FT LongEZ - Release!

by FliteTest | September 13, 2018 | (16) Posted in News

FTScratchBuild

There's a new Flite Test airplane kit in town, and it's called the FT LongEZ.

Designed for absolute simplicity, this new foam board airplane can be built extremely quickly and be in the air before you know it. The LongEZ is for "bank and yank" RC flying. This means that it's super simple, using just two servos for the elevons. Even if you don't want to install electronics, this RC model can be assembled as a super fun chuck glider. If you want to go down the RC route, simply throw in a motor, ESC, and two servos from Power Pack A.


What you need

FT LongEZ Kit

Power Pack A

Hot Glue Sticks

Pro Hot Glue Gun


Free Plans

Coming Soon (on this page)


Journey from Free Flight to RC

Building the FT LongEZ is as simple as it gets. One sheet of foam is all you'll need if you're cutting this out of our favorite Flite Test Water Resistant Foam Board. If you're using Adam's standard Readi Board, you'll be able to make the LongEZ for as little as $1. How cool is that? 


If you're an absolute beginner to airplanes, either RC or free flight, making your own LongEZ is a good way in. Using your components, you can learn the simplest of techniques needed to make any of our Flite Test airplane designs.


With some balancing and a few adjustments to the control surfaces, you can throw your newly completed model skyward and watch it soar. Flying with friends is always fun, no matter how high or low tech you make it. It's surprising how fun a game of airplane catch can be!


After exploring free flight, you can very easily install some electronics to power your airplane. Unlike some other designs, the LongEZ makes retrofitting a breeze. 


If you bang up an old airframe, no need to worry! A new one could cost as little as $1. You could also order a few speed build kits at a time to keep the flying going strong. 


The FT LongEZ Story

The origins of this new Speed Build Kit comes from our fantastic FT STEM. We wanted to design a few simple, slot-together chuck glider kits for the kids who attend classes, the events we run (like Flite Fest) and school clubs. We have some other chuck gliders, with a few looking more like fighter jets, but the LongEZ has always been popular.

Alex has always been a fan of Burt Rutan, the famous aerospace designer behind projects like SpaceShip 1 and the Rutan Voyager. The Rutan Model 61 Long-EZ is an airplane designed by Rutan back in the 1970s. It has canards and a fighter-shaped fuselage. In short, it looks pretty cool, so Alex decided to take a shot at converting the glider to RC. It shows how going from free flight to powered flight is in this plane's DNA! 


Josh saw the potential in Alex's simple mod and went about producing a full kit for the airplane. As with all of our planes, we're also releasing a set of free plans (coming soon) so that you can cut out your own plane. However, if you want to save some time, support Flite Test and have some super nice laser cut parts to work with, you can always buy a Speed Build Kit


Building an FT LongEZ


We want to see your FT LongEZ airplanes. Make sure to post pictures of them in the official Flite Test Fans group on Facebook!


Article by James Whomsley

Editor of FliteTest.com

Contact: james@flitetest.com

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/projectairaviation

COMMENTS

buddyro8500 on September 16, 2018
Josh it's the 16th where are those plans buddy.. ready to build😎👷🛬🛫🛬
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homey on September 16, 2018
This one: https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/sp0nz-plans-index.17136/


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Thorondor95 on September 13, 2018
I've been waiting to build a Larrymobile (look it up) for some time, and this kit could easily be modified for it!
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stephen.guest@hotmail.co.uk on September 16, 2018

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Nebraskatrevor on September 16, 2018
Mine is done and it flies great as a glider, now my son is building the powered version. Wish I could post a pic here!
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Damig on September 21, 2018
Building one on the “Fly” and like Josh n Alex said, “ make it your own. Just did the throw and glide thing for CG, and now to add motor and a little paint. Thought about making the fuselage with a disposable 20 oz cup as a “crushable Nose Replacement piece.” See the photo below. I’ll post a maiden when that happens. Just wired up a motor and was able to bind it all as flapp-er-on. Brother Project on a Rainey day. He owned a Varieze at one point in his flying career. See ya in TEXAS!

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Pjb on December 12, 2018
Why could Josh not just refined Alex's design with the Gremlin motor????!!!!!
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zeekdude200378 on September 13, 2018
Where would I find the Tiled Plans for the Long EZ?????
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daspunner on September 13, 2018
Nowhere at the moment. You'll have to wait 3 days to the 16:th of September. Then i believe they will be at this page: https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/sp0nz-plans-index.17136/


/D
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buddyro8500 on September 16, 2018
where r they

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jtude1313 on September 14, 2018
The button for the LongEZ promised plans, BUT no plans found. ? ? ?
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djdazzy on September 15, 2018
Tomorrow 16th September is the release date
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homey on September 16, 2018
Follow the link above, they're there. Just printed!
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aidan127 on September 16, 2018
how i went to the link it still says coming soon
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homey on September 16, 2018
daspunner reply above.
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MPep on January 9, 2019
What is the foam size used? Yes, I realise that scaling is possible, but for printing out and sticking on directly :-)
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buddyro8500 on September 16, 2018

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daoudie on June 2, 2019
where are the plans?
And where can you get a remote?
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Marioacosta on April 4, 2020
We’re is the Receiver and transmitter
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flyhigh2077 on November 26, 2020
Hello All ,
I have now decided to build the longEZ RC model . I have already 1 1000KV motor , 1045 dimensions props and 2 servos . can you please let me know whether we can build the RC plane with these RC parts or should purchase the motor and props mentioned only to this prototype ?
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FT LongEZ - Release!