as designed. The ailerons functioned but inverted flight was very difficult.  

So I built a Flyer with a flat wing and ailerons. It flew great but had two faults. First it was under powered with the E-max 2822 that I was running. With an upgraded motor preforming repeated acrobatics the wing would fold. I doubled the foam on the front of the wing to compensate and it worked well. The addition of two tongue depressors proved to be the addition which held everything together.

The aileron Setup:

The important part of this modification is the motor. I got the tip from a friend and ordered the same motor that one of the big stores puts on their P-51D. It is a screamer. All the power you want. I did have to make a few alterations in order for the motor to fit correctly but it is worth it. As you can see I had to notch the foam for the bolts and I only used one bamboo skewer to hold the front the power pod.

 


Okay, here is the flight video. A special thanks to my special friend and the pilot Ed Panter for his contributions to this project.

 

The Motor and accessories:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXAUTG

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXMSG4

 

In conclusion, this was a project spanning this summer flying season. There was a lot of trial and error involved in the making of the Flyer represented in the above article. A lot was learned and building techniques refined. One lesson learned is represented by the photo below. If you ever are tempted to turn the back fuselage over to the top of the wing, mount the battery on the top, and power it with a 64mm ducted fan. I wouldn't recommend it. It flew inverted pretty well but all in all was a total disaster. After several attempts the total flight time was about 4 minutes before a disappointing crash which destroyed the DF. The vinyl graphics did turn out pretty well though I think. :)

 

 

 



Thank you. David...

COMMENTS

NoUsername on October 8, 2015
Great photos, and wondered myself about using an EDF.

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dholcomb on October 8, 2015
Since the one I built did fly inverted pretty well I am considering a new version where I mount the EDF on top of the wing and mount the battery on the bottom. Maybe the weight difference would make a difference.
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cmlstudios on October 8, 2015
Great job David. Still wish I lived nearer y'all ... I have more success buddy-boxing off you than I do on my own. :)

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dholcomb on October 8, 2015
Thanks. Maybe you can find a club around Phoenix. I'm sure someone there would be happy to help out.
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Goose on October 7, 2015
Thanks for the article. The FT flyer is also my favourite at the moment and I have wondered about ailerons, so I'll use your design for a base to start at.
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dholcomb on October 8, 2015
Thanks. Good luck with the ailerons. When I first started doing that I used 2 servos mounted to the bottom of the wing. The one servo works out just as good I think.
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Gryf on October 8, 2015
Nice article! I fitted my Flyer with ailerons several months ago, and am still flying it today. I kept the dihedral though, so as you mentioned, inverted flight is challenging to say the least. But the 4-channel Flyer is a real hoot in the air, and I usually fly it first on a day at the field to make sure my thumbs are up to the task before sending up anything more challenging.

Thanks!
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dholcomb on October 8, 2015
Thanks. I have built more than 20 Flyers. All the guys at the field wanted one so it was sort of a Christmas gift last year. All had ailerons. Just wait !!! At the suggestion and mostly built by Ed Panter, I am doing the finishing touches on a twin engine Flyer right now. We will see if it flies. Certainly has enough power. :)
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davereap on October 8, 2015
also worth a read is the thread on the dart-xs, its the base model the FT flier came from..
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=599674
many mods have been tried ... including KF wings and ailerons
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dholcomb on October 8, 2015
Thanks for the link. I did go there and checked it out. Cool...
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magicmerlin on August 3, 2016
Great job.
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dholcomb on August 3, 2016
Thanks. I fly mine almost every day. I am also a great advocate of the Bloody Wonder. I have discovered the foam you can get at Michaels with the plastic coating, not only paints well but is very tough. It is a bit hard to cut (I got through about 4 blades per plane) but worth it. Enjoy...
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Airobatic FT-Flyer Is Here...