Hmmm, HobbyKing just released this new plane:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...50mm_KIT_.html

Claims to be real F3P, 55 grams, for $43 includes a motor (1700KV, can't seem to find more info about it).

At 850mm wingspan, it appears to be their best attempt yet. Didn't see any other threads about it so thought I'd put it out there... Doesn't seem to have enough carbon bracing down the fuse length.

Glenn

Biplanes have fallen out of vogue for F3P for sure, but that DOES look nice. If you can make it light enough it could be very interesting. It'll need quite a bit more drag though to fly slowly enough.

55g airframe weight not to bad if it is accurate. Never going to make the 75 to 95g of a modern competition plane though. Much more than 100-105 is regarded as porky

Think this is another Tech-One manufactured airframe. They have a mixed history and have always been a little heavier than their claims.

South Africa flying were flying biplanes at WC and Gernot's model verging on being a triplane

Its not a whole lot cheaper than a Fancy Foam Vrolet, but it includes a motor.

The Vrolet just isn't comparable to today's models. Great airplane for sure, but not even close to what people are doing today.

Should remember that for a lot of people entry level stuff like this is a quantum leap forward from anything off the shelf of only a few years ago and is better than most where flying 5 or 6 years ago.

Get it built at 100-110g and go have fun and learn some of the F3P pattern or just go bash and thrash it indoors I am about to build a new Radix biplane kit I have been sitting on for a few years as my old one is about toast even at 160g it is a great toy indoors albeit never going to do F3P I have learned a lot by flying it and similar.

Originally Posted by tim_mellor

Should remember that for a lot of people entry level stuff like this is a quantum leap forward from anything off the shelf of only a few years ago and is better than most where flying 5 or 6 years ago.

...

I'm one of those people who just bought it thinking I'd have fun bashing it around.

I put it together in slapdash fashion. Bare airframe without wheelpants came in at 56g. Mercury adhesives medium viscosity foam-safe CA was used in construction... lots and lots of it. And kicker. Slapdash, like I said. You can see droplets of solidified CA around the CF struts.

The kit is kind of fragile, especially around the tips of the ailerons and tailfeathers. I had to repair 2 aileron tips which had broken in shipping. Externally the box was fine, but my motor had come unsealed, so it was knocking around the insides.

The thin plastic film thing is done only on one side. Don't know if this is normal.

Originally Posted by rayonnair

...
The thin plastic film thing is done only on one side. Don't know if this is normal.

Yes, this is the way it should be. 56 g of airframe weight is not too bad especially if you did not save any glue putting it together.

Not sure 100 % But i think this model is 6 MM depron and it does have a lot of extra carbon thats just not needed for an f3p indoor model .
the weight could be greatly reduced just being rid of some of the extra carbon reinforcements

I have a couple of Tec one planes that make the same claim , F3p . but theye dont fit the bill atall

Originally Posted by likidysplit

Not sure 100 % But i think this model is 6 MM depron and it does have a lot of extra carbon thats just not needed for an f3p indoor model .
the weight could be greatly reduced just being rid of some of the extra carbon reinforcements

I have a couple of Tec one planes that make the same claim , F3p . but theye dont fit the bill atall

Don't know about the rest of that, but it is 3mm depron (or something very close to depron - regular thin CA eats it).

Originally Posted by dcronkhite

Biplanes have fallen out of vogue for F3P for sure..............

The advantage of never being in vogue is that you don't have to worry about being out of vogue. I remember watching Jason Noll flying his Vrolet at the JR Indoor, and how impressed I was with its slowness.

Originally Posted by Trisquire

The advantage of never being in vogue is that you don't have to worry about being out of vogue. I remember watching Jason Noll flying his Vrolet at the JR Indoor, and how impressed I was with its slowness.

Watch the current airplanes from the F3P world championship. Airplanes like the Vrolet look like pylon racers by comparison.

I've watched some of those videos. You're probably right. The changes over the years have been so incremental, that I haven't noticed them.

Just finished building this completely. Most stressful build ever! Never done something this fragile before. The pull-pull rudder and elevator in particular gave me trouble because occasionally as my clumsy fingers threaded here and there I'd accidentally nudge a CF strut too hard and it would pop out . I suppose it is second nature to all you F3P folk .

Stats:
Rudder/Elevator servos: Hobbyking HK15168 "8g" servos
Aileron servos: Turnigy TG9e "9g" servo
ESC: 12A Turnigy plush
Battery: 460mah Turnigy nanotechs 2S
Rx: FrSky TFR4-B
AUW: 165g, +/- whatever error my scale has.

I suspect it is a bit fat, haha! I'm not a skilled builder by any means so I'm OK with how it turned out. Maybe I'll maiden it tomorrow in the field if it is dead calm.

Easy 15g to save on the servos and another 15 on the battery pack without breaking a sweat. So maybe it could be hacked together without breaking the bank at 120-130g toy for indoor?

Have fun