FT Storch Coroplast version

Introduction

Hello everyone!

To start let me introduce myself, my name is Jean-Baptiste aka Jeanbat, I'm French and I'm 23 years old. I make model airplanes since I was 11 years old and I am a fan of the show on Flite Test.
For my first article on this site, I'd like to present an original project: an FT Simple Storch made with “Coroplast”.
For those unfamiliar with this material, it is a bit like cardboard, but plastic, and so much more resistant and rigid. In France it is often used as a building license or as advertising panel (so we can get it for free for our models).

Here we go!

The construction

Of course I first printed the plan, that stage is not very exciting ...

I did not say, but cutting the Coroplast has an interesting feature, it’s easy to do some solids folds or hinges using this kind of homemade tool:

This is actually two carpet cutter blades, spaced about 1 mm, which allow to remove just a plastic thickness, as in this picture:

Which directly gives us a strong articulation:

Once this is mastered, we can cut and prepare the different pieces of the model:

Then begins the different steps like the foam version of flite test:

Hint: sometimes Coroplast does not necessarily folds like we wanted, we can then add foam boards in order to guide the folding:

Then you can made the wing, still doing this like Flite Test, but being careful with the different thickness of the material, it must be taken into account in the cuts of the foams longerons.
(You can see that I get my Coroplast in a French sports shop :P)

In order to strengthen the attachment between the two half wings, I added two “wings keys” (we call it like that in France…), I think it is a little stronger than Flite test solution ;)

Then we can close the wings and glue them together with a template to always have the correct dihedral:

Here then another change I made:
I do not use the power pod, so I stuck a 5 mm ply wood engine support , with hardwood reinforcements. These reinforcements also serve as support for the battery and for magnets in order to have a removable cover on the front:

With this change I am sure that my battery and motor support is strong, and I can set up my battery on the plane without returning it.
Then we glue the underside of the fuselage:

And presto! Go for an evening painting!

Then construction of the landing gear:

And servo installation:

I do not like to set my wings with rubber bands, mine is secure with two screws:

Maiden

Now it's time for the first flight,
The plane is about 1 313 grams in flight order, with leds and extra battery for night flying.

The story of the first flight:
My "corostorch" has quietly taken off over a 10 meters groin ...

As expected, it flies quietly Mid gas (my engine is about 300W), in fact I have never risen above mid gas, even taking off!

After a few low passes to the camera man, I take the altitude to test the flaps. First click ... wow it climbs, a small pass then test the second step (the flaps are now almost 80 °) it does not climb much more but it slows a lot, I almost stall.

An easy touch and go then the following pass I landed, it's cold and I do not know about the battery tension ...
I was afraid to bounce back with the not amortized landing gear but actually everything is okay, it happens slowly enough to have time to aim and flare.

Here's the video of the first flight:

After the first flight, I printed and added a glass roof:

CONCLUSION:

Thank those who read me, and excuse me for my English mistakes :)
I hope that this subject will interest you and that you will discover an interesting building material (especially for combat aircrafts :P)
If you have any questions do not hesitate, I'm interested in your feedback on this first article.

Jeanbat.