Official Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat Thread

[crxmanpat]

I've used the A-10 setup in mine and found it gave much better thrust. Speed did not increase it seams, but having more thrust is definitely better.

[BushPilot]

I've used the A-10 setup in mine and found it gave much better thrust. Speed did not increase it seams, but having more thrust is definitely better.

would it be better to keep the 12blade fans or use the 9 blade that the A-10 uses? …..noticed you are in Mesa..... I did some flight training at Falcon Field in '04 (KFFZ), great airport.

[DCORSAIR]

would it be better to keep the 12blade fans or use the 9 blade that the A-10 uses? …..noticed you are in Mesa..... I did some flight training at Falcon Field in '04 (KFFZ), great airport.

My buddy just changed his over to the 9 blade A-10 setup, flies great and I do think it has a little more speed, hard to tell really what he gained by changing out the stock units because we haven't flown them together, it looks to have more thrust than mine, I just finished mine and it's all stock, does seem a little sluggish at first but once cleaned up it scoots along good, I don't think it's much faster with the wings swept back but it looks and feels like it, think it's just the profile of it, makes it look faster.

[crxmanpat]

Advantages of the A-10 setup vs stock are less weight (fan shrouds are plastic vs metal), more efficient using 9 blades vs 12, more thrust on the A-10 setup, and ESCs are 100A vs 80A and have extra caps for the long leads.

[DCORSAIR]

Advantages of the A-10 setup vs stock are less weight (fan shrouds are plastic vs metal), more efficient using 9 blades vs 12, more thrust on the A-10 setup, and ESCs are 100A vs 80A and have extra caps for the long leads.

Oh, see, you know more about that than I do. Maybe I should take the fans out of my A-10 and install them in my F-14 and see for myself, it could use a little more thrust for sure, well maybe I will bite the bullet and buy them.

[gooniac33]

The New FMS Platinum Series fans would be at home in this bird! I have seen 3 planes to date fly with the older 80mm 2000kv FMS set up and they worked awesome! No reason why the new ones wouldn't work even better! Much lighter than stock and much better efficiency at half throttle where most of us spend out time anyway. Top end is really good!

[thisguy65]

The New FMS Platinum Series fans would be at home in this bird! I have seen 3 planes to date fly with the older 80mm 2000kv FMS set up and they worked awesome! No reason why the new ones wouldn't work even better! Much lighter than stock and much better efficiency at half throttle where most of us spend out time anyway. Top end is really good!

I was thinking about this the other night. Would hope ESC wouldn't have to be replace if it did, just go with the A-10's ESC setup.

[BushPilot]

I was thinking about this the other night. Would hope ESC wouldn't have to be replace if it did, just go with the A-10's ESC setup.

I've looked at the 80mm fan and motor that the High Performace A-6 Intruder uses in the MRC website as an option for the F-14 using the a-10 ESC, but the inrunner motor is unfortunately out of stock.

[gooniac33]

I was thinking about this the other night. Would hope ESC wouldn't have to be replace if it did, just go with the A-10's ESC setup.

I think that the plane comes stock with 100amp esc. If so then you will be set!

[crxmanpat]

The stock ESCs in the F-14 are 80A and will not be sufficient. And besides, the A-10 ESCs come with extra caps installed because of the length of wiring from the ESCs to the batteries.

[thisguy65]

Won't be long now

[RCjetdude]

Won't be long now

Nice Dustin! Between stab hinges for Roban Apaches and these you are staying busy.

[thisguy65]

Nice Dustin! Between stab hinges for Roban Apaches and these you are staying busy.

Yes sir and firearm parts. Then working full time for family business. I did this to my self, haha.

[e4dragongunner]

Nice Dustin! Between stab hinges for Roban Apaches and these you are staying busy.

I am in for a set!! fo sho!

[crxmanpat]

Stolen from RCGroups. Not sure who the aircraft owner is, someone from China or Taiwan I assume. Highly modified Freewing F-14.

[gooniac33]

[Phantom]

Stolen from RCGroups. Not sure who the aircraft owner is, someone from China or Taiwan I assume. Highly modified Freewing F-14.

Absolutely gorgeous!!! That's a true modeler!!! I wonder if she'll still fly? How much weight was added? In any event wow just wow!!!

This guy must have received this bird and thought, "Nice kit" or "Oh, my ARF has arrived" while the rest of us believe it to be a PNP haha.

[Aces]

I ran across that guys video and a few others he highly modified. I am very interested in doing the canopy and the air brakes. I think I can figure out how to do the canopy. But I’m thinking that some 3-D printed inserts for the airbrakes would be good. But I have no 3-D printer or the skills to do it. Anybody know of anyone producing something like that? Or is there anyone with a 3-D printer willing to work with me on it?

[crxmanpat]

I have a printer, but no design skills. Doesn't look like the scale brakes would be difficult to design.

[Alpha]

I ran across that guys video and a few others he highly modified. I am very interested in doing the canopy and the air brakes. I think I can figure out how to do the canopy. But I’m thinking that some 3-D printed inserts for the airbrakes would be good. But I have no 3-D printer or the skills to do it. Anybody know of anyone producing something like that? Or is there anyone with a 3-D printer willing to work with me on it?

Aces I can't see the video due to my location, but based on that screenshot you posted, it should be a fairly straightforward matter to modify a servo to push two control rods, each of which extends one of the brake panels. Google for a diagram on a single servo linkage for a drag rudder --same principle applies here. I'd probably run two servos, one for each hinge, to avoid any twisting that might occur in a single servo-driven hinge setup. You may also consider looking at our 90mm T-45 and 90mm F-104, both of which use an air brake mechanism, albeit a single panel one. Perhaps you could adapt the geometry to the F-14.

As for the brake panels themselves, as Crxmanpat's photos show, they're flat. As I recall from several years back now, we included the panel line in the mold, so I would recommend using that outline on your existing model to trace on a white piece of paper the general shape of the brake panel. Then, transfer that shape to thin styrene, and work out the aforementioned servo linkages. Bury them on the underside fuselage so they're less visible.

A bonus would me the rout out the thickness of the foam to accept the plastic brake panel flush with the surrounding surface. I'd recommend a Dremel at mid speed with a small barrel sander for this task. Adjust your speed so the edge is smooth but doesn't marr or melt. Practice first on scrap foam. It becomes easier after a few test passes.

Paint the inside red, sync the servos, sit back and smile.

In the air, ensure you have adequate air speed --but not too much!-- before testing deployment. We evaluated a number of configurations on the original prototype F-14s, including brakes, and we didn't quite like them. Your [air] mileage may vary.