This might be a fun way to see what people really think about Flite Test... Well lets just say when I first saw their videos I was not really impressed. Here was a couple of guys taking nice airplanes and crashing them. To me a plane was a treasured item. I was upset about this... Well let's move the clock forward to present day. I now see where they were going with Flite Test and now have come to enjoy their videos and really enjoy their designs. I used to fly Balsa planes with gas motors.
I was never really comfortable with it. I could fly but was always on edge for every flight, afraid I would mess up my plane if I "Landed it with style".
Several years back I was introduced into the Electric Foamy World by Flite Test and I have not looked back. Yes I still have my favorite planes
but now they are made out of Dollar Tree Foam Board and I am no longer flying on edge. The cost of the airframe is minimal with a short build time. Flight characteristics and flight times are equal to the "Gasser" planes but with no clean up after a day of flying. Yes the initial cost of the batteries is high but when compared to $30 to $40 for a gallon of fuel it balances out quickly. Back to the foam planes... like I said, they are cheap to build and I enjoy building them.
I never thought that foam would stand up to my flying abilities. I look back on some of the foamy planes I have built and see an improved progression in my building techniques. I have went back and re-built several of my earlier planes but built them in the Flite Test way. They look better, fly better and last longer. Maybe why... I'm not as worried about what happens to the plane which has made me a much better pilot and more relaxed. I still get the knees shaking every once in awhile when I "Dumb Thumb" one of them in
but I just pull out the Hot Glue gun and melt it back together and if it is too tore up I either build a new one
or donate the electrics to another FT Design that catches my eye. I just want to say Thanks the Flite Test Crew for making this hobby fun again for me... Keep them coming Guys! I look forward to the next plane released from Flite Test. Chime in with your thoughts about Flite Test, I would be interested in what they are...
Lee Chamberlin Sr. aka Mudman1959
Pun Jet... Fast and Agile! Maybe a bit too much as it donated it's parts to another plane.
Storch #1... It flew fo almost a year. Made many mods and repairs to it.
The Explorer with its twin noses
The Versa... A fast little animal
The Fun Bat... My Son destroyed this one into the corn
Storch #2 with all the mods
Look familiar? It should... once a Bushwaker, now a Tri Pacer
The Beast... The Kraken twisted and turned into the Northrup N9M-B
Storch #1 in its better days
Life is good, thanks to the entire FT crew, and FliteFest is the annual celebration of that!
Mudman, I see you are located just north of Climax Michigan. You are just a stones-throw away from me, well, if you can throw a stone about 60 miles. I live just East of Benton Harbor and mostly fly my planes on my small 10 acre farm. We should get together next summer and have a fly-in.
FTWingnut
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Mudman1959
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http://1drv.ms/1OiQJyT
Build a Tiny Trainer that had a malfunctioning motor, and have added floats for snow, and water next year. Waiting for a nice day to re-maiden that one.
http://1drv.ms/1Joy0uq
I've built a Mini Scout, and the Swappable Messerschmitt Bf109 by ultramicrobe, that is just about finished:
http://1drv.ms/1OiQOm9
Also, I have just cut out the pieces for the Mini Sportster last night. I am hooked on building, and having so much fun!
I got an extra Turnigy TGY-i6 transmitter (great, inexpensive transmitter) and buddy cable, and am planning on teaching my grandkids about flight as a couple of them are very interested! (PASS IT ON) Probably hook their dad too!
Thank you Flite Test for making this possible... :-)
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After watching the original F22 video I started figuring out how all of the electronics worked (ESC with BEC is way cool) and started collecting parts.
I scratch built a F22 tweaking the plans to fit materials I could source locally and had a blast. I've scratch built several FT designs from the free tiled plans as well as some stuff from RC Groups.
I'm now getting into multi-rotor and I'm still eager to watch the FT videos as they post on Mon / Wed.
Thanks guys!
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Without Flight Test I'm sure that RC Flying would still just be a dream for me.
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Though my first plane this summer, after many hours of Flitetest viewing, was a Hubsan SpyHawk RTR, wreaked beyond repair three times, flying horribly (aka me stering ;-) ), the most fun one was my "IKEA Guinea". A mini-Guinea made out of a large IKEA book shelf packaging carton, since getting one from US was prohibitively expensive and local boards to thick and heavy. Also made an FT Speedster out of the rest of the IKEA carton.
Unfortunately they both got to heavy, needing a double resp single C Power Pack with 3S/11.1V and my Hubsan receiver is made for exclusively 2S/7.4V, a problem not yet solved. Yepp, I am reusing my Hubsan radio system - made a conversion kit to use with ordinary servos to the two extra receivers I got with the reserve bodies. But the Guinea has some nice glide slope until she reaches stall speed, then it's right wing-over into the ground.
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Mudman1959
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Mudman1959
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And thanks also to Flite Test for all that they have given us.
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I love my new mini mustang. I fly it behind the house, and land it in the 3ft. High grass.
Some models are easily scratch built, the Bloodies, for example. The mustang a bit trickier, I bought the 18 dollar kit.
Although I like balsa builds, I just crash too much.
Flite test is the best thing that happened to this hobby. And the guys are are all very entertaining characters!
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