Official Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat Thread

[C17loadmaster]

Sorry about the poor filming. Weirdos come out and surround us on the golf course when I fly. She missed the very impressive impact

https://youtu.be/GDtlERb432s

[Aros]

Ouch! Sorry to see that...Well, not really see it...Tell your wife she's fired as your videographer. LOL

[C17loadmaster]

Ouch! Sorry to see that...Well, not really see it...Tell your wife she's fired as your videographer. LOL

To give her credit... every flight she’s filmed has been pretty good. This was the first bad crash. She didn’t point the camera because she was too surprised at what was about to happen haha

[Aros]

I was just teasing... :)

[C17loadmaster]

I was just teasing... :)

I know haha. I told her I put the shortened clip on and she corrected me that she didn’t screw up, she knew it was about to blow up.....right

[RCjetdude]

It was enough to just hear it.... that sickening sound of foam impacting the ground :Dead: is enough to conjure up images of hell. :Scared:

[C17loadmaster]

My replacement came today! I’m using lessons from the last plane to try and make this one the best. Check out the receiver and gyro location... anyone else mount them there? I have a 2 foot extension coming tomorrow to mount the satellite receiver in the nose.

[fhhuber]

My replacement came today! I’m using lessons from the last plane to try and make this one the best. Check out the receiver and gyro location... anyone else mount them there? I have a 2 foot extension coming tomorrow to mount the satellite receiver in the nose.

I'm "punting" on the mountings for ESCs and RX (and RX packs, no BEC)

Upgraded to Castle ESCs (overkill rating :120 amp 12S capable)

A pair of 1200 mah 2S LiFe packs for the RX, in the belly "tunnels" with the ESCs

Moved the "battery shelf" in the fuselage up so I slide one pair of 3S 6500 mah under that (there is no way that pair of packs can move in flight), and another pair of 3S 6500 mah in front with 2 velcro straps (upgraded vs the original). Separate pair of 3S in series for each EDF. (because I don't want to make the harness to parallel the EDFs)

I need to do wattmeter tests to see the change in power with the newest Castle ESC firmware vs the OEM ESCs.

No gyro. The plane does not need it. It also does not need the ailerons to move for banking, just using them as flap extensions. The outer flaps not going down quite as much as the inner, thus adding a washout effect as flaps come down. (force the wings to stall near the fuselage before the tips)

I'm considering just pulling the multifunction board out and getting a small blinker controller for lights, leaving plenty of room for the RX, vs putting the RX on the shelf above the rear pair of LiPos.
I'm mainly using the board for the lights and gear sequencing. My TX can do the sequencing.

Also trying to reduce the "rats nest" of wires in there.

[C17loadmaster]

I'm "punting" on the mountings for ESCs and RX (and RX packs, no BEC)

Upgraded to Castle ESCs (overkill rating :120 amp 12S capable)

A pair of 1200 mah 2S LiFe packs for the RX, in the belly "tunnels" with the ESCs

Moved the "battery shelf" in the fuselage up so I slide one pair of 3S 6500 mah under that (there is no way that pair of packs can move in flight), and another pair of 3S 6500 mah in front with 2 velcro straps (upgraded vs the original). Separate pair of 3S in series for each EDF. (because I don't want to make the harness to parallel the EDFs)

I need to do wattmeter tests to see the change in power with the newest Castle ESC firmware vs the OEM ESCs.

No gyro. The plane does not need it. It also does not need the ailerons to move for banking, just using them as flap extensions. The outer flaps not going down quite as much as the inner, thus adding a washout effect as flaps come down. (force the wings to stall near the fuselage before the tips)

I'm considering just pulling the multifunction board out and getting a small blinker controller for lights, leaving plenty of room for the RX, vs putting the RX on the shelf above the rear pair of LiPos.
I'm mainly using the board for the lights and gear sequencing. My TX can do the sequencing.

Also trying to reduce the "rats nest" of wires in there.

I first had mine set up the same way, outboard flaps and tailerons only. It did not fly right at all. It flew like it was nose heavy but the CG was perfect. An aileron roll looked like it was initiated by the rudders haha. I only use the gyro on normal mode for landing on windy days. It does a good job of that. Especially on the 90mm F-16. The receiver and gyro were under the back battery on my last one. The new location hides everything when the wing hatch is secured. It also puts the CG a bit further aft.

[andrew_flyguy]

Anyone found 3D printed nozzles for this beauty? (I may have overlooked them in this thread)

[RCjetdude]

Try these. They word good.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2315939

[crxmanpat]

Steve, I think he meant exhaust nozzles, not whistles. :)

[andrew_flyguy]

Steve, I think he meant exhaust nozzles, not whistles. :)

Bingo. Already got the nerf whistles ;)

[crxmanpat]

There are not a lot of 3D parts on Thingiverse yet for Freewing jets. However, Dirty Dee has been hard at work creating some goodness for us, which I have been printing. Have not seen anything for the Tomcat though.

[andrew_flyguy]

Anyone know how to do a setup on Spektrum Tx that would not only cancel flaps when wings are swept but elevator compensation as well? Would like to idiot-proof my model from myself as much as I can. lol. Here's what I've got currently.

[C17loadmaster]

Just setup a dual rate to your tailerons with the same switch the wing sweep is setup for. Keep you’re pitch control the same in both wing positions. You only need a dual rate for roll with the wings swept

[fhhuber]

Still playing with my plan on the F-14 "flight modes" (Spektrum DX-18)

Mode 1: Wings swept (2 sec delay to sweep), flaps/ailerons up
Mode 2: Wings extend, flaps/ailerons up
Mode 3: Wings extended, flaps down appx 10 deg, ailerons down appx 5 deg
Mode 4: Wings extended, Flaps down appx 25 deg, ailerons down appx 15 deg
Mode 5: Wings extended, Flaps down appx 40 deg, ailerons down appx 30 deg
(full scale the ailerons come down about the same angle as the flaps. I drop them less for added low speed stability)

I'm doing my elevator compensation for flaps with the stick. The amount needed changes significantly with airspeed.

Note the delay on sweep to ensure flaps have time to be fully up if switching rapidly from 5 to 1

Spektrum only put ability to have 3 rates even though there's ability to link dual rates to flight modes. So Mode 1, 2 and 3 are the 3 rates (actually I just change expos, with 100% throw always available on the tailerons)
Currently I am not using the ailerons for roll. Using the taileron aircraft "type".

Mode 1/2/3 on switch E, Mode 4/5 on switch F (E must be in 3 to get 4 or 5) It can go direct from 5 to 2 and very quickly to 1, but I don't recommend it without a LOT of altitude.

I probably won't quit changing the programming until I'm done with the airplane.

Full scale, the wing sweep is normally in automatic mode with the computer deciding when and how much to sweep based on airspeed, power setting and control deflection demanded by the pilot. The pilot can over-ride the computer but its usually a bad idea.

[andrew_flyguy]

5 flight modes is a bit much for my taste, but I’m sure it’s great to have that much covered :)
Getting this Tomcat Top Gun’d up a little at a time. Painted helmets and scratch built some ejection handles from some fabric covered guitar wire. The decals from Callie Graphics JUST arrived!!

[andrew_flyguy]

This Floetrol stuff is seriously impressive. I mixed 16 grams of it into the 8oz paint “sample” I got from Home Depot (then foam brushed it on the plane after wet sanding the primer)... I can't hardly see ANY streaks!

[andrew_flyguy]

Updates on the Top Gun refinish :)