FMS Futura V3 Review

FMS Futura V3 - EDF price tag, turbine excitement!

FLIGHT REPORT

BY ANDREW GRIFFITH

PHOTOS BY JENNIFER LIVELY

JANUARY 2023

AT A GLANCE

Model:	Futura V3
Manufacturer:	FMS Models (fmsmodels.com)
Type:	ARF EDF sport jet
Wingspan:	46 in.
Radio req'd:	6- or 7-channel
Power req'd:	6S 4000mAh LiPo
Price:	$399.99

The Tomahawk Aviation Futura 2.5-meter turbine jet is one of the smoothest, fastest sport jets I've ever had the chance to fly. It was designed by an aeronautical engineer who works for British Aerospace, and I was honored to be asked to fly one because it's way out of my price range (and it burns close to 5 gallons of fuel per flight!).

Lucky for the rest of us, FMS has a licensed copy that they released as an 80mm electric ducted fan (EDF) model at a much more modest price point. Constructed of injection-molded EPO foam, it's painted in a nicely contrasting color scheme, similar to what is available on the larger turbine version. Molded plastic parts are used generously where additional strength is desired.

The Futura I received is the third generation of this aircraft. FMS took a very successful design, added 13-gram, metal-gear, digital servos and a snazzy one-click wing connector in the V3 release. It also has upgraded power system, an LED lighting set, and a snazzy new paint job.

The Futura ships with everything you need to get in the air except for a receiver of your choice and a LiPo flight battery. Assembly is extremely quick and easy and requires only a M2 hex driver and a little patience getting all the parts seated. Jets in general should be flown by intermediate pilots, but as jets go, the Futura is a gentle flier that lends itself to newer jet pilots.

UNIQUE FEATURES

The Futura V3 arrived nicely packaged in a robust modular foam shipping container. Nearly all the work is already completed for you. The surfaces are foam hinged, and the servos and pushrods are pre-installed. The fuselage is attractively painted, and all the decals and markings are applied from the factory.

The model uses an impressive looking set of trailing-link style landing gear that feature machined aluminum struts and nicely sized rubber tires. These details add up to a jet that will be able to absorb some abuse resulting from operating off less-than-ideal runway surfaces. The Futura is also equipped with flaps for shorter takeoffs and slower landings.

As a sport jet, the Futura is expected to be able to handle some high-G flying, and it appears to be designed accordingly. The composite wing joiner rod is a stout 12.5mm diameter by 2mm thick and hard plastic reinforcements are found throughout the airframe.

The power system, which comes pre-installed, consists of an 80mm 12-blade fan that is spun by a 2,000kv electric brushless motor. A Hobbywing 100-amp speed control runs the power system on a 6S battery pack, and a BEC is provided to power the receiver, servos, and the LED lighting system.

I chose to use a Powerbox PBR-8E 8-channel receiver in my Futura. The connections to the included Reflex gyro are clearly labeled, and it took just a few minutes to setup. A USB programming cable is included and you can connect via their software to adjust parameters in the gyro. The gyro comes factory-programmed for the model it's installed in, and I never found a need to tweak it. If desired, the Reflex can be set in one of three modes by connecting it to a spare receiver channel and assigning a switch.

The only issue I had with the Futura was when it came time to install a battery and balance the model. A 6S 4000mAh battery is recommended, but none of my batteries in that size range would achieve proper balance, even when I slid them as far forward as the hatch would allow. Faced with a choice between adding nose weight versus flying a larger battery, I opted for installing a larger battery. A Spektrum Smart 6S 5000mAh 100C battery fit and allowed me to hit the back end of the center of gravity (CG) range (my preference anyway) and not add any weight.

BOTTOM LINE

The entire airframe can be assembled and setup in less time than it takes to charge a battery. An M2 hex driver is all that's required, and some extra screws are included in the hardware package. As I do with all foam models, covering your working surface with a fluffy towel helps to prevent damaging the foam while assembling your new model.

GEAR USED

Radio:	PowerBox CORE radio with a Powerbox PBR-7S receiver (powerbox-americas.com), 13-gram metal gear digital servos (installed)
Motor:	2,000kv electric brushless motor, Hobbywing 100A speed control and 80mm 12-blade EDF unit (installed)
Battery:	Spektrum Smart 5000mAh 100C LiPo (spektrumrc.com)

HITS

+ Robust landing gear

+ Easy to see color scheme

+ Large hatch for convenient battery access

+ Impressive speed and vertical performance

MISS

- Needed larger battery to balance

IN THE AIR

The Futura is small enough to store and transport fully assembled, but it has one-click plug-in wings if you need or want to break it down. Snap the wings in place and install four screws and it's ready for flight. The wide landing gear stance means it's very sure on its feet, and the gear and wheels are suitable for either paved or short grass runways.

With the flaps partially deployed, and possessing plenty of power, the Futura was off the runway quickly and a few clicks of up trim had it flying hands-off. My immediate impression was the Futura was fast, probably in the 100mph range, and the 12-blade fan sounds great.

With the flaps fully lowered and the gear down, the Futura slows down nicely for landing. Setting up a final approach with the nose up and a little power on, the Futura settled down nicely on the main gear and rolled to a stop using less than half of our 350-foot-long paved runway.

A quick CG check consisting of an inverted 45-degree upline told me that the CG was perfect as just a touch of down-elevator was needed to maintain the climb.

GENERAL FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS

Stability:

The combination of an outstanding airframe design and the Reflex gyro gave the Futura a rock-solid feel in flight, even when the wind started picking up. It flew well with the gyro disabled in the calm morning air, so the gyro is helpful but not needed.

Tracking:

Despite being a small foam jet, the Futura tracks extremely well.

Aerobatics:

The FMS Futura flew a lot like its big brother, albeit without the smell of burning kerosene. Large, graceful loops, long knife-edge flight with a highly effective rudder, fast and slow rolls all were easy. Stops are crisp when doing point rolls and it seems to feel at home upright or inverted.

Glide and stall:

In Optimized mode the Reflex gyro will fight a stall until it nearly stops flying and the flight controls become ineffective. Stall recovery is instantaneous with application of power. It will glide a surprisingly long way with the power off.

PILOT DEBRIEFING

I was excited to hear I was receiving the Futura, and it didn't disappoint! It's a lot of fun to fly: it does precision aerobatics well, has plenty of power, and will fly slowly and land easily.

[Image caption]

1. A modular connector at the wing root plugs in the ailerons, flaps, landing gear, and wingtip light all in one that makes assembly quick and easy.

2. The nose gear bay and steering servo are accessible to easily adjust the nose gear trim without affecting the flight rudder.

3. The Futura features very nice trailing-link landing gear to absorb the occasional rough landing and aluminum gear struts that I lubricated with BVM Dry Lube for long-lasting service.

4. An LED lighting system includes red and green colored wingtip lights and this bottom-mounted beacon. They can be seen in the daylight.

5. The 13-gram metal gear digital servos have plenty of torque and speed. All servos are mounted, and the pushrods installed out of the box.

6. I found balance best achieved by using a 5000mAh 100C Spektrum Smart LiPo.

The bottom of the scheme has a nice contrast to the top while maintaining excellent visibility.