Official Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat Thread

**GarrisonR** · Jan 14, 2021, 01:08 PM

The plates appear to be between 6.25"-6.5" wide, hard to tell exactly with the wing on, and just under 4" long (front to back). I would think to achieve the strength you're looking for 6" would give you enough to work with.
12" should be good too, from aluminum spar or front of the plate.. 12" puts you into the bulge just before the rudder.

Good luck!

Originally posted by Elbee

GR, would a 6" X 12" CF plate be enough material to to duplicate one side and extend far enough aft to cover the main gear mounts? Best, LB

**T-CAT** · Jan 14, 2021, 01:11 PM

Originally posted by GarrisonR

1. Just to be sure, when referring to the low side requiring modification, is that referring to the part closest to head of the plug?
I was referring the low side as closest to the center axis of the fuse or the hump in the cover. The angle slopes towards the center line of the plane

2. Does the angled plug need modification to fit in both the front cover holes and center holes, or just one, the front or center?
I actually found the straight plug to work better for the front and rear holes and the angled for the center holes. When the angled is fitted in the front it does not sit flush as the foam in that area is for the most part flat. The two last pictures I posted earlier are the straight plug in the front hole.

3. In the hole that the angled plug needs altering, when the angled plug is placed in the hole, what orientation of the turn is the plug at (angle facing forward, aft, etc.?) so I can see where the head of the plug needs to be angled more or less?
Angle is facing towards the center of the plane. Its pretty hard to get a decent photo of it but the inside (center line side) of the angle only sits up about .5mm-.75mm.. eyeballed

If you don’t mind taking a picture(s) of the angled plug half way out or marked with how it is turned in the slot to properly seat, and possibly a quick pencil drawing of the angled plug and the mods needed to help me visualize it.
Apologies in advance for my crap photoshop skills

Thank you!

Excellent, that helps massively. I truly appreciate the time. I'll modify the angled file now and send you the new file to test fit if you don't mind. I may even make two files, an angled plug with a .5mm change and one with a .75mm change. Thanks!

**GarrisonR** · Jan 14, 2021, 01:30 PM

Yeah no problem! I started a new Avanti nozzle that's got 4hrs or so left and I'll que them up after that.

Originally posted by T-CAT

Excellent, that helps massively. I truly appreciate the time. I'll modify the angled file now and send you the new file to test fit if you don't mind. I may even make two files, an angled plug with a .5mm change and one with a .75mm change. Thanks!

**T-CAT** · Jan 14, 2021, 01:34 PM

Originally posted by GarrisonR

Yeah no problem! I started a new Avanti nozzle that's got 4hrs or so left and I'll que them up after that.

**T-CAT** · Jan 15, 2021, 09:16 AM

My updated (the angled plug now fits more flush with the foam cover on the two middle screw holes) STL files for the F-14 wing box cover screw hole plugs are now up on Thingiverse.

it appears the straight plug design is best for the two front and two rear screw holes of the wing box cover, and the angled plug is best for the two middle screw holes.

Thank you Garrison for testing these on your jet and providing feedback.

**rlcamden** · Jan 15, 2021, 09:34 AM

A little late in the game on the F-14. Got the ARF+ kit to add the t-33 9-blade inrunners and A-10 ESCs, but one thing I haven't been able to find info on is the timing of the inrunners. I did read a post where the timing was set to low for outrunners, but wondering if it would be the same for the inrunners? Waiting for a few other parts to arrive, then I will get to start the task of building and flying the Tomcat.

**GarrisonR** · Jan 15, 2021, 09:36 AM

As I know it, low is usually for inrunners and medium is for outrunners. That's the way freewing sets it I believe. I have the same setup you're building and set it to low.

Originally posted by rlcamden

A little late in the game on the F-14. Got the ARF+ kit to add the t-33 9-blade inrunners and A-10 ESCs, but one thing I haven't been able to find info on is the timing of the inrunners. I did read a post where the timing was set to low for outrunners, but wondering if it would be the same for the inrunners? Waiting for a few other parts to arrive, then I will get to start the task of building and flying the Tomcat.

**T-CAT** · Jan 23, 2021, 01:10 PM

I’m planning out some mods for when I get another F-14 when they arrive back in stock. One of those mods is replacing the flimsy ESC cover with all the perforations.

Since I don’t have an aircraft in front of me to judge thickness of the new replacement sheet I’ll be making out of styrene, can someone confirm the thickness needed of the sheet in order to lay flush with the main body surrounding it?

**mshagg** · Jan 23, 2021, 05:02 PM

The stock cover is only a couple of mm thick and doesn't really sit that flush already lol.

Based on someone else's work I got a thin sheet of plastic, cut it to size and fitted some NACA ducts, per this design on thingiverse:

Freewing F-14 naca intake duct for ESC by s737500

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3659074

I did not like the cheese grater look on the Freewing F-14 lower fuselage, so I decided to do something about it :-) I printed 2 of these intakes, and cut a new thin plastic sheet to replace the holed one. Looks much better now :-) Added holes into the EDF intake duct tto create airflow over the ESC`s . I printed mine with 0.16 layer height, 1 shell/perimiter, 205 degrees hotend, and 25mm/s 50 degree on the heatbed. White PLA.Flow test :-)https://youtu.be/fhofe9LvM24

**T-CAT** · Jan 23, 2021, 05:38 PM

Originally posted by mshagg

The stock cover is only a couple of mm thick and doesn't really sit that flush already lol.

Based on someone else's work I got a thin sheet of plastic, cut it to size and fitted some NACA ducts, per this design on thingiverse:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3659074

Thanks mshagg. I can’t remember the thickness as the last time I had a F-14 was many many years ago. Ha-ha. A couple millimeters is even thicker than I remember the sheet being, LOL. I was thinking of going with the NACA duct idea (which is a really nice design), but I think I’ll may end up having the ESC’s further aft and sitting the heatsink portion flush with the cover, so it’s exposed directly to the airflow.

**crxmanpat** · Jan 23, 2021, 08:45 PM

Tommy,

I used .020"/.5mm styrene on mine.

**T-CAT** · Jan 23, 2021, 08:56 PM

Originally posted by crxmanpat

Tommy,

I used .020"/.5mm styrene on mine.

That looks great, thanks Pat. Sorry to bother, but do you know the length that would be needed? I already has some .5mm styrene, but I don’t think it’s long enough. I’ll have to bought longer sheets I think. Ha-ha

**crxmanpat** · Jan 24, 2021, 06:53 AM

My sheets were only 12" long and I had to cut from another sheet and seam them. You can see the seam at the top of the pic. If you can find it, get some sheet that is at least 16" long.

**T-CAT** · Jan 24, 2021, 10:20 AM

Originally posted by crxmanpat

My sheets were only 12" long and I had to cut from another sheet and seam them. You can see the seam at the top of the pic. If you can find it, get some sheet that is at least 16" long.

Thanks a ton, Pat. I’ll start looking for longer sheets. If I’m not mistaken, I believe my current ones are also 12” in length. If I can’t find 16” sheets, I’ll do the same as you and join them.

**crxmanpat** · Jan 24, 2021, 10:55 AM

If you do have to join them, the seam is not very noticeable. Looks like a panel line.

**T-CAT** · Jan 24, 2021, 11:04 AM

That definitely isn’t very noticeable and looks very clean. The look of the stock perforated ESC cover is too much of an eye sore for me. Another thing that I have to have is the missile pylons installed under the wings to hide the main wheels when the gear is retracted

.

**RRHandy** · Jan 24, 2021, 01:09 PM

This might help.

Error Page | eBay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/010-WHITE-POLYSTYRENE-PLASTIC-SHEET-LIGHT-DIFFUSING-12-x-48-4-sq-ft/331319730420?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

**T-CAT** · Jan 24, 2021, 02:04 PM

Originally posted by RRHandy

This might help.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/010-WHITE-P...72.m2749.l2649

Thanks

. That is a heck of a deal for that much styrene

.

**rlcamden** · Jan 26, 2021, 05:18 AM

Was wondering if someone could post a photo or two of how the battery tray was modded for single row 5000s? I have started to assemble mine, but am curious on how much foam to remove. I am installing the battery tray recommended by Rich from RCInformer which is the kit offered by Dustin Holloman. I am sure I have missed a post or a video/photo of the install as they all seem to be running together now. Any help would be appreciated.

**andrew_flyguy** · Jan 26, 2021, 06:15 AM

Originally posted by rlcamden

Was wondering if someone could post a photo or two of how the battery tray was modded for single row 5000s? I have started to assemble mine, but am curious on how much foam to remove. I am installing the battery tray recommended by Rich from RCInformer which is the kit offered by Dustin Holloman. I am sure I have missed a post or a video/photo of the install as they all seem to be running together now. Any help would be appreciated.

Sorry, I don't have a pic handy - but you'll want to carve out foam all the way to the aluminum wing box spar.

Official Freewing Twin 80mm F-14D Tomcat Thread

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