What do you guys think would be a good 3d foamy for a beginner? I fly helis..and recently have been flying an f3a shockflyer on the sim and it seems like a lot of fun...I have been looking at either the electricfly flatout models...which i really like because of the tapless hinge design...and the others that I really like are the edge 540 from 3dfoamy.com or the super xtra from 3dfoamy.....Can someone point me in a good direction of what to buy?
Thanks,
Geoff

Since you've already got experience with the F3A on the sim, why not get one of those? Its an easy plane to build, and it flys great for general aerobatics. I did a build thread on the F3A a while back. Do a search for it, and you'll see whats involved in building one.

The only reason im not choosing a shocky is because I am going to be flying this outdoors..and a few people told me that the smaller shockys are made for near zero wind or indoors like most foamies..but thats why i was looking at the super xtra which is much larger.

My favorite it the Hobby Lobby Yak 55
Flys great outdoors....

I have flown several different 3dfoamies and they are nice and all....but I think they are a bit overengineered, overpriced, and they would not be a good choice for the beginner foamy builder because the suck and don't match what you are actually working on (this may have changed, but it was the case with the ones I built)

once together they fly just fine.... but I think my little Yak flies better.....
Just my very humble opinion

Wow thats not bad for 19 bucks. Ok I'll go with the hobby lobby yak, but now my question is..what to set it up with? I do have 3 spare hs-55 servos. Is the reccomended set up on the page a good one? For 69 bucks I think I would be better off getting a CC Phoenix 10 esc rather than the jeti 8 amp.
Thanks

From what I have read the setup on that page is fine...
I use a CC25 ESC which is overkill, but I have used it in several different planes...

I also have flown mine with a Hacker A20 which is a bit bigger, but the power is amazing.
I'm building another one right now with a VPP system using an Axi 2208/34

It's not the fact that the shockys are smaller its that they have such good wing loading with light motors like the AXI 2204/54 if you went with somthing like the 2208 or a Nippy Black it would handle the wind much better.

uhh... the hobby lobby yak is in the same 'class' as shockfliers, as in, your gonna have the same issues flying outdoors unless you build it right..

Thats why i was asking about the 3dfoamy super xtra..which is much larger with a 45 inch wing span...Im assuming the larger the plane the better it handles the wind. Am i correct on this?
Thanks

The HL Yak is quite a bit different than the Shockflyers its made out of thicker foam and designed heavier. This makes them handle the wind just fine with the correct motor.

It's not the larger the plane, it's the heavier the wing loading it has nothing to do with the actual size of the airplane.

The disadvantage of going with a bigger plane is that it makes everything more expensive... Bigger motor ....bigger speed control...bigger battery...and so on

I have a Fancy Foam Bipe, and a 40" 3D Foamy Sukio and a F3A Shockflyer and a Hellraiser, I fly all of them outside. My favorite to-date is the F3A. There is something about the precision of the manuvers. I fly it in wind also, the secret is just to have enough forward airspeed (more than the wind).
For this I am using a Little screamer, 900 3s TP, and a 9X6 prop. It flew ok on an 8X4, but it just simply screams with a 9X6.

Indoors one could go to a 350 3s and an 8X4, and it would be much lighter and still hover fine.

Some of the precision comes from the carbon fiber V across the wings, combined with Icarus's no-play contol horns. All up weight came to 8.5 oz. You compare that the the Fancy Foam Bipe and 40" 3D Foamy at 16 oz each. You would think the weight would help, but it doesn't.

Larry

The 3DFoamy SuperXtra paired with a Hacker A20 20L should be awesome. That's the combo that I am going to get. Since it's laminated depron with a lightened core and carbon fiber, it seems to be really durable. And it is not just a flat plate, it has an airfoil, and the wing area is not huge, so it flys like a real plane and actually flys through precision snaps instead of stalling through them, but the wing loading is more than light enough for all 3D. (3DFoamy's design pertains more to the lines of the real plane, so they fly better and more precise) I flew one of the older versions a couple years ago, and it was a total dream to fly, so these should be amazing!

Good luck with your choice,
Brandon Kontorinis

A flat wing is an airfoil... Just hard to explain.. The thing that a flat wing with a square leading edge gives you is amazing high alpha flight as long as the wing is at a certain alpha or beyond the lift really increases allot making the airplane not need to be going as fast too keep it flying

Good diagram, thanks! The 3DFoamys have a step airfoil on them, I think there is a diagram of it on the 3DF website. ( www.3DFoamy.com )

Wow that looks neat !!! are these what you are talking about? it looks like a great idea do you know where i can find more out about the G-force wing?

I think its just a gimmick. Ive flown both flat wings, and the g-force wing. The added weight of laminating the wings to make the"step" actually hurts indoor performance, because the plane is heavier.
Heavier planes require more airspeed to keep them airborne. More airspeed means you need more space.

Outdoors, the G-force has some advantages. Its really stiff, so it will punch through the wind a little better than a plain flat wing.

Does it increase lift....nope. If it did, it would fly better than a 6oz shocky indoors....and it doesnt.

Its basically a extra strip of foam laminated near the leading edge.

I have a plane design that would fit you perfectly. If you want something that will cut through the wind and have better vertical performance than most nitro planes, Ill hand cut you a kit, and give it a custom airbrush paint job for $70 bucks. Delivery time is about 3 weeks.

Im having to HAND cut each of these, and each one has a "one of a kind" airbrushed paint job. So if I get flooded with orders, it may take a while to get one, bear with me.

Im still working on getting these kitted in mass, but it may be a long time.

If you use the recommended set-up and equipment, it will literally climb straight up higher than you can see it in about 12 sec or so. It is all 6mm depron, and it weights about 10oz once completed. It comes with a full color instruction manual, brushless motor, carbon reinforcements, and a motor mount.

Its expensive, but its a hand-crafted one of a kind airplane, and to top it all off it comes with a brushless motor.

If your interested, send a check or money order to
Revolution Aircraft Company
5642 Esperanto Dr
Pensacola, FL 32526

I must be nuts, for doing this...please dont kill me with orders. I have a 8-5 job too. Im only ONE person, so please if the orders get backed up, Ill stop taking them for a while to get caught up.

For order status, current wait time, etc. send an e-mail to [email protected]

Here's a pic of the airplane.

Wow that looks so awsome bdavison. I would so order one from you, but I like instant gratifications and I don't feel like destroying one of those beautiful planes in less than 10 minutes.
I think ill order a few hl yaks...then when i know how to fly I might hit you up on that deal.

Get a shocky nemisis there the same price as the HL Yak and you will be much happier with the quality. (its on sale at Hobby-lobby for 19.90)

I saw that too....but people say its not as good for 3d as it is good for pattern flying. I want a fairly slow plane that can hover with ease and do just about anything. This is so much harder than picking a heli to buy... [:@]

Yep that's the airfoil that I am talking about. John W. from 3DF actually maidened it in a gym. They have the mini line coming soon also, which should be great for indoor also. I have flown many flat airfoil foamies, and they drop when the power is cut off, but this one seems to not be "yanked" through the air like the others I have flown. The original 3DF (a friends) that I flew a long time ago flew precision great, and in the videos this one seems to be even better. I am going to get on the list for a Mini line as well as for the SuperXtra. They look like they are tough foamies too.

Ill tell you this, with the "Revolution II" plane, even some of the severe crashes normally dont do much damage to it.

Last night, I flew the one shown in the picture into the huge steel wheel of a plumbing truck at full throttle. It broke the nose off, and snapped the tail, and took two small pieces out of the wing. It's easily repairable. Its really durable. It doesnt have landing gear, but it doesnt need them either. Ive landed it on the road in front of my house. Normally cement will really tear one up. It just roughed up the bottom of the fuselage.

Ive also flown it pretty much full throttle into a chain link fence, the only damage was a small chunk ripped out of the right wing.

The one in the picture has well over 70 flights, Ive gotten my money's worth out of it quite a few times over and it aint done yet.

Obviously your experiences may vary, but in general, its really durable. Mine has survived crashes that would obliterate most other foamies.

Here is what is included in the $70 kit.

Hand crafted, custom airbrushed 6mm high density depron kit, with prehinged ailerons, and pre-beveled rudder and elevator.
Carbon Fiber wing spars
Low profile injection-molded plastic motor mount (Awesome new motor mount just recently released, installs in seconds,)
BP-12 or 21 brushless motor pre-mounted on motor mount. This is the recommended motor for the plane to get max performance.
I dont include control horns yet for two reasons. Different people like different control horns, and I dont have the facilities to make them, but I strongly recommend IKARUS control horns and linkages. They run about $12 bucks for a full set. I can add them to your kit for $12 bucks, but supplies are limited to availability, so inquiry first.

For those of you that are planning on ordering one, please shoot me an e-mail letting me know of your order, so I can get started on your kit right away.

I will try to accommadate special requests. If you have any let me know.
Unpainted, or no motor, or uncut ailerons/elevator options are available. Even a fully constructed plane, ready to fly. Prices will vary depending on options. E-mail me for a quote.

Here is the recommended set-up.

BP-12 or 21 motor(included)
E-flite 20Amp brushless ESC
4ch reciever (6ch if you want flaperons or spoilers)
3 Bluebird BMS-306BB servos
1250-1320mah 11.1V lipo
8.4-9.4 APC slowflyer prop.

This set-up will draw some amps at full throttle, and heat up a lipo good, but I've been running the same lipo for quite sometime with no bad effects, and the performance will smoke just about any other plane.

I hope to have a website up soon, with other plane designs available as the company grows.

You know, Ive been thinking, a E-flite Ultimate would also make a good outdoor plane. They are heavy enough to cut through the wind, and fly really well too.