By: Gabriel Staples
Written: 1 March 2013
Last Updated: 21 Feb. 2015
-added "Reinforcement" section below - 20 Feb. 2015
-added the entire "Which Foam to Buy" section, incl notes on Dollar Tree foamboard & depron - 8 Feb. 2015
-added a link to my new free-flight Stingray glider I mention below - 16 July 2013
If you have any questions or comments while reading this, or any other article, please post it in the comments section below the article. Thanks!
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- Buying Parts for the FliteTest NutBall Swappable - All at Once
- Building the FliteTest NutBall Swappable
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- Parallel Charging your LiPo Batteries
- Setting up the Computer Data-Logging Software for Your Thunder AC680 (or AC6) Charger
So, over a year ago now I discovered the Flite Test NutBall and Delta Wing (both wings, separated from the power pod, are shown in the picture above and to the right). These planes are unique in that FliteTest came up with the ingenious idea to use a single motor, speed controller, and receiver combination in order to power multiple airplanes! This is a fantastic solution, as it allows someone to get into this hobby VERY economically, and all of the planes are built using Dollar Tree foamboard (ADAMS Readi-board), shish kabob (bamboo) skewers, hot glue, popsicle sticks, and packing tape!
As of today, I have built and flown both the NutBall and the Delta Wing, and love them both. I have even prototyped and tested, for my local Boy Scout troop working on the Aviation merit badge, a $5 free-flight glider based on the NutBall, which is capable of being bungee-launched (via a home-made $25~$35 launcher) to altitudes up to 250 feet, and flying several hundred yards distance in a single flight! My wife named it the Stingray (see photo of a stingray to the right), since the glider resembles a stingray flying backwards. I would like to post the plans and video of the Stingray glider and bungee launcher when I get the chance, so other Boy Scout troops and do-it-yourselfers can make one too (for a sneak peak of the glider, see my new post here). As for the FliteTest airplanes I've built, the NutBall is especially a blast to fly for an advanced
pilot, yet can be gentle 