Fixing foam 'planes 101

Every pilot learns the best ways for them to repair a model. Even foamies that have been broken in two or three pieces can be fixed and flown again with a little effort. This video is the result of feedback from you the community.
I'll be showing how I repair models following my crashes from now on - so those of you who are at the start of your flying hobby, or don't have people around can see how easy it is to do, and see the kit that's commonly used.
Thanks to those of you who spotted the spelling mistake in the slides - 'form' planes are almost the same as 'foam' planes so the lessons are still valid ;)
There are lots of ways to repair damage, this is just mine..
You can see more R/C related videos on the channel - / painless360
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Thanks for watching, please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE.
Happy flying!

[@traviscozza7177]

Yes I found the video useful, I find ALL your videos useful. THANK YOU.

[@tonolauwda1389]

This channel had give me so much knowledge . mostly about quadcopter .. how to setting up cc3d .. fpv ...and more. Thank you very much . God bless .

[@spaced-mouse]

Thanks for this thorough video! Edit: wrecked a brand new plane due to a technical issue this morning, and this video helped me take a deep breath, and just get her fixed.

[@JoshWeaverRC]

When I was in trainer stage, a skewer in each half of the plane covered in hot glue helped me a lot. Make the holes and fit the plane together, glue skewers into one half first and then model and other side of skewers. A little tape over any excess hot glue on the outside is good too.

[@davevangestel6754]

Many thanks for making these videos. For newbies in the hobby as myself it’s a fantastic way to learn more each day. 👏

[@stevendegiorgio3143]

I found that installing a nylon hinge on the lowest part of the rudder works very well especially if the model is a belly lander.I had to do this on my horizon hobbies V900 and now its solid.I would recommend that even if the rudder hinge isnt broken.I slotted my thru the bottom of the rudder and fuslarge,filled it with 5 minute epoxy and repainted that section.I was happy with the results.

[@MCsCreations]

Really good work, Lee! 😃 One tip I just thought about: let's say a wing or the vertical stabilizer got bent, but didn't broke. After using the warm water trick you can apply a thin layer of epoxy to make it strong enough again. 😊

[@Painless360]

Great tip! :D

[@MCsCreations]

@@Painless360 Thanks! 😃

[@JoshWeaverRC]

Yeah, great tip. Could even use kicker in the field after letting a bead run down. I also like to place tape in tension. Works most cases in the field. Pull until its straight and press the bottom of the tape down.

[@MCsCreations]

@@JoshWeaverRC Yeah, absolutely! Many people make foam airplanes by covering the foam with tape. 😊

[@easystar123]

Brilliant video and very well explained and presented.

[@erad05]

Thank you for your thorough review. Best to dry electronic parts is to put them into a Bowl of Rice. (I saved cell phones with this method) Rice is hygroscopic means it absorbs Water. After this procedure for 24 to 48 hours spray all electronic parts with WET.PROTECT e-basic from Graupner which indeed can be used even on wet electronics. I prefer the other way round. Concerning Hot Water I'd recommend to not go over 70 degrees Celsius.

[@didactylos4diddy474]

Excellent video. I wish it had been around when I started flying foamies. As I was well trained in my youth I still carry a bag to put bits of plane into every time I go flying. I don't need it as often as I used to but it's still handy. As this is a 101 video you sensibly didn't cover re-forming and reinforcing distorted tail-planes etc but perhaps in later version you might?

[@Painless360]

I'm planning other videos where this may be needed, depends on how much I bend my models in the coming months! :D

[@greg0063]

I just acquired a Dynam C188, pretty bad shape, the rudder, elevator and one aileron hinge were all starting to split. I used some Welders ( sparingly ) to glue the hinge back on. I think it will hold up the glue does remain flexible.

[@paulg5437]

Great video (especially the description of "stomping back to the car" :-/ ). On the damp electronics front: I would suggest using distilled water, as tap water often contains trace elements. If you don't have an 'Airing Cupboard' open the PCB/component covering as much as possible and shove it in a bowl of rice (uncooked of course) for a few days.

[@Painless360]

Great tip, thanks for posting, I’m lucky to live in an area with lovely soft water.. I forget that others need to descale things :)

[@michaelrodgers9829]

Great job on the video. I look forward to seeing more like this. Thank you

[@endyX286]

very useful information 👍im new to rc plane.can we glue the broken props and use it again?

[@Painless360]

No, it'll fail. Use a new one

[@Zekesaxman]

Just spent hours looking for my Twin Otter I crashed today, watching this video gave me a lot of confidence to go back out tomorrow with a fixed rig and get a few hours in at THE RC FIELD, not my front yard. Silly mistakes always the downfall!

[@Painless360]

Good luck!

[@retrodudefpv]

These type of videos are awesome

[@Painless360]

Thank you WIlliam, I'm planning more as I bend crashed models back into shape! :D

[@Freelancer.]

More foam tips please :)

[@lawrencewilliams1477]

INCREDIBLE HELPFUL I SAY THANKS

[@FourthWayRanch]

how do you build up scuffed wing tips? I think they have some lightweight body filler stuff railroad modelers use

[@Painless360]

I don't normally. I fill deep gouges with a little hot glue.. Happy flying

[@brianmyers466]

Excellent video... thank you

[@tin2001]

Going to go out and fly my first plane some time soon... I bet I'll be coming back and watching this video a 2nd time in a few days/weeks 😂

[@Painless360]

Let's hope not! See my video on crashing - we all do it but don't worry - even models in three or more bits can fly again! :D

[@tin2001]

First flight session (last weekend) went great... Didn't fly very long, but landed safely and went home in one piece. Second session (just got back)... Not as good. Tried to land it upside down by accident. Bent the nose, cracked the cheesy plastic canopy, tore the wing mounting holes a new one, and ripped an aileron off. Told you I'd be back to watch the repair tips again :)

[@JoshWeaverRC]

I didn't catch the tidbit about oil on the hinge before gluing. I'm sure you know it helps the glue stay off as when the hinge is pushed in it will pushed glue off. Maybe even best to do a practice run to find out how little glue is needed.

[@JoshWeaverRC]

To be specific, the oil would be where the paperclip slides in.

[@rscottwilson1]

Good info and super helpful for newbies like me 😉

[@jeffjorczak]

Curious what servo driver you have? I've not been able to find one with an internal battery.

[@Painless360]

I don't have one with an internal battery.. All of mine are powered by a Lipo or 5v BEC... Happy flying

[@youpattube1]

Good video. Lesson 1, remain calm. What is that channel or site you have where we can ask general RC questions ?

[@Painless360]

Free support is available here on the KZbin channel if you need to ask a question..

[@FiretrapDiva]

I bought a foam plane from China & one of the motors never worked so it was basically useless. I also had a rc drone that only 3 of those motors worked, is it possible to take one of the motors off the drone & put it on the plane? They look the same size.

[@Painless360]

If the motor has the same numbers on it - probably. You can't just swap one motor of a different specification into a model and expect it to work. See my videos.. Best of luck!

[@MCsCreations]

New video! Great! I'm going to make some coffee to watch. 😊

[@iforce2d]

If you're worried that little bits might have fallen off in a crash, it can be beneficial to not even pick anything up right away, until you've located everything. The way things are lying in the grass can sometimes give you a clue about where other bits might have gone. Many's the time I have picked up my quad and walked away a little, only to realize there was something missing, but when I go back I can't even locate where the quad itself had been a minute ago! Maybe this is just me... :)

[@Painless360]

Great idea. It's a lesson we learn the hard way those first few times when we get back to the bench and realise something must still be on the field! :D

[@JoshWeaverRC]

Recently my Opterra crashed from flying an aieleron draft fix for a second time as the first round was fine, but the tape stickiness had been lost over time and I never did a final fix. Anyway, we were full on tracing the scene from impact to cartwheels to small foam pieces resting to mass of battery carrying further. It was so helpful that I even found all dull lead pieces resting in the grass. Oh I'm rebuilding it, no draft fixes though.

[@haroldsmith45302]

Maybe take some photos of the debris field before moving anything? (Think like a scene-of-crime officer.) And place a marker where the carcass was.

[@tabdougherty8549]

not just you lol

[@jcfpv3454]

Awesome thanks

[@williamstewart5635]

What is an airing cupboard? UK term? Great video for a seldom visited subject.

[@Painless360]

Thanks for the comment, www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/airing-cupboard :D

[@51im]

If you bend a prop adaptor. Put it into the chuck of a cordless drill. If you run the drill slowly, it's obvious which way the shaft needs to be straitened, by gently using the drill chuck as a handle, to gently coax it into alignment.. I sometimes put a couple of turns of masking tape on the prop adaptor to avoid damaging the thread. You'll be amazed at how easy it makes what is otherwise a difficult task.

[@abidikar]

Hot water trick... ,👌👌👌

[@seanmolloy9422]

do not go over 165 deg to avoid alligator popcorn skin effect