FT Simple Soarer - BUILD

by FliteTest | November 4, 2013 | (52) Posted in How To

FTScratchBuild

The Speed Build Kit is available in our web store!

FREE Build Plans:
FT Simple Soarer [ FULL SIZE ]
FT Simple Soarer [ TILED ]

For recommended electronics: Click here

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COMMENTS

liveyourdreamsRC on November 4, 2013
Very Cool! loved the build off- you should do somethings similar to this format. Can't wait for the kraken as well. Keep it up FT!
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91shadowrider on November 4, 2013
Still impatiently waiting for the Kraken...
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enivid on November 5, 2013
Hey there, what's kraken?
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lracnolip on November 8, 2013
Ya a Kraken build would be cool
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psguardian on November 10, 2013
giant sized FT versa IIRC?
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ESS075 on November 4, 2013
How did you attach a high start hook? Where exactly should it be placed?
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Christopher14 on January 28, 2014
I attached a pice of copper bent into the shape of a hook 1inch ( 25mm ) in front of the hole in the towing nose, using hotglue. It works good so far.

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Kael87 on November 5, 2013
Loved the tow free energie system at end of the video :-)
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Ben Presten on November 5, 2013
You should definatly tow this with the FT duster or baby blender.
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Bur_Lion on November 5, 2013
Excellent kit! I have always been interested in one question. What kind of hot glue gun do you use?
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Bur_Lion on November 5, 2013
oh/ you say it on video... THX... :))))
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gremlin88 on June 5, 2014
Specifically, it is a surebonder that you can buy at hobby lobby.
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bomber406 on February 5, 2015
I just bought a 6 lb. box from amazon for $30. That's 110 10" sticks. It's a little over kill but that is dirt cheap.
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grifflyer on September 3, 2016
nowadays the adtech pro 200
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Coilair on November 5, 2013
Very nice job on the build. A+. Would really like to see a DLG glider produced. I know this my be an impossible request, but it's mine.

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tramsgar on November 5, 2013
Tow string, plastic bag, dog and frisbee NOT included in the speed build kit.
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Latubi on November 5, 2013
Hmm, I'm thinking of adding ailerons, flaps and v-tail to this.. bad idea?
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jerimiah85 on November 5, 2013
I built mine with flaps and it is amazing. 6inch flaps my 2inches deep works well. I was able to get my 125% ft flyer to take this thing up with no problems today. Vtail I'm not sure of tho. Happy flying.
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psguardian on November 10, 2013
V-tail would be more draggy than the T-tail. You'll lose more speed due to needing movement of both surfaces for every control input. That said, it should be easily done if you prefer the design.
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Christopher14 on January 28, 2014
I also added flaps, 7 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches, and it slows down to a crawl.

I would recommend putting the flaps on the throttle stick. Just plug the servo you are using for the flaps into the throttle slot in the receiver, just make shore that when the throttle is on full the flaps are up, and when the throttle is chopped the flaps are down.
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NewFlier02 on January 27, 2016
a v-tail is more for glider races because of the more control surface area so if you want this for a racer, add flaps,ailerons and a v-tail as this will give you more conrol

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CUFC on November 5, 2013
Does anyone think that this thing could be towed by a FT Duster? I think the duster might be a bit small...
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jordy123 on December 10, 2015
Then again the simple soarer is lightweight.
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RustyMustard on November 5, 2013
What about plans for the beast David was flying? That's what i've been waiting for, show us David's beast!
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Jsut210 on November 5, 2013
Next design a foam DLG!!!
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jerimiah85 on November 5, 2013
This glider is a scaled up version of the OSG glider from rc groups. Wing cord is wider but same design. Very fun glider. I use my pod on my OSG the same shown here. Good work flitetest.
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connorardo on November 5, 2013
has anybody counted how many time josh said "simply"?
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Splat01 on November 5, 2013
Haha, yeah.
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SilverWolvie on November 5, 2013
Damn awesome !! nice design :)
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apnewton on November 5, 2013
Great design, and the dog was brilliant. More gliders please.
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RCboys on November 6, 2013
i'm going to make this cool glider!!!!!!!
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sailorJohn on November 7, 2013
Terrific build video ,one of your best , I liked how you developed on previous designs. I believe this is the first time you've stressed down thrust . I find this is necessary on most of my builds to obtain level flight through various throttle settings without pgm 'ing the trs. Now how about a simple combat plane , prop protected in the center (bent shafts) capable of towing a 30 ft streamer.. to promote club activity
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FixedRotor on November 7, 2013
Is the simple soarer able to support fpv like, say, a bixler would?
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mrlouigi3 on November 10, 2013
Hey, just took my Simple Soarer out for it's maiden this morning. It is AMAZING! I have only been flying since september and have destroyed three planes in crashes before even getting up in the air. I launched this one off of a High Start (Mounted the hook @ the CG ESS075) and had a bunch of crash free flights. It did everything I wanted it to, and it was a dream to fly. I was even able to land it without the slightest damage. Thanks Josh and Flitetest crew for an awesome plane and the best show on YouTube. Also, thanks for the dog tow idea. I have two that could use something to do while Im flying.
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psguardian on November 17, 2013
So what is the approx air-frame weight on this one? (no electronics)
I know a lot of the swappables have been run on 2200 3s, could this guy carry the extra weight?

~psguardian
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Christopher14 on January 28, 2014
The 2200 3s would ( to put it bluntly ) make this thing fly like a rock. Keeping it as light as possible is defiantly the way to go.

I use a minimal amount of hotglue in the tail and a 650mah Li-Po battery in the nose, 5g servos and this thing flies for ever.
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Christopher14 on January 28, 2014
And the rough airframe weight is around 310 grams.
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Spacemonkeykj on July 8, 2015
I flew the simple soarer on a 3s 1300 mah and it flew fine. My guess is it won't do as well with a 2200.
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Hell2Go on November 24, 2013
Did anyone notice the plane on the table behind Josh? That is a sneek peek of the next plane being released!
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Billbo911 on December 4, 2013
For anyone building this and wanting to cut the 4 deg. downthrust into the power pod, it is quite simple. Just remove 2.5mm from the bottom front of the pod and taper the sides up to the top corners to match.

Here is the math. tan 4 = X/36mm X= tan 4/ 36, X = 2.5mm
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Christopher14 on December 9, 2013
How many millimeters is the CG from the leading edge?
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Daniel Kezar on December 12, 2017
just try it under the spar. maybe a bit towards the front of it.
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Christopher14 on December 16, 2013
Starting at 34:20 it gets to be hilarious!
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Ceramic on January 1, 2014
Hi guys
Really, really nice video on this wonderful glider. I am trying to build it together with my son (8 years old) and hoping it will be the plane for him to learn how to fly RC.
When working out the plans on scale, I noticed that the spars are not drawn on the plans, the length should be the same as the shorter part of the wing on the plan, however the width is not mentioned anywhere (from the video I guess it to be about 1 inch), also the hight is not clear (it appears to be two layers of 5mm foam board). Can anyone confirm this please (ceramic999@gmail.com)?

I am quite possitive the we can complete the glider, the plan and the build video are really good, thanks Josh, keep them comming like this !!!

Greetings Ton.
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Ceramic on January 10, 2014
Ahhhh stupid me, the spars ARE drawn of course, they are just drawn directly to the wing and not separately.... Sorry guys.

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Maurice on January 1, 2014
Anyone having any specs, mine end up being a massive 700 grams (w/o battery) which is way to much in my opion. Might save a bit of weight when I use a ubec instead of a heavy 25A broken esc with battery adapter (BEC still works :P).... But ill need to ad more weight to balance it...... Anyone tried using the 3mm foamboard instead?
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Christopher14 on January 28, 2014
I think your scale is broken, or you use a TON of hotglue.

Mine came out at 320 grams without the battery.
I used 4.8g servos a small UBEC and receiver that weighs 7g
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hele559 on January 13, 2014
where do I find a 2 amp UBEC, i can find a 3 amp from hobbyking, it this the correct one??
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Christopher14 on January 28, 2014
Any UBEC will work for this glider.
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Babinator on February 10, 2014
In the build Josh mentions (and closeups reveal) that he cut off the last hole on the servo arm(s?). Why? He doesn't cover it specifically so I'm assuming it is something that is well known. I failed to notice this while doing my build. I used the second hole from the tip on both servo arms and it seems like I have excessive throws which I can not correct in plane without doing some major retro work on my fuselage. It seems like perhaps the third hole from the tip would have been correct. I'm an absolute noob (zero flight seconds recorded to date). I hope that I can account for this in my transmitter setup (don't have a transmitter yet...waiting on shipment from HK).

Why was the last hole cut off the servo arm?

Can I make allowances for excessive throws in my transmitter setup?

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gremlin88 on May 21, 2014
If the last hole wasn't cut off, the servo arm would hit the other servo.
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Daniel Kezar on December 12, 2017
mine doesnt hit. i am using the servos that come with the power pack B.
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oldflyer on February 26, 2014
I scratch built a Simple Soarer with some modifications. I built the wing with a small amount of dihedral and added 1 1/2" ailerons with a servo each. I modified the fuselage by building the non powered pod with a firewall for a Emax "red" motor. The plane balances with a 1300 mah 3 cell battery with no added weight. It flies beyond my expectations. The wing is definitely a 'High lift" type and it had no trouble catching "uplift" on a very cloudy cold day (no thermals!). The reason I used a servo per aileron is that I wanted to camber the wing with the flaperons--which makes the wing more efficient and results in longer flight times. The two piece fuselage is a great idea as if you severely damage the pod, it is easy to build a replacement. I am truly amazed at the performance of the $2.00 foam board sailplane and plan to use this technology to build other types of gliders/sailplanes. Thanks Flite Test!!
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sheldonc on April 2, 2014
Just finished building and flying the SS as a motor-glider. I used Trackskid's power pod mod, buipding it with 4 extra inches. Balances good with a 3s 1100 battery just in front of the leading edge of the wing. I used the standard glider nose pod and just trimmed it a little. Works great. Using a blue wonder with 8" folding prop. Need to get it up on a less gusty day, as we've got 15 steady, gusting to 25! The gusts made it a bit exciting when near the big oaks surrounding my field!
In case of a tumble, it seems the narrow point of the tail is the point of failure. I lightly glued a skewer along the bottom as a stiffener.
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camading625 on June 11, 2014
Does anyone know if this requires servo extensions, t wasn't mentioned in the build, but I'm not sure, is the fit really tight wthout them?
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Daniel Kezar on December 12, 2017
no, you do not need servo extensions.
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webdragon on July 10, 2014
Are there any plans for the tow hook you used in the challenge?
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jamesdavid on July 14, 2014
Hi -- I am very new to this hobby wanting to build this as a first plane. However I cannot find information on a suitable motor. The suggested motor is "MOTOR (Option 1) - "Blue Wonder" 2712-12 24g" but it is out of stock at the linked vendor and strangely I cannot find any other vendors or even a data sheet on this. What type of motor should I be looking for and what type of specifications?

Thanks in advance.

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Roswell426 on September 11, 2014
My model has a weight issue or a scale issue...Where did Maurice(above, same issue) and I go wrong??? I have cut out the parts, and put them on the scale, and with just the foam board it weighs 460 grams. The electronics (battery, receiver, speed control, 3 servos, motor and prop) add another 142 grams. I will be about 700 grams when it is done... just like Maurice.

I bought 3 sheets of foam board from Walmart: Elmer's Acid-Free Foam Board, 20" x 30" x 3/16" polystyrene. Is this stuff too heavy? Or did I build it too big? The wings are 29" x 8" each, and weigh 170 grams (just foam - 150 grams for each wing, and 20 more grams for the folded foam support that is inside each wing)

Any guidance would be appreciated! At least I caught the issue before I assemble it.
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Beetlebeetle on February 17, 2015
Hi

Not sure you got a reply on this. Never never use Elmers Foam board to build FT planes. They will look fantastic but they won't fly. The Elmer's foam is much too heavy.

The best foam board I've found is Adam's from Dollartree. It is very light, nice and rigid and the paper peels off very easily if needed.

Have fun!
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cj_ace5 on November 8, 2014
I act racha build this, I don't have any electronics it any can't seen to balance it for a regular toss glider I need help
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Daniel Kezar on December 12, 2017
stick a TON of plain old no dry modelling clay (like playdough) in the nose until it balances like in the build video. CG is just under the spar maybe a bit forwards of the spar.
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Maximilian Galovic on January 4, 2015
Can I still use this plane without electronics?
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epic on January 16, 2015
You should could! You couldn't control it, but it would be fun just to throw around :)
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Justin on April 16, 2015
How many sheets of foam board do you need?
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Blue02tj on April 22, 2015
I think I did it with 3 sheets.
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BluBunnyRC on June 6, 2015
99% positive it takes up 2.5 sheets of dtfb.
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wayne west on May 22, 2015
We modified the Simple Soarer design by adding a 6" prop mounted above and in front of the wing to be able to launch and sustain flight without using a Hi - Start system. Also the high mounted mtr/prop are less likely to be damaged in a nose-down, rough landing. It flies beautifully from the first toss. Would recommend this modification if anyone is looking to add a little power. It is slow and steady, great for a beginner like me. Looks majestic in the air, like watching an eagle soar. Have several pix if anyone is interested.
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Jerryf on August 24, 2016
could you send a link to the pix. My first SS lasted a long time but Iwas always plagued with rough landings and motor crashes. I would like to try a pylon mounted motor and your approach sounds just right.
Thanks for sharing.
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Slowfly on May 25, 2015
Very good and easy to build glider.if you try build this with depron use 6mm instead of 3mm depron sheet.
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sammydee71 on May 28, 2015
can you chuck this glider without the electronics?
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BluBunnyRC on June 6, 2015
As long as it's balanced well it should be fine. If really want to get some distance out of it, do a high start or bungee launch.
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michaelminer20 on August 30, 2015
Will this fly with a 2200 mAh battery from Turnigy? (I am worried about the weight).
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jordy123 on December 10, 2015
Rocket, tape, repeat!
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Wildblue2u on January 19, 2016
Has anyone had aft CG issues? It is taking a lot of weight to get CG correct. Am I doing something wrong or is there a solution that does require what seems to be an excessive amount of weight to the nose. Using power pack B with 500mW 3s battery. Have battery as far forward as possible. Would extending power pod forward create a longer arm forward of the CG and reduce need for more weight with a shorter arm?


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dezzed on February 20, 2016
Yeah, me too. With either the glider nose or the power pack B and a 1000 mW battery, the CG is way behind the indicated balance points. It takes another 55 g to get the CG in the ballpark. Does that sound right to anybody?
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Dave Brown on May 3, 2016
I think you're on right path. I saw in comments somewhere here or in power pod comments where they talked about adding 2" . Maybe a larger battery?
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Daniel Kezar on December 12, 2017
mW battery? I thought we measured in mah?.... well anyways i have a 1Ah (1000mah) nanotech battery and it doesnt weigh it down enough in the nose. i might have to add some clay.

CG is right under the spar, correct? towards the front of the spar?
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FabFlight on January 21, 2016
Hi,
The link to the "tiled plan" seems to be broken.
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soryn on June 10, 2016
I just build this playn , its spetacular ,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OqEk0ZNEh4
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soryn on June 11, 2016
after first flite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIBwbPVzrUo
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OceanicOpps on July 24, 2016
Has anyone put a wood spar in this? I fear I'll break the wing trying to save a deep dive while teaching my kids.
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soryn on September 22, 2016
yes, I did
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P66rYyb5N7Y&feature=youtu.be
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wanabeRCexpert on November 4, 2016
what power pack would you use?
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Daniel Kezar on December 12, 2017
B or C. B for more of a motor glider. C for more powa!!!
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ganstagranny on September 6, 2017
do you print it on a4 or a3 paper for the scratch build?
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Daniel Kezar on December 12, 2017
A4 is closest to the standard 8.5 by 11 inch copy/print paper. A3 is quite a bit bigger so if you wanted a smaller plane you could use that.
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Daniel Kezar on December 12, 2017
I just built one. i might build another because the one i just did didn't turn out too good. I messed up a bit with the fuselage.
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PLTW-Teacher on September 3, 2018
I'm teaching about aerodynamics in PLTW class and as a project we are building gliders, supplies are at a minimal, what size sheet of foam core is needed to build the simple soarer?
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noobinRC on July 15, 2021
Can anyone tell me the thickness of the foam they are using ?
thankyou in advance
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FT Simple Soarer - BUILD