splais

My Feedback: (25)

After several years of building, assemblying and flying normal balsa planes I decided to get an electric foamy. I purchased a GP Cap 580 Flatout.

Basically I have pretty much ruined the plane without getting past the first page of instructions. These little things are a lot harder then they look if you don't have any experience with foam and CA. First off the instructions don't say a thing about oderless CA taking all the paint off the foam, so the part of the elevator I did manage to get glued is a mess.

In retrospect (I quit trying to assembly it) I think the problem is that you need to use a lot less glue then you think you do. But I'm going to have see if I can get one of the few electric guys in town to assemble this thing for me. Has anyone else had this problem with their first foamies, or is the flatout just one of the harder ones to do.

While I'm at it. Does anyone make a RTF 3D slow-flyer like the Flatout, but pretty much finished and ready to go.

Spacey

Awww come on Splais!!! You can do it! Yes they are a very tricky to work with and takes ALOT of patience to build but it's really not difficult. Do you have foam safe accelerator and such to help speed things up? You don't need alot of glue on most parts really..think about it this way. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. No point in drowning these in glue really..they break just next to that gob of glue anyways. Lets get you fixed up rather? Got pics of the mess so we can try and fix it? It's really easy once you figure out how to handle these. I despise foamy building the most when the planes come together and you have to handle it alot. That's where things tend to break and become a headache. But you get used to it.

akahoverit

My Feedback: (2)

Don't give up, I'm not sure about the flat out kits, but I'm sure thay can't be worse than any of the other foamy kits out there. And like Spacey said make sure you have foam safe accelerator and CA and life will be great.

splais

My Feedback: (25)

I got all that stuff, everything suppose to have to do these things. but I sure don't want to try something that will take more time than a 35% Yak and fit in the glove box of my car, so I talked an electric guy I know into doing it for me but this flatout requires what I consider to be a lot of constructing, you got to glue everything together, elevatorm rudder, fuselage, etc. But I think I just got frustrated having to actually try and o something "carefully".

PS: Spacey, why don't fly over here and finish my next one and I'll let you fly my QQ Yak Jeeeesh, you got more stuff than I do. PS, since last time we talked it is now 112 degrees, top that.

Steve

bentgear

Steve, I feel for you......... as in been there, done that.

The first and second ones are a pain. Then the lightbulb starts glowing and you start tacking this here, tacking that there and then filling in with small amount of glue and kicker or spreading out a thin coat of glue on flat surfaces, joining them and hitting with kicker. Before you leave the table its almost built.

Learned a lot when I got to watch some of the big names making repairs at a flyin. Break rudder off, glue, kick, fly - in less than 2 minutes.

Ed M.

Spacey

WOW! Steve I nearly sold all my models this morning when I read that to buy a ticket! Hehehee....I sure hope that one day in my lifetime I'll get a chance to fly one of those. Maybe you should visit the leccy dude when he is building your foamy to see what he does to try and prepare for the next one's build? You'll see they are super silly to put together and yes you have to keep in mind that you are 99% of the time not building a pattern ship and building straight is not always the end of the world. You're going to enjoy the foamy I am sure! It will be a welcome change from what you got in the hanger. Those temps sounds like thermal heaven if you ask me! We are still floating around the 70-90s and yes it's the middle of winter. Guess summer is going to make for a mess of high temps again this year. Keep us posted on the foamy progress! I actually have to build another shocky soon as well as my Protech Formula racer. My Protech Edge is the last one I've built and I must say the manufacturers are catching on with quicker construction methods and things are becoming easier every time.

splais

My Feedback: (25)

OK, here is the update. I don't feel near so bad now. The guy who I tricked into building this thing for me (gallon of fuel) has put a bunch of these things together. He had problems and ended up having to use hinge tap on the elevator. I had ordered the Rimfire upgrade with it, plenty of power, I think it lifted me off the ground one time [X(].

OK, so how did it go - - - . It's A LOT of fun to fly. This was my first electric and now I'm hooked. Just grab it and walk outside and fly. The plane is VERY nimble and has gobs to much power with the Rimfire motor. The only downside is that the Flatout does not handle speed well, you got to keep her slow or things really start to torqed out of shape and cause all kinds of problems. We did identify one weak spot. That is were the CF landing gear rods pass through the wing edge. This area needs extra care. This little plane seems to do just about anything you can think of to do and then some. It looks like about 8-10 minute flight time on the recommended max size battery of 650mah.

lsnover

My Feedback: (19)

Yep,

They are not meant to be speed demons. Just flyem slow on the wing and have a ball. If you want a FAST foamy, check out something like the Kavan Projeti with a brushless setup from Hobby-Lobby. The thing is a rocket, but not for 3D.

I have the Cap, and haven't put it together yet. I have an older homemade foamy, no big deal. I think the Flatouts are a little more involved because of the hinging system. You avoid the tape, but there's a trade off. The carbon front and rear of the wing, should make a pretty stiff, light foamy. I was thinkng the flat stuff might be better on the leading edge. I bit easier to glue and even stiffer then the tubes in the directions that you need it. I'm want to do a little experiment to see what holds up better tubes or flat.

Have fun and enjoy the electric. I fly the big ones too, but you can get a lot of stick time in on these little birds, that's just not practical with the big ones.

Regards,
Lee

LowKey3D

I've done a few foamys. My first Foamy was a 3Dfoamy. A lot of work but not
as bad as one I cut myself from plans and depron. The easiest so far has been
the E-Flite Yak. Fuselage is pre built and control surfaces are pre hinged just
glue wing and h stab.

flyjohn

My Feedback: (11)

Tricked????[:@] and where's my fuel by the way, LOL. I think I'll have to buy Steve some lightbulbs for his next project.

splais

My Feedback: (25)

It's on a slow boat from china.

chuck4816s

My Feedback: (11)

started my first foamy tonight . cap 580. on second page, so far so good.
my fingers have a little glue on them...just chewing it off while reading these articles..
let you know how it comes out...

later

thundervee

My Flatout Cap is on the way, it will also be my first Electric but it sounds fun!!

Ryguy

My Feedback: (1)

I got an Nikitis Animal yesterday in the mail, and I did a good job too of messing up the paint job on the wing. It'll still fly fine, and the paint's not too bad from more than 10 ft. away, so I'm not too dissapointed.

GWR

My Feedback: (31)

www.balsapr.com has some nice, new, cheap, and easy foamys. I bought one yesterday just on price alone; $17.99. I started this morning and I'm already doing the painting, it's almost all done. It's all framed up in only about 3 hours. Tonight I'll tape on the control surfaces and start installing the electrics. If I get really moving, I'll be flying it tomorrow. And they come in 3 sizes.

rc_for_me

My Feedback: (1)

As I sit here building my GP Cap 580, I thought I would jump on the forum to see if anyone was having the same amount of troubles I was having. Sure enough, here we are.

The instructions do call for using "Foam Safe" CA. I am using ZAP. The instructions do not call for any kicker. There is a good reason for this. It bleeds the colors right off. After a couple of hits of kicker, my stab look like the kid painted it with water colors.

The biggest problem is that the CA takes a long time to bond foam to the Carbon Fiber. So your holding it in place and it seems to take forever. Again, no matter how tempted...no kicker.

Having built many many foamies, my experience has shown that a product called "UHU Creativ'" is the best thing for the foam to CF joins. It's a foam safe contact cement that grabs and holds. Be warned that because it is contact cement, you get one shot at making the join. So line em up good before fitting. My local Michaels craft store carries a full line of UHU products and cost about $3.50/large tube.

If anyone has seen my other threads, you will find that I am adamant about being able to take a kit and build it right of the box without modification, strengthening, etc. I am taking exception the CAP 580. Provided are these little clip hinges that are glued into one control surface and then they "clip" onto the CF rod on the other surface thus making a hinged joint. When first assembling the stab/rudder, two of them broke right off the bat. I thought I was sunk until I found the GP provides nearly double the number called for. So I've got plenty of spares, but that set off the warning lights. So I'm dumping the clip hinges in favor of my tried and true "3M Blenderm" tape.

If you've never used "Blenderm" get some today. It is by far the best tape for hinges. It is strong and flexible with a really aggressive adhesive. I even use it as trim seal on my gassers and it has never lifted. What's more, if need be, it will peel off cleanly. I'm telling you, this stuff is great!

Well, it looks like the CA has finally cured so I'm back to the building board!

MannyEdge

My Feedback: (9)

Rc for Me:

Try using "Pro Ca Aerosol Activator". That is what I used on my GP Flatout - Flatana and it worked great. It cures the safe foam ca instantly and does not harm the foam or the coloring at all. I wish I knew it from the beginning it would have saved me a lot of time waiting for the CA to cure.

3DNobody

I used the E-Flite kicker in the pump spray bottle and had no color bleeding. The CA will make it bleed, but not this kicker.

MannyEdge

My Feedback: (9)

I used the safe foam CA and CA activator and no color bleed for me. These items are from Great Planes so I do not know what you are using but I would switch to what I am using.

Fly-n-3D

I always glue the carbon to the foam with foam safe ca. I use tape to hold the carbon to the foam while the ca sets.

thundervee

Well, Like I said earlier this is my first foamy and it's almost all together with no screwup's KOW, Just waiting on my servo's to get here and then I can finish, I can't wait to check this dude out!

Kanain

My Feedback: (1)

I am not having any Foam Safe (Oderless) + Kicker issues either. Did notice some bleed and drip when I put the cowl reinforced doublers on for the RimFire. Actually ruined a World Aerobatic Championships - Lakeland- shirt before I realized it was running.

However, I do have a question that I have not been able to find an answer too - how the heck are you guys getting those little z-bend clevis' in the control horn hole? I have cleared out any flashing from the inside of the control horn hole and still cannot get the z-bend in. Broke one and stopped right there. If anyone has a trick, I would really appreciate the tip.

By the way, haven't flown it yet, but I like the contruction and instrcution better on the flatout than the shockflyers.

MannyEdge

My Feedback: (9)

You have to clear out a lot more than the instructions calls for and it will go in. Plus, when you do that the z-bend moves a lot easier and it is not so rough when in use.

PowerPlay

My Feedback: (11)

I've found that you can use regular kicker if you apply it carefully with a Q tip or even with the corner of a paper towel. Just brush it lightly, it does not take much

3DNobody

Another tip on those...if you notice on the control horn, one side is molded flat and the other side is more rounded towards the inside of the hole. If you put the z-bend into the more rounded side, it goes in easier. I did that on all but one side of the ailerons...it just doesn't work out for both sides for obvious reasons.

HTH