Contributed by: Greg Covey | Published: November 2003 | Views: 32812 |  Email this Article
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Review by: Greg Covey
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4790 Irvine Blvd.
Suite 105-299
Irvine, CA 92620
(P) 888.473.0856
(F) 888.473.0856
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- Weak
landing gear
- Thin
plastic wheel pants
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The new
Fliton Flubber 3D plane is a film-covered, balsa ARF that
flies either 3D or pattern-style aerobatic maneuvers depending
upon the installed power system. The Flubber 3D comes pre-built
in three different base color schemes; Transparent, Red, or
Orange and the design allows you to customize the finished
look by painting the included clear plastic fuselage top,
canopy, and wheel pants. Additional detailing can be added
with the supplied sticker sheet so the overall look is limited
only by your imagination.
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Kit
Name:
Flubber
Manufacturer: Fliton USA
Price: $146 w/motor, $135 w/o motor
Wingspan:
35" (889mm)
Length: 34" (863mm)
Weight RTF: 16 - 20 ounces
Wing area: 255 square inches
Motor: Speed 300 geared
REQUIRES FOR COMPLETION:
- 4-channel
Radio
- 4 micro
servos like HS-55, PTC-888, or PS-20
- 10-15amp
ESC
- 7-8 cell
KAN1050, HECELL, or 3-cell Kokam Lithium pack
WHAT
I USED:
- FMA M5
5-Channel FM Dual Conversion Sub-micro Receiver
- 2 FMA
PS-20 mini Sub-micro Servos
- 2 Hitec
HS-55 Sub-micro Servos
- Jeti
110 11-amp ESC
- Kokam
3-cell, 1500HD Lithium battery pack
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The
Flubber features a pre-built and film-covered fuselage, wing,
tail set, and control surfaces. It comes with a custom fiberglass
cowl, custom plastic fuselage top, canopy, and wheel pants.
My model also included a geared Speed 300 power system, the
GWS EPS-300C (CS) 5.33:1, and GWS 10x8 prop. Ultra-light foam
wheels and a complete hardware kit are also included along with
a professional 12 page instruction manual.
To
keep things light on my Flubber, I selected some of the latest
technology components like the FMA PS-20 sub-micro servos for
my rudder and elevator control. These tiny servos weigh only
0.2oz each and provide 12.5 oz./in. torque at 4.8v. The Hitec
HS-55 servos were a bit heavier at 0.28oz but also provide a
bit more torque at 16 oz./in. They fit perfectly into the wing
servo bays for controlling the ailerons. The "full strength"
M5 sub-micro receiver weighs a mere 0.3oz while delivering the
highest reliability in dual-conversion FM reception available
today.
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All parts
are pre-assembled
and covered |
A decal
sheet and instruction booklet compliment the
complete kit |
I used Hitec
and High-Tech components to reduce weight while maintaining performance |
The
4oz Kokam 1500HD pack delivers 12amps continuous current
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Although
the 8-cell, 6.5oz, KAN1050 NiMH pack and the 8-cell, 6.0oz,
HECELL NiMH pack worked very well in the Flubber, I was
able to drop over 2oz in weight and increase my flight duration
by 50% using a 3-cell, 4oz, Kokam 1500HD Lithium Polymer
pack. My all up weight Ready-To-Fly (RTF) was only 18.3oz! |
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chose to spray paint the inside of the clear plastic parts
with Testors Enamel Spray Paint. The Gloss Red (#1203) matched
my Flubber film covering perfectly! I choose Flat White
(#1258) to match the white fiberglass cowl and Gloss Black
(#1247) to contrast the canopy from the fuselage. |
I
spray painted the clear plastic parts to compliment the
overall color scheme |
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instruction booklet comes with excellent diagrams but the text
step descriptions are brief and require some previous building
experience. I easily mounted the two servos in the wing and attached
the ailerons with 3M Blenderm tape. The Blenderm surgical supply
tape stretches a bit and makes a great hinge. Optionally, you
can add a small gap between the aileron leading edge and the wing
trailing edge when using clear cellophane tape.
I connected
my control rods using a "Z"-bend at the servo arm
and an "L"-bend at the aileron control horn. I used
the middle hole on the servo arm and the outer hole on the control
horn.
The control
surfaces are taped onto the stabilizers. You simply need to ensure
that there is sufficient swing for 3D maneuvers. I typically check
for about a 45° swing in either direction. I used "Z"-bends
on the control horns and Dubro (#845) Mini E/Z connectors on the
servo arms. The PS-20 sub-micro servos required a small balsa
wedge to help hold them in place.
I've found the Dubro Mini E/Z Connectors to work great for connecting
the rudder and elevator linkage. They make it very easy to center
the servo arm and adjust the control surface. A second package
could also be used for the aileron linkages. |
The ailerons
are mounted so that a 45° throw is obtained in both directions
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The film
covering is removed on the surfaces to be glued.
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Dubro Mini
E/Z Connectors (#845) made rudder and elevator connections easy
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The stock Speed 300 GWS EPS-300C
power system simply presses onto the stick and is secured
with a tiny screw.
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A Speed
280BB motor fits in the same 5.33:1 GWS EPS-300C gearbox
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Final
Assembly:
My M5 receiver and ESC
easily fit in many places. I choose to hold my receiver with a
foam wedge and the ESC is free to move about in the air for better
cooling.
The wing
bolts in place in the rear and uses a pin on the leading edge.
It makes a solid connection and does not need to be removed
to swap battery packs. This was a nice design consideration
by Fliton.
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There is plenty of room inside for the receiver and ESC.
The wing stays bolted 
in place when removing
the battery pack.
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Battery Placement:
I kept the battery holder plastic clear on my review to show
off my attachment scheme and where my 4oz Kokam pack was placed
for balance.
Both the battery pack and tray cover are held in place by Velcro
strips. Swapping packs is easy without removing the wing. The
cowl can be held in place with tape, but, since it is a balsa
and plywood frame, you can optionally attach the cowl with 4
tiny screws for a better look.
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My
finished plane weighed 14.3oz without the battery.
My 3-cell Kokam 1500HD pack weighs 4oz so I am RTF at
18.3oz.
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The
Flubber looked awesome! After I test fly it stock, I will
try some alternate power systems like the Speed 280BB
and Razor motors. I was excited to give it a test fly!
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Here
are some suggestions for adding more power to your Flubber 3D. |
- Razor
400 motor with stock EPS-300C (5.33:1) gearbox and GWS 10x8
prop
- Razor
2500 and GWS Gearbox. (5.33:1)
- Hacker
B20 15L w/ 4-1 gearbox
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patiently waited for a chance to put the maiden voyage on
my Flubber at lunchtime during the workweek. Although windy,
a sunny day finally arrived and it was about 60 degrees.
The 15mph wind was more than I like to test fly an 18oz
plane in but it often pushes the limits of the design and
forces me to fly it using greater focus.
The
Flubber flew great! I found no surprises in the power
system and got one surprise in flight.
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I was surprised at just how true it flew
inverted. The plane was solid in either upright or inverted
flight without any elevator offset. I attributed this
characteristic to a combination of good wing and stabilizer
incidences and the fact that the tail was constructed
from thin but stiff covered balsa.
I
was not surprised with the power system. It had enough
power for good aerobatics but not for good 3D maneuvers.
The geared GWS Speed 300 motor on an 18oz plane is at
its limit so it makes for a great value power system overall
but lacks the power for high-end 3D performance. Since
most folks don't fly 3D maneuvers anyway, the EPS-300C
power system is an excellent starting choice.
I've
decided that the Speed 280 BB motor would not work well
in the reverse direction of rotation needed for the GWS
EPS-300C gearbox. A Razor 400 brushless motor has proven
to work extremely well in the exact same stock gearbox
ratio (5.33:1) and prop size. In fact, I have one in another
model that easily swapped into my Flubber.
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My
friends all commented on the fantastic looks of my Fliton
Flubber. It is indeed a great looker that I want to keep
in one piece. This meant that my hover practice and wild
aerobatic maneuvers would be done 3 mistakes high.
Since
it was a weekday at work, I had no parking lot to land
in and used the open field of mowed grass across the street.
The wheel pants took some damage trying to land in grass
in the high winds...no surprise here. I can easily repair
the damage and I will also recommend adding a small piece
of plywood to both sides of the plastic pant. Currently,
only one side gets reinforced with a larger piece of plywood.
The
control surfaces provide excellent response and I even
had to reduce the throws a bit on my elevator and ailerons.
On high rates, the Flubber rolls faster than any other
plane I have flown! It will also stop rolling immediately
when controlled by the pilot. This allows for performing
crisp 4 or 6 point rolls.
The
15 minute flight was plenty long using the 4oz, 3-cell,
Kokam 1500HD pack. Alternatively, the equal weight 8-cell,
720mAh, AAA, NiMH pack or 8-cell, 5/4AAA, 800mAh, NiMH
pack would also provide a reasonably long 7 minute flight.
Of course, these times will vary with conditions and flying
style.
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The
Flubber looks great on the ground or in the air! I really
liked the 3-cell Kokam 1500HD packs because they fit well
in the plane and provided long flights.
On
my second session of flight testing the Flubber, the weather
was as good as it gets and I became very impressed with
the flight characteristics! The Flubber flies like a mini
pattern ship on rails. It flies straight where you point
it and remains true on every maneuver.
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The
film-covered balsa design makes it track rock solid in
flight. The special wing tip design also adds stability
but doesn't detract from the roll rate. The elevator,
aileron, and rudder controls are all very responsive.
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You
can perform crisp multi-point rolls, snap rolls, and cuban-8s.
The Flubber needs little to no elevator correction for
inverted flying. Standard aerobatic maneuvers are easily
done using the GWS EPS-300C power system.
Again,
the power is lacking for any real 3D stuff but the crisp
control response tells me that this design should compensate
for fast 3D position changes very nicely! It should
have no problem handling more power or even a bit more
weight.
The
wheel pants got broken up again in the long grass. They
are really meant for hard surfaces. I repaired them
before the video was shot but plan to replace them with
a stronger pant.
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Slow
flying the Flubber was not a problem within reasonable
limits. It was still very responsive and I have not
damaged my model in 10 flights other than the wheel
pants.
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Overall, I am impressed with the Fliton Flubber design and the
quality of construction. It is an impressive high-end balsa covered
3D parkflyer for intermediate to advanced pilots. The landing
gear is a bit weak and the wheel pant material a bit thin.
The key to good performance
using a GWS EPS-300C/350C power system is to keep the flying
weight light with a wise choice of supporting components. I
also used a 3-cell Kokam Lithium Polymer pack on the stock setup
with good throttle management. You simply use full power very
sparingly until the pack voltage has dropped during flight.
Other, more
expensive motors like the Speed 280BB and Razor brushless are
much more robust. They can handle additional abuse without much
effect on longevity. The Speed 280BB works great on gearboxes
that keep it running in the forward direction but nothing compares
to the power and efficiency of the Razor 400 brushless motor.
It is an obvious power boost!
The Flubber looks great on the ground and in
the air. The wide dynamic flying range of this model will keep
you happy whether performing relaxed loops and circles around
the field, precision aerobatic circuits, or wild 3D maneuvers
with crazy roll rates!
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The comments, observations and conclusions made in this review are solely with respect to the particular item the editor reviewed and may not apply generally to similar products by the manufacturer. We cannot be responsible for any manufacturer defects in workmanship or other deficiencies in products like the one featured in the review. |
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