Three Strikes - FT Flyer

by RoyBro | July 5, 2013 | (6) Posted in Just Fun

This short video documents my second maiden attempt, this time with a scratch built FT Flyer. In spite of where the plane ended up, I have to say it was a far more successful maiden than my previous attempt with a Nutball.
http://flitetest.com/articles/maiden-flight-of-the-nut-job.

After a dismal takeoff and immediate crash, I switched from an 8x6 prop and 3s battery to a 9x4.7 prop and a 2s battery. That seemed to make all the difference.

Enjoy the video. More details after.

Here are the promised details:

Plane - FT Flyer scratch build from Flite Test plans
Motor - EMAX DF2822 1200kv
ESC - Hobby King Red Brick
Prop - Gemfan 9x4.7 slowfly
Battery - ZIPPY Compact 500mAh 25c 2s LiPo

Music - "Centerfield" instrumental version
performed by The Hit Co.

The camera I used was a Contour Roam2 on a headband mount. I like this setup for this kind of shooting because the camera sits to the side of my head instead of on top. After a few minutes, I forget it's there.

 

 

- Find this article & others like it at www.FliteTest.com -

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COMMENTS

Jimmy the Heater on July 9, 2013
You are doing pretty darn good for self teaching. Couple of suggestions tho. Walking out in the middle of the field might help with the plane eating trees and are you using your dual rates? If not, switch your radio on over to them and that might help with the over controlling.
Hope you got it out of the tree ok and best of luck on future flights!
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RoyBro on July 10, 2013
I noticed my positioning when I reviewed the video, which is turning out to be an invaluable training too. I plan to video every flying session, regardless of whether I intend to post the subsequent video.

Unfortunately I paid more attention to expos than to dual rates. After I got the plane back down, I saw that the throws were too great in all modes. So I'm going to adjust the limits and then put more colored tape on the plane to make it a bit easier to track.. And spot in the tree tops.
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Milk Man 1954 on July 9, 2013
I feel for ya. This how my flights have gone with the Flyer and Nutball. not giving up tho. my friends and I keep a long bamboo pole at the park to get our planes down. lol
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RoyBro on July 10, 2013
I was laughing the rest of the day, thinking of the Flite Test episode about getting a plane out of a tree. The most elegant solution, trained squirrels, wasn't an option at the time. It was too high to reach with a tree saw, and it was the 4th of July, so I doubt the Fire Department would look at a request such as this with any sort of humor. Of course I could have told them that I thought the lipo was about to burst into flame... Probably not a good idea. I could have tried a power washer, but that requires, of all things, a water source.

In the end, the usual afternoon storm came through and dislodged it enough for it to fall to a lower branch. I was then able to reach it with the tree pole saw (sans saw blade of course).

The lipo was discharged enough that I had to use one of the recovery methods to get it to charge. Luckily, it was only about a half volt too low, so I don't think it was damaged too much, if at all. Regardless, it now sports a nice big "X", and sleeps in the lipo safe bag.

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johanjonker on July 12, 2013
All birds nest in trees, so does my FPV planes.. I have a record for being stuck in trees... 27 now, and one, my ft cruiser is still stuck..
But I'm a sucker for a gap between trees :)

I use a sling shot to get some of mine down.. But I have manage to get them stuck well over 100ft up..
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RoyBro on August 12, 2013
I thought about using a pressure washer to knock it down, but I would have had to have several long hoses strung together as well as a long extension cord. I don't know anybody who has to haul drinking water out to their home in the country, or that would have been an option with a power inverter.
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Zatoichi on August 11, 2013
Supa cool Roy! Looking good bro. Stars for you good sir!
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nickatredbox on August 14, 2013
Looks like some of my flights mate
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BuckE67 on August 15, 2013
Looks like you had a little breeze going against you too. Good video!
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Three Strikes - FT Flyer