FT A-10 - Release!

by FliteTest | January 28, 2019 | (14) Posted in News

The A-10 is out! Build your own Warthog with the newest release from Flite Test.

With an incredible response to the episodes surrounding the A-10 Vs. Tank project, this kit is a direct response to the community's enthusiasm for the A-10 Warthog and requests for it to be made into a kit. Although this model is slightly smaller than the original, it still has the same epic presence in the air and an instantly recognizable look and feel. 

Note about product stock:

Batch #1 sold out extremely quickly (you guys are awesome!) but you can still backorder your kit from batch #2 which is currently in production. It's amazing to think of the community building hundreds of A-10s around the world. 

Order Your own A-10 Here


Free Plans

Free plans can be found and downloaded here for you to scratch build your A-10 without a speedbuild kit:

https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?resources/ft-a-10-warthog.58/


Spec

Wingspan: 60.5 Inches (1537mm) 

Powerpack

Center of Gravity: 2.5 Inches (64mm) back from the leading edge 

Sheets of foam: x9

Landing Gear: Included


Features at a Glance

The FT A-10 is packed with many great features. You can enjoy an authentic foam board recreation of the Fairchild Republic A-10 with all the trimmings. 


It's one of the largest Flite Test kits we've made complete with firewalls, hardware, pushrods, duct formers, landing gear, and wheels. 


With a wingspan of over 60-inches, the wing loading on this foam board RC aircraft is very light meaning that it can carry itself aloft with ease when combined with one of our twin-powerpacks. The flight characteristics are docile, therefore, when you velcro in a 3-cell LiPo and keep your setup nice and lightweight. 


Having said this, when combined with a 4-cell battery, the A-10 can be fully aerobatic. The flight characteristics are like no other RC A-10 out there right now. You have the perfect blend of speed, efficiency and 'floatiness' from the foam board airframe. You can easily get the hang of flying one meaning that the A-10 could be a great second airplane. 


Artic A-10 Operations

To really show you what the FT A-10 has to offer, we decided to put the new kit through its paces with a special mission. After painting his aircraft to resemble a full-on winterized Warthog, Alex took one up for a blast around the Tower in FPV. Check it out. 


Build Video

Here's the full, in-depth build video ft. the Bob Ross of RC airplanes, the one and only Josh Bixler. Check out our Flite Test Tech YouTube channel for more build videos and tutorials. 




Links

Order Your A-10 from the FT Store


Article by James Whomsley

Editor of FliteTest.com

Contact: james@flitetest.com

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/projectairaviation 

COMMENTS

usaserres on January 28, 2019
As said in multiple forum threads and especially since this plane kit has been launched, many of us are really interested in this plane with a more "regular/original" twin motor set up. From what I can see of the wooden pieces, it seems to me that adapting either motor and props (as done with the giant version) or EDF fan should be an easy add-on. FT guys, any info on this possibility? I think this would make this plane tremendously more popular.
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hifinsword on January 31, 2019
I agree with usaserres. I think FT went with this setup IOT keep the price down and provide enough thrust in that price range. Going with prop power thru the ducts will be less thrust unless you want to spend the money for EDFs. Maybe it's possible to get the same thrust thru the ducts as FT's setup by using multirotor motors and props, meaning 4 motors with 4 ESCs? But it more also be more expensive.

To save money I would go with a fore/aft, double motor setup with some multiblade props I already own by cannibalizing my quad motors/blades. I would adapt the motor mount wood pieces to the motor cowls and use fore/aft props with the aft prop using a slightly higher pitch, say a 5x3.5 backed up by a 5x4 prop, and be counter-rotating? I may be wrong with the pitch setup and having props spin counter-rotating.
I said 5in props, but I don't know the diameter of the cowl, but they would be sized appropriately. The other side would be a mirror setup with the front prop spinning in the opposite direction. Otherwise you could probably use 2x 80mm EDFs (roughly $80 each plus $30 each/ESC) but then the price then would be about what FW's bird cost once you added retracts.
Don
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Gryf on January 31, 2019
That was my observation as well... this is a terrific model, but would just look “righter” with EDFs or ducted props. That said, I’d love to add one to my fleet! :-D
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lt130th on January 31, 2019
Really disappointed that this was scaled down. When I received the email that this was available to buy, I hit ludicrous speed to this page, & immediately mashed the buy button without reading a single word. Now I see the kit I'll be getting is a six-foot span, rather than the eight-foot span of the original. I think I'm going to cancel my order.
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lt130th on January 31, 2019
And what's up with hanging props off the leading edge of the wings? If I keep my order, I'll be scrapping every piece of this kit meant for mounting a motor to a wing, and making whatever structural & stability modifications are required for EDF's. My enthusiam for the release of the eight-foot A-10 kit is turning into disdain, more & more, over this truncated substitution.
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Paulvalk63 on February 1, 2019
I can't wait to bild it. It's a great Plane.
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dreamwalker on February 1, 2019
I can't wait until the plans become available. Watching the build video, I was coming up with many detail ideas. The decision to go with a prop drive instead of EDF units was a good compromise. It makes the model accessible to the widest audience possible.
I am disappointed, however, by some of the FT community reactions.
If anyone watched or closely listened to the release video OR the build video, BOTH Josh and Alex said that other power/motor options will be looked into in the future AND they said that anyone can make those modifications on their own if they wished.
I for one am extremely grateful to the whole FT team for making these models available.
I also want to thank James Whomsley for his hard work with these articles. Good on'ya Mate!
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Nemesis69 on February 3, 2019
Flight test you have again done a great job with this build. I love the planes you build! I have built and flown several planes from scratch with your free plans (thank you) and I am now hooked... I build mostly your mini series as I have limited space for plane storage and transport to the local club. Also your Nutball, Flyer,Delta and Bloody Wonder are also good small planes with wingspans under 30". I know one of your contributors has built a small A-10 with twin engines. Its a great looking plane but I would like a simpler motor setup. I would love to see a mini version of your A-10 with either a push or pull single engine or if double motor, small ones like the double "A series" or double "F series" power packs. Either way something under 30" wingspan. The A-10 has a special place in my heart as the former air base here used to be home to a squadron. Maybe you already tinkered with a smaller version... Would love it if you could share it! One last thing I wanted to tell you all at FT, you have inspired me to return to the hobby after 25 years away... This is a fun, creative and cheap way to fly. I started back with a cheap Flysky transmitter/receiver, a $20 motor, ESC, prop combo, a tattu lipo, Dollar tree foam boards, spray adhesive, bbq skewers and Office Depot B&W printed FT plans. So I was flying for less than $100 when in my day a transmitter alone was over $100 let alone along with a balsa kit, covering, engine, tank...etc. Keep up the good work and I hope to visit Ohio with my family when you get the Flight Park finished!
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edster7 on February 7, 2019
Im well through the build on the speed build kit and I am planning on putting on the three wheel land gear (not the two wheel body slide landing kit). However, I just realized maybe i built too far into the build video to be able to utilize the three wheel landing gear. Anyone know the story on where to get the build pans for the three wheel landing gear build?
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Rairighd on February 9, 2019
I’m new to the site. Where do I find the plans to build this along with other planes?
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Calab on March 15, 2019
They arent out yet.

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OliverSlade on March 14, 2019
It looks to me like you could just add a simple 3 prong motor mount in the middle of the duct mounts and toss in a cheap 5 inch quad motor set. The ducts would fit 5 inchers perfectly.
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Calab on March 15, 2019
Hey Guys, Here are the plans:
https://images.amain.com/images/resources/FLT-1063/Build%20Plans/3-%20FT%20A-10%20Tiled%20A%20Plans.pdf
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Mr.Flyguy on February 2, 2021
-BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT-
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FT A-10 - Release!