Official Freewing 90mm F-4 Phantom II Thread

[Elbee]

Greetings fellow r.c. enthusiasts!, May I present the latest creation from the Wallsburg Warbird Works! Spad Driver

SD, What a great story and a fabulous repaint with mods. She is a beautiful thing, Sir. Bravo Zulu. Best, LB

[Spad Driver]

Greetings fellow r.c. enthusiasts!,
May I present the latest creation from the Wallsburg Warbird Works!.
Freewing F-4 Phantom II C/D SEA camouflage version re-worked as NF-4C #63-7407 "The Elder".
Built as an F-4C-15-MC and delivered 11/1963 to the U.S.A.F. Assigned to the 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing McDill A.F.B. Florida. There it was converted into an NF-4C test aircraft.
It spent it's life bouncing back and forth between Eglin A.F.B. Florida and Edwards A.F.B. California and now is now on display at the Edwards A.F.B. museum.
By 1990 it was the oldest "Charlie" version still in active U.S.A.F. service and was named so on it's logbook cover.
For me the really cool thing is that my dad flew it in the early 70's according to his flight logbook when it was attached to the to 3346th Test Wing at Eglin A.F.B.
My bird is based on a photo of it sitting on the ramp at Edwards A.F.B. In the summer of 1989 while attached to AFFTC ( Air Force Flight Test Center). Hence the white radome rather than the usual black radome of 6512th Test Wing aircraft. Reference used was the photo book Superbase 12 EDWARDS Home of the Right Stuff by George Hall 1990 Osprey Publishing.
Using FS standard paint #'s. All acrylic paints were used from Home Depot. Sprayed on with a Harbor Freight touchup HVLP spray gun. Panel lines were drawn in with a Forum soft pencil and lightly over sprayed with base color to soften the effect. Walkways and edge lines were masked off and sprayed with a pasche single action airbrush. A combination of Callie grafics and stock decals were used for the markings.
I used the "C" variate infrared seeker from the resin upgrade set to replace the "D" infrared seeker under the radome. An AOA indicator was made from the tip of a toothpick. Painted silver and stuck on port side of nose. A IFF antenna was added along the spine with sheet styrene. The stock exhaust tail feathers looked closer to a "C" variant than the resin replacement so I painted them to more closely match photos and over-sprayed them with flat black to look sooted up.
4 coats of minwax polycrylic gloss were applied before 2 finish coats of Microscale satin finish. The anti-glare panel in front of the windscreen was finished with 2 coats of Microscale flat. The windscreen was coated with Future acrylic floor polish mixed with blue food coloring to represent the armored glass.
Aircraft I.D. panel markings were individualy cut from sheet and applied with a toothpick and glued with Future.
weathering is minimal as Edwards test bird maintenance crews labored hard to keep these birds spotless. Only places where hydraulic fliud leaked at aileron hinge points and elevator pivot points are highlighted.
The fan is upgraded to a 9 bladed 3672-1900 KV I/R . A Spektrum AR8020T reciever with satellite. The satellite is installed between the exhausts underneath at rear of the fuselage.
I chose this scheme for it's high visibility and verifiable accurate paint scheme. Perfect for an old guy with less than perfect eyesight!.
Thanks for looking. Hope you enjoy this plane,
Spad Driver

[Hugh Wiedman]

Good info Hugh.

Does SMC plan to continue offering the standard / not HiV 6S batteries?

I’ve given their “prior version” 6200 Graphine Extreme V2 6S lots of flights since ordering them. I’m well satisfied with them.

-GG

Yes, Danny will eventual get back to stocking the "normal" packs as well, I think he's been pushing his new supplier to get the HiV packs right but did tell me he will also have this new supplier do the normal packs.

I really love the standard Graphine packs as well and I still have 16 of the 6200's (flown in almost all EDFS and larger prop warbirds) along with 8 of the 5300's (primarily for the Mig/Su-30) and 4 of his 4500's (Used in the Su-30 & all my 60" 3D planes).

It remains to be seen how the HiV packs will do but intend to use the 5300's in the Mig and the 6200's in the EDF's that do work with them. So far, only 3 EDF's can't operate with them.

[GliderGuy]

Good info Hugh.

Does SMC plan to continue offering the standard / not HiV 6S batteries?

I’ve given their “prior version” 6200 Graphine Extreme V2 6S lots of flights since ordering them. I’m well satisfied with them.

-GG

[Hugh Wiedman]

Posted in F-18 thread as well:

Just a heads up on the new SMC HiV batteries. At 4.35 volts per cell, most of my Freewing ESC's read them as 6 cells, so no issues. However, of the 2 identical 90mm set-ups in my F-18 Canadian/F-18 Tiger Meet and my F-4 Phantom and F-4 Blue Angel, one of the F-18's and one of the F-4's ESC's read it wrong, only giving 2 beeps instead of the normal 6. Seems it is reading it as a 7 S, which means the normal cut-off voltage at 3.15 volts then comes to play at 22.05 volts thinking it's 7S instead of the 18.9 Volts of a normal 6S. Did some simulated bench test flights and after about 3 minutes of various throttle levels, at full throttle the motor/ESC begins erratically behaving. Thankfully I didn't test them out in actual flight! Oddly enough, this only happened with 2 FW 130 amp ESC's, while 3 other identical ones read it as 6S. Guess I need to somehow reprogram those 2 ESC's if I want to use a HiV battery in them. Could drop the cutoff to low at 2.85 Volts for 7S, which would come out to 19.95 volts (fine for 6S), but the initial beeps would still be off! The Castle ESC I have in my F-16 actually reads it as a 7S with 7 beeps and cuts off early as well, but I expected that one.

So just a word of caution with HiV, check it out first before flying! Worked fine on my Avanti, Stinger 90, A-10, one of the F-4's & F-18's, the Mig 29 and the E-Flight SU-30. Haven't tried them in the 90mm Corsair, Spitfire or other prop planes as I'm only planning on using HiV bats in some of the EDF's.

[primodus22]

With the AR8360T your not running gyro correct. Using stabilizer in receiver

Yes, I am using the AS3X gyro in mine. gains are low though.

[okcrcpilot]

Is this what you are looking for??

[okcrcpilot]

Is this what you are looking for??

[Elbee]

Does anyone have photos of the paint mixing labels of the Home Depot touch-up paint for the F-4. I have some patch painting of all the colors form an accident repair and, wouldn't you know, I need ALL the colors. Thanks in advance, Bill

https://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/paint/mig/paint_mig_7205.shtml

Bill, I ran through some of the older posts in this thread. Alpha had posted matching Ammo by Mig SEA colors when he did some mods to his Phantom. I have added that link to this response. I am currently using the Ammo line of paints for a full repaint on my Flightline Corsair. These are accurate colors, though might not match exactly to the Freewing F-4 acrylics. If you are going the Home Depot route for sure, just take your parts to their paint department for an exact match. Hope this helps. Best, Steve

[billd3]

Does anyone have photos of the paint mixing labels of the Home Depot touch-up paint for the F-4. I have some patch painting of all the colors form an accident repair and, wouldn't you know, I need ALL the colors.

Thanks in advance,
Bill

[sadams714441]

With the AR8360T your not running gyro correct. Using stabilizer in receiver

[Evan D]

Any 6 channel or more DSMX receiver. I like to separate steering from rudder so that’s 7ch. If you want an internal gyro like AS3X that changes what you need. I use Orange receivers and satellites. I don’t use gyros. I don't use telemetry.

Really if you need to ask there’s an issue.

[primodus22]

I'm using an AR8360T in mine.

[sadams714441]

Just ordered the F4. Using a NX8. What would be a good receiver along with gyro.

[Elbee]

Ah shucks, thanks. I need to get her out for a couples flights yet this fall. Love the look in the air. Best, LB

[e4dragongunner]

ELbee that ROCKS!!!!

[Lateral-G]

LG, Welcome to Hobby Squawk. I now use a small stainless steel mixing artist spatula I bought at Hobby Lobby. It has a rounded angled and flexible head that is easily thin enough to slide between the canopy and the foam. It will take a little force to break the glue bond, but you can usually pull the canopy off once you've gotten it started. Try to keep the inevitable damage to a minimum. You will need to pick up some lightweight filler. I use "Shrink-Free Spackling" from Sherwin-Williams. The glue will pull off the foam, but you might need to soak the canopy in mineral spirits to remove the glue from the canopy, but might also remove some of the OEM acrylic paint. If you are not repainting the canopy, try pulling the glue off the plastic, which works okay.

As for the decals, I looked at my Phantom cockpit and I color printed off the instruments from the inter-web and added clear glue to simulate the IP glass. The side panels were also color printed and glued in position. It looks pretty okay. Best, LB

Thanks.

I kind of figured that was the method for the canopy removal. i already have all the tools and materials needed that you mentioned.

I will image search Google and work something out then for the IP. I can print my own decals.

I have plenty of year experience building plastic scale models so it shouldn't be difficult. I was hoping for a less labor intensive path but no matter. it's all good.

[Elbee]

For those that install the 3D printed cockpit, what is the process to remove the original canopy and what do you use for the instrument panel decals?

LG, Welcome to Hobby Squawk. I now use a small stainless steel mixing artist spatula I bought at Hobby Lobby. It has a rounded angled and flexible head that is easily thin enough to slide between the canopy and the foam. It will take a little force to break the glue bond, but you can usually pull the canopy off once you've gotten it started. Try to keep the inevitable damage to a minimum. You will need to pick up some lightweight filler. I use "Shrink-Free Spackling" from Sherwin-Williams. The glue will pull off the foam, but you might need to soak the canopy in mineral spirits to remove the glue from the canopy, but might also remove some of the OEM acrylic paint. If you are not repainting the canopy, try pulling the glue off the plastic, which works okay.

As for the decals, I looked at my Phantom cockpit and I color printed off the instruments from the inter-web and added clear glue to simulate the IP glass. The side panels were also color printed and glued in position. It looks pretty okay. Best, LB

[Lateral-G]

For those that install the 3D printed cockpit, what is the process to remove the original canopy and what do you use for the instrument panel decals?

[Evan D]

All planes need something/ are "broken". May be time for another hobby that's not "broken".