Official Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat Thread

[RCjetdude]

Thanks! Yes please post when you can!

Got a break in the rain so took some better shots outdoors.

Todd, you're doing it again...! Looks sweet. Well done.

[Aros]

Thanks Steve! I forgot to paint the helmets yellow...Doing that now. Once you see the yellow heads that will tip you over the edge. LOL

[Aros]

Due diligence! ;)

[Porkster]

Thanks! Yes please post when you can!

Got a break in the rain so took some better shots outdoors.

That looks great Aros, is that your house with the twin garages? I like that too!

[Alpha]

Aros, the new colors look really great. Airbrush?

[wolpertinger]

Hey Aros, again great detailing on that Tomcat. I guess project Foil will come in the same livery and detail. ;)nudge, nudge, wink, wink, bobs me uncle....

[Aros]

Aros, the new colors look really great. Airbrush?

Thanks! No, rattle can. Definitely plan on the airbrush for the weathering. ;)

[Aros]

That looks great Aros, is that your house with the twin garages? I like that too!

No unfortunately...Alas my house only comes with one. :Straight-Face:

[Aros]

Color coordination complete. :)

[farmflyer]

I have to say that small little detail really does make a lot of difference great job Aros!

[Aros]

Thanks!

[RCjetdude]

Look away! Look away! Aww heck....too late. :Drooling:LOL

[Aros]

LOL

[OV10]

Todd ............I've always admired the Jolly Rogers (VF-84) and love that you re-made your Tomcat to represent them.
I first saw the infamous livery when I was stationed at NAS Oceana.
A buddy of mine was attached with the Jolly's when they had F-4's and were aboard the Roosevelt.
So not only did I get to see them up close when I went over to his flight line on the base but also when they transitioned to the F-14's and came aboard the Nimitz in 77 (just as I was getting out).
My point in this little bit of history is that VF-84 was never on board the Constellation with F-14's.
The tail letters AJ are a designation for CVW-8, Carrier Air Wing 8 which is what the Nimitz was when commissioned in 75(am a plank owner :Cool:).
So please put the USS Nimitz designation on that beautiful bird.;)
Here's my squadron sporting the tail designation. If you look closely behind that Intruder, that is the exact bird that captured my intrigue for the :ov10

[Aros]

Thanks my friend...A handful of pages back I mentioned that my livery would be a hybrid between the VF-84 and the VF-130. I always suspected it would catch the eye of those like you who have history with the real deal.

Out of respect, I will remove the reference to the Constellation and put the Nimitz in its rightful spots. Thanks for the nudge!

[fhhuber]

ARFs aren't meant for scale competition. So mixing markings from several planes is just fine. Make it look the way you want it to look and 90% of people won't even notice that its not a set of markings that were ever on one single aircraft.

Looks good.
Its going to fly well.
Win-Win.

(occasionally check the wing swing screws and nuts. Mine has a couple {never the same ones twice in a row} go loose about every 4th flight)

[Aros]

I still have to figure out the right roll tendency and bouncy landings. I must be landing at a much higher airspeed than I think I am. I know for sure at least one was near stall speed but she still bounced on me. I do love a good challenge though!

[rifleman_btx]

Maybe need to try and flair alittle later? I find if I flair too early 2 things happen, I either drop the nose and ram the nose gear into the deck bouncing up, or I keep the nose up too much and the nose drops anyway causing a bounce landing. I find it good practice to flair when the wheels are about strut high from ground to wheel. So far with all my trik planes that has givin me successful butter smooth landings. So basicly if you have 4" tall struts flair at 8". Give a +/- faster of 1/2 strut hight and you should be alright

[fhhuber]

I "cheated" and disassembled the struts and adjusted the springs.

With RTF weight on the wheels the springs are now compressed 1/3 of available travel.
Clip a little spring off, reassemble, check... repeat.
You can't put the cut off part of the spring back but you can insert a small plastic plug to add tension.
MATCH the mains' springs either way. If you cut one, cut the other the same.

I haen't checked if these struts can have the slots extended to give more travel range. That can help sometimes but its easy to mess up the struts.

The struts will then do their intended job of softening the landing.

Too stiff and the strut might as well be solid instead of having a spring. Too soft and they'll bottom out even on a really good landing.

Nose-wheel spring will be much softer than the mains. There's less weight on it. Too stiff and you get more chance of the nose bouncing up then the plane does the pogo.

[OV10]

Out of respect, I will remove the reference to the Constellation and put the Nimitz in its rightful spots. Thanks for the nudge!

And thanx for the respect to that livery my friend ;)
Here's my respect to the 00 I actually got some launch/trap time from the B/N seat as an NCO :Cool:
George and Steve saw this fly at eWeek. ps........Callie's work is so freekin awesome.