Official Freewing 90mm F-4 Phantom II Thread

[f4u ausie]

Look at all the fun posts I missed!!!? That's what happens when you are upside down 😭



Congrats rex. Awsome looking air frame.. do U have a scheme yet.??? Eellbee s. Looks absolutely amazing.. I think if he is listening!!! He might post couple pics of it... I thought the elevator servo was 25 gram.oh well.. changed mine to hi teck.. I'm not as teck. As gg Evan etc,, but just the sound it makes.. not raspy like the factory fms freewing servos..... Wonder if lb is in that pic..

Lastly I think,, been going to ask this fora bit. I've noticed at full throttle on the ground. The canopy pulls down. Sucks down.. as if it needs a cheater???? Would it help airflow.. just thinking out aloud .... Post pics Rex have fun b safe

[GliderGuy]

Evan D,
Thanks for your advice. A quality servo is cheap insurance. I do want the best centering I can get.

Glider Guy,
Great Info. You two guys seem to know what this bird requires and thanks for your advice.

Best Regards, Rex

Speaking of which…..order a few to keep on hand. You’ll be glad you did.

F-4 spare parts…

-GG

[jetfool]

Evan D,
Thanks for your advice. A quality servo is cheap insurance. I do want the best centering I can get.

Glider Guy,
Great Info. You two guys seem to know what this bird requires and thanks for your advice.

Best Regards, Rex

[GliderGuy]

Rex…I use this in the F-4, MiG-29 and P-38 with good luck. It is physically small, so a plywood fillet is needed in the F-4. Google MKS servos and look in the “mini” section.

MKS HV-69

SKU	MKS-HV69
Quantity in stock	24 item(s) available
Dead Band	0.001ms (Default)
Spline Size	6mm 25 Tooth
Control System	+Pulse Width Control
Working Frequence	1520μs / 333Hz
Operating Voltage	3.7 ~ 8.2 V DC Volts (for 2S ~ 1S LiPo)
Operating Temperature Range	-10 to + 60 Degree C
Operating Speed (4.8V)	0.17 sec/60° degrees at no load
Operating Speed (6V)	0.13 sec/60° degrees at no load
Stall Torque (4.8V)	6.0 kg-cm / 83.3 oz-in
Operating Speed (7.4V)	0.11 sec/60° degrees at no load
Operating Speed (8.4V)	0.10 sec/60° degrees at no load
Stall Torque (6V)	7.50 kg/cm (104.2 oz/in)
Stall Torque (7.4V)	9.2 Kg/cm (127.8 oz/in)
Stall Torque (8.4V)	10.2 Kg/cm (141.7 oz/in)
Motor Type	Coreless Motor
Potentiometer Drive	Direct Drive
Bearing Type	2x Ball bearing
Gear Type	Metal Alloy Gear
Dimensions	29 x 13 x 28.7 mm
Weight

[Evan D]

645 and the line of them have poor centering. Okay for a warbird but I wouldn’t use it on a jet, especially a full flying stab.

[jetfool]

GG,
Thank for your reply. I trust Hitec 645 servo's in my 1/5 scale warbirds and will probably install a similar Hitec servo for elevator.
This bird is just calling to be flown but I want to scale this out this year so not in any hurry.
Best Regards, Rex

[GliderGuy]

Hi Rex,
Once bitten…twice shy. There are many companies offering more expensive servos that will fit. If a servo is smaller, you can make a plywood mount. Watching my F-4 dive into the ground from 30 ft on final approach wasn’t fun. Luckily, it was repairable.

Here’s your decision…Does a higher cost servo = higher quality? I have flown thousands of Freewing and Flightline model flights with their stock servos and have had VERY good results. HOWEVER…I have had a few random failures, too.

Again, your decision is risk based. Stay with stock or pay more for a different brand of servo and assume it is a better servo. There is only one servo driving a MOST critical control surface.

-GG

[jetfool]

Glider Guy,
I will upgrade the elev. pushrod and ball link to 4-40. The servo feels tight and snug in model. Specs show this servo to be 13g metal gear. Would this be ok for scale flying? Not a hot Dog flyer.
I am reading all the posts to get as much info as I can. Hope to install RC Geeks afterburners, planning to add 3d parts to scale out as much as possible.

Elbee,
Send all the photo's you want. Great Inspiration. Assembled plane last night and really impressed with the stock detail already installed, nomenclature stickers all over. Still planning Sundowner scheme but the stock paint is really nice on this. I already see some mods to do, pylons for navy f4B, ordinance under fus., center drop tank. navy nose gear/light cover. May work on this during flying season as this really looks great.

Best Regards, Rex

[Elbee]

jetfool

Some inspiring pix.

Best, LB

[GliderGuy]

F4uausie,
My next project arrived. A beautiful F4 Phantom. 6s Grey Ghost.
Best Regards, Rex

Hi Rex! Great fun. As noted in prior posts, consider upgrading to a robust and high quality elevator servo AND install heavy duty push rods and links for all the elevator hardware. My plastic link hardware broke on one F-4, and I had an elevator servo fail on another.

Also, I lost an F-4 likely due to RF noise from the ESC. So, install RF chokes as close to the ESC as possible. The benefits of RF chokes have been discussed in other EDF forums. See photo…
place RF chokes around all the wires where indicated. I’ve not lost a single EDF with high current ESCs since I started using chokes.



-GG

https://a.co/d/hlr3c4f

[jetfool]

F4uausie,
My next project arrived. A beautiful F4 Phantom. 6s Grey Ghost.
Best Regards, Rex

[f4u ausie]

Sorry did not see that Evan suggested a flat on the rod

[f4u ausie]

My pushrod fix was less glamorous than above.. I used the original rod.. cut 2 more rods and the smallest carbon rod that would go over the then 3 rods.. and filled internally the carbon rod with epoxy... I like simple tricks,, (cause I'm simple) lol.. here's one from RC informer... While moving the control surface,, a little super glue in the servo and horn holes ,with control rods in place, will take out that last slop...... Even with my new hi teck servo I could move by the elevator 1 or 2 mm (slop by hand).now none,, and U can do that as ref maintenance,, JUST B SURE TO. MOVE. Control surface until Supa glue is dry... For obvious reasons..
As regards the set screw,, I filed a tiny flat on the rod.. it took a bit to get the elevator half's to match,, but well worth it.. have fun,, it flys great,,, especially on 8s.. keep up speed in turns ,, lastly epoxy or support some how the elevator servo.. mine was loose after 2 flights

[Evan D]

Take a dremel and grind a flat on the shaft.

[dawhale]

I bought a used Freewing F4. One elevator was loose. I removed the bottom of the fuselage and found a bent servo push rod. I understand the need to upgrade the servo linkage. Is there a mod to stop the set screw from slipping on the elevator connecting rod?

[jetfool]

Can someone point me in the right direction to add opening canopies to the F-4. Researching for future project. Thanks in advance.

Best Regards, Rex

[Elbee]

I am not sure what I am doing wrong. Using the serch function to try to locate info on the elevator rod repair/mod. Can someone provide some direction for this old guy?

Thank you

DW,

Welcome to Hobby Squawk.

Glad to have you onboard.

What Evan D wrote is good information.

Replacing the OEM Rod(s) with 4-40 all thread or linkage is the way to go.

Some, like myself, also added a carbon fiber tube over the 4-40 all thread and I glued it with CA after I liked the positioning.

The ball links are also the way to go even if need to drill out your servo arm or even replace it with something stiffer.
I added a Futaba (or equivalent) higher torque servo.

You get the general idea, it is a matter of stiffening the linkage rods and attachment hardware to remove the play in the OEM setup.

Best, LB

[Evan D]

More pictures and info on RCG... I used 4-40 rod and a stronger/ larger ball link.

[dawhale]

I am not sure what I am doing wrong. Using the serch function to try to locate info on the elevator rod repair/mod. Can someone provide some direction for this old guy?

Thank you

[jetfool]

Dangerous,

Looks like I will be needing your services for Toledo 26. I beat the tariff increase yesterday from Motion. You guys are killing me! LOL.
Hopefully Dave can get involved also. Later
Best Regards, Rex