Official Freewing F/A-18C Hornet 90mm EDF Thread

[Aros]

I feel for you, just got my grey one all put together and almost ready for it's maiden flight this weekend and, I forgot that I didn't put the wing screws in yet, well you know what happens when you pick one of these jets up by the wing but without the wing screws installed, aaaaaaahhhhh, yes I dropped my brand spanking new grey one, big dent in the wing, dents in the fuselage on top of course where my big fat fingers tried to catch it, oh well, not prestine anymore..................

DOH!! I hate when I do crap like that, lol. Good thing nobody has been video taping all my face palm moments in RC over the years. It would be hours long!

[Imladris18]

I build to what I see and remember. I have seen the Blues several times, and always thought the F/A-18 was a great looking airframe, though I never really differentiated between models with the exception of Legacy vs Super Hornets vs Growlers. When I build my "C" it will be as I see it in my mind's eye and include features that are relevant to that criteria. If adding Sidewinders to a naked wing tip, or mounting wing/center-line fuel tanks presents the model better than without on this airframe to you, then why not, IMHO, even though the actual might not ever carry these. To each their own I think and a bit-o-personalizing makes our models our own and I like that. Nothing more fun than adding or removing items to or from an airframe to give a different look. Bravo Zulu to those who take a OEM kit and make it look better or more realistic even at the expense of complete authenticity. This is a hobby after all and not a cheap one. Do things that give you the 'old warm and fuzzy' when someone compliments your work, add details no one might ever see just because you know its there, add a bit-o-whimsy or patriotism with no regard to realism if that is what makes you smile. Life's too short...I'm just sayin'. Best, LB

That's some great insight and perfectly valid. Thanks for the response!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say everyone's gotta be all 100% scale all the time - I'm not either. Like you said, life's too short. It's just, for me a Hornet and scale stickler, when I see someone has specifically dedicated a ton of time and energy into really making their plane scale, it's a bit of a bummer to me when it ends up being just a few little details shy from perfect.

[Aros]

I am of the mold that I love and appreciate scale but too lazy to execute it properly. If it looks good to me that's all that matters.

[Aros]

I dinged my F/A-18C Hornet yesterday when I was trying to unplug my battery...The connectors were super tight and when they finally pulled apart it tore into the edge of the fuse leaving a nice little pea-sized chunk out of it.

Grrrrrrr....

So I am in the hunt for a really good spackle or something similar I can go grab at the hardware store. I have used spackle in the past but the consistency isn't a great match, especially when painting over it. Any suggestions? Help is greatly appreciated!

[Hoomi]

So, is Motion going to offer a special movie tie-in FA-18 for the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick?

[Elbee]

That's some great insight and perfectly valid. Thanks for the response! Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say everyone's gotta be all 100% scale all the time - I'm not either. Like you said, life's too short. It's just, for me a Hornet and scale stickler, when I see someone has specifically dedicated a ton of time and energy into really making their plane scale, it's a bit of a bummer to me when it ends up being just a few little details shy from perfect.

I18, I like the way you think and for most things I am of a similar mind. I've been around aircraft most of life and it has become this little thing I saw or I liked or this area that is always dirty, worn, or cleaned that sticks with me and excites my imagination with a build. I have not been back into the hobby long, December '17, and I've only built 3 of Motion's aircraft, so that's not much time, but agreed that at the base of it, at the OEM level, recreating scale fidelity is important but concessions are made. Complete scale fidelity has been a topic of discussion in this hobby as long as I can remember and it can be distracting as so many military airframes are maintained differently by the crews and the variants are many in successful designs. I rebuilt a '71 XKE V-12 coupe long ago and got really wrapped up in 'factory fresh' all the way down to the plating of nuts and bolts. Believe me, it added little to the value when I sold it some 10 years later and was a time-consumer. My point is, if I had it to do over, I would concentrate on what adds to the aesthetic presentation to 'factory fresh' and not get as hung up on the actual as in the end it looked great, though worth the months waiting on plated parts...not really. I love scale as a category to RC Flying, it is the only reason I'm in it. I concede to your point on what is actual and if I built to compete at a AMA Nationals Event or Top Gun Event level, I would want you as a judge as I would certainly want my scale fidelity details noticed. Love this hobby and the banter, now back to F/A-18 builds and mods... . Best to you and yours I18, LB

[Hardway]

So, is Motion going to offer a special movie tie-in FA-18 for the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick?

I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Putting the original in the DVD player right now!!!!!!!

[Imladris18]

I appreciate the kind words, LB, and the best to you as well. It's always nice to hear from other scale aficionados :)

Like Aros, I'd also like to hear of any possible foam 'spackle' solutions out there. I've had similar annoying dents in the past, and I've always wondered what the best way to repair those would be.

[Hardway]

[Hugh Wiedman]

A friend of mine out at the field today has the BA F18 and he told me that they sent him a recall notice for the servos, anyone else heard that?

[crxmanpat]

A friend of mine out at the field today has the BA F18 and he told me that they sent him a recall notice for the servos, anyone else heard that?

It's not a recall notice, it's a Technical Service Bulletin.

https://www.motionrc.com/pages/product-update-freewing-90mm-edf-f-a-18c-hornet?_ke=eyJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJjcnhtYW5wYXRAZ21haWwuY29tIiwgImtsX2NvbXBhbnlfaWQiOiAiTFVZQ1NCIn0%3D

[Bobaroo]

I dinged my F/A-18

Grrrrrrr....

So I am in the hunt for a really good spackle or something similar I can go grab at the hardware store. I have used spackle in the past but the consistency isn't a great match, especially when painting over it. Any suggestions? Help is greatly appreciated!

This Sherman Williams Shrink-Free stuff is the best I've used. Sands Great...Paintable !! used on Small and Large Scale projects !! 'Hornets' are Tough !!!Cheers !

[vduniec]

The F-4E nose looks perfect! How did you do it?

[Bobaroo]

The F-4E nose looks perfect! How did you do it?

It's a Long Labor intensive Process my friend involving Glueing of Foam Blocks, setting the Droop Angle, Getting the proper overall length, splicing in Nosecones and Sanding and filling, carving in PanelLines to match the existing FW F-4D PanelLines !!! Primer and then cut in the GearDoors ! Perfection takes Time and Attention to detail ..... Much more of both of those than most are prepared to put into their Foamie Jets I'm afraid. Cheers !!

[Aros]

Sherman Williams Shrink Free Spackling eh? Cool, I will go grab some...I assume Home Depot? Thanks man!

[Bobaroo]

Sherman Williams Shrink Free Spackling eh? Cool, I will go grab some...I assume Home Depot? Thanks man!

Affirmative, .Awesome stuff, sands and takes paint very well.

Home Depot// Possibly,... I get it from the Sherman Williams paint store here in town !! GL

[fredmdbud]

Like gooniac i`m also trying to decide witch version i want grey or blue what to do ?

All the F/A-18C’s start off as Blue Angels. The base grey is an additional spray paint layer. BA also comes with decals, the grey does not.

[Bobaroo]

I for one would never accept that much unwanted diff without fixing it (separate channels typically), but that's because I want my models to be geometrically perfect, not because a little error here and there is necessarily fatal. Of course it isn't.

Addressing 'Geometric Perfection'.

I have similar wants, and correct my Jets to achieve this wherever possible.

I have not seen Symmetry of Design in the FW Jets that I have purchased since maybe the MiG-21 and F-15C. F-4/A-4/F-22 and again here on the F/A-18C,... All of these Jets have Asymmetry in the Flap Arrangement/Layout on these models. Replacement Servos corrects this for me. I can achieve Symmetry (Geometrically Perfect) under there by simply repositioning a Flap Servo. I am not sure why this is not done for us since the BB or a Reversed Servo installation from the factory can correct this. The Geometrically Imperfect Flap Arrangement can be seen very clearly below. 'I'mJustSayin'

As far as surface Deflection is concerned, I'm afraid that is far more difficult due to Twisting and Shifting of these EPO Foam control surfaces from Exposure to the Sun. Most flights require trim adjustments anyway because I fly with multiple/various Ordnance packages and these too create their own specific trimming requirements on any given flight.

[James]

All the F/A-18C’s start off as Blue Angels. The base grey is an additional spray paint layer. BA also comes with decals, the grey does not.

No, the base gray is not painted over the blue. The base gray is painted on white foam like the blue angels. The plastic bits that one doesn't see after the model is assembled are molded in blue (wing connectors etc). But both versions have 1 layer of paint on white foam either blue or gray.

[Hardway]

Yep!!!!!