Flite-Test FT-Cruiser Twin Motor Foam Plane
One of the more interesting web sites if you like building planes is flitetest.com. These guys focus on relatively inexpensive planes that can be built from "Dollar Tree" foam or poster board. It is also entertaining and informative. I've built their 39" wingspan Spitfire among other planes. The Spitfire is a serious plane and performs very well. And like all planes, given my flying skills, I have proven that it CAN be repaired and returned to the air almost regardless of what you do to it!
But this page is about their twin motor FT-Cruiser. Mine is built and had one rather rough maiden flight - hopefully because we chose a rather bad flying day to give it a go. More news as I get more experience.
11/14/14 This is a very nice flying plane. Unfortunately mine no longer exists as a flyable machine. On its last flight, shortly after takeoff I noticed this piece of something fluttering down and I suddenly lost control of the plane. Turns out that the foam blew off the bottom of half of the elevator leaving me with half an elevator which in my hands at least was equivalent to NO elevator and lets just say it had something less than a graceful landing. My assessment. Dollar Tree foam board is fun and easy to build with and will produce a rather impressive plane. But it doesn't fare well in a crash. And if the place where it crashes is damp, all is lost! The motors have moved on to other places so it yet lives - sort of.
3/7/15 I miss my FT Cruiser. The shattered remains have been stashed in the back of my garage this winter, too cold to even look at it. But every once in a while I picture it and how nice it flew and looked. I almost ordered another kit a little while ago but decided better judgment would be to look mine over carefully and consider whether to repair, give up or replace. I like that it is considerably less expensive than any other twin I could build that Know of. I like that it is simple to build. In my mind anyway it flew very well and was fun to fly. I dislike the fact that the Dollar Tree foam is so fragile. I can forgive it for what the water did to it. But I have more trouble forgiving the separation of the half elevator from the paper! I've not used any other foam to build a plane. Maybe this is the time? For now I'll just think about it and occasionally look at the photos and the damaged beauty in my garage!
But this page is about their twin motor FT-Cruiser. Mine is built and had one rather rough maiden flight - hopefully because we chose a rather bad flying day to give it a go. More news as I get more experience.
11/14/14 This is a very nice flying plane. Unfortunately mine no longer exists as a flyable machine. On its last flight, shortly after takeoff I noticed this piece of something fluttering down and I suddenly lost control of the plane. Turns out that the foam blew off the bottom of half of the elevator leaving me with half an elevator which in my hands at least was equivalent to NO elevator and lets just say it had something less than a graceful landing. My assessment. Dollar Tree foam board is fun and easy to build with and will produce a rather impressive plane. But it doesn't fare well in a crash. And if the place where it crashes is damp, all is lost! The motors have moved on to other places so it yet lives - sort of.
3/7/15 I miss my FT Cruiser. The shattered remains have been stashed in the back of my garage this winter, too cold to even look at it. But every once in a while I picture it and how nice it flew and looked. I almost ordered another kit a little while ago but decided better judgment would be to look mine over carefully and consider whether to repair, give up or replace. I like that it is considerably less expensive than any other twin I could build that Know of. I like that it is simple to build. In my mind anyway it flew very well and was fun to fly. I dislike the fact that the Dollar Tree foam is so fragile. I can forgive it for what the water did to it. But I have more trouble forgiving the separation of the half elevator from the paper! I've not used any other foam to build a plane. Maybe this is the time? For now I'll just think about it and occasionally look at the photos and the damaged beauty in my garage!
