FT Explorer (Twin Boom Design)- Part 4

Hi Flite Test Community!

The plane is beginning to take shape! This is part four of the build series. This part deals with the installation of the electronics to give this plane life!

Electronic and power set up:

Motor : Turnigy L2210-1400 Bell Style Motor (210w)

Servos: X3 Turnigy TG9d 9 gram servos

Reciever/Flight controller: OrangeRX RX3S 3-Axis Flight Stabilizer V2

Battery: Zippy 2200Mah 3s Battery

The First thing worked on was the power pod. I took the Ft Explorer boom and cut it to a reasonable size for the power pod. After, I measured out the face where motor mount was going to rest, from foam board and reinforced it with an old plastic credit card. I also reinforced the sidesof the powerpod and motor firewall with pieces popsicle sticks.

Cuting out the Powerpod.

Motor mounted to power pod.

Once the power pod completed and motor was mounted, it was now to focus on the wing mounts that were made from 1/4 inch wooden dowels. The rear dowel was also to fasten the motor power pod to the fuselage. The mounts were later reinforced with squared out pieces of plastic credit card.

I cut out the area which will later serve for the FPV platform.

Once the Fuselage intallations were complete, It was now to focus on the wing and booms.

Firstly the servos were installed in the wings.

fishing the servo leads though the wing with string,

Completed installation of servos.

Once the servos were installed, Control rods were made using BBQ Skewers , paper clips and heat shrink tubing. The paper clips were strightened , cut to length , Z bend made and then held on with crazy glue then heat strink tubing was shrunk over them. After it was cut to length and installed to the servo and control horns made from credit cards.

bending wires in to z bends

adding Heat shrink over the skewer and z bend.

Rods cut to length.

Completed connections.

The same was also done for the Elevator.

Once all this was done , It was to test the systems, weight and balance ,add the decals and done! The planeis now ready for its maiden.

This year, May 30th (2017), Anguilla will be celerating 50 years of the Anguilla Revolution and thought the war like- warbird scheme would be fitting to celebrate this occasion.

Instead of the star which makes up the US air force insignia, I replaced it with the dolphins that make up the flag of Anguilla. The two flags on the rudder of the plane are used as Anguilla's flags. The White and blue one with the dolphins were used during the Anguilla Revolution in 1967, and the one with the Birtish Flag came later on.