FT Spitfire – Australian Foam Board

by Red20RC | March 23, 2014 | (17) Posted in Reviews

I built the FT Spitfire with the sole purpose of trying out the foam board from www.foamboards.com.au. This review will look at both and how they perform…

www.foamboards.com.au

I’d been looking at this company since I first discovered foam board as a building material. Down here in Australia we simply can’t get the $1 Adam’s Readi-board that is used at Flite Test HQ. There was also concerns about the weight of Australian foam board with some modellers stating they simply couldn’t build a flying model from the stock available down here.

I did a lot of research and it is true that Australian foam board generally uses foam core of a much higher density than Readi-board. It is possibly to get lighter board here but it can only be imported in the container load and that was something I simply couldn’t do!

Many of my models to this point have been made using board from Riot Art & Craft. The board isn’t that heavy but at $15 for an A0 size sheet (841 x 1189mm) it was far from cheap.

I eventually took the plunge about a month ago and ordered a 25 sheet box of white 5mm foam board from www.foamboards.com.au. The ordering process was easy and delivery was quick enough.

Cost here is the biggest issue. A 25 sheet box (1016 x 815mm) costs $178. The real problem though is shipping: due to the size of the box required to ship this size sheet they have a flat shipping rate of $30 in Australia. This remains the same if you order 5 or 25 sheets so obviously there are cost benefits to saving up and buying a big box at once (or clubbing together with some mates and ordering a box).

The board arrives packaged simply in a strong cardboard box. There was no major damage to any of the sheets and the boards were dry and flat.

Of course this still isn’t as cheap as Adam’s $1 Readi-board. It is however better than I am used to: Readi-board is half the size of the sheets I ordered to I get two for the price of one. Break my order down then and I am paying approximately $4 per FT size sheet. Not bad at all!

The Flite Test Spitfire

I ran a little poll on this site to see what readers would like to see me try the new board out on. The results were a tie between the FT Spitfire and FT Viggen.

There are going to be a number of people who are disappointed I haven’t built the Viggen but I had my reasons:

  • EDFs require a lot of setting up and careful gear selection. The Viggen is a new model and I really wanted something a little more traditional that I could be sure I would get a good result from.
  • The Spitfire is an “advanced” build but the Viggen is another step up in complexity. I didn’t want to chance making a mistake in the build that might be detrimental to the flight performance.
  • I didn’t have the right size EDF sitting around in the workshop.
  • I have a mate who really wants to fly a Spitfire!

I don’t think I really need to say a lot more about the FT Spitfire as a design. David Windestal has done an astonishing job of capturing the pivotal RAF fighter in a format that is easy to reproduce and has excellent flight qualities.

If you want to know more about the FT Spitfire or download the plans you can take a look at the articles on Flite Test:

Bringing the two together…

There was nothing astonishing about this build. I used my normal technique of laying the plan over a sheet of foam board and tracing through using a pin. The worst bit was all those curved edges that can only be cut freehand. The trick here is to be slow, steady, and try to cut the entire curve in a single slice.

The new foam board cuts as well as any I have used. It always pays to use a sharp blade and I use a mixture of scalpel, cheap snap-off “box cutter” style blades, and a couple of the new specialist cutting tools (which I found a lot cheaper at Cavalier Art Supplies).

I very soon had a big pile of parts and plugged the glue gun in to warm up for the build session.

The most important thing to know about building with Australian foam board is the denser foam won’t crease like you see it doing on the FT build videos. In fact, the Spitfire build video is the first to demonstrate the solution. You will need to score cut all folding lines (such as those in the wing) and then run a skewer or pen along the line to open them up a little and make the fold easier.

The wing is a great construction and it is easy to quickly create a smooth and strong dihedral wing.

I thought the fuselage was going to be a much tougher job but 20 minutes later I had the basic airframe complete. The design and tabs are so solid that the whole thing simple slots together. Even feeding the wing through and securing the tail straight was simple following the excellent build video.

I had decided from the outset that this would be a one-piece model so I didn’t even have to worry about the wing retaining blocks.

The biggest problem I had (and always have) is the power-pod. I’m still not entirely sold on the “swappable” idea. I like being able to remove the whole power unit for maintenance but I don’t think I will ever swap a unit between models during a flying session. In the Spitfire then I simply couldn’t get the pod to fit with the tabs in place. Fortunately removing these doesn’t actually change anything (once the skewer is in place) so I was still good to go.

Finishing off

I was a bit worried about the turtle decks and I never relish the thought of doing them. Once again though, the design was flawless and fitting the decks was an easy and painless process.

Hooking up the control surfaces and motor was merely a formality. I noticed the original used an NTM 2826 motor and having a few sitting around I fitted the same to this model.

The first thing I did after finishing the model was weigh it. The plans state an AUW (without battery) of 420g (15oz) – my model in its finished state came out at 480g (17oz). This was a very nice surprise as I expected a much heavier model and boded well for the test flights.

Time for a maiden flight…

I was desperate to try this one out so I ducked out between rain showers. The only addition I made was a couple of stickers and some reinforced tape to protect the belly and leading edges from the damp grass.

So, without further ado…


Basically, it was awesome!

The ending to the first flight was unfortunate but that can’t detract from the performance. The FT Spitfire flies like it’s on rails – even the victory roll looked authentic!

I will say that the NTM motor with the wooden 9×4 was gutless and has since been replaced with a 10×4.7 slowfly prop that has given much more thrust with only an 18A draw at the ESC.

Conclusion

Despite my initial misgivings about the product from foamboards.com.au I am no longer sorry I made the purchase. The board is as good as I have used at half the price of anything else I can source. It cuts well and builds well and as yet has shown no indication of de-laminating (like the considerably heavier and more expensive Quill board from Officeworks).

If you are looking for cheap Australian foam board and can afford the bulk buy then I would strongly urge you to get online and get some in…

You can learn more about Red20RC and the models I design, build and fly at www.red20rc.com.au

UPDATE!

I just tried to weigh the board I used for the build and by my calculations it came out at 0.29g sq/in (although I could be out a bit with the dodgy scales I used).

What's more important is that I took another look at the box it came in. The board I was supplied with is called "Antons NuCore" and to my surprise I was supplied with a 30 SHEET BOX for the price of 25. That brings the price down to $3.40 for a half sheet - woohoo!

COMMENTS

s367828 on March 23, 2014
I've built 3 FT models with foam from Eckersleys art store. It's almost certainly been my build quality and the rushed speed at which I do the build but I haven't successfully gotten any of them to fly. I also had a eflite park 400 (maybe?) from the local hobby shop which I suspect was also underpowered. But this article gives me renewed hope that it may have been the heavier foam stock working against me as well. Now I just need to find a friend to split the foam costs with ;) (Brisbane boy if anyone wants to go halves)
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Red20RC on March 23, 2014
You should definitely stick with it!
I don't think Australian foam board will ever be good for the really light indoor type models as it is just that little bit heavier. On the plus side though, as most of us live near the coast it is often quite breezy and that extra weight helps to keep the model stable in bumpy conditions. Also the thicker paper and higher density foam means the models take a knock or two really well!
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alibopo on March 24, 2014
I've been involved in this discussion based on the foam board available in the UK/Scotland, and I have to agree wholeheartedly - it's only the REALLY light indoor models that can't be matched, but anything else flies JUST FINE. In fact those 'lightweight models' fly just fine as well, but not at the slower speeds expected for indoor flying. I think heavy foam board gets blamed far too often for a model not flying when there's so many other reasons. Getting a new build into the air for the first time is always a challenge - if your lucky, like Josh Bixler, and have years of experience, and very quick thumbs :) , it's less of a challenge - but the rest of us mere mortals will continue to struggle with that maiden. The number of times I've put a plane in the air and watched it do a graceful roll-and-bash! I freeze up, I overreact, I throttle back... the list goes on. But eventually I get the plane in the air for long enough and high enough to trim it out. Once trimmed, I wonder what all the fuss was about. Basically I learned to fly with the FT flyer - 3 channels and near enough self righting. No ailerons to worry about. I think some people make the mistake of jumping too far ahead on the build sequence and making those early flying experiences far harder than they need to be. s367828 - don't give up on those first builds, make sure your balance is right, set your throws nice and low, and choose a day when your not fighting the wind.
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Red20RC on March 24, 2014
Here here!

I've planted (or nearly planted) so many models in my time on the maiden flight.
The best thing I can advise is get a friend to launch you for the maiden, whatever the plane. That way you can have both thumbs at the ready.

If you really do have to hand launch yourself it sometimes pays to put in a few clicks of up elevator trim for that first launch. It's better for a model to nose up rather than down in those first few moments!

But most important of all is check you balance is correct (nose heavy is better than tail heavy) and you throws all go the right way. Then double check everything! I've lost at least 3 good models in my time because I had the ailerons reversed :-(
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s367828 on March 25, 2014
Thanks guys for the encouragement, Yeah, I will admit to having my servos around the wrong way for my flying wing as well as the inverts on the radio wrong. It took me 3 nose plants to realise, then my motor (which was a hack job of a repair for a broken prop shaft) was toast. Ended up streaming the flitetest high five vid to try and figure out what I'd done wrong :). Sigh, don't worry, I've still got flitetest fire in my belly. Has anyone tried the DT750's on any of the scratch builds, I suspect they'd be far too heavy but they're the only motors I've got handy at the moment.
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Capt Buscemi on March 25, 2014
Awesome article mate*. Great to see some Aussie content, and I'm very keen to try the FT Spitfire. Sick of paying $15+ per sheet for Depron. It's great to work with, but I'll definitiely try the foamboard next build.

*Mate = dude. Aussie speak.
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Flying Penguin RC on March 23, 2014
Nice work, and your dog gets a great workout!
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Red20RC on March 23, 2014
Thanks!
Floyd (the dog) is a Kelpie cross, which is an Australian working dog. Very intelligent and infinite energy. Sadly Floyd is barking(!) mad and anything that has a propeller or similar drives him insane so he loves to chase the planes up and down the strip when I fly them.

Thanks also for the article on the foam board cutting tools. I bought some part way through this build and used them for the fuselage. I wasn't sure at first but once I got used to them found the straight cutter in particular made life a lot easier and quicker on the long cuts.
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Tony McArthur on March 25, 2014
i'm curious as i also made a FT duster from art studio board and it came in too heavy all loaded up (nearly 700gms) so my curiosity is how much does Australian foam board weight per square inch? my calculations tell me that art studio board is .303 grams per inch square, dollar tree is .191 grams per square inch so i wonder where this board sits too. Thanks :D
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Red20RC on March 25, 2014
I put a link in the related articles to what I still consider to be the definitive measurements of Australian foam board weight (by apnewton).
Following his measurements you are about spot on at .30 for the Aussie foam board and .19 for Adams Readiboard in the States. His measurement of the foamboards.com.au acid free that I used was .32.

I have to say at this point that my weighing was done on a cheap spring kitchen scale so the margin for error could be large and my 480g could be a fair bit heavier.

That said, the proof is in the flying and the Spitfire performed very well even when underpowered.

If I had the skills I would be interested in weighing the board I have as it does feel fairly light. I know from my research into the Chinese factories that it is possible to buy .19 this side of the world so maybe foamboards are importing lighter stuff now.
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alibopo on March 25, 2014
Hi Tony, even at 700gms that duster should fly fine.
My similarly scaled GeeBee Sportster;
http://flitetest.com/articles/geebee-sportster-swappable
weighs in at 860g with a 1500mah battery.
My original Baby Blender hybrid monoplane the TRIBEWT;
http://flitetest.com/articles/tribewt-maiden-baby-blender-monoplane-hybrid
weighs in at 685g with a 1000mah battery.
My evolved Old Fogey;
http://flitetest.com/articles/what-did-you-do-to-that-old-fogey
weighs in at 710g with a 1000mah battery, and in its biplane mode;
http://flitetest.com/articles/wing-envy-old-fogey-sesquiplane
it weighs 810grams with the 1000mah battery.
Unless you are using a 'tiny' motor then these planes will fly. The blue wonder flew my TRIBEWT well enough. Forget 3D, but it managed ground take-offs through grass no problem. When I started out I had no idea I was using heavier foam board, so had no 'expectation' the planes wouldn't fly. 99% of the time they flew fine. It is nice to get the build weight to a minimum, but slightly heavier foam board is not an obstacle to getting successful models.
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Tony McArthur on March 26, 2014
hi. well i did some research then chopped my servo's out of my wing and replaced them, also removed the power-pod, spinner + anything else i could think of to lighten it up, comes in now at 580 grams with battery and tracks like an arrow. my thoughts though.... faulty servo. once removed the old servo behaved as if it were completely striped out however on the plane and pre-testing showed no signs of fault. who knows, all i know is its all flying well and trimmed now, roughly 210 watts of power for it so more than enough and i'll have one happy nephew come his birthday :D
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Red20RC on March 26, 2014
Well, this is the story that keeps giving...
I just went out and bought some much more sensitive digital scales and did some weighing.
The Spitfire, in flying outfit with all the tape and stickers added came in at 520g. That's without a spinner that will be added later on.
The foam I used came in at 0.32g sq/in, which puts it at exactly the same weight (I think) as the sample in apnewton's article.
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Red20RC on March 26, 2014
That's great news! Enjoy :)
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pete stanford on March 26, 2014
Here in country Australia, I've been using foam board purchased from Office Works. Can't say that I've noticed much difference in weight (haven't worried either). At around $12 AUS per sheet, the plane still works out about the same price as buying the kit without the enormous (i.e.: ridiculous) freight costs to OZ. Also, it comes in several different colours. My Old Speedster looks great in red and white. One other suggestion that I'm using, is using some very thin light rubber channel along areas such as the outer leading edge of my Spitfire wing and the leading edge of the underbelly where the battery goes in. I've found that this prevents wear after several landings.
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Red20RC on March 26, 2014
The rubber channel sounds like a good idea.
My original Bloody Wonder is made from Officeworks Quill board and it has never missed a beat. In fact, that the first ever video I uploaded to my YouTube channel was my BW being flown by a mate.
It is a shame about the shipping cost to Australia as I really wanted to get my hands on some FT multirotor gear :(
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apnewton on March 25, 2014
You're very good at this Red20, building, experimenting and documenting.
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Red20RC on March 25, 2014
Thanks! I think I'm having a mid-life crisis :-)
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johninoz2 on April 3, 2014
Fellow Aussie here. Nice build and vid mate. I followed your lead and bought a box of foam board from Foamboards and like you received a bonus 30 sheet box. Nice! My own Spitfire build started today, my second FT build after the FT-22 (built using black foamboard from Eckersleys Art Supplies at $19 a sheet, nice light/strong stuff but too pricey for regular use). Loved the FT-22, can't wait to get the Spitfire done. Regarding your last post, I've sent you a message via the Red20rc site, suggesting a possible group buy from Flitetest to share the postage costs to Australia. Looking forward to hearing from you. Cheers mate.
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RCAirMark on March 23, 2014
Awesome build. I also have tried a few FT designs with the foamcore (I'm also an aussie). Its about 6mm thick and the double sided paper is much thicker that dollartree foam. The advantage with the foamcore is it handles the crashes better, specially when your a learner like me. Here is a recent build I did on the FT Versa wing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdY5EpSAYGo&list=UUeZZTx7cd6EM026PnQnk8cw
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Red20RC on March 23, 2014
Nice work on the wing! Launching them for the first time alone is a total pain before they are trimmed. I planted mine a few times before I got it right!
I think that is the benefit of our foam. It does take a hit well :-)
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htial on March 24, 2014
I'm new to Flite Test on YouTube and here and last week I was wondering where I could get some foam board for the Versa wing. Now I know and thanks for the great read.
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sailorJohn on March 23, 2014
Bravo!
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alexcath3 on April 11, 2014
Guys. I live on the Sunshine Coast and I have been selling DEPRON for ages. I sell white and grey sheets of 1000x700 in 6mm, 3mm and 2mm for $20 a sheet. I work every Monday and Tuesday at Shailer Park and the rest of the time on the Sunny Coast. I have heaps of stock. I built the Flite Test Baby Blender out of that core foam and it was a pig to fly. Then build one out of Depron and it still flies beautifully. DEPRON is so much better. Go to www.rcfoamfly.com I can bring some sheets down with me on Mondays. That vid looks like the field at Tingalpa next to the power lines on the Motorway?. Alex at WWW.RCFOAMFLY.COM
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Red20RC on April 12, 2014
Hi Alex (and thanks for the email)
Not sure I can agree that Depron is better - it's just different! I think both my videos and the videos of others prove that Australian foam board flies just fine. That said I do still build in Depron also when weight is going to be an issue.
I've always looked on the Baby Blender as the one that might cause a problem. Biplanes are always heavy - I'm remembering a World Models 40 size Ultimate I had many years ago that flew like a brick - I was so relieved when it eventually re-kitted itself.
I might have to build one when I get chance just to see what happens :-)
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Flying Fox on November 18, 2014
AWESOME i have been looking for foamboard in Australia for ages thank you sooooo much
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djbunting on January 3, 2015
Great article and thank you for helping us find decent foamboard in Australia. I've noticed on their website they also have 3mm foamboard. Would there be much difference in weight and rigidity using the thinner board? I was wanting to make some of the minis and hoping this could solve some weight issues?

Thank you
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Red20RC on January 3, 2015
Thanks for the comment :)
You know, you might be onto something with the 3mm foam board.
The 5mm stuff here in Australia is pretty heavy so the 3mm might be just what we need! All I can say is give it a go and let us know!
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RodGrant on February 1, 2015
Hey Red. Love your articles and expansion on this great resource. Have been out of modeling for some 15 years, and recently got back into it (Things have changed, still getting my head around electric and all the variables, but have the bug bad). Anyway noted in this piece that the delivered board was actually from Anton's, so curiosity lead me to their site, and I noticed they have a couple of different foam board offerings.The National Truecore product looks like a cheaper, possibly less dense, and less ply (i.e. less weight) version, also noticed they had a catalog sale starting today with that product (812 x 1016 x 5mm sheet) for $2.50 p/sheet (box of 30). Have you by chance had any contact with Anton's, and if so do they wholesale to the public. I'm somewhat excited at the possibilities now after a very disappointing flight (crash) of a very overweight Dusty model (Nothing more thrust wont fix). Did however get great flight out of a 5mm Coreflute "Nutball".
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Red20RC on March 7, 2015
Hi Rod,
Thanks for the comment and sorry for the slow reply.
I did contact Antons way back about getting some board wholesale but never pursued it further. It would be interesting to take a look at the other board as if it is less dense and lighter it is probably closer to the FT DT foam board. $2.50 a sheet is amazing for Australia as well.
Keep going with the electrics. Scratch building with foam board is very addictive!
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banatijano on March 29, 2015
Just some info from Hungary Eastern europe. I bought foam board 5mm and 3mm heavy paper covered on both sides. Size: B0 100x140cm. Price 5mm is abot $10, 3mm is about $8.

Weight.
5mm is about 760g the B0 so 1 square inch is about 0.35g
3mm is about 660g the B0 so 1 square inch is about 0.30g (not much lighter but I think half the weight is the paper).

Depron 6mm is about 0.14g (no covering) but depron is VERY frigid breaks really easily have to be covered with tape all over and that is weight also.

But if I remove the paper from one side of the board then the weight goes down to 3/4 (little water helps a lot) if I remove on both sides than the weight is 1/2. And still a lot stronger than depron. So I think I will leave the paper on both sides at the wings and remove one side inside the plane to save some weight. or sometimes I can also use depron (which I don't really like)

I also think that our heavier material is probably stronger than whet they use in the US so it might be not such a big problem. Thanks...
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Yoda on September 8, 2015
Hello mate, how is it? IS it good? I'm from Slovakia and I would like to order US foamboard somewhere too...
Please let me know your findings.
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handstek on October 8, 2016
Make your own foam board

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuqpSlXtHoI
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FT Spitfire – Australian Foam Board