Freewing F16 Water Damage Help!

[Jacrews]

I flew my Freewing F16 and while making a turn to come for a landing the plane went down nose first as I attempted to pull up. It landed in a pond belly first but the canopy came open and the battery flew out.

I have cleaned and dried parts and got a new battery. When I power up the plane and my remote the servos and landing gear start twitching. The engine works completely fine. Had anyone experienced this and where would I start...should I troubleshoot the receiver, control board, or replacing the servos? Someone please help!

[TiredIronGRB]

Welcome to Hobby Squawk! I would change out the receiver first.

[Hemidoo]

Try the RX first , but i'd say theres some water in the connections / wires still . I've had this with my float plane a few times

[mongo]

next time, rinse the electronics with 91% alcohol before ya do any other recovery efforts, then blow dry with a no heat hair dryer.
including every connection/extension.

[fhhuber]

Get electronics cleaning spray and spray the heck out of the electronics to drive out water.

The electronics cleaning spray will completely evaporate RAPIDLY and not cause corrosion. Alcohol will actually pull moisture out of the air and you end up with the corrosion despite trying to flush the water out.

Note that you have to open cases to get the water out of servos and RX. Might have to remove/replace heat shrink on the ESC.

Then treat the electronics with http://www.corrosionx.com/electronics.html

[Jacrews]

Esc and motor are working. I have done some trouble shooting and all my rudders, elevator, and aileron cables can be plugged into the receiver from the freewing control board. As soon as I plug the three cord landing green wire from control board that is when servo twitch starts.

it has been weeks since the water damage so taking them apart at this point would be useless right? I had put the receiver and control board in rice right after it but did nothing to the servos

[rifleman_btx]

Yeah the control board needs replacing sounds like to me. Some times corrosion can build and become a jumper where you dont want one and can do serious damage, or just make stuff run funny, like your servo twitching. I would try a second reciever first and if it doesnt clear up bypass the controller box and try again. If it works without the box being plugged in you know the culprit. Another idea is one i used and it brought back a failing esc is spray some corrosion X in the box and receiver. That stuff works great in my float planes.

[Jacrews]

Ok I think I may have figured it out. I took the control board out of play and hooked each indidivual line to the receiver and tested it that way...aileron, elevator, rudder, and gear and each item worked! So this was directly bypassing my control board which is why I was having servo twitch with motor running flawless! Now I just need to buy a freewing f16 70mm control board...or can you use any brand?

[rifleman_btx]

I would just use the stock unit.

https://www.motionrc.com/products/freewing-control-board-e15

Or better yet if you can just take the box out of the equation and just wire everything right to your receiver.

[Jacrews]

Out of stock :(

[rifleman_btx]

Crappy :( well maybe they are on the boat they were talking about in another thread, lets hope

[Jacrews]

Well they just notified me it is available. I have also been reading about a gyro. How do these hook up and do I still need the control board with this? Which gyro is recommended?

[Hemidoo]

Well they just notified me it is available. I have also been reading about a gyro. How do these hook up and do I still need the control board with this? Which gyro is recommended?

https://www.motionrc.com/collections/airplane-gyros/products/eagle-a3-pro-6-axis-airplane-gyro-w-one-click-auto-recovery-system

I run these , sure helps landing in not so ideal conditions .


Link to manual..

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1052/4162/files/A3Pro_User_Manual_v1.0_en.pdf

[Jacrews]

Do you completely not use the standard freewing control board when this is installed?

[rifleman_btx]

My gyro in internal to the receiver so i would think the same concept would apply here as you would plug the gyro in line between the box and receiver.

[Hemidoo]

Do you completely not use the standard freewing control board when this is installed?

I still used the control board in my Freewing Avanti along with the gyro.
As others have said above , you can by-pass the board with Y-cables and a little thinking

[Jacrews]

Ok a little update! I got the new control board and gyro in....so I have a new receiver and controll board. Servos still twitch!!! When I disconnect the control board and plug the servos straight into the receiver they work?!?! I am lost!! Please help

[rifleman_btx]

Maybe... try a BEC? Could be over pulling from the stock esc... just seems really strange otherwise :(

[Jacrews]

BEC? What is that

[rifleman_btx]

Battery eliminator circuit