BackPack FT 3D

As the next step for your BackPack Spitfire, this is the BackPack FT 3D!

You always wanted to have a small 3D airplane with lots of power, medium size, capable to fly off a 3cell? Furthermore it should be easy to transport and small for storage, but you can´t get this on the market?

Here you can build or even convert your custom fitted FT 3D into a small model with removable wings, a carbon spar for reinforcement and wings that are as stiff or even better than the original ones with balsa. Have you got your foamboard ready to start up? …

As always, take your speedbuildkit or cut the parts yourself. Here in Germany I can´t get ´the real foamboard´and so I´ll be using depron in the following. Use some tape for your bendings and reinforce holes you´ve cut, that works great for me.

You can already start building the fuselage but do not cut the holes for the servos underneath the wings and leave out the front plate above your powerpod. That is going to make working on the plane much easier.

Now, take your wings and glue in the spars. Get a long drinking straw, a little wider than the carbon tubing you want to use. I found an 8mm straw and put a 6mm carbon spar into it.

Make some space in the middle of the spar and glue it in, than score it on the top so that it can crumble when you fold the wings.
 

Cut the balsa spar in half or take two of them to increase stability. Line it up with the fuselage-connection and glue it in.

Use a small drill to drill a hole in the center of the balsa spar. It´s easier to place the drinking-straw close to the leading edge and then make your connection.

Now, shift you wings into the fuselage and wide the cut holes if needed. If you did everything right, the wings should line up perfectly and be as well as parallel. Take some thick wire of your landing gear and bend it so it connects both holes perfectly. Give it a very little V-shape so that it pulls on both halves when you plug it in. Finally use a file to make the alignment of the wooden spars a little easier.

On the next picture, the power pod is already installed. I cut a small hole into its bottom to get access to the lock system. On the right I fastened a small piece of Velcro. With another piece on the left it secures the hook in its position.

 Finally place your servos underneath the wings and connect them to you receiver when you set up your plane.

And there you go! Now fasten the top motor plate and install your prop. I used colored tape for the decales and a ´standard´swappable landing gear. Whenever you want to store it in a small shelf or want to ride flying by bike, wings can be removed in only a few seconds. Enjoy!

 As always: Please rate, comment and share. I'd like to hear about your thoughts...