Official Freewing 90mm F-4 Phantom II Thread

[Evoman]

Thanks Alpha! It was really interesting to read more about what goes into developing a RC model. I bet many here including my self will be more understanding for now of how much work is involved in developing a new model.
This also made me realize why older models like the LX F-4 just never flew that well because of a lack of good R&D. Just because an F-4 model looks like an F-4 doesn't mean it will necessarily fly as well.

[Hugh Wiedman]

AW Come on Motion, are you trying to bankrupt me? I just purchased 2 weeks ago the F4 after having it on my wish list since it was first announced and 1 week after I finally pull the trigger you announce a Marine version. I'm not really a jet guy, and only have the Stinger 90 (which I love) so despite the F4 whispering in my ear BUY ME for the last 9 months, I finally gave in so I could sleep. Orientation and visibility are an issue for me so a faster jet is not in my best interest, but I couldn't resist. When it first came out, I opted to buy the 1600mm Spitfire (which I also love), then the olive and later the silver B-24, so the F4 always got pushed down the wait list. Then at the beginning of the summer I got a 60" Slick from Extreme Flight so spent most of the summer with the warbirds and 3D flying, but by September, continuing to read every post of the F4, I couldn't resist any longer. Just finished building it out (delayed because of some home renovations-but no increase in hanger space sadly-only honey do's), included the 3D nozzels and the cockpit, so am getting ready to maiden this thing, and all I can think of is what Marine version I'm going to do with the new announced F4. Motion, I need to remove you from my favorite sites or I'm going to be living under the expressway soon.

All I have left to do is replace the nose pin with one of my extra Spitfire axels as I'm concerned with the breakaway pin and damaging the nose gear doors, the nose cone and the nose landing strut. A bend would be much preferred, possibly even a broken retract instead of sliding home on it's nose. I have a tendency to come in a little hot with the jet and have bent the nose pin on the Stinger several times, but nothing worse. Even with it bent slightly, I can still continue flying it (with gear down) until I get home and replace the pin.

As I said, I have orientation and visibility issues, especially on the downwind side turning in for landing approach, so I did my own "Key West" Sundowner version in camo. Callie made a custom tail graphic for me, changing the Sundowner from White/Red to Yellow/Red, and I added some matching paint on the wing tips which will hopefully aid in orientation.

All joking aside, Motion, in conjunction with Freewing/Flight Line certainly are the class of the industry. All of their products are first class, a pleasure to build and even more fun to fly. Keep it up!

[Hugh Wiedman]

Hey Alpha, or anyone else who may have the answer. The last thing I have to do before I maiden my new F4 is to replace the nose pin with a modified Spitfire axel that I have extras of. I also was able to snag a couple F4/A10 nose pins the last time they became available and got the last 2 at 5:00 AM the night they were announced back in stock. I examined the F4 pins (and also the pin in a new spare nose assembly I have), and the metal "looks" exactly the same as the Spitfire Axel and the Stinger 90 nose pin (which I have bent without them breaking). When I looked at the pictures of the pins that others have posted after breaking, they "looked" like a different darker metal. These new ones look different, at least from the pictures. Does anyone know if Freewing has listened to the complaints and the latest ones out are using the same metal as their other plane's pins and axels? I know photos can be deceiving, and I don't want to take a hammer to a new pin just to test it, but I still plan on modifying the Spitfire axel unless anyone can tell me, yes, Freewing did change the metal.

In the picture, the Spitfire axel is on the left and the new F4/A10 nose pin on the right. I do wish Freewing would design these retract pins so they could be removed/replaced with set screws in the trunnion, instead of having to remove and completely disassemble the retract.

On another note, I noticed 207 marked on most of the parts of the jet when I unboxed it. I'm assuming that this was the 207th F4 jet Freewing produced, and if so, there's plenty of us F4 owners out there.

[themudduck]

Hugh, your plane looks really great. I'm jealous! (I painted mine as the Navy Sundowner version). I'm sure those colors will help with orientation, but it looks fantastic.

[Aros]

Agreed, nice job! Unique and cool-looking while being helpful in the process. :Cool:

[Rhitchy]

nice paint

[Hugh Wiedman]

Agreed, nice job! Unique and cool-looking while being helpful in the process. :Cool:

Aros,

Can you look at my post above regarding the F4 Nose Pin (#2615)? For some reason it says Hey Alpha-meant Aros, must have auto corrected or I just had too many shots last night.

Thanks

[Elbee]

Hugh, Your PH-Phour is outstanding. Like that you included your mate as WSO. Best, LB

[Hardway]

Good job Hugh!! Love the way you color them up!!! Reminds me of when I was a kid and would do the most outrageous covering job I could think of.... And it looked cool and I could see it forever!!! :Cool::Cool::Cool:

[PhantomNut]

AW Come on Motion, are you trying to bankrupt me? I just purchased 2 weeks ago the F4 after having it on my wish list since it was first announced and 1 week after I finally pull the trigger you announce a Marine version. I'm not really a jet guy, and only have the Stinger 90 (which I love) so despite the F4 whispering in my ear BUY ME for the last 9 months, I finally gave in so I could sleep. Orientation and visibility are an issue for me so a faster jet is not in my best interest, but I couldn't resist. When it first came out, I opted to buy the 1600mm Spitfire (which I also love), then the olive and later the silver B-24, so the F4 always got pushed down the wait list. Then at the beginning of the summer I got a 60" Slick from Extreme Flight so spent most of the summer with the warbirds and 3D flying, but by September, continuing to read every post of the F4, I couldn't resist any longer. Just finished building it out (delayed because of some home renovations-but no increase in hanger space sadly-only honey do's), included the 3D nozzels and the cockpit, so am getting ready to maiden this thing, and all I can think of is what Marine version I'm going to do with the new announced F4. Motion, I need to remove you from my favorite sites or I'm going to be living under the expressway soon.

All I have left to do is replace the nose pin with one of my extra Spitfire axels as I'm concerned with the breakaway pin and damaging the nose gear doors, the nose cone and the nose landing strut. A bend would be much preferred, possibly even a broken retract instead of sliding home on it's nose. I have a tendency to come in a little hot with the jet and have bent the nose pin on the Stinger several times, but nothing worse. Even with it bent slightly, I can still continue flying it (with gear down) until I get home and replace the pin.

As I said, I have orientation and visibility issues, especially on the downwind side turning in for landing approach, so I did my own "Key West" Sundowner version in camo. Callie made a custom tail graphic for me, changing the Sundowner from White/Red to Yellow/Red, and I added some matching paint on the wing tips which will hopefully aid in orientation.

All joking aside, Motion, in conjunction with Freewing/Flight Line certainly are the class of the industry. All of their products are first class, a pleasure to build and even more fun to fly. Keep it up!

Your F-4 paint scheme actually came out pretty neat! I like it!

[Alpha]

Nice model and customized model, too! Your custom rising sun reminds me of Arizona, I like it a lot.

[Kevin R]

Hey gang, I’m having issues with my F4. The control surface servos go into the junction panel, then out to the receiver, right? I’ve done that and have no rudder or elevator. Also, only the main get deploy, no nose gear or nose door function. Also, where does the Uber plug into? Does it go to the receiver or the junction panel?? I’m sure it’s something silly.....

[Kevin R]

Ubec.....not uber!

[crxmanpat]

Yes, all servo leads go into the junction box, then you have a set of leads that go from there to the RX (Page 6 of the manual shows where all leads go). The UBEC plugs into the battery port on your RX. Make sure all wires are in the proper orientation.

[Agpilot25]

I just got my phantom ready to go I was just curious if everyone is using the rates in the manual or not?

[crxmanpat]

I use the manual rates, but on up trim for flaps I doubled the amount stated.

[Kevin R]

I plugged everything into the box the out of the box into the rx, properly orientated. No rudder, no ele, nose gear door won’t operate and nose gear won’t extend. Weird....I’m using a Spektrum DX9 TX and Spektrum AR8000 RX

[T-CAT]

I plugged everything into the box the out of the box into the rx, properly orientated. No rudder, no ele, nose gear door won’t operate and nose gear won’t extend. Weird....I’m using a Spektrum DX9 TX and Spektrum AR8000 RX

Hmm, it sounds like everything else though at the wing points are moving and functioning properly then, correct? That at least means all the surfaces (main gear, ailerons, flaps, and wing lights) at the multi-connect wing harness wiring is good. The rest you mentioned aren’t tied in any way to those harnesses, so it they all aren’t working, definitely recheck polarity at the box and receiver for all the parts not functioning and take them out and repeat them again to their ports on the box, then check the wiring itself of each of those surfaces to ensure none of the servo-leads and/or extensions if used were pulled away from one another. Hopefully the box itself isn’t malfunctioning, but could be unlikely if so many of the surfaces aren’t working while the wing ports are.

[Kevin R]

Will do. It’s gotta be something seriously simple. Thank you for your suggestions.

[Kevin R]

Got everything now except for gear door and rudder!