SYNAPSE Foamboard Flying Wing

by ExAir | February 2, 2013 | (45) Posted in Projects

The Synapse is a scratchbuilt foamboard flying wing with a true, cambered airfoil and a removable fuselage pod that is great for FPV flying.  

This step-by-step video series will show you how to build the plane from start to finish.  It is made from 3 pieces of Readi-Board (aka Dollar Tree foamboard), packing tape, duct tape, hot glue, Gorilla Glue, and plastic gift cards.  The fuselage pod can be configured from a light fun flyer up to a full-feature setup with GoPro, OSD (on-screen display), autopilot, GPS, long-range receiver, and landing gear.  The pods are swappable.

The wing can be constructed so that it folds in half and the vertical stabilizers fold under.

Build time is estimated to be about 8 hours for a beginner, 6 hours if you are familiar with the Experimental Airlines building techniques.  Airframe cost is about $10.  You will need 2 x 9gram servos (metal gear recommended), one motor/ESC/ prop combination with 1200g thrust recommended (3536 1400KV 110g size with 10x5 prop works well), and receiver.

This is a very compact FPV plane that is easy to transport and fly.  The interchangeable fuselage pod and wing sections allow different missions and easy repairs.

The videos will show you all you need to know to build this plane.  Please message me with any questions.

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COMMENTS

ABQ Bobcat on February 7, 2013
Just finishing up a Synapse of my own at the moment. Had some issues with the first flight and the CG so after rebuilding the fuselage, I'll be re-maidening it soon. Great vids Ed, keep up the awesome content.
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panther3001 on February 2, 2013
Wow. You put TONS of work into this. I still have to watch the videos, but for beginners, and non-FPV'ers (at this point) like me, please define acronyms in the intro above the videos. OSD I know means "On Screen Display." LRS I Googled and discovered means "Long Range Surveillance," and EA Build technique???--no idea what EA is, but Im assuming its something about taping the foam first on one side, removing the paper on the other, then folding it over into an airfoil...I dunno. Thanks again for all the work though!
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bladezx2 on February 19, 2014
EA is short for his youtube channel Experimental Airlines. He has a unique way of making fuselage tubes, armin wings and rudder kits using Dollar Tree foamboard and used gift cards.
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Hawkskyflier on February 5, 2013
Great job Ed!! It's amazing how much time you put into the thought, build... and just flying... NOT to mention the video time and then taking the time to put together these awesome videos!! Great Job !!! Keep it up!. HSF. Jerry
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panther3001 on February 2, 2013
I'm sold. This is incredible. I'm going to buy more Dollar Tree foamboard and a sanding sponge today.
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the ginger flyer on February 4, 2013
how long does it take to build and trying not to be rude what is the average cost.
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ExAir on February 4, 2013
6-8 hours and about $120 for the whole plane using mid-grade electronics, but no FPV gear. This could vary widely, probably not less than $80.
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Buzz Bomb on February 2, 2013
Simply "Excellent"! Thanks for all the hard work.
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panther3001 on February 2, 2013
ok...watching videos now...EA must mean Experimental Airlines, and I'm sure I'll see what the technique entails soon. anyway, great stuff so far! 5 Stars.

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Elmardus on February 9, 2013
LRS means long range system. Also reffered to as UHF. It works on 433mHz, it is a control system used for FPV, and it is capable of super long range 10km+. But they are expensive, and sometimes illegal in some countries. If you want to start with FPV, make sure you read a lot on the internet. It is not easy, and not plug an play, but it very rewarding! :-D
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Elmardus on February 9, 2013
Awesome plane Ed!!! Is it possible to build the wing from depron? Or do I need to use foamboard. Depron would be nicer for me because I already have a lot of that...
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alelyon1983@live.it on April 6, 2013
hello where can I find the plans of the synapse version with the wheels?
thanks
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00redmd on February 27, 2014
There isn't any plans as such. One of the Synaps videos tells a little. However when you view the video you can see how it.s done.
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NorseHammer on February 10, 2013
Your planes work, your video explains why, a great combination.
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ivorn on May 13, 2013
Hey, great plane, but know one seems to know where you can download the plans from. Is there a link. Does anyone know?

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ExAir on September 20, 2013
No plans, sorry. All the details you need should be in the video series. If you have any questions let me know.
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uniondelta on March 26, 2013
Hi Sr! Congratulations, nice work. Do you have the plans available?
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goly on October 4, 2013
great build,
what is your: AUW,flight time

i want to extend my flight time with my FPV (AXON like), only getting about 10min flight.
my AUW is about 1.3kg
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wga22 on September 20, 2013
What ESC should I try to use for a 3536? 40A?
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ExAir on September 20, 2013
I'd recommend a 55A. With a 10x6 prop I definitely draw a little over 50A at full power, which is usually just for takeoff, but I still like to keep it safe.
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Gigahurtz on February 1, 2014
How well does this wing glide? I'm having a hard time deciding between this and the 54" Fury Flyer scratchbuild, which reportedly does glide well and has good handling characteristics. I've never flown a wing before and am more or less a beginner, but can handle a Bixler and Axn fairly well when it comes to simple flips and rolls. I want to graduate to something that can do more aerobatic maneuvers but also would be good for FPV.
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fiveaces on February 11, 2014
I've watched all the videos and I'm sold. How are peoples' experiences flying them? It's one of the most beautiful foamboard scratch builds I've seen, it looks like Rutan designed it, it seems to elegantly solve a lot of the headaches of wings, and its portable and simple. Why don't I hear about more people flying these?
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CarbonAddict on March 21, 2014
One of the most difficult things for me was getting the CG correct. I've had issues getting it spot on. Another caution I have is to beef up the spar. I put a grossly overpowered system on my first synapse (running 900 watts) and busted the single carbon spar while in flight. I've since rebuilt the wing with 5 carbon spars, a shortened wingspan, and a downgraded 400 watt setup that still hits respectable speeds...
And I have no idea why more people don't fly these! They're quick to build and practically expendable...
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ExAir on March 22, 2014
True, no exception to flying wings, it does take patience to get the CG dialed in. That sounds like an insane powerplant on that first one! Yes, this is my go-to FPV plane and serves me well. Seems like it never quite caught on like I hoped. If you have any video of yours please point me to it.
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fiveaces on June 5, 2014
I still haven't made it, as my current FPV platform is still going strong (I don't like having multiple planes filling the same roll piling up in my house). But I'm planning on retiring it soon and building a Synapse. I'll give as much exposure as I can
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ExAir on March 22, 2014
That's about as bit a complement as I could get, as Burt Rutan is a personal hero of mine. It's an easy build and flies pretty well and I'd hoped more guys would build them and contribute improvements. We will see. - Ed
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Gigahurtz on January 29, 2014
Thanks for sharing this, Ed! perhaps you mentioned in the videos and I missed it, but what ID and OD spar would you recommend? I'm thinking of a 8mm OD x 6.5 mm ID circular tube.
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ExAir on January 29, 2014
8mm OD is perfect. I often use 7.5mm arrows because that's how I can get them but 8 is great.
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f13 on February 26, 2015
I wan't build a fpv flywing with my cnc foam-cutter and i Love the Synapse but i need a profil for the wing's...
I think these one could be possible:
E186
EH 2,5/10
CJ 3209
CJ 25209
EMX 07
But i i have not much knowledge with flyingwing profil's... so maybee somebody can help me?
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ExAir

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SYNAPSE Foamboard Flying Wing