Official Freewing 90mm F-4 Phantom II Thread

[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

[Elbee]

jetfool

Some inspiring pix.

Best, LB

[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

[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]

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

[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.

[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

[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]

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

[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

[jetfool]

Ok guys, it is either my slow brain or the multi-board. I plugged all the servos into their correct positions, calibrated esc/motor per manual. After all the beeps I can lower the landing gear. Start/ stop motor, lights are on. Ele., Rudder, ail are not working. Elev. is plugged directly to the rec. May try another rec just to double check

Any suggestions?

[GliderGuy]

1) Double check all your servo plug polarities are correct.
2) Experiment by moving working servos into non-working servo slots. Gear, controls, etc. move working servos around…all voltages are identical…experiment.
3) Make sure nothing funky is in the TX channel settings for the non-working servos.
4) Battery voltage good?
5) Are you wired exactly like the manual shows?

-GG

[Elbee]

jetfool

First, try plugging the elevator and rudder servos into a servo tester and run those a couple hundred times.

If those work in the tester and not your RX, plug those into ports in the RC that do work to test if your RX is wonky.

If all still fails, I am stumped.

f4u ausie


Here ya go.

I just love this model and she turned out Phantastic.

Best, LB

[f4u ausie]

Absolutely beautiful Steve thanx

[jetfool]

Found the problem! The 001-computer crashed. After changing out receivers and using servo tester on servos I realized I had zeroed all three rud, ail, ele. in my 7c Futaba radio set-up. After setting to 100% low and behold it all works. Who would have thunk it! Fired everything up and ran motor to hear that jet sound on the workbench and damn near had a carrier launch. Lots of thrust. Better quit for the night.
Guys thanks for all your support Rex

[Elbee]

jetfool

Rex, sent you an email with 3 PDF Files of Navy Reference materials. Enjoy. Best, LB

[jetfool]

Elbee,

The files came thru great. WOW, lots of info to digest. saved to computer. Thanks Rex

[apmech1]

Awesome job Elbee! Here are pics of my F-4. just finished it. My 12 yr old son's F-18 just got finished as well (father / son Project). Just got a Vinyl cutter. I still Use Callie for the stars and bars and the smaller detailed multi-colored decals, because I can't do colored printed vinyl yet. We had some fun with the pilot Names and callsigns.

[e4dragongunner]

Love them both !!!
Well done!!

[Elbee]

Awesome job Elbee! Here are pics of my F-4. just finished it. My 12 yr old son's F-18 just got finished as well (father / son Project). Just got a Vinyl cutter. I still Use Callie for the stars and bars and the smaller detailed multi-colored decals, because I can't do colored printed vinyl yet. We had some fun with the pilot Names and callsigns.

Apmech,

Great to to see your post, been awhile.

Absolutely gorgeous liveries on both the "Red Devils"

"Oorah".

Congrats to your son, simply beautiful work.

I've been thinking about a vinyl cutter for making masks and whatever else you could make with one.

Which machine did you decide to purchase?

The red is outstanding, too, is that paint or vinyl?

Best, LB