Official Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat Thread

[fhhuber]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

Ordered the F-14..

Must get the Sundowners scheme on it though.

[Alpha]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

Thanks for the order, Fhhuber! Contact Callie at www.callie-graphics.com, I've worked with her on many occasions and highly recommend her custom decal services.

[fhhuber]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

It arrived.

Shipping box perfect
The ARF box and foam packing all perfect

Looks very good except :( they wrapped the nose too tight (or the wrap shrunk) and cracked the fiberglass.  Crack is center top and right along where the foam insert ends.
Initially, I thought the pitot tube was damaged too, but it straightened itself out.



Now... do I mess with the essentially perfect paint job... (peeling decals) to change to the Sundowners or leave it as-is...

[Alpha]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

If you'd like a new nose cone, fhhuber, email the warranty team at the link below:

http://www.motionrc.com/contact-us/


Deciding whether or not to paint a plane is a big decision. I will say that the decals are very thin, and most often people paint over them. Removing the larger decals can be a bit of a pain, as you run the risk of marring the base foam surface. This might leave you with more of a negative disparity than if you had just left the decal on. For areas such as the "NE" on the tail, I can see that area as being worth removing. But for the No Steps and insignias, I'd think you're just going to put new ones on in that exact location anyway, and the double thickness of a decal won't be very noticeable. In the past depending on the decal and the final color of the repaint, I've also used WBPU mixed to mayonnaise consistency with baby powder, to glaze over the existing decals and build up the transition between the decal and the surrounding foam. When it's fully cured I'll take a fine sanding block and remove most of it to achieve a uniform surface.

[Bajora]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

Thought I would drop an embed to a short video I shot a few months back. It features a couple of short clips of both the Freewing F-14 and F-15, as well as s rogue pass by another F-15.   :D

https://vimeo.com/143097407

[fhhuber]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

When installed the crack is pushed closed and disappears, so its probably not bad enough to be worth getting another. But the people packing these need to be told to not pull the bubble wrap quite so tight or they'll be breaking nosecones.

[Alpha]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

This is the first nose cone cracked from the bubble wrap we've seen, but I'll ensure the factory hears about this and it doesn't happen again.

[Shirty]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

Just completed the maiden flight on my Tomcat last weekend, and I can't get enough of it. With the wings out, it flies similarly to the F-86, and looks amazing when shooting across the sky with wings swept. Here are a few pictures from the maiden.

Congrats on the successful maiden mate. :)
[hr]
Here's my vid of my mates f14. I didn't have too much film to work with, (and it was extremely windy), but I thnk it came out ok. Hope you enjoy. :)

http://youtu.be/s0PqPxdv8Dg

[Bajora]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

Yeah, way to stick with it on that landing! Nice flight!

[fhhuber]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

Note for your next revision on the F-14... Program the sequencer system in that multifunction board to prevent aileron and flap movement with wings swept.

*********

Note for people assembling the model: Do not connect the sweep mechanism until after you have the flaps and ailerons working correctly and in neutral.

I didn't break anything but I had to be quick on the sweep switch.

[fhhuber]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

Making the ailerons and flaps so they CAN'T be deflected with the wing swept.
This gets a little complicated.
While this is the specifics for my radio, it gives an idea of how to step through the mixing setup. Do one step, make it work, then go to adding the next. If you try to just do all at once it might seem to be impossible.

Lots of playing around... I tried half of the built-in mix schemes of the radio.

Finally settled on use of Elevon wing mode and normal tail for the built-in mix (DX-18, old version, current firmware)

Then turned on flite modes, 5 modes

Used my normal flap toggle and the toggle right beside it. The way flight modes works is slightly strange to me... but it works.
3 pos switch 1 selects mode 1, 2*, 3
IF switch 1 is in pos 2*, then the second switch selects modes 2, 4, 5.

Disabled the wing sweep (unplugged)

Elevator servos to Aileron and Elevator (typical elevon) Adjust reversing, etc to get correct responses.

Flaps (plugged to Aux1 via the multifunction board)
Flaps active on flight modes 4 (appx 20 deg) and 5 (appx 45 deg).

R-Ail to Aux2
Mix Ail-> Aux2, 75%, 75% 100% was over-ranging the available travel. Active all but flight mode 3
Mix Flap -> Aux2, 75%, -75% (not sure why I had to use - one half and + the other... its how the radio works) Active Fight modes 4 and 5

L-Ail to Aux 3
Mix Ail-> Aux2, 75%, 75% (100% was over-ranging the available travel) Active all but flight mode 3
Mix Flap -> Aux2, -75%, 75% Active Fight modes 4 and 5 (Ailerons follow flaps but don't go down as much as the flaps)

I opted not to play the game of flaps following ailerons... But I have done that on other models.

Now... mode 3 the flaps and ailerons are neutral.

Assigned wing sweep to Aux4 and Aux4 to the training button. (I can command sweep with the button, but I never will) Ensured that as long as my finger is off the button the wings are spread wide.
Mix Aux4 -> Aux4, -125%, -125%, offset -60%, active Flight Mode 3.
This gives -100% commanded position (by the graph on the radio display) with flight mode 3. Wings only sweep in flight mode 3.

I CAN'T accidentally pus the switches in a position that sweeps the wing with flaps down.

If I assigned the sweep direct to flight mode, they swept in modes 3, 4 and 5.

Gear, still operating via the muti-function board (for the gear door sequencer) on my normal gear switch.

Note I don't tell you which switches to use for the flight modes. You should always use the same one for gear and the same one for flaps so you don't have to remember which does what for which airplane.

Next ... I get to decide my duel rates and expos.

[crxmanpat]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

This one is on my wish list (which has WAY too many planes on it right now!). I got to watch Tony fly one at an event in Chino Valley, AZ back in October and was blown away! Even though I'm an AF guy, I've always loved the F-14. And I would seriously have to think about repainting mine into a VF-1 Wolfpack scheme (even though this scheme was on the A model, and this one is a D):

[Grossman56]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

Ok, so I just have to ask!
How are you making the animations in your videos, its very awesome!!

What a great airplane, it so head and shoulders above my skill level right now, but man, I could have it sitting on a table and spend hours just watching those wings go in and out. 
As for the video, you set a standard for the rest of us to follow.  One thing I'd like to point out, as a new Shirty video fan, is I appreciate that you don't have the music blaring and that it isn't all FPV.

Great job Shirty!!!

Grossman56

[Dewey H Lee]

RE: Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat

Ok, so I just have to ask!
How are you making the animations in your videos, its very awesome!!

What a great airplane, it so head and shoulders above my skill level right now, but man, I could have it sitting on a table and spend hours just watching those wings go in and out. 
As for the video, you set a standard for the rest of us to follow.  One thing I'd like to point out, as a new Shirty video fan, is I appreciate that you don't have the music blaring and that it isn't all FPV.

Great job Shirty!!!

Grossman56

You said it all Grossman. Great video.

[fhhuber]

Wattmeter of one EDF

Technical difficulties have the video upside down :p

https://youtu.be/vtIf6Szr-Xs

[Alpha]

Corsair Nut came over to the airfield last night and we shot this video. The camera is struggling because it's so dark (the sun had already set), but the footage was worth sharing. It's best to watch in full HD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNlb...ature=youtu.be

[crxmanpat]

"Flying at night is not recommended"

Holy crap, as bright as those LEDs are, why not! :D

Watched Tony fly Hannibal back in October at dusk. I think it looks better at dusk than during the day.

[Alpha]

I have a video of Tony flying this past Saturday. Working on that one tonight to post here. Both of these guys really know how to wring out their F-14s! Although, Tony is really just borrowing his F-14 from Evelyn, since Hannibal is hers. He's still working on his.

I was there when Evelyn flew her first circuit with Hannibal. Only matter of time before we get to see a father/daughter F-14 formation flight. Where's the popcorn!

[crxmanpat]

She finally got a flight on Hannibal? Awesome! I really hope she chooses a career in aviation. I know it would make Tony very proud.

[xplaneguy]

Why yes it would! :D I guess I better finish my F-14, though camping on our desert property last night was fun too. ;)

Great night video....good times for sure. :)